7. Documentation

The higher the value of a test object or the greater the importance of a component with regard to the safety requirements of the complete object, e.g. an aircraft bolt, then the more important the required ultrasonic documentation becomes (product liability) . On the one hand this documentation proves that the test was completely and correctly carried out, and on the other hand enables the test to be repeated at any time under the same conditions (test reproducibilty).

The documentation, the test report of an ultrasonic test, roughly consists of 3 parts:

a.	Data concerning the test object and the test method.
b.	Data concerning the testing device.
c.	Results of the test:

Typical tabular list of all detected and evaluated discontinuities, refer to the example report, if necessary, a drawing of the test object with flaw positions. The operator must record data during the test, especially data of the detected discontinuity. Creation of the actual report is normally made later in the office. The recordings must be frequently supplemented by calculations before the operator transfers them into the report. The creation of a test report very often takes as much time as the actual test itself and should be taken into account when determining test expenditure. Even when working conscientiously, transfer or calculation errors cannot be excluded, especially with large amounts of data.

Fig. 71 USD 10: My Choice table with flaw data.

Modern ultrasonic instruments with memory and data transfer functions greatly improve recording of the adjustment data and test results during the test as well as creation of the test report and therefore ease the operator of a burden, who can then concentrate on the test task. By directly storing of all discontinuity data in the instrument, transfer errors can be excluded, position coordinates of the detected discontinuities are entered into the instrument and are therefore contained in the stored data set along with the A-Scan. If required, the documentation can be printed at the test location, Fig. 71.

Individual documentation matched to the test task is carried out with a PC. The possibilities for measurement data processing are as versatile as the programs offered on the market. In order to make the application of data communication with a digital ultrasonic instrument flexible, a utility program is very often used. This is normally a program which is easy to operate and enables reliable data transfer between PC and test instrument.

In addition to this, all stored instrument settings (= Data set) , the corresponding adjustment parameters (= Function lists), the display contents (= A-Scans) as well as the individual parameters can be recalled and stored on a floppy disk or hard disk. Function lists are filed into an ASCII format, A-Scans and LCD menus in normal graphic formats (PCX, IMG). A data set corresponds to a complete instrument adjustment and is saved in a hexadecimal format. This guarantees that by return transfer of the data set to the test instrument exactly the same instrument settings are available. The function lists and graphics are now available to the operator for further use.

Now he is able to use his own program (word processing, database) for individual design of his own test documentation. Instrument settings and display graphics are simply read into his program. This routine work is easily made by a so called Macro. A macro is nothing more than a list of commands belonging to the user program being used and runs automatically thus creating the required documentation. The names of the files to be processed are requested, in dialog, by the operator.

The following report is an example of documentation automatically produced for a weld test. The test was made with the USK 7 D and the indications from the discontinuities stored in the instrument. Finally, all data (function lists and A-Scans) were stored on a disk using the program UltraDoc. The test report was made with a macro from the program WordPerfect 5.1:

Ultrasonic test report
(example referring to AD-Merkblatt HP 5/3)

Manufacturer	SLV-Duisburg	Weld test	Specimen No. 1
Weld type:	V	Weld preparation:	30°
Welding method:	Covered electrode	Parent material:	ST 52
Added material:	unknown	Test volume:	Weld + HAZ
Test surface:	1,2 (see drawing)	Test surface condition:	evenly rough
Weld thickness:	25 mm	Weld width	32 mm
Weld length	200 mm	Reference points:	see drawing
Misc.:	Evaluation with DGS scale
Test instrument:	USK 7 D	Calibration range:	200 mm
Sensitivity setting:   Probe:	ERS 3 + 6 dB   MWB 70 4E	Corrections:   Frequency:	+ 14 dB transfer loss    4 MHz
Angle of incidence:	70°	Scanning position:	see drawing
Standard Calibration block:	V2	Reference block:	R25/C
Couplant:	ZG 5	Pre-test:	nothing found
Test class:	b	Recording threshold:	ERS 3

Indications to be recorded:

No.	Sec.	l1	lmax	l2	t	dt	d	Dir	dB	Findings / remarks
1	1	0	20	30	0	4	21	2	+ 18	Root crack
2	1	0	30	32	- 1	3	23	1	+ 6	Root crack
3	1	166	191	201	0	2	21	2	+ 6	Root crack
4	1	163	168	201	- 1	2	22	1	+ 2	Root crack
5	1	-	126	-	2	-	19	1	- 8	Pore/small inclusion near edge
6	1	-	50	-	0	-	22	6	- 6	Transverse crack

Test location:	Cologne	Date:	12.3.1991
		Test result:	Repair necessary
Operator:	J. Smith	Supervisor:	H. Müller
Signature:

8. Diagnosis of indications (outlook)

As opposed to the tasks of an ultrasonic operator, dealt with up until now, the diagnosis of indications is not only based on measured ascertainable parameters. The interpretation of the echo is an additional task. This interpretation normally requires many years of practical experience including carrying out comparsion tests of ultrasonic findings with the results of a destructive test on a test object which is no longer to be used. Methods for diagnosis of indications as well as signal analysis techniques using auxiliary equipment are outside the bounds of this introduction to ultrasonic testing. For this, there is a range of literature available as well as many special publications which we would like to point out to the reader.

Literature list

• M. Berke, U. Hoppenkamps: "Testing materials ultrasonically" Krautkrämer Training System, Level 1 3rd edition (1990)
• M. Berke, U. Hoppenkamps: "Testing materials ultrasonically" Krautkrämer Training System, Level 2 3rd edition (1986)
• M. Berke, U. Hoppenkamps: "Practical training with digital ultrasonic instruments". Krautkrämer Training System, Part 4 3rd edition (1992)
• M. Berke:"Thickness measurement with ultrasonics" Krautkrämer Training System, Part 5 2nd edition (1992) This edition is only available in German.
• H.-W. Corsepius: "Nondestructive testing of materials using ultrasonics, introduction to basics" Special Issue 218 (1990) Krautkrämer GmbH & Co.
• J. and H. Krautkrämer: "Ultrasonic testing of materials" 4th edition (1990) Springer-Verlag

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