NEWSLETTER

This was funded by the Health and Safety Executive to see how effective testing was in practice. A range of components with artificial defects was produced, each of them mounted to mimic access conditions which might be found on a typical site. Inspectors with good qualifications, from both in-house NDT teams and from independent inspection companies, were asked to carry out manual ultrasonic tests on them.

Detection rates were lower than expected. While some faults were spotted every time, detection rates dropped sharply on pieces with complex geometries, sometimes falling as low as 6%.

One of the recommendations of PANI, published in autumn 2000, was that operators consider the use of inspection aids for scanning and data recording, particularly where complex geometries were involved.

It also said that in these cases inspections should be customised to suit the particularly circumstances and operators given more specific training.

Karl Quirk, Managing Director of Phoenix Inspection systems, says meeting the recommendations need not involve major expense: "Operators currently reliant on manual ultrasonics need not splash out on lots of expensive, highly technical kit, but should invest in a few well chosen versatile pieces.

"There is a good range of cost-effective scanning aids and manipulators now on the market which will improve the accuracy of inspections and provide a permanent record of the results."

Karl Quirk adds: "Equipment companies have a valuable role to play in improving the general standards in the NDT industry by providing affordable and reliable products to encourage the take-up of semi-automated testing.

To see HSE best practice guidelines on NDT, visit www.hse.gov.uk/dst/ndt.pdf. For further information, contact Karl Quirk at Phoenix Inspection Systems on sales@phoenixisl.co.uk.