Visual Inspection
Direct Surface Inspection for Welded and Non-Welded Components. Mitchell Laboratories offers certified visual testing (VT) for aerospace, defense, and industrial components in compliance with industry and customer-specific specifications.
What Is Visual Inspection?
Visual Inspection (VT) is a basic non-destructive testing (NDT) method used to detect surface defects through direct visual observation. Inspections may be performed unaided or with tools like magnifiers, borescopes, mirrors, and lighting.
At Mitchell Laboratories, certified technicians perform VT on welded and non-welded parts per industry codes and customer specifications across aerospace, defense, space, transportation, oil & gas, and related sectors.
Advantages of Visual Inspections
- Non-Destructive & Immediate: No contact or instrumentation is needed—results are available instantly without altering the part.
- Supports Welded and Non-Welded Parts: Used for welds, brazed joints, fasteners, castings, extrusions, and forged parts.
- Conforms to Customer and Industry Specs: Visual inspections can follow industry codes (ASME, AWS, ISO) or customer-written standards.
- Certified, Qualified Personnel: Performed by certified technicians trained in VT-specific procedures and documentation standards.
- Cost-Effective and Fast: VT is among the most economical NDT methods, suitable for high-volume screening or initial defect identification.
Limitations of Visual Inspections
- Surface-only method, cannot detect subsurface defects or internal flaws not visible on the outer surface
- Often used as a pre-inspection step, paired with UT, RT, or MT for full defect analysis
Basic Principles of Visual Inspections
Visual testing is based on the human eye’s ability to detect surface flaws. At Mitchell Laboratories, the process follows standard NDT visual protocols and is supported by:
Direct and Indirect Viewing – Using natural or assisted vision with tools like mirrors, borescopes, or video scopes.
Illumination Requirements – Adequate lighting is maintained per inspection standards.
Surface Preparation – Parts are cleaned to ensure clear visibility of the surface.
Visual Standards – Evaluation criteria are based on written procedures, customer specs, or codes such as ASME, AWS, or ISO.
Documentation – Defects are logged using standardized VT forms and, when required, photographic evidence.
Common Applications
- Structural Welds and Brazed Joints
- Forged, Extruded, or Cast Parts
- Dimensional Verification
- Surface Cleanliness Verification
- Post-NDT Review
Quality Assurance & Compliance
- ISO 9001 & AS9100D Certified
Visual inspection procedures meet aerospace-grade quality management requirements. - ITAR Registered
Compliant with U.S. government regulations for defense and military-grade component evaluation. - Procedure-Driven Testing
All inspections follow written specifications from the customer or standards from ASME, AWS, and similar bodies. - Qualified, Certified Personnel
Technicians are certified under applicable VT-specific NDT training programs, with documented evaluation and vision requirements. - Visual Aids & Documentation Tools
Use of optical magnifiers, lighting instruments, calibrated gauges, and photo documentation tools. - Inspection Traceability
Results are recorded per lot, part, and procedure, and can be integrated into broader inspection packages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Surface-level flaws such as cracks, pits, scratches, porosity, contamination, misalignment, and undercutting.
Both. It can be used as a standalone method or as a preliminary step before ultrasonic, radiographic, or penetrant testing.
We follow customer-written specifications as well as ASME, AWS, ISO, and NADCAP requirements, depending on the application.
We use magnifiers, mirrors, borescopes, digital cameras, calibrated rulers, and lighting systems for enhanced inspection accuracy.
Lead times are quoted on a job-by-job basis to ensure accuracy, and we’re happy to accommodate emergency or rush requests. Backed by decades of refining our expedited process under strict deadlines, we minimize turnaround without ever sacrificing quality, returning your parts quickly and reliably.