Borescopes for Weld Inspection and Quality Control

The quality of welds is becoming increasingly important as customer expectations rise. Products and components are expected to be high quality and not to fail unexpectedly. Such failures have large financial and social consequences which can be avoided with proper inspection techniques and tools.
Inspecting welds directly can reduce costs by detecting defects in earlier stages of manufacturing, reducing the cost of customer returns, and extending the life of the components by correcting them.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) with various visual inspection devices such as video borescopes and fiberscopes are widely used to ensure the integrity of structural welds in steel, aluminum, and titanium. These inspection cameras can be used to identify cracks, incomplete penetration, inclusions, residue, incomplete sidewall fusion, leaks, and similar defects, which can compromise the strength of the welds or lead to a decreased structure lifetime.
Depending on the setting of a particular inspection, optical borescopes may be one of the best choices to check the quality of welding. A clear, undistorted image allows detecting even the smallest imperfections. In case file capturing or visualizing the inspection onto a monitor is important, there is an option of connecting an external video capturing device.
Video borescopes offer advanced versatility and functionality coupled with longer probe lengths. They allow file capture, feature adjustable lighting, and may possess tip articulation for a better side view. With flexible or semi-rigid probes ranging from 1 meter (3.3') and up even welds located at a distance from the inspector may be checked. In addition, their smooth-coated insertion probes are designed to prevent polished pipes from surface scratches. Captured photo and video files are available at any time for review, renaming, or sharing. Advanced videoscopes may come with such additional features as an integrated working channel or a built-in measurement capability. The latter function is crucially important in highly precise welding applications.