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IS 7666 (1988): Ultrasonic Examination of Ferritic Castings

of Carbon and Low Alloy Steel - Recommended Procedure [MTD
21: Non-Destructive Testing]

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Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda

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IS 7666: 1988
(Reaffirmed 2000)

Indian Standard

ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION OF FERRITIC

CASTINGS OF CARBON AND LOW ALLOY
STEEL-RECOMMEDNED
PROCEDURE
( First Revision-)

UDC

BUREAU
hlANAY

April

1990

669.15 - 19457 - 14 : 62017916

OF
BHAVAN,

INDIAN

STANDARDS

9 BAHADUR
SHAH ZAFAR
KEW DELHI 110002

MARG

Price Group 2

Non-Destructive

Testing Sectional Committee, MTD 21

FOREWORD
This Indian Standard (First Revision) was adopted by the Bureau of Indian Standards on 30 November
1988, after the draft finalized by the Non-destructive Testing Sectional Committee had been approved by
the Structural and Metals Division Council.
Ultrasonic contact examination using longitudinal wave is widely used in steel industry for flaw detection
in castings. This standard was first published in 1975. This revision takes into account the experience
gained since its first publication and also the acceptable current practices. More details of test procedure,
reference blocks and acceptance quality levels have been incorporated in this revision. The purpose of this
standard is to describe procedures which will assist manufacturers, inspecting authorities and purchasers in
the examination of steel casting.
This standard does not give the acceptance standards, which should be as agreed to by the contracting
parties. However, a guideline has been given in IS 9565 : 1986 Acceptance standards ior ultrasonic
inspection of steel castings.
This standard should be used in conjunction with IS 3664 : 1981 Code of practice for ultrasonic
echo testing by contact and immersion methods (first revision ).

pulse

In the preparation of this standard assistance has been from ASTM A 609-70 Specification for steel
castings, carbon and low alloy, ultrasonic examination, issued by the American Society for Testing and
Materials, US-A.
In reporting the results of a test or analysis made in accordance with this standard, if the final value,
observed or calculated, is to be rounded off, it shall be done in accordance with IS 2 : 1960 Rules for
rounding off numerical values ( revised).

IS 7666 : 1988

Indian Standard.

ULTRASONIC EXAMINATION OF FERRITIC

CASTIN-GSOF CARBON AND LOW ALLOY
PROCEDURE
STEEL- RECOMMEDNED
( First Revision)
b) Sections
of casting
requiring
ultrasonic

inspection; and
c) Any additional requirements
such as use of
DGS Methods -for evaluating the size of
discontinuities,
use of TR probe or use of
angle beam technique to the provision of this
specification.

1 SCOPE
1.1 This standard prescribes recommended procedure
for ultrasonic testing of ferritic castings of carbon
and low alloy steel. This standard is not applicable
for austenitic steel castings.

1.2 The metallurgical

grain
appreciable effect on ultrasonic
order to obtain a favourable
casting shall be subjected to
treatment, such as normalising,
ing and tempering.

structure
~has an
transmission and m
grain structure, the
grain refining heat
annealing or harden-

1.3 Longitudinal wave probe is recommended for

the test. This standard does not precludethe
use of
shear wave (transverse)
probe or TR probe where
it is specially advantageous but the test procedures
and acceptance standard shall be subjected
to
agreement between the contracting parties.

5 EQUIPMENT
5.1 Ultrasonic Apparatus
Ultrasonic apparatus shall be capable of producing,
receiving and displaying high frequency electrical
pulses at the required frequencies and energy levels
with high degree of accuracy, sharpness resolution
and stability.
The ultrasonic
apparatus shall be
capable of generating frequencies of at least 05 to
5 MHz with a scan representation.
5.2 Probe
5.2.1 A 2 to 25 MHz probe will generally be
satisfactory, Piezoelectric element size generally 20
to 25 mm diameter or 25 mm square shall be used.
Higher or lower frequency or diameter may be used,
if necessary, depending upon factors such as grain
structure, thickness of the casting, and acceptable
size of-defects and also for evaluating and pinpointing indications.

2 REFERENCES
2.1 The following Indian
adjuncts to this standard:

Standards

are necessary

Title

IS No.
2417 : 1977

relating to
of terms
Glossary
ultrasonic testing (first revision )

3664 : 1981

Acceptance standards for ultrasonic

inspection of steel castings

4904 : 1982

Calibration block for evaluation of

ultrasonic flaw detection equipment
( second revision )

9565 : 1986

5.2.2 To prevent undue wear of the probe on rough

surface, probes with protective covering may be
used.
5.3 Couplants
A suitable couplant such as water, oil orgrease
having good wetting characteristics
shall Abe used
between the transducers and the test surface. Same
couplants shall be used for both calibration and test.

