Visual Inspection
The fastest and cheapest method among the non-destructive testing techniques — and the one that must be applied before any other. Petronorm performs it with trained eyes and simple, effective aids.
What it is and how it works.
Visual inspection is exactly what it sounds like: examination performed by the naked eye, with auxiliary equipment permitted where it helps. Despite its simplicity, it is the first and most important gate in any inspection programme — it must be applied before other non-destructive testing methods.
It is the fastest and cheapest method of the NDT family, which makes it the natural starting point for welds, castings, fabrications and structures. Many surface discontinuities are caught here before more sophisticated — and more expensive — methods are committed.
Equipment used in the examination:
- Magnifying glass
- Light source and illumination aids
- Camera and video recording equipment
- Mirror and similar devices for remote and restricted viewing
The method at a glance.
Surface conditions and visible discontinuities — cracks, undercut, porosity, misalignment, incomplete finish.
Direct examination by eye, aided where needed by optical and lighting equipment, judged against acceptance criteria.
Weld seams, cast and forged surfaces, structural fabrications — as the first pass before further NDT.
Where this method earns its keep.
Typical components and industries we examine with this technique, across our country-wide network.