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Im Zuge der Anwendung des Schadens-Toleranz-Prinzips wird ein adäquates zerstörungsfreies Prüfsystem benötigt um strukturelle Integrität sicher zu stellen. Wenn ein zerstörungsfreies Prüfsystem jedoch bis zu den Grenzen der Detektionsfähigkeit beansprucht wird, liefert es keine übereinstimmende Indikationen der Defektentdeckung (Hit/Miss). Deshalb wird dessen Fähigkeit Defekte zu entdecken als Entdeckungswahrscheinlichkeit (POD Probability of Detection) ausgedrückt. In der herkömmlichen 'Signal Response' Signal-Antwort-Zuverlässigkeitsanalyse wird die Entdeckungswahrscheinlichkeit als eine Funktion der Defektgröße angegeben. Die Eignung des Prüfsystems wird durch den Vergleich der Größe des Defektes, der zuverlässig entdeckt wird, mit der des größten zulässigen Defektes, der die strukturelle Integrität nicht gefährdet, verifiziert. Analysen moderner Strukturen zeigen aber, dass auch andere Parameter den Schweregrad des Defektes bzgl. der Integrität der Struktur bestimmen können. Im Rahmen der Multi-Parameter-Zuverlässigkeitsanalyse kann die Entdeckungswahrscheinlichkeit als eine Funktion verschiedener Einflussparameter ausgedrückt werden. Wenn die Eignung des zerstörungsfreien Prüfsystems bestimmt wird, muss die Fähigkeit des Systems Defekte zu entdecken gegenüber dem kritischen Wert genau des Parameters ausgedrückt und geprüft werden, der den Schweregrad des Defektes für die Integrität der Struktur bestimmt. Die Nichterfüllung dieser Forderung kann zur Ablehnung von intakten Teilen oder der Akzeptanz von schlechten Teilen führen. Das Prinzip wird anhand von longitudinalen Ultraschall-Sende-Empfangs-Prüfdaten der Gußeisenmatrix mit oberflächenoffenen, semi-elliptischen, rißartigen Defekten demonstriert.
Das Ziel des Artikels ist es eine Übersicht über neue methodische Ansätze und Verfahren zur Bewertung der Zuverlässigkeit von ZfP-Systemen in Übereinstimmung mit den spezifischen Anforderungen verschiedener industrieller Anwendungen zu geben. Nach einem Überblick über die in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten erreichten Fortschritte, wird der Fokus auf die gegenwärtigen Entwicklungen gerichtet. Für hohe Sicherheitsanforderungen wurde die quantitative Fehlerauffindwahrscheinlichkeit (probability of detection, POD) basierend auf 'hit/miss'- oder 'Signal-Response'-Analysen und die ROC-Analyse (Receiver Operating Characteristics) als typische Werkzeuge entwickelt. Im Rahmen des modularen Modells für die ZfP-Zuverlässigkeit unterscheidet man zwischen den rein physikalisch-technischen Einflussfaktoren, den industriellen Anwendungsfaktoren und den menschlichen Faktoren. Es hilft zum Beispiel zu erkennen, welche dieser Faktoren man in Modellierungsrechnungen bzw. mittels offenen oder Blindversuchen untersuchen kann. Ein neues Paradigma wird für die Betrachtung der POD als eine Funktion der gewählten Systemparameter und somit als Optimierungswerkzeug verwendet, anstelle sie für die endgültige Beurteilung zu nehmen. Zur Handhabung der Zuverlässigkeitsuntersuchung von realen Defekten in einer realistischen Umgebung werden ökonomisch vertretbare, aber dennoch präzise genug arbeitende Methoden, wie der Ansatz von Bayes oder modellbasierte Methoden vorgestellt. Die menschlichen Faktoren sind oft von ausschlaggebender Wichtigkeit für die Gesamtzuverlässigkeit. Hier hilft ein systematischer psychologischer Ansatz die Engpässe und Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten zu finden.
