No further reproduction or distribution is permitted.

ARTICLE 4

2013 SECTION V

MANDATORY APPENDIX V
PHASED ARRAY E-SCAN AND S-SCAN LINEAR SCANNING
EXAMINATION TECHNIQUES
V-410

SCOPE

V-471.1 Examination Coverage. The required volume

of the weld and base material to be examined shall be
scanned using a linear scanning technique with an encoder. Each linear scan shall be parallel to the weld axis at
a constant standoff distance with the beam oriented perpendicular to the weld axis.
(a) The search unit shall be maintained at a fixed distance from the weld axis by a fixed guide or mechanical
means.

This Mandatory Appendix describes the requirements

to be used for phased array E-scan 13 (fixed angle) and
S-scan 14 encoded linear 17 scanning examinations using
linear array search units.

V-420

GENERAL

The requirements of Article 4 apply except as modified

by this Appendix.
V-421.1 Requirements. The requirements of Table
T-421 and Table V-421 shall apply.

Table V-421
Requirements of a Phased Array Linear
Scanning Examination Procedure Using
Linear Arrays

V-421.2 Procedure Qualification. The requirements

of Table T-421 and Table V-421 shall apply.

V-422

SCAN PLAN

A scan plan (documented examination strategy) shall be

provided showing search unit placement and movement
that provides a standardized and repeatable methodology
for the examination. In addition to the information in
Table V-421, the scan plan shall include beam angles
and directions with respect to the weld axis reference
point, weld joint geometry, and number of examination
areas or zones.

Requirements (As Applicable)

Search unit(s)
(element pitch, size, number, and gap
dimensions)
Focal range(s)
(identify plane, depth, or sound path
as applicable)
Virtual aperture size(s)
(number of elements, element width,
and effective height) [Note (1)]
Wedge natural refracted angle
Scan plan
Weld axis reference point marking

V-461.2 Amplitude Control Linearity. The ultrasonic

instruments amplitude control linearity shall be evaluated in accordance with Mandatory Appendix II for each
pulser-receiver circuit.

Additional E scan requirements:

Rastering angle(s)
Aperture start and stop element
numbers
Aperture incremental change(s)
(number of elements stepped)

V-462.7 Focal Law.16 The focal law to be used during

the examination shall be used for calibration.
V-462.8 Beam Calibration. All individual beams used
in the examination shall be calibrated to provide measurement of distance and amplitude correction over the sound
path employed in the examination.

V-467

Additional S scan requirements:

Sweep angular range(s)
Angular sweep increment (incremental
angle change, deg)
Aperture element numbers (first and
last)

ENCODER CALIBRATION

A calibration check shall be performed at intervals not

to exceed one month or prior to first use thereafter, by
moving the encoder a minimum distance of 20 in.
(500 mm). The display distance shall be within 1% of
the actual distance moved.

Essential
Variable

Nonessential
Variable

...

...

...

X
X
...

...
...
X

X
X

...
...

...

X
X

...
...

...

NOTE:
(1) Effective height is the distance measured from the outside edge of
the first to last element used in the focal law.

76

ARTICLE 4

(a) 0.04 in. (1 mm) for material < 3 in. (75 mm) thick
(b) 0.08 in. (2 mm) for material 3 in. (75 mm) thick

(b) The examination angle(s) for E-scan and range of angles for S-scan shall be appropriate for the joint to be
examined.
(c) Scanning speed shall be such that data drop-out is
less than 2 data lines per inch (25 mm) of the linear scan
length and that there are no adjacent data line skips.
(d) For E-scan techniques, overlap between adjacent active apertures (i.e., aperture incremental change) shall be
a minimum of 50% of the effective aperture height.
(e) For S-scan techniques, the angular sweep incremental change shall be a maximum of 1 deg or sufficient to assure 50% beam overlap.
(f) When multiple linear scans are required to cover the
required volume of weld and base material, overlap between adjacent linear scans shall be a minimum of 10%
of the effective aperture height for E-scans or beam width
for S-scans.

V-471.7 Reflectors Transverse to the Weld Seam. As

an alternate to line scanning, a manual angle beam examination may be performed for reflectors transverse to the
weld axis.

V-492

EXAMINATION RECORD

For each examination, the required information of

T-492 and the following information shall be recorded:
(a) search unit element size, number, and pitch and gap
dimensions
(b) focal law parameters, including, as applicable, angle
or angular range, focal depth and plane, element numbers
used, angular or element incremental change, and start
and stop element numbers or start element number
(c) wedge natural refracted angle
(d) scan plan
A-scan recorded data need only be retained until final
flaw evaluation has been performed.

V-471.6 Recording. A-scan data shall be recorded for

the area of interest in an unprocessed form with no
thresholding, at a minimum digitization rate of five times
the examination frequency, and recording increments of
a maximum of

77

No further reproduction or distribution is permitted.

2013 SECTION V