Designation: E 1817 – 96 An American National Standard

Standard Practice for

Controlling Quality of Radiological Examination by Using
Representative Quality Indicators (RQIs)1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 1817; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope 2.3 Military Standard:

1.1 This practice covers the radiological examination of MIL-STD-410 Nondestructive Testing Personnel Qualifica-
unique materials or processes, or both, for which convention- tion and Certification4
ally designed image quality indicators (IQIs), such as those 3. Terminology
described in Practices E 747 and E 1025, may be inadequate in
controlling the quality and repeatability of the radiological 3.1 Definitions—For definitions of terms used in this prac-
image. tice, refer to Terminology E 1316.
1.2 Where appropriate, representative image quality indica- 3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
tors (RQIs) may also represent criteria levels of the acceptance 3.2.1 representative quality indicator (RQI)—a real part, or
or rejection of images of discontinuities. a fabrication of similar geometry in radiologically similar
1.3 This practice is applicable to most radiological methods material to a real part, that has features of known characteris-
of examination. tics that represent all of the features for which the parts to be
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the purchased are being examined.
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the 4. Summary of Practice
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- 4.1 The information from an RQI image may be used to
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. control all of the parameters necessary for production inspec-
tion images (which look essentially like the RQI images) and
2. Referenced Documents is particularly effective in the practice of radioscopic and
2.1 ASTM Standards: tomographic techniques. Refer to Guides E 1000 and E 1441,
E 543 Practice for Evaluating Agencies that Perform Non- respectively.
destructive Testing2 4.2 The designer may also use the RQI, when in compliance
E 747 Practice for Design, Manufacture, and Material with the requirements set out in this practice, to set accept or
Grouping Classification of Wire Image Quality Indicators reject criteria, as applicable, to that part design.
(IQI) Used for Radiology2 5. Significance and Use
E 1000 Guide for Radioscopy2
E 1025 Practice for Design, Manufacture, and Material 5.1 The use of RQIs is a significant departure from normal
Grouping Classification of Hole-Type Image Quality Indi- practice in industrial radiology because it is not a standard
cators (IQI) Used for Radiology2 design and is dependent on the application, material, and
E 1316 Terminology for Nondestructive Examinations2 process and therefore cannot be a simple plaque or wire. The
E 1441 Guide for Computed Tomography (CT) Imaging2 use of an RQI provides documented evidence that radiologic
2.2 ASNT Standards:3 images have the level of quality necessary to reveal those
SNT-TC-1A Recommended Practice for Personnel Qualifi- nonconformances for which the parts are being examined by
cation in Nondestructive Testing ensuring adequate spatial resolution and contrast sensitivity in
ANSI/ASNT CP-189 Standard for Qualification and Certi- the areas of interest.
fication of Nondestructive Testing Personnel 5.2 Where conventional IQIs conforming to Practice E 747
or E 1025 can be used effectively, those practices should be
followed.
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E-7 on Nonde-
structive Testing and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E07.01 on
Radiology (X and Gamma) Method.
Current edition approved June 10, 1996. Published August 1996.
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.03.
3 4
Available from American Society for Nondestructive Testing, 1711 Arlingate Available from Standardization Documents Order Desk, Bldg. 4 Section D, 700
Plaza, P.O. Box 28518, Columbus, OH 43228-0518. Robbins Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, Attn: NPODS.

Copyright © ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.

