Visual Inspection (VT) and Non-Destructive (NDT) Methods

Visual Inspection (VT) and Non-Destructive (NDT) Methods

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Objective
The objective of this testing is to assess the condition of welds using visual inspection tests. The
objective will be to evaluate the welded samples, identify the defects and evaluate this method of
testing for this application.
Safety Precautions
When in the Lab; coveralls or lab coats, safety glasses, and steel toed shoes are to be worn.
Background Information

Visual Inspection (VT) is one of the most widely used Non-Destructive (NDT) methods.
It is used to identify surface discontinuities.
This technique can be used in combination with other surface inspection methods for flaws that
are not easily identified by the naked eye.
Low power magnifying glasses, boroscopes, fiberscopes and digital video borescopes are
usually used to perform VT.
It can be conducted without the use of special equipment.
Material and equipment used:
1. Magnifying glasses.
2. Welded metal test samples.
3. Ruler
Procedure:
1. Make a sketch of your sample.
2. Under the magnifying glasses place each tested samples and investigate carefully any
kind of cracks, flaws, discontinuity, etc that might be located on the surface of the test samples.
3. Measure the size of the discontinuity.
4. Identify each discontinuity
5. Record your observations and include them in the lab report.
Questions to be answered in the lab report:
• Determine the type of discontinuity.
• Determine what caused the imperfection in the weld.

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantage of this technique.
• Give at least three application for this technique.
Writing the laboratory Report
Your report should be typical of an engineering report, typed and include the following:
• A brief theory of visual inspection.
• Write the test procedures (do not copy the one above but write a procedure according to your
own experiment).
• Determine the type of discontinuity.
• Determine what caused the imperfection in the weld.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantage of this technique.
• Give at least three applications for this technique.
• Conclusions.