Remote Visual Inspection (RVI) utilizes video based inspection scopes, borescopes, fiberscopes or other forms of camera systems to remotely see where our eyes cannot go. Storing images was done via various types of still or video cameras attached to the eyepiece. As technology progressed, cameras were replaced with digital storage devices like flash cards. Today’s videoprobe systems now feature these as well as USB ports, built in DVD burners and Ethernet connections. It is now possible for the quality engineer to view a real time inspection from any place where an internet connection is available. With these interface and storage abilities there is now a need for improved reporting capabilities. Menu Directed Inspection (MDI) was developed so that the QA department can actually design an inspection route into the videoprobe system to guide the inspector through the application and ensure a more accurate inspection.

Part 1 of the paper presents the detection and sizing capability based on image display of sectorial scn. Examples are given for different types of weld defects: toe cracks, internal porosity, side-wall lack of fusion, underbead crack, inner-surface breaking cracks, slag inclusions, incomplete root penetration and internal cracks. Based on combination of S-can and B-Scan plotted into 3-D isometric part, the defect features could be reconstructed and measured into a draft package. Comparison between plotted data and actual defect sizes are also presented.