Non Destructive Testing

Tony K P

Visual Inspection
Most basic and
common inspection
method.
Tools include
fiberscopes,
borescopes,
magnifying glasses and
Portable video
mirrors.
inspection unit with
zoom allows inspection
of large tanks and
vessels, railroad tank
cars, sewer lines.
Robotic crawlers permit
observation in hazardous
or tight areas, such as air
ducts, reactors, pipelines.

Visual Inspection Fundamentals

Visual Testing is used to determine the
quantity, size, surface finish, shape,
colour, function, leakage, and surface
discontinuities
Successful results depend on
Trained operators
Cleanliness and condition of the test object
Quality of the optical instrument
Proper illumination of the test part

Visual Inspection _Basic Principle

Illumination of Test specimen with
light, usually in the visible region.
The specimen is then examined with
eye or by light sensitive devices
Physical measurements
Visual appearance and colour

Visual Inspection
Advantages
Simple
Easy to apply
Quickly carry out
Low in cost
Save much time
Permanent records are available when
latest equipment are used
Testing is possible while test object is
being used

Visual Inspection Applications

1. Checking of the surface condition of
the component.
2. Checking of alignment of mating
surfaces.
3. Checking of shape of the
component.
4. Checking for evidence of leaking.
5. Checking for internal side defects

Frequently inspected items(Applications)

1. Pumps

Pump impellers (bending through erosion

corrosion, wear and fatigue)
casings, bearings, seals and gaskets

2. Valves

Wall thinning due to corrosion and erosion

Valve seats, seals, gaskets (wear, creep
and hardening)

3. Bolting

Bolt failure(improper torque, wrong

materials of construction and corrosion)

4. Castings

Surface discontinuities (adhered sand,

scale, cracks and hot tears)

5. Forgings

Visual inspection of critical components

followed by LPI

6. Extrusions
7. Microcircuits

Overall quality, connection reliability and

solder integrity

8. Environmental factors

corrosion

Visual Inspection Limitations

1. Can detect only surface flaws
2. Eye resolution is weak
3. Eye fatigue
4. scanning the test site with full
coverage without line of sight
5. The inability to provide evaluation
with a high confidence level

Selection of correct visual technique

Based on manufacturing process, what defects
could present?
What would the nature of expected defects be?
Would they be visible or hidden?
What should be used as a basis for determining
pass/reject test criteria?
Can artificial standards be made and used
effectively?
What is the smallest defect that can be
detected?
What is the smallest defect that could possibly
cause part/equipment failure?

Tools
The Human Eye
Optical Aids
Microscope
Borescope
Endoscope
Flexiscope
Telescope

The human Eye

Most sensitive to yellowgreen light of
wavelength 5560 A0
Adequate lighting (800-1000lux) is
important
not a good judge for distinguishing the
differences in brightness or intensity
human inspector is permitted to work a
maximum of 2 hours on continuous
basis due to decrease in visual
reliability and discrimination

Visual Perception
Perception is the difference between
physical reality and the view that we
think we see. It is how an observers brain
interprets the data it is being given. The
Mller-Lyer illusion demonstrates one of
the problems
Different individuals perceive the same
view in different ways and it is important
to know why and how these differences
occur. The difference between observers
depends upon pre-programming of the
brain by training and experience and the

Mller-Lyer illusion

Defects detected by unaided visual

inspection

1. The general condition of component

2. The presence or absence of oxide film or
corrosive product on the surface
3. The presence or absence of cracks,
orientation of cracks and position of cracks
relative to the various zones
4. Surface porosity, unfilled craters, contour of
weld bead and probable orientation of
interface between fused weld bead and
adjoining parent metal
5. Potential sources of mechanical weakness
such as sharp notches or misalignment

Visual aids_Lenses, prisms and

mirrors
1. Characteristics of construction Lenses
A lens is a portion of transparent refracting
medium bounded by two spherical
surfaces or by one spherical surface and a
plane surface.
Lenses usually are made of glass or other
transparent material.
The centres of curvature of all lens
surfaces lie on a single straight line called
the principal axis of the lens

Types of Lenses

Magnification (linear magnification)

of lenses
Magnification is defined as the ratio
of the size of an image to the size of
the object.
Mathematically, it is given by
M = Size of Image/Size of object

The magnification is positive when

the image is real and inverted and is
negative when the image is virtual
and erect.

Prisms
A prism is a transparent refracting body that
is bounded by three rectangular and two
triangular surfaces
They can be used to deviate a ray of light to
disperse white light into visible spectrum or
to erect an inverted image as is in
Binoculars and Projectors
In periscope, prism is an important optical
component used to guide the path of light to
see an object over the surface for which the
observer is within the sea as in submarines

Mirrors
A surface that reflects most of the
light falling on it is called a mirror. A
plane mirror is a flat and shining
surface
plane mirror
Spherical mirrors
Concave mirror
Convex mirror

Mirrors as optical tools

An essential tool for visual
examination is a mirror.
Mirrors are available in all sizes and
shapes, with and without lights.
They are available with long
extensions, swivel heads, and
remotely actuated heads

Inspection Mirrors

Microscope

Microscope

Magnification M = 10/f
Where f is the focal length of the lens and
10 is a constant that represent the
average minimum distance at which
objects can be distinctly seen by
unaided eye

The practical range of the magnifying

power is 10X to 2000X
Field view and depth of field

Borescope

Rigid and micro-style borescopes for jet engine

inspection.
Courtesy of ITI/Instrument Technology, Inc

Borescope
To inspect the inside of a narrow
tube, bore or chamber
Borescopes are manufactured in
Rigid
Extended
Flexible
Micro design

 Main optical components

1. Objective lens system
o

Located at the end of borescope and it

forms primary image of an object on the
back of the lens

2. Relay lens system

o

Reform the primary image every few

inches along the length of borescope

3. The eyepiece
o

Enables the human eye to see the final

image formed

Total Borescope magnification Mb

Total Borescope magnification Mb
Mb = (Mo )(Mr )(Me )
Mo = magnification of objective lens
Mr = magnification of relay lens, usually 1
Me = magnification of eyepiece

Endoscope

endoscope
Objects are constantly in focus from
about
4 mm to infinity
Various viewing angles

Flexiscope

flexiscope
Provide sharp and clear images of
parts and interior surfaces
Remote end tip deflecion

Telescope