What this is
What is an ultrasonic inspection record?
What is an ultrasonic inspection record?
An ultrasonic inspection record captures readings taken with an ultrasonic detector along a defined route, converting high-frequency sound outside human hearing, from turbulent gas flow, electrical discharge or metal friction, into a decibel reading and a classified finding. It turns an inaudible symptom into a comparable, trackable number.
What does the detector actually pick up?
Three distinct phenomena sharing an inaudible frequency range: the turbulent hiss of gas escaping a leak, the crackle of electrical arcing or corona, and the friction signature of a bearing running without adequate lubrication. Finding type is what separates these; the decibel reading alone does not.
Who carries out the survey and reads the result?
A technician trained and, for higher-severity interpretation, certified to a condition monitoring personnel scheme walks the defined route with the detector. Classifying a finding correctly, air leak against bearing noise against arcing, is a trained skill, and a misclassified finding routes to the wrong trade entirely.
Scope
When is an ultrasonic inspection record required?
Ultrasonic inspection answers what an acoustic signature above human hearing reveals. Used for a symptom with no ultrasonic signature, the survey produces readings that describe nothing.
Use this template when
- An asset or system is due for its ultrasonic route at the set interval
- A baseline survey is needed on a new or repaired system before trending readings against it
- A compressed air, steam or gas system is suspected of leaking and needs the leaks located and costed
- An electrical panel or switchgear is suspected of arcing or corona discharge not yet visible or audible
- A bearing is suspected of running dry or under lubricated before it produces a vibration signature
Do not use it for
- Vibration Analysis Record, which characterises an already-developed bearing or rotating fault by its vibration signature
- Thermographic Survey, which finds the same electrical hot spots and bearing problems by infrared image rather than sound
- Oil Analysis Record, which detects internal mechanical wear and lubricant condition from a laboratory sample, not from sound
- Asset Condition Inspection, for a general visual and mechanical condition check against defined criteria
- A dedicated electrical inspection under wiring regulations, for the fixed periodic testing duty arcing findings do not replace
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 18436 requirements does this satisfy?
Ultrasonic inspection is a technical condition monitoring practice, not a statutory examination. Where required, the duty comes from an asset management or energy management programme, with competency and diagnostic method supplied by the standards below.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 18436 | Qualification and certification requirements for personnel performing ultrasound-based condition monitoring | Header |
| ISO 17359 | General condition monitoring programme guidance: defined route, baseline data and criteria for escalating a diagnosis | Header |
| ISO 13379-1 | Data interpretation and diagnostic technique guidance for classifying a detected acoustic anomaly by fault type | Findings |
| ISO 50001 cl.6.3 | Energy performance indicators and baseline, applicable where leak-loss quantification feeds an organisation's energy management system | Air system summary |
| ISO 55001 cl.9.1 | Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation of asset performance to inform action | Assessment |
| ISO 55001 cl.10.2 | Nonconformity and corrective action: root cause, ownership and verification of effectiveness | Assessment |
What it does not cover
- Vibration Analysis Record, which is the correct instrument for a bearing or rotating fault once it has an established vibration signature.
- Thermographic Survey, which is the correct instrument for confirming an electrical hot spot or bearing problem by infrared image.
- Oil Analysis Record, which is the correct instrument for internal mechanical wear and lubricant condition found from a sample.
- Fixed periodic electrical testing, which is a distinct statutory duty that an arcing finding here does not satisfy.
- The leak or panel repair itself, which belongs in the Work Order and CAPA record.
Global
Ultrasonic Inspection Record requirements by country
No jurisdiction mandates ultrasonic inspection by name. The duty that pulls it into scope is a general equipment-maintenance or energy-management obligation, with the standards below supplying competency and method.
OSH Act General Duty Clause; NFPA 70B maintenance guidance for electrical equipment
No standard requires ultrasonic testing specifically; it is adopted as one accepted method for detecting arcing and mechanical defects ahead of failure.
A recognised arcing or leak hazard found and left unactioned can still be pursued through the General Duty Clause regardless.
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, reg.4; PUWER 1998, reg.5
Electrical systems must be maintained to prevent danger, and work equipment kept in efficient working order; ultrasonic survey is one accepted means of evidencing that.
A logged Alarm-severity arcing finding left without corrective action is evidence the maintenance duty was not being met.
ISO 18436, ISO 17359, ISO 50001
Personnel competency and condition monitoring method are set by the ISO 18436 and 17359 family; leak-cost quantification connects to ISO 50001 energy management.
Certification and energy audits check whether the survey methodology was followed and whether cost figures feed a real energy performance indicator.
How to complete it
How to complete an ultrasonic inspection record, step by step
The template prompts for a decibel reading and a classification at every location. What determines whether the survey earns its cost is the judgement applied to what the readings add up to.