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6. Basis of Application images, and a precise technical description (including refer-
6.1 The following items shall be agreed upon between the ence images) of all of the imperfections or characteristics for
purchaser and the supplier and specified in the contract or job which the RQI is being used.
order: 8.3 RQI Fabrication:
6.1.1 Nondestructive testing (NDT) personnel shall be 8.3.1 The RQIs shall be fabricated (where they are not
qualified in accordance with a nationally recognized NDT actual parts or sections from actual parts) from radiologically
personnel qualification practice or standard such as ANSI/ similar material and from manufacturing process parameters
ASNT CP-189, SNT-TC-1A, MIL-STD-410, or a similar similar to those of the parts to be examined.
document. The practice or standard used and its applicable 8.3.2 Large structures can be sectioned into smaller pieces
revision shall be specified in the contractual agreement be- to provide examples of nonconformances, provided that they
tween the using parties. are contained within a relevant geometry that produces a
6.1.2 Nondestructive Testing Agency Evaluation—If a sys- radiologic image similar to the original. Scatter radiation due to
tematic assessment of the capability of an NDT agency is part geometric configuration can influence radiologic image
specified, a documented procedure such as that described in quality significantly.
Practice E 543 shall be used as the basis for evaluation. 8.4 Number of RQIs—There is no limit to the number of
6.1.3 Quality Levels—Quality levels to be used shall be RQIs for the parts to be inspected, provided that each RQI is in
specified in accordance with 7.1 and 7.2. compliance with the requirements stated in 8.1-8.3.
6.1.4 System Performance Using RQIs—Nonconformances 8.5 RQI Placement—RQIs shall be exposed in strict com-
in RQIs used to determine system performance shall be pliance with the scanplan or shooting sketch. Unlike conven-
specified in accordance with 8.1.1-8.1.3. tional IQIs, RQIs should be in the same position relative to the
6.1.5 RQI Fabrication—The design and manufacture of source and detector as the part to be inspected to represent the
RQIs shall be specified in accordance with 8.3.1 and 8.3.2. quality level accurately. When the RQI cannot be placed in the
6.1.6 Frequency of RQI Usage—If not in accordance with same position relative to the source and detector as the
8.7.1, the frequency of RQI usage shall be specified in inspection part, place the inspection part in the direct center of
accordance with 8.7.2. where the radiation beam is normal to the detector, and place
6.1.7 Accept and Reject Criteria—If used, acceptance levels the RQI further away from this center.
shall be specified in accordance with 8.8.1 and 8.8.2. 8.6 RQI Imaging:
8.6.1 The RQI images with artifacts in the areas of interest
7. Quality Levels shall be reimaged.
7.1 There is no standard table of image quality levels 8.6.2 The RQI image shall be provided, along with the
associated with RQI images. inspection images, as part of the inspection record.
7.2 Quality levels using RQIs shall be determined by 8.6.3 The complete set of imaging conditions shall be
agreement between the purchaser and the supplier and shall be recorded and used when reviewing the reference images of the
specified in the applicable job order or contract. features in the RQI or the part being inspected, or both.
8.7 Frequency of Use:
8. Requirements 8.7.1 In most applications, it is not practical to image the
8.1 System Performance Using RQIs: RQI with each exposure of the part(s) being examined, but it
8.1.1 The manufacturing development of unique materials should as a minimum be imaged before the commencement
or processes, or both, may produce a wide range of noncon- and at the conclusion of the inspection. This is applicable
formances. The radiologic system should be capable of reveal- whether the inspection involves a single item or a batch of
ing examples of the smallest deviations from the engineering similar items.
drawing requirements in images of examined parts. 8.7.2 Other frequencies of use shall be determined between
8.1.2 The cognizant design authority for the parts being the purchaser and the supplier and shall be specified in the
inspected shall agree that the RQI (whether actual parts or applicable job order or contract.
fabricated) can be used to assess and verify image quality with 8.8 Acceptance Levels:
regard to detection of all of the nonconformances of concern. 8.8.1 The cognizant design authority for the parts being
8.1.3 The choice of known nonconformances that the sys- inspected may also choose to use the RQI images as reference
tem should have the capability of revealing in the images shall images for indicating acceptable or rejectable conditions in the
be determined between the purchaser and the supplier and shall parts to be inspected, provided that the original set of reference
be specified in the applicable job order or contract. images is kept for reference during subsequent use of the
8.2 RQI Requirements—Radiologic image quality require- RQI(s).
ments shall be determined by RQIs that conform to the 8.8.2 The choice of known and quantified image(s) of
following conditions: features in the RQI to be used as accept or reject criteria shall
8.2.1 The geometry of the RQI must be as near as possible be determined between the purchaser and the supplier and shall
(65 %) to that of the parts to be examined. be specified in the applicable job order or contract.
8.2.2 The RQIs shall be identified permanently and referred
to in the examination scanplan. 9. Precision and Bias
8.2.3 It shall be a requirement to keep an RQI register, a 9.1 No statement is made about either the precision or bias
scanplan describing all of the parameters used to make the of this practice for controlling the radiologic quality of images

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made from the examination of unique materials or processes, 10. Keywords
or both, since the result indicates merely whether there is
10.1 radiologic images; representative quality indicator;
conformance to the criteria for success specified in this
RQI
practice.

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