Für eine ganzheitliche Betrachtung der Sicherheit bei der zerstörungsfreien Prüfung (ZfP) ist es unvermeidlich neben der Technik auch den Prüfer und die Prüforganisation einzubeziehen. Die Prüfung der Unversehrtheit von Endlagerbehältern ist eine eine sicherheitstechnisch wichtige Anwendung. Die Betreiber der geplanten finnischen und schwedischen Endlager, Posiva und SKB, kapseln den radioaktiven Abfall in Kupferkanistern ein und deponieren die Kanister dann in Felsgestein in einer Tiefe von ca. 500m. Die Kanister bestehen aus einem zylinderförmigen Kupfermantel mit einem Deckel und einem Boden, die zusammen die Außenumhüllung ergeben sowie einer Gusseisenmatrix für die Brennstäbe. Alle Komponenten werden auf ihre Dichtheit bzw. strukturelle Unversehrtheit mittels zerstörungsfreier Prüfmethoden geprüft, um sicher zu stellen, dass im Material und in den Schweißnähten keine kritischen Defekte vorhanden sind, die zu Freisetzungen in die Umgebung führen könnten. Vier ZfP Methoden (Ultraschall-, Wirbelstrom- und radiographische Prüfung, und die visuelle Prüfung anhand einer Kamera) werden mechanisiert durchgeführt, die gewonnenen Daten werden von qualifizierten Fachleuten ausgewertet und bieten so die Möglichkeit, dass Fehler entstehen.
Das 'Human Factor'- Untersuchungskonzept besteht aus der Identifizierung potenzieller menschlicher Fehler, deren Ursachen und Präventionsmethoden. Mit Hilfe einer abgewandelten FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) wurden mögliche Risiken identifiziert, die die Wahrscheinlichkeit für das Auftreten menschlicher Fehler bei
der Datenauswertung erhöhen. Einige dieser Risiken sind beispielsweise
Verantwortungsdiffusion beim 4-Augen-Prinzip, Übervertrauen in die Technik bei der automatischen Identifikation von Defekten sowie der Aufmerksamkeitsverlust bei dynamischer Bildbetrachtung. Deren Wirkung wird derzeit experimentell überprüft, um Ansatzpunkte für Optimierungen zu ermitteln und damit die Gesamtzuverlässigkeit des Systems zu verbessern.
New methodologies for evaluating the reliability of NDE systems are discussed in accordance with the specific
requirements of industrial application. After a review of the substantive issues from the previous decades, the go
forward guidance is concluded.
For high safety demands a quantitative probability of detection (POD) created from hit miss
experiments or signal response analysis and ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristics) are typically created. The
modular model distinguishes between the influence of pure physics and technique, industrial application factors
and the human factor and helps to learn what factors are covered by modelling, open or blind trials. A new
paradigm is offered to consider the POD or reliability of the system as a function of the configuration of input
variables and use it for optimisation rather than for a final judgement. New approaches are considered dealing
with real defects in a realistic environment, affordable but precisely like the Bayesian approach or model assisted
methods.
Among the influencing parameters, the human factor is of high importance. A systematic psychological
approach helps to find out where the bottlenecks are and shows possibilities for improvement.
When pushed to the limits of their detection capability, NDE systems do not produce consistent hit/miss
indications. Their capability of detecting small defects is therefore expressed in terms of POD. An adequate
NDE system is required to ensure the structural integrity. In conventional signal response analysis, the POD is
expressed as a function of the defect size, and its adequacy for the inspection task is tested against the maximum
allowable defect size which will not undermine the structural integrity. Analyses of modern structures show that
other parameters, beside the defect size, can both significantly influence the POD and determine the severity of
the defect for the structure. Within the multi-parameter reliability analysis, the POD is expressed as a function of
those influencing parameters. When determining the adequacy of the NDE system, the capability of detecting a
defect has to be expressed and tested against the critical value of exactly that parameter that determines defects
severity for the structure. Failing to do so can lead to a rejection of the healthy, or acceptance of the bad part.
The principle is demonstrated on the example of the Transmit-Receive Longitudinal (TRL) ultrasonic inspection
of the iron cast component for semi-elliptical surface defects.
