ULTRASONIC INSPECTION PROCEDURE 

Reference: PROC/GEN/UT/ASME V PIPE Issue:01 | Date of Issue: SAMPLE

Procedure For The Ultrasonic Testing

Of Full Penetration Butt Welds In
Mild Steel And Low Alloy Steel Pipe
To ASME BPVC V:2019

SAMPLE ONLY - NOT FOR PRODUCTION USE FULL

PROCEDURE AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE FROM
www.n-d-t.com
Authored By: Authorised For Use By:

A Sample PCN Level 3 (XXXXXX) Signed:

Signed:

A Sam
Date:

Date:

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 ULTRASONIC INSPECTION PROCEDURE 
Reference: PROC/GEN/UT/ASME V PIPE Issue:01 | Date of Issue: SAMPLE

CONTENTS

1. Scope

2. References

3. Definitions & Abbreviations

4. Personnel Qualification

5. Surface Finish

6. Equipment

7. Equipment and performance checks

8. Couplant

9. Calibration & Sensitivity

10. General Technique

11. Assessment of Ultrasonic Indications

12. Non-conformance

13. Reporting

Appendix A – Sample Report

Appendix B – Calibration Block For Piping

Appendix C – Revision History

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 ULTRASONIC INSPECTION PROCEDURE 
Reference: PROC/GEN/UT/ASME V PIPE Issue:01 | Date of Issue: SAMPLE

1. Scope

This procedure describes the method of ultrasonic examination of full penetration butt welded
joints in mild steel and low alloy steel pipe sections and must be adhered to as applicable to
ensure customer requirements are met and that compliance with orders received is achieved.

This procedure only covers the pulse echo contact method of ultrasonic examination of fusion
welded pipe joints in mild/low alloy ferrous steel having wall thickness up to, and including 75mm
and at temperatures between 0° to 60° C.

Weld undergoing ultrasonic inspection shall be subject to 100% volumetric examination of the
weld body and heat affected zone.

This procedure shall only be used on newly manufactured items and is not to be used for
in-service inspection.

2. References

This procedure makes reference to the following documents:-

ASME BPVC Section V: 2019 Non-destructive Examination

ASME B31.3-2018 Process piping.

BS EN ISO 9712:2012 Non-destructive Testing. Qualification and certification of

NDT personnel.

BS EN ISO 7963:2010 Non-destructive testing. Specification for calibration block

No. 2

BS EN 12668-1:2010 Non-destructive testing. Characterisation and verification of

ultrasonic examination equipment. Pt. 1 Instruments

BS EN 12668-2:2010 Non-destructive testing. Characterisation and verification of

ultrasonic examination equipment. Pt 2. Probes

BS EN 12668-3:2013 Non-destructive testing. Characterisation and verification of

ultrasonic examination equipment. Combined equipment.

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 ULTRASONIC INSPECTION PROCEDURE 
Reference: PROC/GEN/UT/ASME V PIPE Issue:01 | Date of Issue: SAMPLE

3. Definitions & Abbreviations

The following definitions and abbreviations are used in this procedure.

BWE Back wall echo

DAC Distance amplitude correction
dB Decibel
FSH Full screen height
NDT Non-destructive testing
PCN Personnel Certification In NDT
UT Ultrasonic Testing

4. Personnel Qualifications

All personnel operating to this procedure shall hold a minimum of Level 2 certification in
accordance with ISO 9712, in the ultrasonic testing of welds. e.g. PCN Level 2.

Note: It is critical that UT operator certification must cover the configuration of weld that is to be
tested i.e. 3.2 for pipe welds.

All personnel shall also hold a valid eyesight certificate (meeting the requirements of ISO 9712
Section 7.4) obtained within the last 12 months.

5. Surface Finish

Surfaces from which scanning is carried out shall be such that satisfactory acoustic coupling
can be maintained at all times.

Surfaces shall be free from scale, foreign material, rust, oil/grease, gouge marks, burning slag
residue or any other material that could affect the sensitivity of the test.

The scanning surface shall be given as either 1.25 x the maximum beam path or three times the
weld thickness, whichever is greatest.

6. Equipment

The following equipment shall be used when working to this procedure.

➢ A-scan ultrasonic flaw detector.

➢ No.2 Calibration block.
➢ 00 Twin crystal, 450, 600, 700 twin and single crystal 10mm Ø, 4-5MHz probes.
➢ Commercial couplant.
➢ DAC calibration block with 8-11% Notches in compliance with ASME BPVC V T434.3

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 ULTRASONIC INSPECTION PROCEDURE 
Reference: PROC/GEN/UT/ASME V PIPE Issue:01 | Date of Issue: SAMPLE

All flaw detectors and probes used shall comply with EN 12668. All flaw detectors shall have a
valid external calibration certificate issued within the last twelve months.

7. Equipment and Performance Checks

All functional and calibration checks of equipment shall be performed in accordance with BS EN
12668-3

Daily checks to include:-

● Probe index point

● Probe beam angle
● Physical state and external aspects.

Weekly checks to include:-

● Timebase linearity
● Amplification linearity
● Probe signal to noise ratio
● Pulse duration

Also the following checks shall be made every 3 months for analog flaw detectors or every 12
months for digital flaw detectors.

● ASME BPVC V: Mandatory appendix I - Screen Height Linearity.

● ASME BPVC V: Mandatory appendix II - Amplitude Control Linearity

All equipment checks shall be recorded by the operator and shall be made available upon future
request.

8. Couplant

Commercial couplant shall be used. Eg. UCA-7 or Sonagel. The choice of couplant used shall
not be harmful to the material being tested.

9. Calibration & Sensitivity

When calibrating and setting sensitivity all calibration blocks and reference test pieces shall be
no more than +/- 15oC from the temperature of the item under test.

All probes shall be calibrated for range using the no.2 block.

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 ULTRASONIC INSPECTION PROCEDURE 
Reference: PROC/GEN/UT/ASME V PIPE Issue:01 | Date of Issue: SAMPLE

Sensitivity for compression wave probes shall be BWE to FSH from a defect free area of parent
material plus an additional 6dB.

Angle beam calibration using notches.

The angle beam shall be directed toward the notch that yields the maximum response. The
gain control shall be set so that this response is 80% ± 5% of full screen height. This shall be the
primary reference level.

The search unit shall then be manipulated, without changing instrument settings, to obtain the
maximum responses from the calibration reflectors at the distance increments necessary to
generate a three-point distance–amplitude correction (DAC) curve. Separate calibrations shall
be established for both the axial and circumferential notches.

These calibrations shall establish both the distance range calibration and the distance–
amplitude correction.

9.1 Calibration Checks

When any part of the examination system is changed, a calibration check shall be made on the
basic calibration block to verify that distance range points and sensitivity setting(s) satisfy the
requirements of 9.2 and 9.3

A calibration check on at least one of the reflectors in the basic calibration block shall be
performed at the completion of each examination or series of similar examinations, and when
examination personnel are changed.

The distance range and sensitivity values recorded shall satisfy the requirements of 9.2 and 9.3.

NOTE: Interim calibration checks between the required initial calibration and the final calibration
check may be performed.

9.2 Distance Range Points.

If any distance range point has moved on the sweep line by more than 10% of the distance
reading or 5% of full sweep, whichever is greater, correct the distance range calibration and note
the correction in the examination record. All recorded indications since the last valid calibration
or calibration check shall be reexamined and their values shall be changed on the data sheets or
re-recorded.

9.3 Sensitivity Settings.

If any sensitivity setting has changed by more than 20% or 2 dB of its amplitude, correct the
sensitivity calibration and note the correction in the examination record. If the sensitivity setting

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