MODULE 10 – VISUAL INSPECTION AND OTHER NDE

METHODS & SYMBOLS

WELDING INSPECTION
TECHNOLOGY
BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER WELDING INSPECTION

 BEFORE WELDING
 REVIEW APPLICABLE DOCUMENTATION
 CHECK WELDING PROCEDURE
 CHECK INDIVIDUAL WELDER QUALIFICATION
 ESTABLISH HOLD POINTS
 DEVELOP INSPECTION PLAN
 DEVELOP PLAN FOR RECORDING INSPECTION RESULTS AND
MAINTAINING THOSE RECORDS

 DEVELOP SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFICATION OF REJECTS

 BEFORE WELDING
 CHECK CONDITION OF WELDING EQUIPMENT

 CHECK QUALITY AND CONDITION OF BASE AND FILLERMATERIALS TO

TO BE USED

 CHECK WELD PREPARATIONS

 CHECK JOINT FIT-UP
 CHECK ADEQUACY OF ALIGNMENT DEVICES
 CHECK WELD JOINT CLEANLINESS
 CHECK PREHEAT, WHEN REQUIRED
 DURING WELDING
 CHECK WELDING VARIABLES FOR COMPLIANCE WITH WELDING
PROCEDURE

 CHECK QUALITY OF INDIVIDUAL WELD PASSES

 CHECK INTERPASS CLEANING
 CHECK INTERPASS TEMPERATURE
 CHECK PLACEMENT AND SEQUENCING OF INDIVIDUAL WELD
PASSES

 CHECK BACKGOUGED SURFACES

 MONITOR IN-PROCESS NDT, IF REQUIRED
 AFTER WELDING

 CHECK FINISHED WELD APPEARANCE

 CHECK WELD SIZE
 CHECK WELD LENGTH
 CHECK DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY OF WELDMENT
 MONITOR ADDITIONAL NDT, IF REQUIRED
 MONITOR POST WELD HEAT TREATMENT
 PREPARE INSPECTION REPORTS
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

 TESTS DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE AN INDICATION OF THE ACCEPTABILITY

OF THE TEST OBJECT WITHOUT RENDERING IT UNUSABLE FOR SERVICE.

 NDT METHODS

 PENETRANT TEST (PT)

 MAGNETIC PARTICLE TEST (MT)

 RADIOGRAPHIC TEST (RT)
 ULTRASONIC TEST (UT)
 EDDY CURRENT TEST (ET)
 PENETRANT TEST - PENETRANT TESTING REVEALS SURFACE
DISCONTINUITIES BY THE BLEEDOUT OF A PENETRATING
MEDIUM AGAINST A CONTRASTING COLORED
BACKGROUND.
 TWO PENETRANT INDICATIONS
 VISIBLE
 FLUORESCENT
 METHOD OF EXCESS PENTRANT REMOVAL
 WATER WASHABLE – CONTAIN AN EMULSIFIER WHICH ALLOWS
THE OILY PENETRANT TO BE RINSED OFF FROM
THE SURFACE W/ A LOW PRESSURE WATER
WASH.
 METHOD OF EXCESS PENTRANT REMOVAL

 SOLVENT REMOVABLE – REQUIRE SOLVENT TO REMOVE THE SURFACE

PENETRANT FROM THE TEST OBJECT.

 POST-EMULSIFIABLE – ARE REMOVED BY ADDING AN EMULSIFIER AFTER

THE DWELL TIME.
- APPLICATION OF EMULSIFIER PERMITS THE
PENETRANT TO BE REMOVED BY WATER.
 SIX DIFFERENT TYPES OF PENETRANTS

 VISIBLE/WATER WASHABLE
 VISIBLE/SOLVENT REMOVABLE
 VISIBLE/POST-EMULSIFIABLE
 SIX DIFFERENT TYPES OF PENETRANTS (CONTINUED)
 FLUORESCENT/WATER WASHABLE
 FLUORESCENT/SOLVENT REMOVABLE
 FLUORESCENT/POST-EMULSIFIABLE
 THE PENETRANT IS ALLOWED TO REMAIN ON THE TEST SURFACE FOR
A PERIOD OF 5 AND 30 MINUTES, WHICH IS CALLED “DWELL TIME”.

