What does nondestructive examination cover?

Methods that find flaws without cutting the part: radiographic, ultrasonic, magnetic particle and penetrant testing. The rate you enter averages the methods and joint sizes in the package.

How does the allowance differ from a productivity factor?

The allowance covers setup, marking and reporting around the examination itself. A productivity factor would also absorb breaks, waiting and delays, which sit outside this estimate.

Can one inspector finish 120 joints in a shift?

At 12 joints an hour the base time is 10 hours, before the allowance. With a 10 percent allowance the package needs 11 hours, so it fits a long shift only if examination runs without interruption.

Does joint size change the inspection rate?

It can, because a large nozzle weld takes longer to scan than a small socket weld. Split the package into size bands and run each band through the calculator when the mix is wide.

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Nondestructive Examination Workload Calculator

Size nondestructive examination labor from the welds or joints in the package, an inspection rate and a setup, marking, and reporting allowance. The verdict compares the total with the inspector hours you can give it.

What this calculator does

Inspector hours to examine a weld package from a joint count, a rate and a setup allowance, checked against available inspector hours.

Formula used

Base nondestructive examination time = welds or joints to inspect ÷ nondestructive examination rate
Allowance hours = base nondestructive examination time × setup, marking, and reporting allowance ÷ 100
Required nondestructive examination labor = base time + allowance hours
Inspector shortfall = MAX(required nondestructive examination labor − available inspector hours, 0)

Inputs explained

Welds or Joints to Inspect: Welds or joints in the package, from the weld map.
Nondestructive Examination Rate: Joints examined per inspector hour, averaged across methods.
Setup, Marking, and Reporting Allowance: Setup, marking and reporting time as a share of examination time.
Available Inspector Hours: Inspector hours available for this weld package.

How to use the result

Best suited to sizing inspector hours on a weld package, checking coverage before a hold point, splitting examination across two shifts.
Radiographic joints can take longer than ultrasonic, magnetic particle or penetrant ones. No gas or liquid volume is metered, so no standard-to-actual conversion applies; dose and film units stay outside the model. Rework and re-inspection after a failed joint are not covered.

Current U.S. benchmarks

Industrial electricity averages 9.77 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Jul 2026), up 4.7% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.
Steel mill PPI stands at 381.162 (BLS, Aug 2026), up 23.4% from a year earlier. New factory orders are up 8.5% year over year (Census).

Common questions

What does nondestructive examination cover? Methods that find flaws without cutting the part: radiographic, ultrasonic, magnetic particle and penetrant testing. The rate you enter averages the methods and joint sizes in the package.
How does the allowance differ from a productivity factor? The allowance covers setup, marking and reporting around the examination itself. A productivity factor would also absorb breaks, waiting and delays, which sit outside this estimate.
Can one inspector finish 120 joints in a shift? At 12 joints an hour the base time is 10 hours, before the allowance. With a 10 percent allowance the package needs 11 hours, so it fits a long shift only if examination runs without interruption.
Does joint size change the inspection rate? It can, because a large nozzle weld takes longer to scan than a small socket weld. Split the package into size bands and run each band through the calculator when the mix is wide.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.