A2.1 Inspection and Nondestructive Testing Personnel
Visual inspection and nondestructive testing shall be conducted by the manufacturer in accordance with a written practice by qualified inspectors. The procedure and qualification of inspectors is the responsibility of the manufacturer. Qualification of inspectors shall be in accordance with ASNT-TC-1a or an equivalent standard. The written practice shall include provisions specifically intended to evaluate defects found in cast steel products. Qualification shall demonstrate familiarity with inspection and acceptance criteria used in evaluation of cast steel products.
A2.2 First Article Inspection (FAI) of Castings
The first article is defined as the first production casting made from a permanently mounted and rigged pattern. FAI shall be performed on the first casting produced from each pattern. The first article casting dimensions shall be measured and recorded. FAI includes visual inspection in accordance with Section A2.3, nondestructive testing in accordance with Section A2.4, tensile testing in accordance with Section A2.6, and Charpy V-notch testing in accordance with Section A2.7.
A2.3 Visual Inspection of Castings
Visual inspection of all casting surfaces shall be performed to confirm compliance with ASTM A802/A802M and MSS SP-55 with a surface acceptance Level I.
A2.4 Nondestructive Testing (NDT) of Castings
A2.4a Procedures
Radiographic testing (RT) shall be performed by quality assurance (QA) according to the procedures prescribed in ASTM E446 and ASTM E186 with an acceptance Level III or better.
Ultrasonic testing (UT) shall be performed by QA according to the procedures prescribed by ASTM A609/A609M Procedure A with an acceptance Level 3, or better.
Magnetic particle testing (MT) shall be performed by QA according to the procedures prescribed by ASTM E709 with an acceptance Level V, or better, in accordance with ASTM A903/A903M.
A2.4b Required NDT
- (1) First Article RT and MT shall be performed on the first article casting.
- (2) Production Castings UT shall be performed on 100% of the castings. MT shall be performed on 50% of the castings.
- (3) Reduction of Percentage of UT The UT rate is permitted to be reduced if approved by the engineer of record and the authority having jurisdiction. The UT rate may be reduced to 25%, provided the number of castings not conforming to Section A2.4a is demonstrated to be 5% or less. A sampling of at least 40 castings shall be made for such reduction evaluation. This reduction is not permitted for castings with weld repairs.
- (4) Reduction of Percentage of MT The MT rate is permitted to be reduced if approved by the engineer of record and the authority having jurisdiction. The MT rate may be reduced to 10%, provided the number of castings not conforming to Section A2.4a is demonstrated to be 5% or less. A sampling of at least 20 castings shall be made for such reduction evaluation. This reduction is not permitted for castings with weld repairs.
A2.5 Weld Repair Procedures
Casting with discontinuities that exceed the requirements of Section A2.4a shall be weld repaired. Weld repair of castings shall be performed in accordance with ASTM A488/A488M. The same testing method that discovered the discontinuities shall be repeated on repaired castings to confirm the removal of all discontinuities that exceed the requirements of Section A2.4a.
A2.6 Tensile Requirements
Tensile tests shall be performed for each heat in accordance with ASTM A370 and ASTM A781/A781M.
A2.7 Charpy V-Notch (CVN) Requirements
CVN testing shall be performed in accordance with ASTM A370 and ASTM A781/A781M. Three notched specimens shall be tested with the first heat and with each subsequent 20th ton (18 000 kg) of finished material. The specimens shall have a minimum CVN toughness of 20 ft-lb (27 J) at 70°F (21°C).
A2.8 Casting Identification
The castings shall be clearly marked with the pattern number and a unique serial number for each individual casting providing traceability to heat and production records.