ARTICLE M-4
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR
NONFERROUS MATERIALS
AM-400 FOR ALL PRODUCT FORMS OF
NONFERROUS MATERIALS
All product forms of nonferrous materials permitted
by AM-100 may be used subject to the provisions of
this Article.
AM-401 Test Coupon Heat Treatment
(a) Fabrication heat treatments of nonferrous material
are normally not necessary. If heat treatment is per-
formed, it shall be by agreement between the user and
the vessel Manufacturer.
(b) Materials for which the mechanical properties
are affected by fabrication heat treatments shall be
represented by test specimens that have been subjected
to the simulated fabrication heat treatments. The vessel
Manufacturer shall specify the pertinent fabrication heat
treatment parameters to the material manufacturer.
(c) The requirements of (b) above exclude annealing
and stress relieving.
AM-402 Ultrasonic Examination
(a) All plates and forgings 4 in. (102 mm) and over
in nominal thickness shall be ultrasonically examined
in accordance with the applicable requirements of the
ASTM standards and ASME specifications listed in
(d) below. Insofar as practicable, all solid rectangular
forgings shall be examined by the straight beam tech-
nique from two directions at approximately right angles.
(b) Hollow forgings including flanges and rings 4
in. (102 mm) and over in nominal thickness, in addition
to (a) above, shall be examined using the angle beam
technique by either the contact method or the immersion
method. Reference specimens and acceptance criteria
shall be in accordance with AM-203.2. Hollow forgings
shall be examined from one face or surface normal to
the axis and in the circumferential direction unless the
wall thickness or geometric configuration makes angle
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beam examination impracticable. Disk forgings shall be
examined from one flat side and from the circumferential
surface.
(c) The entire volume of metal shall be ultrasonically
examined at some state of manufacture. For heat treated
material, examination after final heat treatment is pre-
ferred, but if the contour of the forging precludes
complete examination at this stage, the maximum possi-
ble volume of the forging shall be reexamined after
final heat treatment.
(d) Applicable ASTM standards and ASME specifi-
cations are:
SE-114 Ultrasonic Testing by the Reflection Method
Using Pulsed Longitudinal Waves Induced by Direct
Contact;
SE-214 Immersed Ultrasonic Testing by the Reflec-
tion Method Using Pulsed Longitudinal Waves;
E 127 Fabricating and Checking Aluminum Alloy
Ultrasonic Standard Reference Blocks;
SB-548 Ultrasonic Testing of Aluminum Plate.
(e) In straight beam examination, the transducers
shall be 3⁄4 in. to 11⁄8 in. (19 mm to 29 mm) in diameter
or 1 in. (25 mm) square. The nominal frequency shall
be appropriate for the material being examined. The
instrument shall be set so that the first back reflection
is 75 ±5% of the screen height when the transducer
is placed on an indication-free area of the forging.
(f) In angle beam examination by the contact method,
a 1 in. × 1 in. (25 mm × 25 mm) or 1 in. × 1.5 in.
(25 mm × 38 mm), 45 deg transducer shall be used
at an appropriate frequency.
(g) In angle beam examination by the immersion
method, a 3⁄4 in. (19 mm) diameter transducer oriented
at an appropriate angle of inclination shall be used at
an appropriate frequency.
(h) Angle beam examination shall be calibrated with
a notch of a depth equal to the lesser of 3⁄8 in. (10
mm) or 3% of the nominal section thickness, a length
of approximately 1 in. (25 mm), and a width not greater
than two times the depth.
 AM-402 2001 SECTION VIII — DIVISION 2
(i) Material shall be unacceptable (unless repaired in
accordance with AM-421) if straight beam examination
shows one or more discontinuities which produce indica-
tions accompanied by a complete loss of back reflection
not associated with or attributable to the geometric
configuration, or if angle beam examination results show
one or more discontinuities which produce indications
exceeding that of the calibration notch.
AM-410 CLAD PLATE AND PRODUCTS
Clad plate or products used in constructions in which
the design calculations are based on the total thickness,
including cladding, shall consist of base plate listed in
one of the tables in this Part and shall conform to one
of the following specifications:
SB-209 Specification for Aluminum Alloy Sheet
and Plate;
SB-221 Specification for Aluminum Alloy Extruded
Bars, Rods, Shapes, and Tubes.
AM-420 CASTINGS
AM-420.1 Examination. All nonferrous castings
shall be examined in accordance with the following.
(a) Each casting shall be subjected to 100% visual
examination and to liquid penetrant examination on all
surfaces in accordance with AM-252.4. These examina-
tions shall be performed following the final heat treat-
ment applied to the casting.
(b) All parts of castings shall be subjected to complete
radiographic examination and the radiographs shall be
compared with the radiographic standards of ASTM E
272, Reference Radiographs for Inspection of High-
Strength Copper-Base and Nickel-Copper Alloy Cast-
ings. Acceptable castings must meet Class 1 standards,
if wall thickness is less than 1 in. (25 mm), or Class
2 standards, if 1 in. (25 mm) or over, as defined in
the ASTM Specification.
(c) All parts of castings in excess of 12 in. (305 mm)
in thickness shall be ultrasonically examined in accord-
ance with the procedures given in SE-114. Any imper-
fections whose reflections do not exceed a height equal
to 20% of the normal back reflection or do not reduce
the height of the back reflection by more than 30%
during movement of the transducer 2 in. (51 mm), in
any direction, shall be considered acceptable. The above
limits are established for the use of transducers having
approximately 1 sq in. (645 mm2) of area.
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AM-421
AM-420.2 Repairing of Castings. Upon approval
by the vessel Manufacturer, castings subject to rejection
because of these examinations may be repaired in
accordance with AM-421.
AM-420.3 Identification and Marking. Each casting
shall be marked with the name, trademark, or other
traceable identification of the manufacturer and the
casting identification, including material designation.
The manufacturer shall furnish reports or certification
that each casting conforms to all applicable require-
ments.
AM-421 Repair by Welding
(a) Castings having imperfections in excess of the
maxima permitted in AM-420.1(a), (b), and (c) may
be repaired by welding, if the imperfections are removed
and provided prior approval is obtained from the vessel
Manufacturer. To ensure complete removal of such
imperfections, prior to making repairs, the base metal
shall be reexamined by liquid penetrant examination.
(b) All weld repairs of depth exceeding 1 in. (25 mm)
or 20% of the section thickness, whichever is the lesser,
shall be examined by radiography in accordance with
AM-420.1(b) and by liquid penetrant examination.
Where the depth of repairs is less than 20% of the
section thickness or 1 in. (25 mm), whichever is
the lesser, and where the repaired section cannot be
radiographed effectively, the first layer of each 1⁄4 in.
(6 mm) thickness of deposited weld metal and the
finished weld surface shall be examined, as indicated
previously, by liquid penetrant examination. The fin-
ished surface examination shall be made after any heat
treating operations that are applied to the casting. Weld
repairs resulting from ultrasonic examination shall be
examined by ultrasonic methods.
(c) When repair welding is done after heat treatment
of the casting, the casting shall be postweld heat treated.
(d) All welding shall be performed using welding
procedures qualified in accordance with Section IX.
The procedure qualification shall be performed on test
specimens of cast material of the same specification
and subject to the same heat treatments before and
after welding as will be applied to the work. All welders
and welding operators performing this welding shall
also be qualified in accordance with Section IX.
(e) The location and extent of the weld repairs
together with the repair procedure and examination
results shall be recorded and transmitted as part of the
certification.