PCN / ISO 9712 Level 3 technical authority across the full range of NDT methods — for procedure qualification, written practice development, personnel examination oversight, and technique development on non-standard inspection applications.
Under ISO 9712 — the international
standard for NDT personnel qualification — Level 3 is the highest certification
grade. An NDT Level 3 is responsible for establishing NDT techniques and
procedures, for ensuring that inspection operations are performed in accordance
with those procedures, for interpreting codes and standards, and for
designating the particular test methods, techniques, and procedures to be used.
The Level 3 is also responsible for the written practice that governs the
organisation's qualification and certification of its Level 1 and Level 2
personnel.
In practical terms, an NDT Level 3
is the technical authority whose judgement determines whether an inspection
procedure is correct for its application, whether the personnel executing it
are qualified to do so, and whether the results it produces are interpreted and
reported in accordance with the applicable acceptance criteria. Without Level 3
oversight, an organisation's NDT programme lacks the technical authority to
defend its procedures, its personnel qualifications, or its inspection
decisions under audit, regulatory review, or legal scrutiny.
Many organisations — particularly
those that perform NDT as a support function rather than a core service — do
not have in-house Level 3 personnel across all the methods they need. A
refinery that has in-house UT and MT Level 3s may lack a PAUT Level 3 when they
adopt phased array technology. A fabricator that has a structural welding RT
Level 3 may lack a Level 3 with TOFD experience when a fitness-for-service
assessment requires TOFD sizing. Altair Engineering Inspection provides NDT
Level 3 services to fill these gaps — on a project, a method, or a retainer
basis — without requiring the client to hire and maintain full-time Level 3
personnel across every method they deploy.
Our Level 3 team holds current PCN
(ISO 9712) Level 3 certification across conventional and advanced NDT methods.
Level 3 services are delivered by the certified individual for the specific
method — not by a generalist who holds only a management-level qualification.
Development of written NDT
procedures to the applicable code, standard, and technique requirements —
structured, qualified, and formatted for approval by the client's quality
system, the applicable regulatory authority, or the relevant classification society
or certifying body. Procedures are written for the specific asset, the specific
damage mechanism, the specific equipment to be used, and the specific
acceptance criteria applicable to the inspection scope — not adapted from
generic templates that do not reflect the actual inspection parameters.
Procedure qualification activities
include the definition of the qualification trial, the demonstration of
detection capability on the qualification body or representative test piece,
the documentation of the qualification evidence, and the preparation of the
procedure qualification record (PQR) in the format required by the applicable
standard.
Development or revision of the
employer's written practice for NDT personnel qualification and certification —
structured to comply with ASNT SNT-TC-1A, ASNT CP-189, PCN / ISO 9712, NAS 410,
or EN 4179 as applicable to the client's certification scheme and sector.
Written practice development includes the definition of training, experience,
and examination requirements for each method and level; the responsibilities of
Level 1, 2, and 3 personnel; the recertification requirements; and the
documentation requirements for qualification records.
Level 3 oversight of the practical
and written examination process for Level 1 and Level 2 personnel qualification
— including examination paper development and review, practical test piece
preparation and marking, and the Level 3 certification of examination results
in compliance with the client's written practice and the applicable
certification scheme. Provided on a project basis where the client's in-house
Level 3 capacity is insufficient, or as ongoing retainer support for
organisations with active qualification programmes.
Development of inspection
techniques for applications where no established procedure exists — novel
component geometries, new material types (additive manufactured alloys,
composite-metal interfaces, dissimilar metal welds), or damage mechanism types
for which standard procedure templates are not applicable. Technique
development includes physical modelling or simulation of the inspection
geometry, transducer and parameter selection, detection sensitivity
demonstration, and the documentation of the technique basis in a format
suitable for qualification and regulatory acceptance.
•
Ultrasonic Testing (UT) —
conventional pulse-echo, immersion, and through-transmission
•
Phased Array Ultrasonic
Testing (PAUT) — sectorial scan, linear scan, and TFM/FMC
•
Time of Flight Diffraction
(TOFD) — weld sizing and fitness-for-service applications
•
Radiographic Testing (RT) —
X-ray and gamma-ray, film, CR, and DR
•
Magnetic Particle Testing
(MT) — AC and DC yoke, prod, and coil methods
•
Liquid Penetrant Testing
(PT) — colour contrast and fluorescent techniques
•
Eddy Current Testing (ET) —
surface, tube ECT, pulsed eddy current (PEC), RFET
•
Alternating Current Field
Measurement (ACFM) — surface crack detection and sizing
•
Visual Testing (VT) —
direct and remote visual inspection procedures
•
ISO 9712 — Non-destructive
testing — Qualification and certification of NDT personnel — the primary Level
3 certification basis for our consultancy personnel
•
ASNT SNT-TC-1A —
Recommended Practice for Personnel Qualification — applicable to ASNT-scheme
employer written practices
•
ASNT CP-189 — Standard for
Qualification and Certification of Nondestructive Testing Personnel
•
NAS 410 — Certification and
Qualification of Nondestructive Test Personnel — applicable to aerospace sector
Level 3 engagements
•
EN 4179 — Qualification and
Approval of NDT Personnel for the Aerospace Industry
•
ASME Section V —
Non-Destructive Examination — procedure qualification requirements for pressure
equipment applications
•
EN ISO 17640 —
Non-destructive testing of welds — Ultrasonic testing — the procedure
qualification standard for weld UT applications
•
EN ISO 15626 —
Non-destructive testing of welds — TOFD technique — applicable to Level 3
procedure qualification for TOFD applications
•
API 650 / 1104 / ASME B31.3
— Applicable construction codes — procedure qualification reference for
specific industry applications