An air leak, a failing steam trap, corona discharge and bearing friction all register as an elevated reading, and each carries a different urgency and trade. Rating severity before finding type is confirmed risks sending a routine leak to the electrical team or an arcing fault to general maintenance.
Estimated leak rate and estimated annual cost exist because leaks are cumulative: fifty small leaks losing a quarter of generated air cost more than one large one. A survey that records severity but skips the cost fields cannot show what the programme is worth.
A bearing or an arcing signature is comparative: the question is whether this reading, at this location, is higher than it was last time. A survey with no baseline decibel figure is a single data point standing in for a trend that does not yet exist.
Many leaks and loose connections can be fixed during the same walk that found them. Repairable on the spot distinguishes those from findings that genuinely need a work order, so the backlog reflects what the technician actually did.
What auditors find
Most common ultrasonic inspection record findings
Ultrasonic survey findings rarely concern whether the route was walked; a detector reading is easy to log. They concern whether the finding was classified correctly and its implied cost or urgency carried forward.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Finding type left generic or defaulted, so an arcing fault and an air leak are indistinguishable in the record. | ISO 13379-1 | Require finding type selected against the actual acoustic signature before severity is entered. |
| Leak findings recorded with no estimated leak rate or estimated annual cost. | ISO 50001 cl.6.3 | Require both cost fields on any air leak finding; a programme cannot justify itself without them. |
| No baseline decibel reading recorded, so a repeat survey has nothing to trend against. | ISO 17359 | Capture a baseline reading at every route location on the first survey and carry it forward. |
| Serious severity finding, most often arcing or corona, not routed to a work order. | ISO 55001 cl.10.2 | Force a work order or CAPA reference on any Serious-rated finding before the record can close. |
| Technician not certified to the level the finding type requires, particularly for arcing. | ISO 18436 | Route arcing and corona findings to a certified analyst before action is planned. |
| Leaks found and fixed on the spot still counted into the open backlog. | ISO 55001 cl.9.1 | Record repairable on the spot accurately so the summary reflects genuinely outstanding work. |
Case in point
Case in point: the leak survey that never added up its own number
A packaging site ran a quarterly ultrasonic route across its compressed air network for two years. Technicians logged dozens of leak findings each quarter, rated most as Minor, and closed the survey each time without raising a work order, on the reasoning that small leaks were not worth the maintenance team's time individually.
An energy audit finally asked what the leaks were costing in total. Nobody could answer, because estimated leak rate and estimated annual cost had been left blank on almost every finding across two years of surveys. A retrospective estimate put the cumulative loss above a quarter of the site's generated compressed air, more than enough to justify a leak-repair shutdown the Minor ratings had never suggested.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
4 sections
- Reference
- MNT-035
- Archetype
- Record
- Record ID
- ULT-2026-000
- Scoring
- Severity band
- Direction
- High is bad
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- ISO 18436
- Links
- Links Asset; feeds Work Order
- Tags
- Maintenance, Condition monitoring
- Sections
- 4
- Fields
- 46
- Follow up fields
- 4
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 4
Header
17 fieldsRecord ID*
Auto sequence. Format ULT-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Raised By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Area
The area within the site.
Exact Location
Drop a pin for anything hard to find.
Asset*
Asset ID*
Format AST-0000.
Links to FDN-002 Asset ID
Survey Type*
Routine route, baseline, diagnostic follow up or post repair verification.
Analyst*
Analyst Certified*
- Yes3 pts
- Trainee supervised1 pt
- No0 pts
Equipment Running Normally*
Readings taken under abnormal load or speed are not comparable with the baseline.
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Load Condition
Baseline Available*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Application*
Air leak survey, steam trap survey, electrical discharge, bearing condition or valve leakage.
Findings
Repeats9 fieldsLocation*
Reading Decibels*
Baseline Decibels
Finding Type*
Severity*
- Minor3 pts
- Moderate1 pt
- Serious0 pts
Photo
Estimated Leak Rate
Estimated Annual Cost
Compressed air leaks alone usually pay for the whole condition monitoring programme.
Repairable On The Spot
Air system summary
3 fieldsLeaks Found
Total Estimated Leak Rate
Percent Of Generated Air
A quarter of generated air lost to leaks is common and entirely avoidable.
Assessment
17 fieldsOverall Severity*
- Normal4 pts
- Watch3 pts
- Alert1 pt
- Alarm0 pts
Trend Versus Baseline*
- Stable3 pts
- Slight increase2 pts
- Clear increase0 pts
Rate Of Change*
A high but stable reading is different from a moderate reading climbing fast.
