NDT tough – Jason Robbins

NDT tough – conversations with industry professionals: Jason Robbins

December 20, 2023

As part of #NDTtough, we are sharing messages from professionals in the non-destructive testing industry. Earlier this year, we had the chance to talk to Jason Robbins, Division Lead Commercial for VisiConsult X-ray Systems & Solutions.

NDTtough: 4 questions to Jason Robbins

How did you get into NDT?

Well I grew up in Akron, Ohio – a city which historically was a hub for the automobile tire industry, and my first job (via my college’s electrical engineering Co-Op program) was working for a company that was building machines to X-ray tires. I had no idea what NDT was before that job, and I also had no idea that x-rays and NDT would be integral to my career for the next 30 years and counting.

What does it mean to you to be NDT Tough?

So NDT Tough for me means that this field of expertise can be mentally tough, because one often has to make tough decisions to figure out the best path forward. Making difficult quality decisions isn’t always easy, and it can be quite challenging to find the right solutions to solve unique NDT problems. So no matter if you are making ethical, financial or technical decisions in NDT, you have to be mentally tough to be successful.

How would you describe the significance of your job to a high schooler?

When people build things, they must be sure to build them safely. Safety and quality in manufacturing impacts the whole world; and my job is to help my company build and supply equipment and technology that ensures they can prove that what they've made is safe.

Why should a high schooler consider getting into NDT?

The growing importance of data for quality assurance is undeniable. In the NDT industry today, data-scientists are also playing a crucial role. They can use X-ray technology to provide critical data about their parts and processes that they can use to significantly enhance safety first and foremost, but business efficiency and profitability as well. The industry is experiencing a dynamic upswing. It is not just focused on basic inspections, but also on aspects like artificial intelligence, outcome simulations and loads of data mining. NDT is evolving beyond the realm of traditional 'quality control', and this shift offers a diverse and exciting landscape for anyone passionate about technology and its practical applications.

Latest three news

Focus topic. A conversation with Jan Bressendorff and Allen Gress about pipeline weld inspection

October 8, 2026

On a pipeline job, the X-ray system is chosen for the weld, not from a catalog. Pipe size and access determine how the crew can inspect it. The procedure sets what the image must show. Heat, weight and exposure time shape the working day. A poor choice can cost hours. A good one helps the crew get an image the inspector can assess without needless delay.

Focus topic. The HP/15 builds on two decades of proven HP/11 performance for digital detectors, in-line inspection and CT.

September 21, 2026

For two decades, the HP/11 has been the reference minifocus X-ray tube for high-resolution and high throughput radiography. The HP/15 keeps everything that made it trusted, and reengineers the rest for digital detectors, in-line inspection and computed tomography.

From the field. Cooler leakage with Pierre-Emmanuel Rigot at X-RIS

September 10, 2026

This is not primarily a story about a cooler leak - it is a story about what happens when insight arrives too late. About the cost of operating without remote access. About the difference between reacting to failures and preventing them. And about how weak signals only become meaningful over time when data is allowed to flow. At its core, this case shows why BLOX alone is not enough.