Qualification test for ultrasonic testing operator 1

[xray1366]

Hi dear friends,

For some reasons, we ,as the employer, have decided to requalify all the UT operators who have been accepted by both contractor and third part authority.
We intend to use some test pieces (in the form of pipe, not plate) which are welded by an experienced welder and we deliberately make some defects in the welds and perform Radiographic Testing on these test pieces to find the position and types of the defects.

So, would you please give me some information about how to qualify an ultrasonic testing operator? Are there any procedures or standards to obtain information about the number and size of the test pieces and also types and size of the defects that we may consider in the test pieces?

I would appreciate if you could help me.

Yours faithfully,
Hossein Ghanbari

 

[SJones]

https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publica...sonnel-qualification-eniq-report-no-38?search

Steve Jones
Corrosion Management Consultant

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04

All answers are personal opinions only and are in no way connected with any employer.

 

[xray1366]

So you mean there are no such standards, procedures or code, explaining the way of qualifying an Ultrasonic Testing Operator?

 

[cloa]

I'd think there would be standards would provide some assistance to qualification but the variety of possible ultrasonic inspection situations is too broad without reference to your particular needs for any standard, procedure or code to directly explain how to qualify. You'd need the assistance of a body such

https://www.nde-ed.org/Careers/Certification/Certification.htm

and maybe a suitable consultant. Testing for every possibility is impractical and possibly impossible.

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[weldstan]

Do not be surprised if not all the discontinuities in your test blocks are found by the UT examiners. I believe that there is an API standard test block having known discontinuities but almost no one finds them all.

When I absolutely needed to find particular defects, specific test specimens were made and multiple examiners were tested to find them. He/she who found them was awarded the contract to perform the work.

 

[DekDee]

Years ago we did something similar to enable UT techs to practice before their final exams.
Drilled numerous holes of various depths and diameters in one side of a 25 mm plate.
Also used a cutting disc to replicate linear indications.
Measured and recorded all the depths and locations.
Filled the holes with iron filings, slag and even a ballbearing and then sealed them with weld.
Ground the whole back of the plate flush so no evidence of any locations and then gave the plate to the techs to check.
Kept them busy for a while but all 4 said it was valuable training. (none of them found all the defects)
Cheers,
DD

 

[JR97]

Hossein,

The most widely accepted specification that pertains to the details for testing NDE technicians is SNT-TC-1A published by the ASNT.

Basically, need an answer key; I agree with Weldstan that there is not a direct correlation between RT and UT; especially for planar type reflectors. SO you want to develop the answer key using UT - preferably by a certified Level III. Beyond that practical exam requires a minimum of 10 checkpoints covering not only matching the answer key but if their technique followed the specification / procedure they are testing to.

JR97

 

[Asadullahkhan]

Best practice we have used is to get Radiographic Testing of same Pipe and get the films interpret now let your UT personnel test the same pipe and ask them to interpret their result and make a report.

Now you can compare RT Films with UT Test Report.