NDE/NDT Equipment Compliance Requirements

When purchasing NDE equipment, keep the following in mind:

- Is the quote just a list of parts with a price tag at the end?

- Does the quote include a statement where the product quoted complies with applicable standards such as API 5CT or ASTM E 273?

- Involve the correct people in the buying process, from operators to QA Managers.

- Ask more from the NDE suppliers than just diameter and wall thickness ranges, mill/test speeds and reference indicator to be detected.

The user must prepare and outline the full capability of the NDE equipment, which document is subject to API audits. For these reasons and many others, it’s a good idea to have an experienced Level 3 professional involved in the method from the beginning of the buying process to final commissioning.

The following items should be clearly stated in any NDE equipment quote you receive. These items are listed in API 5CT as part of the NDE equipment capability requirements.

10.15.4.2 a. “Coverage calculation”. This calculation must use the PRF per transducer, product speed, transducer beam width at the inspection point (not the crystal size), number of transducers and other factors specific to the equipment design (RPM of the test head, for example).

10.15.4.2 b. “Capability for the intended wall thickness” is very critical for the inspection. The documentation should ensure mid-wall coverage, with evidence of mid-wall defect detection, as well as the common OD and ID notches.

10.15.4.2 c. “Repeatability”. Run the same standardization piece at testing speed 10 times. Now, verify the difference between the lowest and highest indication. For quality NDE equipment, this difference should be under 10%.

10.15.4.2 d. “Transducer orientation”. Weld seam must be inspected from both sides. This is also the case with transverse notches, if they are required by the product specification.

10.15.4.3.e.” Evidence of typical defects detected”. It is a must-have from any NDE equipment manufacturer.

Iulian Lucaci ASNT UT Level III 168532

API voting member SC5 – RGNDT

ASTM voting member E07

- API 5CT 10th edition requires at 10.15.1 (and other places) that the pipes shall be inspected full length 100%. How can you demonstrate this if you don’t control/monitor coupling? Loosing coupling, unknowingly and/or momentarily, for a few feet or a few inches classifies the area as uninspected and would require re-inspection.

- If the UT is located after the welder and is included in your Process Control Plan (PCP is mandatory by Q1), then the UT needs yearly calibration. This is not to be confused with the calibration of the UT devices that measure wall thickness, for example. This is a calibration check to prove the system's vertical and horizontal linearity at the various gains and attenuation levels.

ASTM

- ASTM E273-15 does not have clear specifications when it comes to coupling checks. It does, however, state that 100% volumetric inspection of the weld and entire pipe length shall be made by the NDE system.

- ASTM E273 Section 7.1.5 states “The focal length of focused search units shall be at least equal to the radius of the material plus a suitable water path so that initial focus may be on the tube or pipe central axis.”