 ADVANTAGES

 THE USE OF PENTRANT IS NOT LIMITED TO METALLIC MATERIALS

 WELL SUITED FOR EVALUATING WELD OR BRAZED JOINTS BETWEEN
DISSIMILAR METALS

 PROCESS IS QUITE PORTABLE

 DISADVANTAGES

 IT WILL NOT DETECT SUBSURFACE DISCONTINUITIES

 RELATIVELY TIME-CONSUMING TEST WHEN COMPARED TO MPT
 CLEANING REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN APPLICATION
 THE PRESENCE OF SURFACE NONRELEVANT INDICATIONS MAY MAKE
INTERPRETATION DIFFICULT.
 MAGNETIC PARTICLE TEST (MPT) - USED PRIMARILY TO DISCOVER
DISCONTINUITIES IN FERROMAGNETIC
MATERIALS.
PERMANENT MAGNET YOKE

LINES OF FORCE

N
S

DISCONTINUITY
 TWO METHODS OF MPT

 DRY METHOD – CALLED THE DRY MAGNETIC PARTICLE METHOD

 WET METHOD – ALSO CALLED THE OIL OR WATER SUSPENSION
PARTICLE METHOD
- HAS HIGHER SENSITIVITY
 ADVANTAGES

 APPLICATION OF MAGNETIC PARTICLE INSPECTION INCLUDE THE

EVALUATION OF MATERIALS WHICH ARE CONSIDERED TO BE
MAGNETIC AT THE TEST TEMPERATURE.

 EQUIPMENT IS PORTABLE
 RAPID TESTING SPEED AND LOW COST
 VERY GOOD FOR SURFACE DISCONTINUITY DETECTION
 TEST CAN BE DONE THROUGH THIN PAINT COATINGS
 DISADVANTAGES

 CAN ONLY BE USED ON MATERIALS THAT CAN BE MAGNETIZED

 MOST PARTS REQUIRE DEMAGNETIZATION AFTER TESTING AND THAT
VERY THICK COATINGS MAY MASK DETRIMENTAL INDICATIONS

 ROUGH SURFACES SUCH AS THOSE SEEN ON WELDS OR CASTINGS

CAN MAKE EVALUATION MORE DIFFICULT
 RADIOGRAPHIC TESTING (RT) – THIS METHOD IS BASED ON THE
PRINCIPLE OF PREFERENTIAL RADIATION
TRANSMISSION, OR ABSORPTION.

SOURCE

X-RAYS

STEEL STEP
WEDGE
FILM

LIGHTEST DARKEST
EFFECT OF PART THICKNESS ON RADIATION TRANSMISSION (ABSORPTION)
EFFECT OF MATERIAL DENSITY ON RADIATION TRANSMISSION
(ABSORPTION)

