Volume 2, Number 3 July 2003
TNT Inbox:
Q: What questions should I ask a potential customer when they call in requesting NDT services, or before I go out to a jobsite?
A: Good question. Since many requests for inspection work come through the customer's purchasing department, you are often dealing with someone unfamiliar with NDT just ordering a service. Because of this, you need to know the following things and may have to talk to someone with technical knowledge of the parts to be inspected Here are some questions you may want to ask:
- What exactly is the part (test piece) to be inspected? (Ask for the type, number of parts, dimensions, etc.)
- What material is the part made of? (Material may determine test method, as you can't MT aluminum.)
- What is part thickness? (This affects transducer selection in UT.)
- Where is the inspection to be done and is it accessible? (Will you need a ladder, safety harness, respirator, etc.?)
- Are the parts at ambient or elevated temperatures? (This will affect UT, wet MT & PT, and may affect RT).
- What specification are the parts to be inspected to? (Spec requirements may call for specific equipment.)
- If welds, what welding process was used to make the weld? (This is important for RT, as it limits defect types, and some welds, such as nickel filler metal on cast iron, can cause major magnetic anomalies.)
Answers to these questions will help prepare you for the jobsite and may prevent an extra trip for additional equipment.
E-mail, fax or phone questions for the TNT Inbox to the Editor:
hhumphries@asnt.org
(614) 274-6899 fax
(800) 222-2768 X 206
[ The NDT Technician ]
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