👁️ Direct and remote visual testing — general principles — PN-EN 13018

Materials PN-EN 13018

Overview

SCOPE FROM THE PKN CATALOGUE CARD, QUOTED VERBATIM (our translation): "This European Standard specifies the general principles for visual testing, both direct and remote, when it is used to determine the conformity of a product with specified requirements (e.g. surface condition of the part, alignment of mating surfaces, shape of the part). This European Standard does not apply to visual inspection associated with the application of any other destructive or non-destructive testing methods."

VISUAL TESTING IS A TEST METHOD, NOT "HAVING A LOOK". This sentence is worth putting at the start, because in practice it is sometimes understood differently. Visual testing carried out according to this standard requires defined conditions — lighting, access, viewing angle, distance — and personnel qualification, like any other non-destructive method. A report on such a test is a test report, with all the consequences that entails.

DIRECT AND REMOTE — TWO MODES IN ONE DOCUMENT. Direct testing is carried out with the eye, possibly with aids such as a magnifier or a mirror, while maintaining an uninterrupted optical path to the surface. Remote testing uses intermediate devices: endoscopes, borescopes, cameras, fibre-optic systems. The scope covers both modes explicitly, but the catalogue card does not give the REQUIREMENTS FOR OPTICAL SYSTEMS in remote testing — they are in the text of the standard, which we did not have, and that is why they are not here.

AN EXCLUSION THAT PUTS ACCREDITATION SCOPES IN ORDER. The standard does not apply to visual inspection associated with the application of other test methods — destructive and non-destructive. Inspection of the surface in penetrant or magnetic particle testing, examination of the fracture after an impact test, visual assessment of a specimen after a corrosion test: all of this belongs to those methods and is assessed according to those documents, not according to PN-EN 13018. Citing this standard for such inspections is an error.

WHAT EXACTLY IS ASSESSED BY THIS METHOD. The scope gives three examples: the surface condition of the part, the alignment of mating surfaces and the shape of the part. They show that visual testing covers not only surface discontinuities but also geometric features and the fit of components — i.e. things that no other non-destructive method assesses as directly.

STATUS AND PREDECESSOR. The 2016 edition adopts EN 13018:2016 as identical and replaces PN-EN 13018:2004. The Polish version was published on 26-09-2017. Citations of the 2004 edition are out of date.

HOW TECHNICAL INSPECTION APPLIES THIS STANDARD — AND ONE IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. A publication of the Office of Technical Inspection (Urząd Dozoru Technicznego, UDT) on visual testing of technical equipment and materials cites PN-EN 13018:2016-04 directly, but lists a SECOND document next to it: PN-EN ISO 17637 for visual testing of WELDED JOINTS. For the laboratory this means that testing a weld is not a case for PN-EN 13018 alone — it has its own standard, and 13018 gives the general principles. UDT also describes things that the catalogue card does not contain but that put practice in order: the visual method is the basic method of non-destructive testing and all other tests must be preceded by visual inspection; personnel performing non-destructive testing are subject to an ANNUAL EYESIGHT CHECK; the illumination of the tested surface must always be checked with meters, not judged "by eye"; remote testing of places without direct access is sometimes called endoscopy and allows the result to be recorded in the form of photographs or videos; it is recommended to use a test instruction every time, which, in addition to the acceptance criteria, defines the purpose of the test and the way it is carried out. Visual testing also includes mechanical measurements made with typical tools — a calliper, a weld gauge, a rule — and most tests are carried out with the naked eye or at low magnifications.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard. WE DO NOT GIVE: the required illuminance, permissible viewing distances and angles, requirements for the visual acuity of personnel, requirements for optical systems in remote testing or the content of the report. These quantities are the content of the standard, and it is they that decide whether the test is correct.

SCALE OF CITATIONS — MEASUREMENT IN THE ACCREDITATION SCOPE DATABASE (read on 23-09-2026, matching by the BEGINNING of the notation "PN-EN 13018", i.e. the way the "Laboratories" tab of this entry searches): 37 entries at 30 laboratories.

Method principle

The test consists in observing the surface of the product — with the eye or through an optical system — under conditions that ensure the recognition of features relevant to the conformity assessment, and then comparing the observed condition with the established requirements. The observation conditions (lighting, distance, angle, access) and the requirements for personnel and optical systems are specified by the standard, whose text we did not have and whose values we do not quote.

Applications

• Assessment of the surface condition of machine parts and structures
• Checking the alignment of mating surfaces and the shape of parts
• Testing of welded joints — with the reservation that PN-EN ISO 17637 is appropriate for welds, while 13018 gives the general principles
• Remote testing of inaccessible interiors — pipelines, tanks, ducts — with an endoscope or camera
• Acceptance inspection of products in which visual testing is the method specified in the requirements

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 13018:2016-04 (wersja polska; wprowadza EN 13018:2016 [IDT])

Title (PL)

Badania nieniszczące — Badania wizualne — Zasady ogólne

Title (EN)

Non-destructive testing — Visual testing — General principles

Step-by-step procedure

1. Checking whether the test is within the scope of the standard

   If the visual inspection is part of another test method — penetrant, magnetic particle, destructive test — this standard does NOT apply and the document of that method should be cited.

2. Choosing the test mode

   Direct or remote. The requirements for the optical system in remote testing are in the text of the standard — WE DO NOT GIVE them, because we did not have the text.

3. Surface preparation

   Cleaning in a way that does not change the condition of the product or remove features subject to assessment.

4. Ensuring the observation conditions

   Lighting, distance, angle and access in accordance with the requirements of the standard. WE DO NOT GIVE THE VALUES — they are in the text. The illuminance on the tested surface is checked with a meter, not judged visually (a requirement from technical inspection practice).

5. Carrying out the observation

   Assessment of the surface condition, fit and shape against the established requirements.

6. Documentation

   Recording the observations and capturing images. WE DO NOT GIVE THE CONTENT OF THE REPORT — it is specified by the standard.

7. Recording the reference document

   Cite PN-EN 13018:2016-04. A citation of the 2004 edition is out of date.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Tests in confined spaces — tanks, ducts, pipelines — require a confined space work procedure and a standby person
• Tests at height require fall protection and training
• Strong light sources can dazzle — do not point the beam into the eyes, use shields
• Tested components may be hot, sharp or under pressure — check the condition of the object before starting
• Endoscopes and cameras inserted into the interior of machines — make sure the machine is switched off and secured against start-up

Frequently asked questions