Code of practice for ultrasonic pulse

echo testing by contact immersion
methods ($first revision )

6 CALIBRATION

3 TERMINOLOGY
3.1 For

the purpose of this standard,

given in IS 2417 : 1977 shall apply.

AND REFERENCE

BLOCKS

6.1 The ultrasonic apparatus shall be adjusted and

calibrated prior to inspection of test objects as
described in IS 4904 : 1982.

definitions

6.2 A reference block having

similar acoustic
characteristic shall be used to set up the sensitivity
level. To satisfy these conditions,
it may
be
necessary to cast and heat treat the block under
similar conditions as castings to be tested.

4 BASIS OF PURCHASE
4.1 When this specification

is to be applied to an
inquiry, contract or order, the purchaser shall furnish
the following information:

6.3 Reference blocks containing flat bottom holes

shall be used to establish
test sensitivity
in
accordance with 9.2.

a) Quality level for the entire casting or sections

thereof;
1

Is7666:1988
6.4The design of reference

blocks shall be in
accordance with ,Fig. 1 and the basic set shall
consist of those blocks listed in Table 1. When
section thickness over 250 mm are to be inspected,
an additional block of the maximum test thickness
shall be made to supplement the basic set.
Table 1 Dimensions of Reference Blocks in
Basic Set
( Clauses 6.4 and 9.8 )
*Metal

Overal

Di8meter

Distance
B

Le@h
C

Width or
Diameter
D

mm

mm

mm

mm

625

25
50
75
150
250
B

44
69
94
169
269
B+19t

50
50
50
75
100
125

Hole

625
625
62!j
625
6%

Vrolerance f 32 mm.
tAdditiona1
supplemental
greater than 250 mm.

blocks

for testing

thickness

6.5 Each

reference

block

shall

be

permanently

identified along the side of the block indicating

material and the block identification number.

the

7 SURFACX PREPARATION
7.1 Cast Surface
The test surface OT castings shall be free of all
material that will interfere with the ultrasonic test.
They may be as cast, shot blasted, ground
or
machined. A good cast surface
will transmit
ultrasonic waves but shot blasting will improve the
coupling efficiency.,? Whenever hand grinding is
done for improvement of surface, care should be
taken to retain the profile of the casting.
7.2 Rough Machined Surface
It is common practice for castings to -be supplied

in
the rough-machined condition and when ultrasonic
examination is required, the final cut should be
taken with a broad nosed tool to ensure smooth
surface finish. A machined
surface finish of
approximately ~625micron is satisfactory. Ultrasonic
examination
shall be conducted prior to
any
machining that prevents inspection of those areas of
casting.

0.8 /

8 PERSONNEL

REQUIREMENTS

8.1 The ultrasonic testing shall be conducted by

personnel qualified at lea&to Level I and evaluated
by at least Level-II, certified as per Indian Standard
Generai standard for qualification and certification of
NDT personnel [ Dot MTD 21 ( 2588 ) I ( urtder preparation) or alternatively by persons having sufficient
experience in the ultrasonic testing method as certified
by the management.
NOTE - Till such time _the standard under preparation
published, agreement
supplier shall apply.

between

the manufacturer

is
and the

9 TEST PROCEDURE
9.1 The instrument controls are adjusted to have
the sweep range at least two times the thickness of
the part to be tested.
9.2 Using the set of reference blocks appropriate to
the thickness of the casting being inspected reference
distance amplitude curve shall be plotted
as
mentioned below.
NOTES

9.2.1 The flat bottom hole of the smallest test block

in the series employed is scanned and the echo is
brought to 80 percent of the screen height above the
sweep line using attenuator gain control. The tip of
the echo peak is marked on the cathode ray tube
( CRT ) without changing the gain and suppression
the flat bottom hole in other blocks are also scanned
to get the echo height, maximum and the peak is
marked on the CRT and a minimum of three such
points are marked. The points are joined together to
get a curve. The curve shall be referred to as the
100 percent reference distance amplitude curve
( DAC).

1 Opposite ends of reference block shall be flat and

parallel within 0025 mm.
ZBottom of flat bottom hole shall be flat within
+005 mm and finished diameter shall be 625 f 005 mm.
3 Hole shall be straight and perpendicular to entry
surface within 0 deg 30 min and located within 08 mm
of longitudinal axis.
4 Counterbore shall be 125 mm diameter by 3.2 mm
deep.
5 The bottom hole shall remain clean
from corrosion.

and

dry and free

FIO. 1 A TYPICAL REFERENCEBLOCK

2

IS 7666 : 1988

9.3 Transfer

corrections

shall be employed as the

rougher than that

casting surface shall be normally

of the test blocks.

