ABSTRACT
Optimization of the inspection process simply means that the maximum benefit will be achieved at the minimum cost. While the actual levels of benefit and cost may vary for typical applications, the need for optimization of the inspection process remains invariant. The NDE engineer’s involvement in the optimization process includes an evaluation of parameters such as the minimum detectable flaw size, the operator or system reliability, the frequency of inspection, and the risks of defects missed. In the past, decisions on these matters may have been based on one’s past experience. With the modern high-strength materials used at a low factor-of-safety and the potentially catastrophic results of a failure, the demand on the engineer is for considerably more expertise than past experience. Awareness of the probabilistic nature of much of the data used in the NDE decision process can yield greater confidence in being able to accurately predict the outcome for the several decisions to be made.
