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Up Topic Welding Industry / Inspection & Qualification / UT field equipment
- - By hburg rocket (*) Date 04-04-2011 13:45
Our firm is looking to invest in UT equipment for field testing/verification.

What is a "medium-range" UT device that is recommended for building projects?

hburg rocket
Parent - - By dmilesdot (**) Date 04-04-2011 14:12
With todays market the possibilities are endless.  It really depends on what you need the instrument to do. Are you doing primarily thickness readings, are you doing welding exams on structural or piping? The "bells and whistles" on todays instruments make things a lot easier on the technician but there is no sense paying for electronic dac software if you are never going to use it. The next question is: what are your technicians familar with? You can shorten the learning curve if you buy an instrument that at least one of your techs is familar with. I would be a little concerned that if you dont already own an instrument, do you have someone who has the training and experience to operate one correctly. Ultrasonics is not a method where you can read the operators manual and then go do an exam. My advice would be to contact a Level III in your area, explain what type of work you are going to be doing and then ask him or her to recommend an instrument to you.
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Parent - - By hburg rocket (*) Date 04-05-2011 13:02
Good questions.
We have a welder who is not a CWI but we'd like him to do UT testing of CJP's, the bulk being WF beam-to-column and beam-to-beam moment connections, some possible HSS connections.  Very little piping work, per se, but there may be a little here and there as associated with bldgs [not pipeline/industrial stuff].  We plan to send him to a week-long ANSI Level II school, then the exam.  That being said, I suspect we are looking for a "basic" UT instrument without a lot of bells and whistles... but I do not want to get a 'cheapie', either.  In case the implied is not clear, I am the only CWI, and we do not have anyone already UT qualified.

hburg rocket
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 04-05-2011 13:14
Just a note if you are just getting started with this NDE program:
...make sure to get your Level III(in-house or contract) to write your "Written Practice", "UT inspection Procedures", then he/she(LevIII) can test your UT guy to your procedures and after said UT guy has satisfied all of the required classroom, training, and hand-on hours then you can get him out doing the inspections by himself. Same goes for PT, MT if you plan to add any of those methods at a later date.

If you need any help with any of this, don't hesitate to holler...many of us here have been through all of this at one time or another. I've been bouncing sound myself for a few years now. Heading out the door to UT a full pen column base plate to column shaft in a few minutes.
Parent - - By welderbrent (*****) Date 04-05-2011 14:47
To add to John's note,

What a lot of people don't realize is that when you put him through the class for the UT Level II he will not be a level II when he gets done in a week.  He will have some book knowledge and be a level I that still needs hundreds of hours of hands on under a level II so he can then go back and take another class and test to get his level II.

I hope I represented that correctly.  I am looking into it for myself.  But currently have no one within 100 miles to work under or around to get my hours after the initial class.  Same for PT and MT.  Plan on getting what I can anyway and then see where it goes.  It can't hurt to know more about all three even if it takes quite a while to get my hours to get a Level II on them.

Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - - By 99205 (***) Date 04-05-2011 16:52
Brent, I'm kind of in the same position as you.  I'm going to be taking a MP/PT course soon and I'm trying to figure out how to fulfill the hours requirements.  Not a lot of NDE agency's in this area also.
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 04-06-2011 11:43
Here is a list of NDT Contacts
Maybe you can find one in your area.
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 04-05-2011 17:12
As far as mfgs/brands go...I have to put my plug in for Krautkrammer(now GE Inspection Technologies). Their equipment has served me well since the early to mid-90's when we purchased our first machine(USN50). I still have that machine and it still does a great job, but I've become very spoiled with the USN58L that I have now. I took the Krautkrammer UT classes in Lewistown, PA because they used the same machines in class that I had at work and I had already learned to navigate the menus so that was a big help.
Parent - - By hburg rocket (*) Date 04-05-2011 21:57
Guess I showed my ignorance on this topic.
So after the Level I course and test, how many "hundreds of hours" under a Level II must one get before taking the second exam and becoming certified to do Level II UT work?

