ISO 13588: Non-Destructive Testing - Ultrasonic Testing - Phased Array Testing
International standard for phased array ultrasonic testing covering equipment, procedures, and acceptance criteria. ISO 13588 standardizes advanced PAUT methods globally.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publishes the globally harmonised counterparts of regional NDT codes; ISO standards are the default outside the United States.
European, Middle Eastern, and Asia-Pacific procurement specifications routinely cite ISO standards directly; CE-marked equipment requires ISO compliance for entry into the EU market.
ISO 13588 is invoked when the scope of work matches its title — non-destructive testing - ultrasonic testing - phased array testing — and when the contract or regulatory regime cites it as the controlling document. In power and nuclear work, the inspection plan is built directly off the standard's tables; an auditor will cite the paragraph that was followed (or the one that was missed) when writing a finding. On petroleum and petrochemical equipment, ISO 13588 usually feeds into a written mechanical-integrity program: inspection intervals, examination methods, and acceptance criteria are all traced back to a clause number in the document. Aerospace work treats the standard as a floor rather than a ceiling — most prime contractors layer their own internal procedures on top, with tighter acceptance criteria than the published code.
Methods covered
Industries
- Oil & Gas
- Power Generation
- Aerospace
- Personnel qualification: examinations under ISO 13588 must be performed by inspectors qualified and certified to a recognised scheme (typically ASNT SNT-TC-1A, CP-189, or ISO 9712 depending on jurisdiction), with documented training hours, vision tests, and a controlling written practice.
- Written procedure: every examination requires a written, controlled procedure that names the method, equipment, calibration steps, scanning pattern, and acceptance criteria — and is qualified before first use.
- Equipment verification: ultrasonic instruments must be verified against a calibration block (V1, V2, IIW, or job-specific reference) at intervals defined by the procedure — typically before use, every four hours of scanning, on operator change, and at end of shift.
- Acceptance criteria: indications are evaluated against the standard's tabulated limits (length, depth, alignment, frequency); any indication exceeding the criteria is recorded, dispositioned, and either repaired or evaluated for fitness-for-service.
- Documentation: examination reports must include enough information for a third party to reproduce the inspection — equipment serial numbers, calibration records, inspector ID, sketches of indications, and the controlling procedure revision.
- Conformity demonstration: where ISO 13588 is invoked under a CE-mark or third-party certification scheme, conformity must be demonstrated through documented examination records reviewed by a notified body.
- Latest Edition
- 2019
- First Published
- 2012
- Scope
- Ultrasonic testing of welds — Use of automated phased array technology (PAUT).
- Acceptance Criteria
- References ISO 19285 (acceptance for PAUT) or contract-specific criteria.
- Calibration / Qualification
- PAUT-specific qualification per ISO 9712 or equivalent; focal-law verification on a representative test block.
Key Clauses Inspectors Cite
- Sec. 5 — Personnel qualification
- Sec. 7 — Equipment characterisation
- Sec. 8 — Test setup and qualification
- Sec. 9 — Examination
- Annex A — Reporting
- Annex B — Test block design
Companion / Parent Standards
ISO 19285 (PAUT acceptance) · ISO 16811 (sensitivity setting) · ASME Section V Article 4 Mandatory Appendix VIII
Sample Contract Language
“Encoded PAUT shall be performed per ISO 13588:2019 Testing Level B; acceptance per ISO 19285.”
ISO standards are revised on a five-year systematic-review cycle. Updates to ISO 13588 typically harmonise the document with parallel EN and ASTM publications, expand coverage of digital techniques, and clarify acceptance-criteria tables. EN-ISO dual-numbered standards reflect direct adoption by CEN; an EN-ISO citation is enforceable across the EU.
A typical refinery turnaround applies ISO 13588 to the inspection scope for high-temperature piping and pressure vessels: corrosion-monitoring locations are read with UT thickness gauges, girth welds on repaired sections are radiographed or PAUT-scanned, and any indication outside the standard's acceptance table is dispositioned through API 579 fitness-for-service before the unit restarts.
What does ISO 13588 cover?
ISO 13588 (Non-Destructive Testing - Ultrasonic Testing - Phased Array Testing) is published by ISO. International standard for phased array ultrasonic testing covering equipment, procedures, and acceptance criteria.
Is ISO 13588 mandatory or voluntary?
ISO 13588 is a consensus standard. It becomes mandatory when invoked by a contract, by another code that cites it (for example ASME Section V calling out an ASTM practice), or by a regulator that has adopted it into law in a specific jurisdiction.
Who is qualified to perform inspections under ISO 13588?
Inspections under ISO 13588 must be performed by personnel qualified and certified to a recognised NDT certification scheme — most commonly ASNT SNT-TC-1A or CP-189 in the United States, ISO 9712 in much of the rest of the world, and NAS 410 for aerospace work. The written practice that controls qualification must be in place before any examination is started.
Which other standards are commonly cited alongside ISO 13588?
ISO 13588 is most often cited together with the parent code that brings it into the contract — typically ASME Section V or VIII for U.S. pressure equipment, AWS D1.1 for structural welding, API 510/570/653 for in-service petroleum equipment, or the matching EN/ISO standard for European and international work.
Standard Code
ISO 13588
Organization
ISO
Methods Covered
1 method(s)
Industries
3 sector(s)
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