Type discrimination of Various Welding Defects Created During Production and In-Service Use

Verification of the quality of welded structures, both post-production and in-service, has long been a concern of the engineering, materials and nondestructive communities. Nondestructive techniques have been developed and refined to address this verification problem. Each technique has inherent limitations, however, that in certain situations preclude its use or severely restrict the type of information that may be obtained particularly concerning the flaw type. Of these techniques, x-ray investigation is probably the most versatile in determining flaw type and size at present. The equipment required for x-ray examination, however, place constraints on its use, particularly for in-service structures, from the standpoint of accessibility and personnel safety.