8 Best-selling ASME Calibration Blocks

Have you ever had any difficulty finding a suitable ASME calibration block for your inspection needs?

While the benefits of ASME calibration blocks are numerous, especially for ultrasonic testing and analysis, the challenge for most quality assessment professionals has always been finding a suitable one. ASME calibration blocks help identify flaws in many operations, including welding and many industries like automotive and aerospace. However, different ASME calibration blocks are required for different material assessments or applications. Hence, identifying a suitable ASME calibration block is usually half the work required. 

This post gives you 8 of the best-selling ASME calibration blocks in the industry today. So, if you’re ready to find more, let’s dive in. 

I. 8 Best-Selling ASME Calibration Blocks Roundup

Here are 8 of the best-selling ASME calibration blocks you should know about with their descriptions and features. 

ASME Section V Calibration Block

This ASME calibration block consists of holes drilled on two sides with a minimum depth of 1.5inch and 3/32 inch width. The distance apart for the two holes is half the diameter of the holes. It also features a top to bottom slot in the middle of the block with a 0.11T deep machined notch. Other dimensions of the notch include 0.04 width and 1.0T minimum length. 

ASME Basic Calibration Block

ASME basic calibration block features three drilled holes located at 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 thickness on the sides. The minimum depth of the holes is 1.5 inches with a width of 3/32 inches. Other features include 2 EDM notches with a depth of 0.02 times the thickness, a maximum width of 0.25, and a minimum length that is the same as its thickness following ASME Sec V Art. 4. 

Thick ASME UT Calibration Block

An ASME UT block comes with four differently located holes situated at 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 of the material thickness. These holes are also consistent with the beam exit marks of 70° placed on both sides of the block. The block also features a dual EDM notch situated at 0.05 and 0.1 of the block’s depth with a width of 0.011 and a length of 0.5. 

ASME 19mm Calibration Block

This ASME calibration block has a thickness of 19mm and a minimum length of 200mm or 8T – whichever one is greater. It also features two drilled holes with a minimum distance of 25mm apart and a minimum radius of 270° when the inner diameter is not more than 100mm. The material is often dependent on the tested sample material but can usually be made from carbon steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. 

ASME Angle Beam Cal Block

An ASME angle beam calibration block has a thickness of 1 inch but can also be of a lesser thickness with a material dimension of 0.750″ x 6″ x 7″. It also features two slots with each face having a slot and 1.5inch holes drilled to the sides. Also, the holes’ width is dependent on the thickness. It is manufactured with either carbon steel, aluminum, or stainless steel.

ASME Basic Test Blocks for Pipe

This pipe measuring ASME test block is primarily designed for ultrasonic testing in pipes with specific parameters to return accurate results. These parameters include four axial and circumferential notches at 0.08T depth, where T is the thickness of the block. The notches are also 0.04T wide with a minimum of 1 in length. Also, various arc sections are 60 – 360 degrees depending on the specified NPS. 

ASME DAC Calibration Block

The ASME DAC calibration block calibrates UT tools based on the distance amplitude correction, which also meets ASME specifications. It has a thickness of 0.5-inches and a width of 6 inches with a length of 12 inches and features five flat bottoms drilled holes and a through-hole of 0.062 in diameter and 1.625 inches in depth. The flat bottom holes have 0.062 diameters, with three holes having 0.05 inches and two holes having 0.25 inches in depth. The block also features an ASME-specified wave notch of 0.002 inches in depth. 

ASME Phased Array Calibration Blocks

This phased array calibration block meets the ASME specification in Sec V Art 4 with features that include three drilled-through holes at 0.25T, 0.5T, and 0.75T, where T is the thickness of the block. The holes are also 3/32 inches in diameter, separated along the length of the block. It is usually available in 0.75-inch or 1.5-inch thickness, 1.5 inches wide, and 14 inches long. Other features include dual RDM notches with their depth at 2% and 0.01 inches wide and 1.5 inches in length. 

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II. Buyer’s Guide: ASME Calibration Block

This section gives you all the information you need to know when in the market for an ASME calibration block. 

1. What is ASME Calibration Block?

Like all other calibration devices, an ASME calibration block is a non-representative device, meaning that they are designed to meet certain specified and standard discontinuities without being made from the sample. The standard, in this case, is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the applicable discontinuities often include angles, holes, and radii. However, ASME calibration blocks still follow the same sequence and machine operations employed in manufacturing other metal parts employing tools like engravers, milling machines, lathes, power saws, and surface grinders. Yet, these calibration blocks accurately meet the requirements in the relevant sections of ASME’s code. 

2. What are the Applications of ASME Calibration Block?

The ASME Calibration Block is a primary reference tool for ultrasonic testing used in industrial works like welding. This makes it very important for industries and operations where welding is a major activity, and quality assurance is a critical part of the welding process. 

Some of the sectors that enjoy the benefits of ASME calibration blocks include automotive, aerospace, power generation, oil, gas, and maritime. However, certain ASME calibration blocks are suited for specific use cases. For instance, the ASME calibration blocks for pipes are suitable for UT testing of pipes and tubing where there is the need to consider the pipe curvature. 

3. How to Select ASME Calibration Block?

Here are some of the most critical things to note when selecting a suitable ASME calibration block for your needs. 

• Diameter – the diameter of the drilled holes is critical in choosing a suitable ASME calibration block. The reason is this. The UT testing device’s accuracy depends on the size of the flaw it can detect. Hence if the diameter of the discontinuity provided by the calibration block is smaller than what is encountered in the real process, the accuracy of the calibrated tool will therefore be below. 

• Material – The material of the ASME calibration block should be suitable and comparable to the material of the test sample. The essence of this is to represent what is obtainable at inspection and testing accurately. Otherwise, the possibility of errors will become high. 

• Version (Regular/Long Version/ Thick) – The version of the ASME calibration block is equally as important as the material and the diameter. The version often considers other factors that the preceding version fails to address.

• Accessories – The number of accessories needed to use an ASME calibration block should be considered critically when selecting a suitable one. Suppose there is a need for many accessories. This will significantly increase the cost of using the calibration block while also creating a bottleneck in the operation since the operation cannot begin until the accessories are complete. 

4. Your Pick: NDT-KITS

While you are up and about in selecting a suitable ASME calibration block, choosing a suitable supplier should also be of importance to you. Here is the thing, while you might find what ASME calibration block you think will be ideal for your testing and calibration needs, the supplier you’ve chosen might not be reliable enough to give you what you ordered. Sometimes delays in production and shipping can often let you down, causing you to lose time and money. 

However, NDT-KITS is a Chinese manufacturer of ASME calibration blocks with over three decades of industry experience and a stance that has made them a leading industry supplier. Their investment in research and development is huge, giving them the ability to help customers meet their quality inspection needs. They are also supportive of their customers at every point in purchasing a suitable ASME calibration block. Their customer support team is always ready to respond to inquiries from customers. Their commitment to quality is also very high as they have the necessary international certification like the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system to assure their customers. Again, being a Chinese manufacturer avails them of abundant human resources, making their production costs less than their European and American counterparts, ensuring competitive prices for their products. 

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Conclusion

Selecting an ASME calibration block can be daunting, but you are halfway there if you know the critical things to look out for and the critical parameters to consider. Checking out for things like the diameter, material, and accessories needed for the calibration block should be an essential consideration. However, the most important thing is getting a dependable, trustworthy supplier with substantial industry experience and a commitment to quality without being unreasonably pricey. These qualities make NDT-KITS a leading supplier of ASME calibration blocks.