ISO 13588 Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing

ISO 13588 is the international standard for automated and semi-automated phased array ultrasonic testing of fusion welds, defining technique levels, scan plan, calibration, and characterization requirements for PAUT.

Definition

ISO 13588 is referenced by codes that accept PAUT as an alternative to RT. It defines technique levels A, B, C, D paralleling ISO 17640, and requires written procedures and personnel qualified for PAUT per ISO 9712.

What this document is

The ISO standard for ultrasonic testing of welds using automated phased array technology, defining testing levels, equipment requirements, setup verification and reporting.

How it is applied

It provides the ISO-world framework for PAUT that ASME Section V Article 4 appendices provide in the ASME world, with graded testing levels allowing rigour to match criticality.

The common misuse

Selecting a testing level without reference to the criticality it implies. The levels differ in coverage and scanning requirements, and choosing the lowest by default undermines the examination.

Where ISO 13588 Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing fits in an inspection programme

A term is only useful when it connects to a decision. ISO 13588 Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing appears in written procedures, in technique sheets, and in the records an owner or accreditation body reviews afterwards — which means the way it is defined in your documentation has to match the way it is applied on site. Where the two drift apart, audits find it. Atlantis writes and reviews procedures against the governing codes, trains inspection personnel to apply them, and builds the record-keeping that makes the evidence retrievable years later. Procedure development and code consulting · NDT training and certification · Ask us about your programme.

Related terms

Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) — PAUT is an advanced ultrasonic technique using a multi-element transducer (16–256 elements) with electronic beam steering and focusing, producing sectorial, linear, and compound scans for superior weld inspection and defect characterization.
ISO 17640 Ultrasonic Testing of Welds — ISO 17640 is the international standard for ultrasonic testing of fusion-welded joints, defining techniques (level A basic, B intermediate, C advanced, D special procedures) and acceptance criteria for weld inspection.

More standard terms

ASME Section V · ASME Section VIII · ASME Section IX · ASME Section XI · ASME B31.1 Power Piping · ASME B31.3 Process Piping · ASME B31.8 Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping · ASME B31.4 Liquid Pipelines · API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspection Code · API 570 Piping Inspection Code

Where this comes up in practice

Terms like this one appear in three places that matter commercially: the written practice that governs how your personnel are qualified, the procedures and technique sheets that define how an examination is actually performed, and the evidence an auditor or client asks for when they want to know why an inspection was accepted. Getting the terminology right is the easy part; being able to produce the qualification record, the calibration traceability and the procedure revision that applied on the day of the inspection is the part that decides audits.

Atlantis NDT provides NDT training and certification against ASNT SNT-TC-1A and ISO 9712, ASNT Level III consulting for written practices and procedure approval, inspection management software that holds qualification, calibration and procedure-revision evidence in recoverable form, and an asset integrity platform that binds inspection results to the asset they describe. Browse the full NDT glossary or ask a Level III directly.