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Scope and Application

This Handbook gives recommendations for the ultrasonic examination of austenitic welds by manual scanning techniques which use the pulse-echo method and A-Scan presentation. The same recommendations can be extended to mechanical scanning techniques if special procedures are prepared for the data recording system.

The Handbook advises on how to devise procedures for the detection, location, and evaluation of ultrasonic indications of weld defects. Techniques involving the use of advanced instrumentation for signal processing might give better detection and identification of flaws but are not covered in this document.

The applications covered are limited to butt welds with weld metal of similar composition to the parent material. For dissimilar weld metals or for non butt weld geometries, procedures may be based on the general advice of this Handbook, provided attention is paid to the requirements of the specific geometry and material.

The recommendations given are primarily aimed at post fabrication rather than in-service inspection. Many sections of the Handbook will be relevant to both situations, but consideration of the specific problems of in-service inspection is outside the scope of this document.

This Handbook does not contain defect indication acceptance criteria.