Defectoscopist - who is this and what kind of profession?

A defectoscopist is a specialist who is engaged in the identification of defects, mechanical damage and marriage defects in production. For example, a flaw detector engineer of a car depot checks the wheelsets of a train for cracks and damage during operation.

For work, people in this profession need special measuring instruments. Defectoscopists working on railroad tracks detect defects in rails, using flaw detectors or a wagon.

The profession of a flaw detector is the most important and responsible in the metallurgical industries. Products manufactured at the factory are carefully checked by specialists for hidden defects, which cannot be seen without the presence of ultrasound equipment.

What a flaw detectorist should know

A flaw detector engineer is a rather complicated and responsible job. He is responsible for the quality of products at the plant, for the life and safety of passengers in case of work in the railway transportation industry. It is not surprising that employers have a number of requirements for applicants for this position. A flaw detector must know the following:

• normative acts concerning labor safety and methodological acts of the state system of measurements;
• types of possible defects, design features of the inspected object, potential danger during measurements;
• methodology and technical documentation for non-destructive testing;
• rules for selection and quality control of materials;
• types of defects, their classification, signs by which a defective part is detected.

The duties of a flaw detector specialist

Many people ask the following question: “Who is the flaw detectorist? What does he do?” A flaw engineer has a number of job duties at the workplace, which are listed below:

• carrying out work related to non-destructive testing and diagnostics of inspected products;
• work planning and quality control during its implementation;
• quality control of the measurements performed by subordinates;
• drawing up a report on the quality of the test sample;
• ensuring the safety and performance of measuring equipment;
• control of parts that are simple and complex in their configuration on stationary and mobile devices (flaw detectors);
• eddy current verification of cylindrical parts;
• tuning, if necessary, flaw detectors of magnetic, ultrasonic and electromagnetic type;
• preparation of magnetic suspensions;
• checking parts for delamination, fixing the delamination boundaries in case of detection using a special device;
• keeping records of work performed.

Training

The position of a flaw detector engineer is in great demand in our country. Qualified specialists in this field do not feel the lack of offers on the labor market. According to data obtained from the Ministry of Labor of Russia, in January 2016, the vacancy of a flaw detector (specialist in non-destructive testing) was included in the list of the most popular professions.

Training for a flaw detector is to acquire knowledge regarding the operating principle of a flaw detector, its main purpose, and device control functions. Also, students have to take courses on the topic "Basic concepts of electrical engineering."

After successful completion of the training, the flaw detector receives the following professional skills:

1. Checking the quality of welding using magnetographic equipment.
2. Fixing the level of magnetic permeability in austenitic steels depending on the amount of ferrite.
3. Diagnosis and detection of surface defects, calculation of their coordinates and area.
4. Diagnostics of equipment used, namely flaw detectors, depth gauges and transducers.
5. Quality control of the performance of welds and rolled carbon low alloy steel using an ultrasonic device.

Career opportunities

To find out in more detail who this flaw detectorist is, an understanding of the possibility of climbing the career ladder to an employee working in this position will help. Citizens working as a flaw detector specialist, with professional education in this field and 2nd category, can upgrade their skills in stages up to the 6th category. To do this, you must undergo a medical examination and get a certificate stating that the person is fit for work, as well as take a training course and pass qualification exams.

Flaw detector equipment

Many people are interested in the question: “Who is the flaw detectorist? What functions does he perform? ” To answer this question, you should know what a flaw detector is.

The word "flaw detector" came to us from the ancient Greek and Latin languages, and in the literal translation means "I observe a flaw." This device is designed to detect defects in products made of various materials. The method of non-destructive testing is used. These defects include:

1. The heterogeneous structure of the part.
2. Violation of the continuity.
3. Deviation from the given sizes.
4. Change in chemical composition.
5. Corrosion damage.

Where are flaw detectors used

To answer the question: “Who is the flaw detectorist?” - you should know where the device is used to detect marriage. Flaw detectors are necessary for checking vehicles, for monitoring production of machine-building plants, in the chemical industry, construction, energy, scientific laboratories, and many other industries.

Defect detection equipment is used to control the quality of parts, workpieces, welded, adhesive and soldered joints. Some devices are capable of checking products that move at high speed, for example during pipe rolling. Also, some flaw detectors are able to work when moving at high speed, for example, cars or carts equipped with the necessary equipment. At metallurgical enterprises, flaw detectors are often used that can control parts heated to high temperatures.

The history of the flaw detector

To understand who these flaw detectors are and what they do, it’s worth knowing a few historical facts about the history of the flaw detector. For the first time, the Curie brothers in 1880 noticed the reversible effect of piezoelectric pulses. This discovery allowed the use of quartz to convert electrical vibrations into sound ones.

The first flaw detector was created thanks to D. Lachinov at the end of 1880. Its main purpose is to identify a break in the electrical circuit.

But more modern flaw detectors operating thanks to echo-pulse signals were assembled in 1943 by two companies almost simultaneously: the American Sperry Products and the English Calvin and Hughes.