9.3.1 In order to accomplish

transfer correction, the

whose overall
length most clOSe]Y
matches
the casting thickness is selected and the
search unit is positioned to obtain a back reflection
of 80 percent of the screen height and the gain is
noted. The region of the casting that has parallel
walls and a surface condition, representative of the
rest of the casting is selected, and a back wall
reflection is obtained with the same straight beam
prove used to get the echo from the test block. The
echo is brought to 80 percent of the screen height
The difference in gain is the
using gain control.
required transfer correction and is added to or
subtracted ~from the gain value
obtained
in
accordance with 9.2.
test

block

LO QUALITY

10.1 Acceptance quality levels shall generally

established between the manufacturer
and
purchaser on the basis of one or more of
following criteria:

9.6 Full coverage of the casting is ensured by

systematically scanning over its surface withsufficient
overlap. The casting shall preferably be scanned
from more than one direction when possible. The
rate of scanning shall not exceed 150 mm/set.

be
the
the

a) Number of indications

equal to or greater
than that of the reference standard used;

b) The number of defect indications,

location
indica-

and/or extent over which continuous

tions are obtained; and

Other test results to establish the acceptance

or rejection based oh ultrasonic inspection.
Based on the area of the indication, casting can be
grouped into any of the following quality levels:

9.4 Whenever the height of the echo from discontinuity equal to or greater than 50 percent of the
DAC is noted the location of the defect and
amplitude of the echo shall be recorded. The extent
of the -defect shall also be determined wherever
possible by moving the probe in all directions.
When continuous indications are observed equal to
or greater than the ARL the boundary of area of
indication shall be marked by moving the probe
away from the centre of the discontinuity
until the
echo height falls by 50 percent ( 6 dB).
9.5 Areas which are showing a complete loss of back
reflection without any defect echo and not due to
geometric configuration or poor coupling shall be
separately noted. The reasons for loss of back echo
shall be investigated
by RT or any other NDT
method is proper explanations could not be attributed for the loss of back echo.

LEVELS

Quality
Level

Percentage of
Amplitude Refirence
Line ( ARL )

Area
(sq ems 1

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

100
100
100
100
100
100
100

5
10
19
32
52
77
10s

NOTES
1 The area represents the surface a&a on the casting over
which continuous indications are observed as-per 9.4.
2 Area shall be measured from the centre of the probe
and due allowance has to be given for its beam spread.

11 RECORD

OF DATA

11.1 The following data

shall also be recorded

the time of each test for reference:

at

a) Identification

of the casting tested, reference

drawing, metallurgical and surface conditions
of the castings;

b) Instrument make, model, frequency, size and

9.7 As far as possible scanning shall be done with

6 dB increase (two times the amplitude of the
reference level including the transfer correction )
to permit small signal amplitudes to be more readily
detected. However, the evaluation of the indications
shall be made at reference level setting
only
( reducing 6 dS ).

type of probe used and control settings;

cl Reference block used;

d) Record or map of defects detected showing
position and severity;

4 Operators name, date of test and his level;

9.8 Calibration of the equipment shall be checked,

using any two of the ~basic reflectors in the basic
calibration block mentioned in Fig. 1 and Table 1,
every 4 hours, during the examination, and when
examination personnel are changed.

f) Any unusual occurrences

test;

encountered

during

g) Couplant used;
h) Calibration

If any point on the DAC has changed by f20 percent or 2 dB of the original amplitude level all
recorded indications and date since the last valid
calibration or calibration check shall be discarded
and the DAC shall be c, rrected. Accordingly the
inspecticJ shall be repeated to record the findings.

details; and

j) Scanning details.
11.2 It is desirable to record the type and results of
any confirmatory
tests that are done for ultrasonically observed defects.

Bureau of Indian Standards

BIS is a statutory institution established under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 to promote
harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and
attending to connected matters in the country.
Copyright
BIS has the copyright of all its publications.
No part of these publications may be reproduced in any form
without the prior permission in writing of BIS. This does not preclude the free use, in the course of
implementing
the standard, of necessary details, such as symbols and sizes, type or grade designations.
Enquiries relating to copyright be addressed to the Director (Publication), BIS.
i*

Review of Indian Standards

Amendments are issued to standards as the need arises on the basis of comments. Standards are also reviewed
periodically; a standard along with amendments is reaffirmed when such review indicates that no changes are
needed; if the review indicates that changes are needed, it is taken up for revision. Users of Indian Standards
should ascertain that they are in possession of the latest amendments or edition by referring to the latest issue
of BIS Handbook and Standards Monthly Additions.
This Indian Standard has been developed

from Dot: No. MTD 21 ( 3207 )

Amendments
Amend No.

Issued Since Publication

Text Affected

Date of Issue

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