Qualification&Certification
PROMAG is able to provide the service of NDT personnel qualification and certification on-site and off-site. During our training centers, the courses for NDT personnel of Level I, Level II, and Level III are well-organized periodically. With our ASNT LEVEL III teams, we are confident that PROMAG equipment can provide clients NDT knowledge and professions through our professional and experiential Level III and operate customer training under NAS410 and TC1A qualification and certification for operators.
There are two approaches in personnel certification:
Employer-Based Certification:
- Under this concept, the employer compiles Written Practice by themselves. The written practice defines the responsibilities of each level of certification, as implemented by the company, and describes the training, experience, and examination requirements for each level of certification. In industrial sectors, the written practices usually base on recommended practice SNT-TC-1A of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing. ANSI standard CP-189 outlines requirements for any written practice that conforms to the standard. For aviation, space, and defense applications NAS 410 sets further requirements for NDT personnel and is published by AIA – Aerospace Industries Association, which is made up of US aerospace airframe and powerplant manufacturers. The basic document is for EN 4179 and other NIST-recognized aerospace standards for the Qualification and Certification (employer-based) of Nondestructive Testing Personnel. NAS 410 also sets the requirements for "National NDT Boards" which allow and proscribe personal certification schemes. NAS 410 allows ASNT Certification as a portion of the qualifications needed for ASD certification.
Personal Central Certification:
- The concept of central certification is an NDT operator can obtain certification from a central certification authority, that is recognized by most employers, third parties and/or government authorities. Industrial standards for central certification schemes include ISO 9712, and ANSI/ASNT CP-106(used for the ASNT ACCP scheme). Certification under these standards involves training, work experience under the supervision and passing a written and practical examination set up by the independent certification authority. EN 473 was another central certification scheme, very similar to ISO 9712, which was withdrawn when CEN replaced it with EN ISO 9712 in 2012.
Levels of certification
Most NDT personnel certification schemes listed above specify three "levels" of qualification and/or certification, usually designated as Level I, Level II and Level III. The roles and responsibilities of personnel in each level are generally as follows:
- Level Iare technicians qualified to perform only specific calibrations and tests under close supervision and direction by higher level personnel. They can only report test results. Normally they work following specific work instructions for testing procedures and rejection criteria.
- Level IIare engineers or experienced technicians who are able to set up and calibrate testing equipment, conduct the inspection according to codes and standards (instead of following work instructions) and compile work instructions for Level I They are also authorized to report, interpret, evaluate and document testing results. They can also supervise and train Level I technicians. In addition to testing methods, they must be familiar with applicable codes and standards and have some knowledge of the manufacture and service of tested products.
- Level IIIare usually specialized engineers or very experienced technicians. They can establish NDT techniques and procedures and interpret codes and standards. They also direct NDT laboratories and have central role in personnel certification. They are expected to have wider knowledge covering materials, fabrication and product technology.
What PROMAG can provide is the non-destructive testing (NDT) training, personnel qualification and certification are in accordance with the following standards:
- NAS 410
- SNT-TC-1A