Overview
EN ISO 15548-2:2013 - Non‑destructive testing (NDT): Equipment for eddy current examination - Part 2: Probe characteristics and verification (ISO 15548-2:2013) specifies the functional and electrical characteristics of eddy current probes and their interconnecting elements, and provides methods for measurement and verification. The standard enables consistent description and comparability of eddy current probes, helping designers and users to create effective eddy current examination systems. Note: EN ISO 15548-2:2013 defines what to measure and how, but not the acceptance criteria or extent of verification - those are set in application documents.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Probe characterization: Defines physical, electrical and functional characteristics of probes (size, weight, housing, excitation impedance and resonant frequency, receiving element impedance, orientation and electrical centre).
- Interconnecting elements: Covers cables, connectors, slip rings, rotating heads, transformers and active devices; requires clear identification of electrical connections and extension cable characteristics.
- Functional measurements: Methods for determining directionality, response to elementary discontinuities (holes, slots), coverage length/width/area, minimum detectable discontinuity dimensions, penetration and geometric effects, and the normalised impedance locus of the excitation element.
- Verification levels: Three verification levels are described:
- Level 1 - global functional check (routine, on-site),
- Level 2 - detailed functional check and calibration (extended intervals),
- Level 3 - full characterisation against manufacturer data.
- Verification procedures: Use of calibrated measuring equipment and reference (calibration) blocks; requirement to check the condition of reference blocks and the calibration status of measuring instruments.
- Safety and environment: Specifies declaration of operating ranges, EMC tolerance, temperature/humidity limits, and resistance to contaminants.
Applications
- Designing and specifying eddy current examination systems for crack detection, sorting, thickness/conductivity measurement and other NDT tasks.
- Characterising probes and accessories to ensure repeatability and comparability across instruments and suppliers.
- Developing verification and calibration procedures for NDT quality control and maintenance programs.
- Integrating probes into automated or rotating inspection heads where interconnecting element influence must be quantified.
Who should use this standard
- NDT engineers and technicians working with eddy current inspection
- Probe and instrument manufacturers
- Calibration laboratories and QA managers in aerospace, power generation, oil & gas and manufacturing
- Certification bodies developing acceptance and application-specific verification criteria
Related standards
- EN/ISO 15548-1: Instrument characteristics and verification
- EN/ISO 15548-3: System characteristics and verification
- ISO 12718: Eddy current testing - Vocabulary
Keywords: EN ISO 15548-2:2013, eddy current, probe characteristics, probe verification, non-destructive testing, NDT, calibration, reference blocks.
