A LEADER IN NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING SINCE 1928

Magnetic Analysis Corporation has been advancing the science and technology behind nondestructive testing for over 90 years. On the world stage, MAC® is recognized as a major resource for eddy current, electromagnetic, flux leakage and ultrasonic inspection systems for testing metals.

Dedicated to a production-oriented approach, MAC offers both individual instruments and complete systems that incorporate material handling and controls, as well as nondestructive testing.
Our focus is on our clients’ expectations for superior technology, reliability and a thorough understanding of their product and in-plant conditions. Partnering with them, we develop a test system that is the best one to meet both their specifications and their internal needs.

MAC Elmsford, NY Headquarters

MAC Today:

  • Three impressive, state of the art facilities form the backbone of our company: MAC’s ISO 9001-2015 certified manufacturing and engineering facility in Elmsford, New York; a manufacturing and ISO/IEC 17025:2017 laboratory certified plant in Boardman, Ohio; and Magnetic Analysis Nordic’s manufacturing plant in Östersund, Sweden.
  • Our products and testing instruments are used in countless countries and territories, in plants and mills where wire, tubing, bars and metal parts roll through automatic inspection systems without missing a beat.
  • In addition, MAC’s global network of field engineers and experienced representatives are always available to locally supply custom services, installation, routine maintenance, or repairs. This support staff gives MAC the unique ability to provide the highest level of personalized service, just about anywhere in the world.
  • Maintenance service can be provided for most systems by a service contract, or on a per call basis.
  • Our testers and services are also offered through MAC’s unique leasing program, which includes both equipment and service in one package.

MAC Milestones:

  • 1928 Magnetic Analysis Corp. is founded in Long Island City, NY, by William Gould and William Gould Jr.

At that time, most testing inspection involved “sampling” techniques that essentially destroyed part of the product in the process. An evaluation method that would permit products to be used after testing proved to be a very attractive and successful idea and, as a result, a group of patents was developed for nondestructive testing of steel bars. Translating this NDT concept into a viable tester took six years of research and development.

  • 1934 MAC introduces the first successful nondestructive tester to identify cracks in steel bars.
Using two coils and a galvanometer, the system applied an electric AC field to the bar and measured changes in permeability. Housed in a wooden box, the strange new scientific development met with considerable skepticism from early customers, but MAC believed so strongly in the tester that the company offered the equipment on a lease basis so that customers would not have to make a capital investment.
With this incentive, Union Drawn Steel became the first company to install a MAC electromagnetic tester in 1934, and MAC’s concept of an operating lease for NDT equipment became a successful part of the company’s marketing program—one that remains in place today.

1st MAC NDT equipment installed at a customer’s plant

  • The 1930’s-1940’s The use of NDT expands in the U.S. steel industry, spurred by demands for ordnance testing in World War II.
In a two-page advertisement in TIME Magazine in June, 1940, Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation of Pittsburgh PA featured Magnetic Analysis Corp.’s electromagnetic tester and described the merits of the test method for inspecting cold finished steel bars for cracks. During this period, MAC continued research and development that led to expanded electromagnetic testing capabilities for grade and hardness inspection.
  • 1953 MAC introduces the first commercial eddy current tester in the U.S., a major advancement in NDT technology.
This new eddy current technology measured the material’s conductivity instead of permeability, leading to a more reliable inspection for short surface defects. It also enabled non-ferrous metals such as copper, brass, stainless steel and aluminum to be inspected.

MAC equipment featured in 06/03/1940 issue of Time magazine ad for J & L Steel

  • 1959 MAC launches Rotomac®, the world’s first spinning probe eddy current tester.
The challenge of detecting long, continuous defects in wire and rod led to the company’s development of the first rotary probe tester. MAC’s expertise in rotary techniques continued to expand, and today the company’s high speed multi-test channel systems featuring eddy current, flux leakage and ultrasonic technologies are installed in plants throughout the world.
  • 1964 MAC opens its plant in Mt. Vernon, NY, gets a new president, and continues to expand operations.
During the 1960’s and 1970’s, under the direction of William Gould 3rd, MAC successfully expanded into overseas operations and introduced its test systems to Europe and Australia. The first European-based equipment was installed at British Timken by MAC’s UK subsidiary in 1962, followed by other subsidiaries being established in Italy and Australia. At home, manufacturing operations were later expanded with the opening of an Ohio plant in 1975.

