NDT methods questions / ideas

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I am a newer metrology project leader at our company and oversee our weld testing; we currently test our welds by cutting them and then etching in acid then placing under a microscope and measuring with software the penetration and throat depth of a weld. By doing this we go through a lot of scrap which can be costly. So i am looking for cost saving ways to test our welds and still get the data we need. We are a manufacturing company that supplies the auto industry that makes the under carriages of seats, our welds are smaller mig welds at most 50 mm long maybe 5 -7 mm wide. I have been researching the phased array and ultrasonic methods. So my questions are which would be better suited to get penetration and throat depth data? Does anyone have any insight or experience they could share with these or other methods of NDT?Thank you!
Reply:How about some good old fashioned destructive testing using the same parameters and materials, or even the same parts, like test 1 in 100??  I use phased array as well as conventional UT, and it does have it's places, but neither will show you penetration or throat depth.6 Miller Big Blue 600 Air Paks2 Miller 400D6 Lincoln LN-25's4 Miller Xtreme 12VS2 Miller Dimension 812 4 Climax BW-3000Z bore welders Hypertherm 65 and 85Bug-O Track BugPair of Welpers
Reply:What alloys and where is your plant?Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.