ISO 10863:2020

Overview

ISO 10863:2020 - Non‑destructive testing of welds - Ultrasonic testing - Use of time‑of‑flight diffraction technique (TOFD) - provides standardized guidance for applying the TOFD ultrasonic method to the semi‑ or fully automated inspection of fusion‑welded joints. The standard covers metallic materials with a minimum thickness of 6 mm, focusing on full‑penetration welds of simple geometry in plates, pipes and vessels where both weld and parent material are low‑alloyed carbon steel. It describes the capabilities and limitations of TOFD for the detection, location, sizing and characterization of discontinuities, and permits TOFD assessment for acceptance decisions (note: ISO 10863 does not include numerical acceptance levels).

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 10863:2020 addresses the full TOFD inspection workflow and technical parameters, including:

• Test scope and applicability - semi/fully automated TOFD for fusion welds ≥ 6 mm; use on other low‑attenuation materials where appropriate.
• Material‑dependent parameters - reference sound velocities for steel: longitudinal ~5 920 ± 50 m/s, transverse ~3 255 ± 30 m/s; users must account for different velocities in other materials.
• Testing levels - four reliability levels (A, B, C, D) aligned with ISO 17635; guidance on level selection.
• Personnel and equipment requirements - qualifications, probe selection, instruments, scanning mechanisms and reference blocks.
• Setup and scanning - probe centre separation, beam intersection, scan increments, surface preparation, temperature and couplant considerations.
• Range, sensitivity and time‑to‑depth conversion - time windows, calibration and verification procedures.
• Interpretation and reporting - TOFD image quality, identification/classification of indications, location, length/height determination and test reporting requirements.
• Annexes - reference block guidance and example TOFD scans for practical interpretation.

Practical applications

ISO 10863 is intended for:

• Manufacturing inspection of welded components (plates, pipes, vessels).
• In‑service inspection as part of maintenance and integrity programs.
• Use as a stand‑alone NDT technique or in combination with other methods (radiography, phased array, visual). Common industries: oil & gas, petrochemical, power generation, pressure‑vessel fabrication, shipbuilding and pipeline inspection where reliable weld integrity assessment is required.

Who should use this standard

• NDT managers and engineers implementing TOFD programs
• Weld inspectors and certification bodies assessing inspection reliability
• Fabricators, maintenance teams and quality assurance personnel specifying weld inspection procedures

Related standards

• ISO 16828 - TOFD as a method for detection and sizing of discontinuities
• ISO 17635 - Ultrasonic testing techniques, testing levels and assessment
• ISO 9712, ISO 5577 - Personnel qualification and ultrasonic vocabulary
• ISO 22232‑1 / ‑2 - Characterization and verification of ultrasonic test equipment

Keywords: ISO 10863:2020, TOFD, time‑of‑flight diffraction, ultrasonic testing, NDT welds, weld inspection, testing levels, ultrasonic velocities.