While I work with welds on a prototype basis, the problems are similar. How do you know if all of your welds are good without destructive testing?
You have the benefit of automated welding and the associated ability to have a wide range of process parameters you can control.
My opinion would be that if you have a small sampling of welds checked with the welding process in control and you maintain control, you would be covered. If your welding process goes out of control, how do you verify product quality and a clean good point?
That said, there have been a lot of advances lately that I have been researching on weld NDT. There are ultrasonic testers out there with new software that can give 3-d imaging. Also advances in eddy current and x-ray. Most come with calibrated/certified good/bad weld standards.
The whole thing is about confidence level as there are so many differences in weld applications.
If you can get high correlation between NDT and destructive tests, you may be able to do little or no destructive testing. Maybe just a small yearly verification. Obviously the NDT testers out there are a huge advantage in the event of process issues. No wait time for product testing.
11/9/2005
While I work with welds on a prototype basis, the problems are similar. How do you know if all of your welds are good without destructive testing?
You have the benefit of automated welding and the associated ability to have a wide range of process parameters you can control.
My opinion would be that if you have a small sampling of welds checked with the welding process in control and you maintain control, you would be covered. If your welding process goes out of control, how do you verify product quality and a clean good point?
That said, there have been a lot of advances lately that I have been researching on weld NDT. There are ultrasonic testers out there with new software that can give 3-d imaging. Also advances in eddy current and x-ray. Most come with calibrated/certified good/bad weld standards.
The whole thing is about confidence level as there are so many differences in weld applications.
If you can get high correlation between NDT and destructive tests, you may be able to do little or no destructive testing. Maybe just a small yearly verification. Obviously the NDT testers out there are a huge advantage in the event of process issues. No wait time for product testing.
7/13/2006
Are you welding to a code. If so the code should have the guidelines for qualification and you will determine addition testing for in house quality.