Visual Inspection Level I and II

• Transmit all the theoretical and practical bases of the method, turning these into your basic foundations in your preparation for level II certification. Likewise, the participant is expected to understand the principles of the method, its advantages and limitations, thus helping them to identify and evaluate any possible discontinuities found at the time of execution.

• People who require knowledge of the applications and practical knowledge of the visual inspection method.

• The course for the visual inspection method is a 3 day basic course, completing 24 hours of training and organized training, which is broken down with 8 hours taught for the Level I part and 16 hours for the Level II part.

LEVEL I

1.-Introduction.

• Definition of visual inspection (VT).
• History of VT.
• VT Applications Overview.

2.- Definitions.

• Standard terms and their meanings in the employer’s industry.

3.- Fundamentals.

• Vision.
• Lightning.
• Material attributes.
• Environmental factors.
• Visual perception.
• Direct and indirect methods.

4.- Equipment (as applicable).

• Mirrors.
• Magnifying glasses.
• Borescopes.
• Fiber borescopes.
• Video borescopes.
• Remote visual inspection systems.
• Light sources and special lighting.
• Calipers (welding, go/no go, etc.) scales, micrometers, calipers, special tools, etc.
• Automated systems.
• Computer enhanced systems.

5.- Applications defined by the employer.

(Includes a description of inherent, processing, and service-induced discontinuities.)

• Mineral based material.
• Metallic materials, including welds.
• Organic-based materials.
• Other materials (defined by the employer).

6.- Specific Procedures.

Parameter selection.

• Inspection objectives.
• Inspection checkpoints.
• Sampling plans.
• Inspection patterns.
• Documented procedures.

Testing standards/standardization.

Classification of indications by acceptance criteria.

Reports and documentation.

LEVEL II

1.- Purpose and scope of VT.

Scope.

• Internal quality control.
• Quality control by the client.
• Quality control by authorities.

What you are looking for when performing VT.

• Discontinuities.
• Deviations in shape and geometry.
• Surface finish.

Application time.

• During manufacturing.
• In service.

2.- Elements of Vision.

Mechanics of vision.

Adaptation and accommodation.

Vision limitations.

• Perception and environmental conditions.
• Orientation, visual angle and distance.
• Ophthalmic disorders.
• Mental attitude and fatigue.
• Physiology and health.

3.- Visual acuity examination and graphics.

• Visual acuity tests.
• Differentiation of colors and shades of gray.

4.- Lighting elements.

Fundamentals of light.

Light sources.

• Incandescent radiators.
• Luminescent radiators (fluorescent light, high intensity discharge light, light emitting diodes, lasers).

Adequate light levels.

Glare and fatigue.

General lighting requirements.

5.- Contrast and resolution.

• Reflection on smooth and rough/textured surfaces.
• Law of illumination.
• Reflectivity and luminance.
• Luminous contrast.
• Influence of cleanliness on contrast.
• Dark field contrast.
• Colors and contribution of colors to contrast.
• Surface geometry and contrast.

6.- Optics.

• Transmission of light through solid and liquid media.
• Light refraction.
• Refractive indices of glasses.
• How prisms change the direction of light.
• How light is focused and dispersed in the lens.
• Lens optics.
• Optical fibers and fiber bundle.
• Digitization and digital technology.

7.- VT Team.

Generic tools such as magnifying glasses and mirrors.

• Rigid borescopes.
• Fiber borescopes.
• Video borescopes.

Measurement techniques with video borescopes.

• Comparison technique.
• Shadow technique.
• Stereo technique.
• Laser-based measurements.

Specialized inspection systems.

• Push tube chambers.
• Pipeline Crawler Camera Systems.
• Underwater remote camera systems.

8.- Visual appearance of the discontinuities.

Primary manufacturing discontinuities (e.g. castings).

Secondary manufacturing discontinuities (e.g. forgings).

Service-induced discontinuities.

• Caused by mechanical loads (fatigue).
• Caused by thermal loads (thermal shock).
• Caused by corrosion (pitting).
• Caused by abrasive wear (erosion).

Inherent discontinuities.

9.- Evaluation and reports.

General evaluation scheme (ASTM B1316).

Evaluation criteria.

• Verbal descriptions.
• Comparison standards or catalogs (photos/replicas).
• Criteria based on size (measurements).
• Mixtures of the above.

Evaluation techniques.

• Visual-tactile recognition.
• Classification by comparison with a standard.
•  Measurement.

Reports and documentation.

• Technical reports.
• Data reports.
• Image reports (sketches, printed photo or digital photo).

Test completion confirmed with a checklist.

10.- Codes, standards and specifications.

• VT as an engineering task.
• VT as a technician’s task.
• American standards (ASME, BPVC, AWS D1.1).
• European standards (based on PED).
• ISO standards.

11.- Employer-specific issues.

• Applications and techniques.
• Specifications.
• Lighting techniques.
• Tested materials.
• Special evaluation criteria.
• Safety rules.