NDTnet 1998 Aug, Vol.3 No.8

Abstract

The new directive of the European Parliament and Council on pressure equipment will replace the existing national standards on pressure equipment. In this respect work is in progress to detail the new European Pressure Vessel (PV) standard. An important aspect in this context is the inspection of the pressure equipment. NDE techniques suitable for the In-service of pressure components have to be listed, their effectiveness has to be recognised, their applicability has to be assessed. Innovative NDE for inspection must be identified and supported in its applicability mainly if proposed in services provided by small and medium enterprises.

On the bases of the technical conclusions resulting from international consensus based on cooperation exercises like PISC (EC/OECD Programme for the Inspection of Steel Components 1974-1994 ), Code and standard bodies involved in these exercises as well as plant operators, regulators and R&D institutions started very soon to consider the demonstration of capability of inspection techniques on mock-ups as the ones used for the Round Robin Tests of PISC. Starting in 1990/91 several European countries began to develop programs or reflection groups on NDE performance demonstration; in 1987, JRC, operating agent of PISC proposed to embark in a programme named ENIQ (European Network for Inspection Qualification) in 1993. Performance demonstration was then called qualification in the European Union and Switzerland.

ENIQ issued the first edition of the European Methodology for Inspection Qualification in 1995. The principles of this methodology are applicable to all non nuclear industrial situations with different emphasis put on the different elements of this methodology as a function of the motivation of the inspection objectives: combination of economy and safety features.Qualification will allow any service company small, medium or large from any country to propose inspection services, if successful during demonstration exercises called qualification.
Qualification of NDE techniques will help to harmonise the inspection of a component from the first phases of its fabrication till the service, including control after fabrication and finger printing or start of service of this component.

The EU pressure equipment industry, member of EPERC (European Pressure Equipment Research Council) is interested in the harmonization of inspection of pressure components. Qualification is thus a way to satisfy this request. Moreover, qualification of the NDE techniques is a key for effectiveness of controls and for innovation and the activity is supported by DG III of the EC.

Abstract Source:
Book of Abstracts, 7th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, 26-29 May 1998, ISBN: 87-986898-0-00

Full-Text Source:
Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, 26-29 May 1998, ISBN:

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