This paper gives an introduction to the field of human factors with the focus on their influence on the reliability of NDT in the nuclear energy production (in-service inspections) and final storage of highly radioactive nuclear waste. A set of methodological tools has been developed in the scope of three projects, namely: 1) a theoretical model describing potential human factors influencing manual ultrasonic inspection performance during inservice inspections in nuclear power plants; 2) a method for identifying potential human errors during acquisition and evaluation of data gathered with mechanized ultrasonic, radiographic and eddy-current systems, as well as visual testing with a remote camera (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, FMEA); and 3) use of eye tracking methodology to optimize existing procedures and practices. The experimental results have shown that time pressure, mental workload and experience influence the quality of the inspection performance. Noticeable were influences from the organization of the working schedule, communication, procedures, supervision and demonstration task. Implementing human redundancy in critical tasks, such as defect identification, as well as using an automated aid (software) to help operators in decision making about the existence and size of defects, could lead to other kinds of problems, namely social loafing (excerpting less effort when working on tasks collectively as compared to working alone) and automation bias (uncritical reliance on the proper function of an automated system without recognizing its limitations and the possibilities of automation failure) that might affect the reliability of NDT in an undesired manner.
The paper will give an overview of new methodology for evaluating the
reliability of NDE systems accurately, reliably and efficiently in accordance with the
specific requirements of industrial application. After a review of the substantive
issues from the previous workshops, the go forward guidance from these
interactions is considered.
At the beginning of the reliability analysis, the actual safety demands have to
be defined in order to fit the investigation to the level of risk when the component
would fail. Next, all the essential influencing parameters need to be documented and
transferred to an appropriate design of experiments (DOE) to determine the
reliability in terms of a qualitative assessment for lower risk or in terms of a
quantitative probability of detection (POD) or ROC (Receiver Operating
Characteristics) curves for higher safety demands. A new paradigm is offered to
consider the POD or reliability of the system as a function of the configuration of
input variables and use it for optimisation rather than for a final judgement. An
advantage for the end user is also to sample all single PODs to an integral 'Volume
POD' of a part.
Among the influencing parameters, the human factor is the most important one.
A systematic psychological approach shall help to find out where the bottlenecks are
but most importantly to provide best possible working conditions for the human
inspectors.
Es werden die Fortschritte bei der Bewertung der Zuverlässigkeit von ZfP-Systemen in den vergangenen 10 Jahren vorgestellt. Der modulare Ansatz bzw. die systematische Auflistung aller wesentlichen Einflussfaktoren stehen am Anfang jeder Bewertung, die jeweils spezifisch für einen industriellen bzw. Feldeinsatz angelegt wird. Weiterhin legt die zu Grunde liegende Sicherheitsanforderung fest, ob ein exaktes quantitatives statistisches Ergebnis z. B. für die Fehlergröße, die mit hoher Sicherheit detektiert wird angestrebt wird oder ob man sich mit einer qualitativen Abschätzung zufrieden geben kann. Moderne Werkzeuge wie das 'Design of Experiments' (Statistische Versuchsplanung), die Volumen-POD für ein Bauteil als ganzes oder auch die systematische psychologische Betrachtung des menschlichen Faktors unterstützen die Treffsicherheit der Untersuchung für den gewünschten Einsatzfall. Die Ergebnisse der ZfP-Prüfungen können immer nur so gut sein, wie der Mensch mit den Bedingungen zurechtkommt. Weiterhin kann die POD im Zusammenhang mit den Prozessparametern als helfendes Optimierungswerkzeug eingesetzt werden und nicht als endgültige Be(Ver)urteilung. Es werden Beispiele aus Bereichen der Energieerzeugung und Endlagerung präsentiert.
This report describes the methodology of the reliability investigation performed on the ultrasonic
phased array NDT system, developed by SKB in collaboration with Posiva, for inspection of the
canisters for permanent storage of nuclear spent fuel.
The canister is composed of a cast iron insert surrounded by a copper shell. The shell is composed
of the tube and the lid/base which are welded to the tube after the fuel has been place, in the
tube. The manufacturing process of the canister parts and the welding process are described.
Possible defects, which might arise in the canister components during the manufacturing
or in the weld during the welding, are indentified.
The number of real defects in manufactured components have been limited. Therefore the reliability
of the NDT system has been determined using a number of test objects with artifical defects.
The reliability analysis is based on the signal response analysis. The conventional signal response
analysis is adopted and further developed before applied on the modern ultrasonic phased-array
NDT system. The concept of multi-parameter a, where the response of the NDT system is dependent
on more than just one parameter, is introduced. The weakness of use of the peak signal response
in the analysis is demonstrated and integration of the amplitudes in the C-scan is proposed as an
alternative. The calculation of the volume POD, when the part is inspected with more configurations,
is also presented. The reliability analysis is supported by the ultrasonic simulation based on the
point source synthesis method.