hburg rocket
Parent - - By psnort (*) Date 04-05-2011 22:14
From ASNT-TC-1A 2006

Minimum required work experience in method:

UT Level I  210 hrs UT, 400 hours total time in NDT

UT Level II 630 hrs UT, 1200 hours total time  in NDT

This is on job experience. Training (class) time does not count.
Parent - By eekpod (****) Date 04-06-2011 10:15
Just a note, when I went through training 15 yrs ago, I took level I first, got the theory down and the basic concepts and operation of the UT machines, then when I passed that, went on to level II that concentrated on shearwave only.  I don't think I could have passed level II without the level I information, it is ALOT of technical information.
I wish I kept up with it but I have not, although it does come back easier at times.
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 04-06-2011 11:29
You are not alone.....I've come across many who thought it was as simple as just taking the two week course and passing to become a working Level II UT tech. First...Get a copy of ASNT-TC-1A, then get in touch with a Level III, they can help you make your UT program legit. A Level III must oversee your program, certify the NDE technicians, and oversee their work to some degree after they are certified. The Level III is the only person who can write your NDE procedures and all of the aforementioned items. He/She is ultimately responsible for all of it no matter which NDE method you plan to use.
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 04-06-2011 11:43
Here is a list of NDT Contacts
Maybe you can find one in your area.
Parent - - By hburg rocket (*) Date 04-06-2011 13:11
Thanks for all your input!!!  Great info... and at second glance, it looks like the best thing for our Co. to do is to just keep subbing out the UT work.

hburg rocket
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 04-06-2011 13:47
Yeah, it might not be worth the effort. You could go back and look at all of your invoices for the past few years and see how long it would take to re-coupe your investment if you developed a NDT program.

If you do alot of UT work, it may pay to get all of this in order...then again if UT work is sporatic, it may not be worth all of the hassle.

We UT almost every day and when we do we UT it's nearly an all day event, so we could not afford to have a contract UT guy do all of our work.
Parent - - By hburg rocket (*) Date 04-06-2011 14:09
Yes, our UT work is sporadic, not nearly the volume of CWI VT.

By the way, can a Level 1 perform UT 'without supervision'?
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 04-06-2011 14:55
Ideally No.
However, we used to perform UT inspections and was used as a verification inspection only. In other words, the UT guy had the skills and knew what he was doing but, we didn't have a formal NDE program in place at the time so he didn't fill out any reports, he just UT'd and marked the welds that needed to be opened back up and repaired. This was all done in-house just to verify that the welds were OK should anyone in the field happen to see them and decide to UT them. So...The only thing it accomplished was to give our company a level of comfort before shipping.
Parent - By Mikeqc1 (****) Date 04-06-2011 19:27
nope...they should recieve necessary supervision and instruction from lvl II or III.......what exactly is NECCESARY....... is the question.
those things should be defined in the written practice.
Parent - - By welderbrent (*****) Date 04-06-2011 23:11
The answer goes with the word "can". 

Anyone 'can' do PT, MT, and/or UT without supervision.  It is all a matter of the application, responsibility, and any applicable code or contract obligation/regulation.

I am free to use any of the equipment to run any of the mentioned processes in my shop on my work any time I want even without being a Level I.  But it may only have any merit as to the job if I am a Level II or III, OR am a Level I being supervised by a Level II or III.

As John mentioned, it is not really best.  But if the individual wants to check his own work or the company wants it checked and doesn't care about a 'report' or any Code Compliance just wants some form of quality control check before the PAID UT Tech arrives, WHY NOT?  You can't hurt anything using these processes to examine your work.  It just won't have any official weight behind it.

And I don't believe the time can be claimed toward your hours for getting on up to the Level II.  Must be documented training hours with supervision to certify you have learned proper usage of the equipment.

Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - By hburg rocket (*) Date 04-07-2011 17:40
Great input, guys!

thanks again,

hburg rocket
Up Topic Welding Industry / Inspection & Qualification / UT field equipment

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