Weld Inspection and Testing

Swantest can provide a comprehensive array of weld inspection and consultancy services across the UK.

All our welding inspectors and consultants are fully trained and qualified to CSWIP and PCN standards and are skilled in maintaining welding quality to the latest standards and regulations.

 

Understanding Weld Inspection and Testing

Swantest can act as your companies RWC within all your welding related activities and manufacturing processes. A good weld quality management system is an essential part of a production and manufacturing procedure.

​Swantest will enable you to ensure that the highest standards of quality are maintained and identify specific areas of welding process that requires attention. Each management system can be tailored to suit your company’s needs and requirements for your current and future developments.

Visual Weld Inspection 

 

Swantest has a team of qualified visual weld inspectors available to conduct on-site inspections. External visual examination is a key component of any comprehensive weld quality assurance system.

 

While fabricators often rely on radiography or ultrasonic testing to assess weld integrity, many defects can be detected through visual inspection alone. This method offers the advantage of being performed on-site with minimal disruption to production and enables immediate feedback for welders and design teams.

 

Our inspectors can assess welds as soon as they are completed, allowing early identification of any defects—which can lead to significant time and cost savings

MPI (Magnetic Particle Inspection)

 

Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI)

is a non-destructive testing (NDT) method used to detect surface and near-surface discontinuities in ferromagnetic materials. It is especially effective for identifying fine surface cracks in welds, castings, and forgings—many of which are invisible to the naked eye but can pose significant risks to structural integrity.

 

Why Choose MPI?
MPI offers a fast, highly sensitive, and cost-effective solution for inspecting weld surfaces. It is widely applied to both new and existing structural welds to detect and highlight defects or stress concentrations in the weld zone and adjacent material.

Ultrasonic Testing (UT)

 

Ultrasonic Testing (UT) is a non-destructive technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to detect imperfections in welds and metal components. Sound energy is introduced through a probe and travels through the material; any discontinuities—such as cracks or incomplete fusion—reflect part of this energy back to the probe. These reflections are converted into electrical signals and displayed as echoes for analysis.

 

Swantest’s PCN Level 2 technicians are trained to identify, characterise, and measure flaws with precision. Using the latest UT equipment, we can detect discontinuities and accurately estimate their size and shape, even at significant depths.

 

UT plays a critical role in quality assurance for both on-site and workshop welds. It is effective across a wide range of materials and applications, including welded steel plates, pipes, tubular structures, castings, and composites. Our inspection procedures align with the latest British and European standards, as well as AWS, ASME, API, and ISO codes.