Ultrasonic phased array NDE has been applied to ensure the integrity of canisters for encapsulation of spent nuclear fuel. The performance of the NDE system is evaluated by the POD analysis. The POD analysis using a common method, â versus a, has been modified for the phased array ultrasonic inspections by two approaches: to take more influencing parameters into a, and to use a more sophisticated quantity as â. The POD with new a allows more detailed interpretation of POD for each parameter, and the new â gives more realistic POD. The methods are discussed and demonstrated with experimental data. In addition, an investigation of human factors is being planned and the plan is discussed.
The canister for the permanent storage of spent nuclear fuel used by SKB in Sweden consists of a cast iron insert surrounded by a five centimetre thick shell of copper. It is a safety critical component and in order to secure long-term structural integrity non-destructive methods are used to inspect 100% of the volume of each canister, before it is disposed of in the repository. One of the critical components that requires inspection is a sealing weld, joining the copper tube and the lid. The friction stir weld is inspected using an ultrasonic phased array system. The area of the weld is inspected with several inspection channels with different angles and varying coverage. To make sure that no defects that might occur in the weld are overseen, the reliability of the inspection must be quantified. The reliability of NDT is usually quantified with the probability of detection curves. The influence of the parameters that might influence the POD of the flaws in the weld is investigated analysing the experimental results, as well as with a help of a numerical simulation of the inspection.
For inspection of thick-walled (50mm) copper canisters for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Sweden, ultrasonic inspection using phased array technique (PAUT) is applied. Because thick-walled copper is not commonly used as a structural material, previous experience on Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing for this type of application is limited. The paper presents the progress in understanding the amplitudes and attenuation changes acting on the Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing inspection of copper canisters. Previous studies showed the existence of a low pass filtering effect and a heterogeneous grain size distribution along the depth, thus affecting both the detectability of defects and their "Probability of Detection" determination. Consequently, the difference between the first and second back wall echoes were not sufficient to determine the local attenuation (within the inspection range), which affects the signal response for each individual defect. Experimental evaluation of structural attenuation was carried out onto step-wedge samples cut from full-size, extruded and pierced&drawn, copper canisters. Effective attenuation values has been implemented in numerical simulations to achieve a Multi Parameter Probability of Detection and to formulate a Model Assisted Probability of Detection through a Monte-Carlo extraction model.
Using the Modular Reliability Model the three different main influencing elements, i.e. intrinsic capability (IC), application parameters (AP) and the human factors (HF), are, in the first instance, investigated separately. The intrinsic capability stands for the pure physical-technological process of the signal detection caused by the waves or the rays from a material defect in the presence of noise (driven by the material and the devices). This intrinsic capability is the upper bound of the possible reliability. Already when measuring this intrinsic capability for thick walled components the original one-parameter POD must be extended to a multiparameter POD, where, in addition to the defect size, a number of additional physical parameters, such as the grain size distribution (or attenuation), defect depth, and angle or surface roughness, must be considered. For real life cycle assessments it is necessary to evaluate the signal response from real defects. The industrial application factors, e.g. coupling conditions, limited accessibility, heat and environmental vibrations, diminish the reliability. The amount of reduction can be determined quantitatively, if the underlying conditions are controlled. In case they are not controlled it is necessary to count for a fluctuation in the reliability in the field anyway. The third group of important influencing factors are the human factors, which do not only cover the individual performance capability of the inspectors but also the design of the working place,the procedure, the teamwork quality, interaction with systems, the organization, and finally, the relationship between the companies involved in the inspection process and to which extend the responsible parties are aware of it. When comparing an “ideal inspection” with a “real inspection” it is worth while to look how the existing practices, rules and standards support reliable testing and where the “delta” is. In the context of vigor, with respect to the industrial end user, it needs to be shown how the level of reliability of NDE, influenced by the different factors, has an impact on acceptance or rejection of safety critical parts.
