PCN certification continues to work hard to accommodate issues related to Brexit and Covid-19

How to upset the company accountant: by asking for a pinhole diaphragm as given in FprEN 12543-2:2020 Non-destructive testing – Characteristics of focal spots in industrial X-ray systems for use in non-destructive testing – Part 2: Pinhole camera radiographic method. This standard has yet to be published but the following information is included:

4. Test equipment
4.1 Essential characteristics of the pinhole
The pinhole camera shall consist of a diaphragm with a pinhole having essential dimensions P and H according to Table 1 dependent upon the actual focal spot size.

The pinhole diaphragm shall be made of tungsten or of a similar absorbent material (for example gold, platinum, tantalum or related alloys).

At the time of writing, gold is £47.37 per gram while the cost of the other metals is difficult to obtain. The pinhole diaphragm will require multiple grams of the chosen metal and there may be costs associated with the accurate machining required and potentially three different pinhole diaphragms. The final cost could be significant indeed. Thankfully, it is an item that will not be required often and not by each crew of testers performing radiography.

By the time you are reading this, the UK will either be very close to completing the Brexit agreement or be implementing it. The coronavirus pandemic may still be present in a significant way and affecting many aspects of people’s lives and work, both of which have a significant element of the unknown attached to them. The good news is that PCN certification conforms to an ISO standard and they are not influenced by Brexit. PCN is continuing to work hard to accommodate issues related to COVID-19 within the restrictions allowed by the standards requirements. I hope that 2021 will be a better year for all.

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