SOURCE

X-RAYS

Pb Cu Fe Al

FILM

LIGHTEST DARKEST
 SOURCE

X-RAYS

FILM

ORIENTATION OF RADIATION SOURCE, TEST PLATE AND RADIOGRAPHIC

FILM
 ADVANTAGES
 IT CAN DETECT SUBSURFACE DISCONTINUITIES IN ALL COMMON
ENGINEERING MATERIALS

 THE DEVELOPED FILM SERVES AS AN EXCELLENT PERMANENT

RECORD OF THE TEST IF THE FILM IS STRORED PROPERLY AWAY FROM
EXCESSIVE HEAT AND LIGHT

 DISADVANTAGES
 HAZARDOUS TO HUMANS BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE RADIATION
EXPOSURE

 VERY EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT

 OPERATORS AND INTERPRETERS REQUIRE LENGTHY TRAINING
PERIODS

 TEST METHOD REQUIRES ACCESS BOTH SIDES OF THE MATERIAL

 ULTRASONIC TEST (UT) – IS AN INSPECTION METHOD WHICH USES
HIGH FREQUENCY SOUND WAVES, TO MEASURE
GEOMETRIC AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES IN
MATERIALS.
- UT USES ELECTRICAL ENERGY IN THE FORM OF
AN APPLIED VOLTAGE, AND THIS VOLTAGE IS
CONVERTED BY A TRANSDUCER TO MECHANICAL
ENERGY IN THE FORM OF SOUND WAVES.
- THE TRANSDUCER ACCOMPLISHES THIS ENERGY
CONVERSION DUE TO A PHENOMENON REFERRED
TO AS “PIEZOELECTRIC” EFFECT.
 TWO TYPES OF TRANSDUCERS
 LONGITUDINAL OR STRAIGHT BEAM – USE TO DETERMINE MATERIAL
THICKNESSES OR THE DEPTH OF
A DISCONTINUITY BELOW THE
MATERIAL THICKNESS.

 SHEAR WAVES OR ANGLE BEAM – ARE USED EXTENSIVELY FOR WELD

EVALUATION BEACAUSE THEY SEND
THE SOUND INTO THE PART AT AN
ANGLE.
 TWO GENERAL TYPES OF UT
 CONTACT TESTING – THE TRANSDUCER IS ACTUALLY PLACED
AGAINST THE SURFACE OF THE PART

 IMMERSION – THE PART TO BE EVALUATED IS PLACED UNDERWATER

AND THE SOUND IS TRANSMITTED FROM THE
TRANSDUCER AND INTO THE PART THROUGH THE WATER.
 ADVANTAGES
 CONSIDERED TO BE A VOLUMETRIC TEST
 IT IS CAPABLE OF DETERMINING NOT ONLY THE LENGTH AND
AND LATERAL LOCATION OF A DISCONTINUITY, BUT IT WILL ALSO
PROVIDE THE OPERATOR WITH A DETERMINATION OF A DEPTH OF
THAT FLAW BENEATH THE SURFACE.

 IT WILL BEST DETECT THOSE MORE CRITICAL PLANAR

DISCONTINUITIES SUCH AS CRACKING AND INCOMPLETE FUSION.

 HAS DEEP PENETRATION ABILITY UP TO 200 in. IN STEEL AND CAN

BE VERY ACCURATE
 DISADVANTAGES

 IT REQUIRES A HIGHLY SKILLED AND EXPERIENCED OPERATOR

BECAUSE INTERPRETATION CAN BE DIFFICULT.

 THE TEST OBJECT MUST BE FAIRLY SMOOTH, AND COUPLANT IS

REQUIRED FOR CONTACT TESTING.

 REFERENCED STANDARDS ARE REQUIRED, AND THIS TEST METHOD

FOR WELD INSPECTION IS GENERALLY LIMITED TO GROOVE WELDS
THAT ARE THICKER THAN ¼ in.
 EDDY CURRENT TEST (ET) – WHEN A COIL CARRYING AC IS BROUGHT
NEAR A METAL SPECIMEN, EDDY CURRENT
ARE INDUCED IN THE METAL BY ELECTRO-
MAGNETIC INDUCTION.

 ADVANTAGES
 CAN BE USED TO MEASURE THE THICKNESS OF THIN SECTIONS,
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY, MAGNETIC PERMEABILITY,
HARDNESS, AND THE HEAT TREATMENT CONDITION OF TEST
OBJECT.

 THIS METHOD CAN ALSO BE USED TO SORT DISSIMILAR METALS

AND TO MEASURE THE THICKNESS OF NONCONDUCTIVE
COATINGS ON ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE TEST ONJECTS.
 ADVANTAGES
 IT CAN BE READILY AUTOMATED
 THE PROBE NEED NOT TOUCH THE TEST OBJECT, NO COUPLANT
IS REQUIRED, AND THE METHOD IS EXPEDIENT, ALL OF WHICH
MAKES “ASSEMBLY LINE” INSPECTION RELATIVELY EASY.

 CAN BE USED FOR THE INSPECTION OF ANY ELECTRICALLY

CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, WHETHER MAGNETIC OR NONMAGNETIC.