Since the beginnings of the European American Workshops (EAW) in 1997, the aim was to gather the experts in NDE reliability and discuss burning topics with the aim of identifying crucial problems and suggesting ways to move forward. This was usually achieved during the so-called break-out sessions, in which predetermined topics were discussed. During the 5th EAW, held in Berlin in 2013, this approach was replaced by an Open Space Technology (OST) approach. The benefit of this approach is seen in the freedom of topic choices, i. e., the topics are not predetermined but rather arise at that moment in that space and by the participants choice. The following topics arose: new reliability methods (Bayesian, MAPOD,
), structural health monitoring, definition of requirements of NDE by customer versus provider, what value of POD is good enough?, human factors, manual versus automated inspection, and basic concepts of reliability of NDE. The participants were encouraged to walk from one session to another and openly express their opinions. These were in the end summarized by a chosen group of moderators and presented in this paper.
The paper will give an overview of new methodology for evaluating the
reliability of NDE systems accurately, reliably and efficiently in accordance with the
specific requirements of industrial application. After a review of the substantive
issues from the previous workshops, the go forward guidance from these
interactions is considered.
At the beginning of the reliability analysis, the actual safety demands have to
be defined in order to fit the investigation to the level of risk when the component
would fail. Next, all the essential influencing parameters need to be documented and
transferred to an appropriate design of experiments (DOE) to determine the
reliability in terms of a qualitative assessment for lower risk or in terms of a
quantitative probability of detection (POD) or ROC (Receiver Operating
Characteristics) curves for higher safety demands. A new paradigm is offered to
consider the POD or reliability of the system as a function of the configuration of
input variables and use it for optimisation rather than for a final judgement. An
advantage for the end user is also to sample all single PODs to an integral 'Volume
POD' of a part.
Among the influencing parameters, the human factor is the most important one.
A systematic psychological approach shall help to find out where the bottlenecks are
but most importantly to provide best possible working conditions for the human
inspectors.
Human factors approach to the reliability of NDT in nuclear waste management in Sweden and Finland
(2010)
Nuclear power industry has the responsibility to manage and dispose of all radioactive waste from its
plants. Finnish Posiva and Swedish SKB are leading in the world in the development of disposal of
spent nuclear fuel. Their method consists of encapsulating spent nuclear fuel in copper canisters and
depositing them in the bedrock at a depth of about 500 meters for the next 100 000 years, leaving the
radioactivity to decrease naturally through the decay of the radioisotopes in it. The copper canisters,
consisting of a copper tube, a lid and a bottom (which make the outer shell) and an insert made of a
cast iron, need to be inspected for their structural integrity to ensure no critical defects are present in
the materials and welds that could lead to a leakage of the waste into the environment. Data acquired
by 4 different non-destructive testing (NDT) methods (i.e. UT, ET, RT and VT with a remote camera)
are evaluated by skilled human operators and therefore could be subject to human error.
Human Factors approach lies in identifying potential errors made by the human, their causes
and ways of preventing them. A customized Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was
conducted to anticipate possible human failures during the data evaluation. The results led to
designing several experiments (e.g. diffusion of responsibility within the 4-eye principle, over trust in
automated systems) which are being experimentally tested in ongoing projects. The results are
expected to lead to the optimization of the procedures followed by the NDT operators and
consequently to the improvement of the overall NDT reliability.
The General Guidance in the Swedish regulations state that the safety assessment for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel should be 1 million years after closure. SKB developed the KBS-3 method, according to which the spent nuclear fuel is protected by three barriers. It is encapsulated in canisters with a diameter of 1 metre and a length of 5 metres. The canister consists of a cast iron insert surrounded by a 5 centimetre thick shell of copper. The canisters are disposed in the bedrock at a depth of about 500 meters surrounded by bentonite clay. In order to assess the safety over this extremely long period, an extensive quality control programme is applied to the canisters before deposit. In this programme, the use of
non-destructive testing (NDT) is vital. The safety assessment of the canister in turn places high demands on the coverage, detectability, and reliability of the applied NDT inspections of the canister parts, i.e. cast iron insert, copper base, tube and lid, and the copper friction stir welds (FSW). This paper presents the extensive full-scale inspection development programme that runs at the Canister Laboratory in Oskarshamn (Sweden). In order to fulfil the high demands, phased array ultrasonic inspection techniques are developed using practical trials aided by ultrasonic modelling. The techniques apply, for example, different frequencies, inspection angles, focus depths, and both longitudinal and shear waves. Increased inspection reliability of the FSW is achieved by applying digital X-ray technique using a 9 MeV linear accelerator and a line detector. To complete the coverage, complementary surface inspections methods, i.e. eddy current array, magnetic flux sensor techniques and magnetic particle inspection, are applied. The canister safety assessment was the driving force to include reliability studies during the NDT development. Initially, the technical reliability was considered, resulting in development of advanced POD models (probability of detection). In combination with human factors studies, these models were implemented as tools in the development of the NDT techniques. Human factors studies were also applied to improve the inspection procedures to be more user-friendly enabling reliable inspections.
