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.

Definition

ISO 17640 references the testing technique level (A, B, C, D) by application — choice determined by criticality, NDT extent, and material. Acceptance criteria are given by ISO 11666 and ISO 23279.

What this document is

The ISO standard for ultrasonic testing of welded joints, defining techniques, testing levels and examination requirements for manual and semi-automated ultrasonic weld examination.

How it is applied

Testing levels A through D scale coverage and rigour with criticality; the standard covers technique and examination, with acceptance in ISO 11666 or the application standard.

The common misuse

Reporting to ISO 17640 without stating the testing level. Coverage differs materially between levels, so the report is not reproducible without it.

Where ISO 17640 Ultrasonic Testing of Welds fits in an inspection programme

A term is only useful when it connects to a decision. ISO 17640 Ultrasonic Testing of Welds 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

Ultrasonic Testing (UT) — Ultrasonic Testing (UT) is an NDT method that uses high-frequency sound waves (typically 0.5–25 MHz) to detect internal flaws and measure thickness in metals, plastics, and composites by analyzing reflected echoes from a transducer.
ISO 23279 Characterization of Indications in Welds — ISO 23279 is the international standard for characterization of ultrasonic indications in welds as planar or non-planar, used to apply differential acceptance criteria from ISO 11666 to the most safety-critical (planar) discontinuities.
ISO 17636 Radiographic Testing of Welds — ISO 17636 is the international standard for radiographic testing of fusion-welded joints, comprising Part 1 (X-ray and gamma-ray techniques with film) and Part 2 (digital detectors), and defining classes A and B based on sensitivity and resolution.

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.