MAC ERIC III EC Tester, Circa 1960

  • 1968 MAC introduces the first eddy current tester with phase gating and filtering.
In a major advance, this tester allowed much greater selectivity in differentiating between test signals from defects, and noise and signals from other sources. Further improvements added pulsed eddy current techniques that allowed for greater power to be applied so larger size materials could be inspected.
  • The 1970’s MAC broadens its flux leakage product line.

During this decade, MAC developed flux leakage detectors for military ordnance parts applications and for tube and pipe inspections, including OCTG.

  • 1989 MAC develops its own line of ultrasonic rotary testers.
That year, MAC introduced Echomac® ultrasonic rotary testing for tube and bar. This was followed by the addition of the Echomac FD instrumentation series, which is now recognized the world over as the premier ultrasonic electronic testing system.
  • 1992 MAC launches a fully computerized eddy current tester, a new benchmark for the industry.

With its real-time, full-color graphic display, sophisticated control of test parameters and digital processing of test signals, this instrument brought eddy current testing to a whole new level of precision and sophistication.

  • 2010 MAC relocates operations to a larger plant in Elmsford, NY.

MAC Rotomac® Tester with 350 Rotary Mechanism, featured on cover of Quality Magazine, April, 1991

Initiated by then company President Joseph Vitulli, MAC moved to a new facility which provided an 80% increase in space, and greatly expanded the company’s ability to manufacture and assemble large inspection systems and demonstrate them for customers. The move was critical in the company’s global strategy of offering the highest quality test equipment to meet growing demands for inspecting tube, bar, wire and other metal components.
  • 2016 Dudley Boden appointed MAC President & CEO.

Under the new leadership of President Boden, the company has broadened its technology and testing applications and taken on a renewed sense of commitment to 100% customer satisfaction.  Our focus is on using our years of experience in metal manufacturing plants to partner with the customer, learning what their real needs are, and developing the best test system for the specific application.
  • 2018 MAC delivers new products at home and around the world.
In the 2nd quarter of 2018, MAC shipped the first of three Rotoflux® AC Flux Leakage systems to a long-standing customer in Korea to inspect holt rolled bar. The new Rotoflux® AC, based on MAC’s many years of developing flux leakage technology, gives customers the ability to test products such as hot rolled bar with surface conditions that used to make finding shallow defects very difficult, if not impossible. The second and third units were shipped in the 3rd quarter to a longtime customer who manufacturers hot rolled black bar in the U.S. In the 4th quarter of 2018, MAC shipped out its first 25mm, 8 channel UT rotary with Echomac® FD6A electronics to a supplier of raw material for the medical industry. The design and manufacture of the 25mm unit increases MAC’s range of product UT inspection from 5mm up to and including 500mm OD.
  • 2020 MAC Introduces Phased Array UT Systems for Welded Tube.

Dudley M. Boden, President & CEO

The year 2020 marked MAC’s entry into the field of phased array ultrasonic inspection systems for the welded tube market, with the introduction of the Echomac® PA TW System. These phased array systems offer advantages of minimal operator adjustment, wider test head coverage of the weld zone, and the ability to monitor in the hot zone to provide immediate feedback to the operator.  Welding and seam trim tool process errors can be quickly addressed, resulting in less scrap tube.  The systems can also detect gross flaws when located in the hot zone or conduct more precise flaw detection after the forming rolls when the tube has a finalized round shape.  Phased Array systems are also available for other applications, including testing bar, composites and rail wheels.

  • Today A global leader in NDT technology.

As the only worldwide supplier of 4 key NDT technologies, MAC’s strength is integrating complete systems that incorporate multiple test modalities, materials handling, and remote access customer support, all under one user interface. With installed systems in over 30 countries, MAC works closely with metal manufacturers to provide systems or individual instruments that maximize their productivity while meeting market requirements and accurately identifying deficient product that does not meet their criteria. Our Business Development Managers, Field Engineers and Representatives, who collectively bring decades of experience and technical knowledge, can provide customers with preparation, installation, startup, operator training, follow up maintenance service and calibrations to ensure superior results.

Echomac® PA UT Tube Weld Tester