One of the aims of considering human factors in the reliability of non-destructive testing (NDT) – for the purposes of the disposal of spent nuclear fuel – is to identify factors that can lead to errors in the completion of the NDT task and to determine how to prevent these errors. The current study is the first to examine mechanised NDT from the human factors perspective. A number of risks were identified and further analysed. Among a number of influencing factors, the NDT inspection procedure was identified as a potential error source and, therefore, was examined in this study. NDT inspection procedures and instructions are, without question, some of the most important tools in the everyday life of an NDT inspector. Experience and research have shown that NDT procedures and instructions, despite being written according to requirements and by certified personnel, are not always used as foreseen and may need to be optimised. The suggested approach for developing and optimising NDT procedures and instructions consists of applying human factors principles by adopting a user-centred approach. The user-centred approach refers to involving users in the process of instruction development by learning from their errors during the data evaluation task and connecting those errors to the shortcomings in the instructions.
The first study assessed the quality of the selected NDT instruction by observing four experienced inspectors during the evaluation of data that were collected with the ultrasonic testing (UT) method while the participants followed the instruction. Through the use of an eye-tracking methodology, the participants’ eye movements across the screen were observed and further analysed. This analysis, together with discussions with the individual users, led to the identification of a number of errors and error sources. Such error identification, combined with theoretical considerations, led to the creation of a new version of the instruction. This new instruction was evaluated using the same method in a follow-up study, resulting in the creation of a third (and final) NDT instruction. Throughout this iterative process, version 4.0 of the instruction was replaced first by version 5.5 and then by version 6.0. As a result of these studies, changes were introduced to the instruction content (e.g. adding missing content) and to the instruction format (e.g. changing the layout, highlighting, presenting the information differently, altering the writing style). The participants reported higher satisfaction with the instruction after the changes were implemented. The main changes included using consistency in writing, highlighting information (e.g. number values, reporting levels, exceptions, reminders), improving navigation throughout the instruction (e.g. through the use of titles and subtitles), and presenting information more uniformly (e.g. all tasks being listed stepwise following the “one action per step” rule).
Considering the benefits of including the user in the development of the NDT instructions and procedures, the main lesson that was learned in this study is that the review process must be carried out through action rather than by solely reading the instructions. This study exposed a number of problems of which the writer and the reviewer were unaware.
After the new instruction was developed, two empirical studies with 20 participants were conducted to evaluate the instruction information by investigating 1) whether the instruction content was understood by the users (the understanding study) and 2) whether the new format supported a more efficient (i.e. less effortful), effective (i.e. more accurate and complete), and satisfying use of the instruction (the usability study). The aim of these studies was to increase the understanding of the factors that contribute to a high-quality NDT instruction.
In the understanding study, the participants were asked to read the NDT instruction and then to answer a number of questions. Based on their answers, specific problems that were related to their understanding of the written content were identified. The results showed that the understanding of the information can be affected by the information order, information organisation, logics and clarity in the writing, and cognitive demands. The study also emphasised the relevance of placing information in a logical order.
This report describes the progress in understanding and describing the detectability of the ultrasonic inspection technique developed by SKB for the inspection of copper tubes used for the final disposal of the Swedish spent nuclear fuel. In former research activities dedicated to the different parts of the canister, the probability of detection (POD) evaluation technique, as developed for thin aircraft components, was further developed for the application on complex hick-walled components. The result of this development was the introduction of a “multi-parameter” POD framework. In contrast to taking only the defect size into consideration (as for aircraft components) additional influencing factors, relevant for thick components, such as depth position, orientation and part geometry, were included. Furthermore, the variation of ultrasonic attenuation due to various material properties was included.