- Stable3 pts
- Slow2 pts
- Rapid0 pts
Estimated Time To Failure
- Over 12 months4 pts
- 6 to 12 months3 pts
- 1 to 6 months1 pt
- Under a month0 pts
Recommended Action*
- Continue monitoring3 pts
- Increase monitoring frequency2 pts
- Plan corrective work1 pt
- Immediate action0 pts
Recommended By Date
Work Order Raised*
- Yes3 pts
- Not needed3 pts
- No0 pts
Work Order ID
Links to MNT-002 Work Order ID
Next Survey Due*
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Analyst*
Signature*
Reliability*
Second Signature*
MNT-035 · record IDs look like ULT-2026-000 · Links Asset; feeds Work Order
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The detector produces a reading. What determines whether a leak gets fixed or an arcing fault escalated is the machinery around the record: whether cost was totalled, and whether a Serious finding reached a work order.
Holds the route history against the asset register, sums leak cost across surveys, and carries Serious findings through to the work order automatically.
Flags an arcing or corona finding rated Serious as a hazard that needs a dated, owned action, not just a maintenance note.
Rolls the survey's leak rate and cost fields into one running total across the site, and surfaces findings left without a work order before the next route is walked.
This template lives in KnowMaintain — asset maintenance. Work orders, planned maintenance, calibration, reliability and shutdowns.
Meet KnowMaintain→Glossary
Ultrasonic Inspection Record definitions and key terms
- Finding type
- The classification of what the ultrasonic signature indicates: air leak, steam trap failure, corona or arcing, bearing noise, or valve passing.
- Corona or arcing
- Electrical discharge across an insulation gap or connection, detectable ultrasonically before it becomes visible or raises measurable temperature.
- Baseline decibel reading
- The reading taken at a location on a first or reference survey, against which later readings at the same point are compared.
- Estimated annual cost
- The projected yearly cost of a compressed air or gas leak at its measured rate, the figure that usually justifies the survey programme.
- Repairable on the spot
- A finding fixed during the survey visit rather than routed to a work order, kept distinct so the open backlog reflects outstanding work.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about ultrasonic inspection record
How is an ultrasonic leak survey different from just listening for a hiss?+
An audible hiss only reveals large, close leaks in a quiet area. Ultrasonic detection picks up turbulent flow at frequencies well above hearing and below the ambient noise floor of a running plant, so small and distant leaks still register clearly.
Why record estimated cost on every leak instead of just fixing the loud ones?+
Because the value of a leak programme is cumulative, not individual. A site with fifty small leaks can lose more compressed air, and more money, than one with a single large one, and only summing cost across findings shows that.
Can the same detector find electrical faults and mechanical faults?+
Yes, because arcing, leaks and bearing friction all produce ultrasonic sound, but they are different phenomena told apart by finding type. A detector reading alone does not distinguish them; the technician's classification does.
What does repairable on the spot actually save?+
It keeps the backlog honest. A finding fixed during the survey visit is not outstanding work, and counting it into the open total overstates what maintenance still owes, distorting prioritisation on the next route.
Does a Serious severity finding always mean immediate shutdown?+
Not automatically, but it should always produce an owned, dated action. Arcing and corona findings carry a different risk profile from a leak, and severity should be reasoned through against what could fail, not applied by default.
How often should the route be walked?+
Quarterly is common for compressed air and electrical routes, with more frequent checks on critical switchgear or locations with a rising trend. A stable, low-severity history can justify lengthening the interval.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Asset Inspection and Statutory Examination
Asset Condition Inspection
Assesses the general condition of an asset against defined criteria
Vibration Analysis Record
Records vibration readings taken from rotating equipment
Thermographic Survey
Records infrared images of electrical panels, motors and bearings to find hot spots
Oil Analysis Record
Records laboratory analysis of lubricating oil, covering wear metals, contamination and additive condition
Pressure Vessel Inspection
Checks pressure vessels and their safety devices for corrosion, damage and correct operation
Crane and Hoist Inspection
Checks cranes, hoists and their controls for wear, function and load rating
More in Asset Inspections
Asset Condition Inspection
Assesses the general condition of an asset against defined criteria
Vibration Analysis Record
Records vibration readings taken from rotating equipment
Thermographic Survey
Records infrared images of electrical panels, motors and bearings to find hot spots
Oil Analysis Record
Records laboratory analysis of lubricating oil, covering wear metals, contamination and additive condition
Pressure Vessel Inspection
Checks pressure vessels and their safety devices for corrosion, damage and correct operation
Crane and Hoist Inspection
Checks cranes, hoists and their controls for wear, function and load rating
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO 18436, condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines — qualification and assessment of personnel
- ISO 17359, condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines — general guidelines
- ISO 13379-1, condition monitoring and diagnostics — data interpretation and diagnostics techniques
- ISO 50001:2018, energy management systems — requirements with guidance for use
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.