🔩 Ultrasonic testing of spheroidal graphite cast iron castings — detection of internal discontinuities by the pulse-echo technique and their assessment according to severity levels agreed in the order separately for the rim zone (1/5 of wall thickness, at least 5 mm, at most 30 mm) and the core, with separate tables for small castings (typically up to 200 kg) and large ones; excluding nodularity testing, phased array and transmission technique, PN-EN 12680-3

Materials and NDT PN-EN 12680-3

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN card of PN-EN 12680-3:2026-04 (English version; scope in Polish on the card), in full: “This document specifies the requirements for ultrasonic testing of spheroidal graphite cast iron castings and the technique for determining internal discontinuities by the echo technique. This document does not apply to ultrasonic testing of the nodularity of spheroidal graphite cast iron castings. This document does not apply to the phased array technique and the transmission technique. NOTE The transmission technique has insufficient sensitivity to detect the discontinuities occurring in spheroidal graphite cast iron castings and is used only in exceptional cases.” We read the text of the standard in the iTeh sample of SIST EN 12680-3:2026 (English text of EN 12680-3:2025): from the title page through the contents, European foreword and Clauses 1–3 to 4.3 (wall section zones) on page 5 inclusive. Outside the sample remain maximum acceptable size of discontinuities (4.4), qualification of personnel (4.5), severity levels and Tables 1–4 (4.6), the whole of Clause 5 (testing: principles, material, equipment and coupling medium, range and sensitivity setting, surface preparation, procedure, evaluation and sizing of discontinuities, report) and Annex A (significant changes from the previous edition).

ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF EN 12680-3:2025 (foreword, Clauses 1–4.3). The document was prepared by CEN/TC 190 “Foundry technology” (secretariat DIN); CEN approved EN 12680-3:2025 on 22.09.2025; it supersedes EN 12680-3:2011, and the significant changes are listed in Annex A (outside the sample). It is one of four European standards for ultrasonic testing of castings: Part 1 — steel castings for general purposes, Part 2 — steel castings for highly stressed components, Part 4 — phased array ultrasonic testing of steel castings. Scope (1): requirements for ultrasonic testing of spheroidal graphite cast iron castings and the technique for determining internal discontinuities by the pulse-echo technique; the document does not apply to ultrasonic testing of nodularity, nor to the phased array technique and the transmission technique; according to the note the transmission technique has insufficient sensitivity to detect the discontinuities found in spheroidal graphite cast iron castings and is used in exceptional cases only. References (2): EN ISO 16810 (general principles), EN ISO 16811 (sensitivity and range setting), EN ISO 16827 (characterization and sizing of discontinuities), EN ISO 5577 (vocabulary), EN ISO 2400 (block No. 1), EN ISO 22232-1, -2 and -3 (verification of instruments, probes and combined equipment), EN ISO 7963 (block No. 2). Terms (3): rim zone — 1/5 of the through-wall thickness from the surface, at least 5 mm and at most 30 mm in through-wall direction; dross — accumulation of fine slag particles (oxides, sulphides etc.) in the rim zone of castings; according to the note dross is usually not detected by ultrasonic testing in smaller castings. Order information (4.1): at enquiry and order the following shall be available: the areas of the casting and the number or percentage of castings subject to testing, the severity levels for small castings according to Table 1 and where applicable Table 3 or for large castings according to Table 2 and where applicable Table 4, assigned to the various areas, requirements for a written test procedure and any additional requirements, and the customer should inform the supplier of the required machining allowance; according to the notes the severity levels in Tables 1 and 3 and in Tables 2 and 4 can be chosen differently, small castings are typically serial castings, e.g. from automatic moulding lines, with a mass up to 200 kg, and large castings are typically hand moulded, with a mass above 200 kg. Extent of testing (4.2): the areas to be tested shall be agreed together with how they are tested — point testing or scanning — and in which directions; they are preferably indicated on the casting drawing. Wall section zones (4.3): the wall is divided into core and rim zones (Figure 1), and for wall thickness up to and including 10 mm the whole wall is considered rim zone; the zones relate to the dimensions of the casting ready for assembly (finish machined), and if the foundry does not know the final condition, the result applies to the as-delivered condition; according to the note a discontinuity acceptable in the core zone of the raw casting may move to the rim zone after machining by the customer and become unacceptable; a discontinuity lying in both zones is wholly a rim zone discontinuity if at least 20 % of its area lies in the rim zone, otherwise a core zone discontinuity.

STATUS (cards as of 03.10.2026). The PKN card of PN-EN 12680-3:2026-04 (English version) has no “Withdrawn” header: published 27-04-2026, 25 pages, price group M, Metallurgy Sector, KT 301 Foundry, ICS 77.140.80 and 77.040.20, “Introduces: EN 12680-3:2025 [IDT]”, “Replaces: PN-EN 12680-3:2012 - English version”. The card of PN-EN 12680-3:2012 (English version, published 31-01-2012, 22 pages; it introduced EN 12680-3:2011 and replaced PN-EN 12680-3:2005 in the Polish version) has the header “Withdrawn and replaced by PN-EN 12680-3:2026-04” with withdrawal date 27-04-2026. The PKN search (term “PN-EN 12680-3”, 03.10.2026) also shows the withdrawn PN-EN 12680-3:2005 (Polish version) and PN-EN 12680-3:2003. In the iTeh catalogue (read on 03.10.2026) EN 12680-3:2025 has the status “Published”, stage 60.60 since 19.11.2025, and SIST EN 12680-3:2012 — “Withdrawn” since 04.12.2025.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, load up to 17.09.2026, read on 03.10.2026). The number 12680-3 appears in 5 records at 5 laboratories: AB 197, AB 608, AB 1336, AB 1827, AB 1978. In the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026, issues from 23.04.2025 to 26.08.2026) the number appears in 5 rows — one at each; in each of the five documents the number of page markers equals the number of PDF pages, without repetitions. In addition, the PCA document of AB 1307 (issue No. 13 of 20.12.2024, 3 pages, markers 1/3–3/3 without repetitions) has “PN-EN 12680-3:2012” for the object “spheroidal graphite cast iron castings” in the row “internal discontinuities, ultrasonic method” (item marked *, i.e. with opinions and interpretations); in the database copy this AB 1307 row has only PN-EN ISO 16810:2014-06 — so AB 1307 is only in PCA: 6 rows at 6 laboratories in total (a search of all 1291 PCA documents downloaded on 03.10.2026 found no others; 17 laboratories on the list have no link to a scope document on BIP). AB 197, AB 1307, AB 1336 and AB 1827 cite the withdrawn “PN-EN 12680-3:2012”, AB 1978 — “PN-EN 12680-3:2026-04”, AB 608 — only the designation without year (item in the flexible scope of accreditation, mark E). In all five cells parts 1 and 2 (PN-EN 12680-1, PN-EN 12680-2) stand alongside, at AB 1827 also PN-EN ISO 16810:2025-04. None of these items is suspended; the AB 197 document contains a note on the suspension of part of the scope at the request of the body (items in bold italics), but the row with PN-EN 12680-3 is not marked that way. The “Laboratories” tab (term “PN-EN 12680-3”) shows the 5 laboratories from the database copy, without AB 1307 — checked with a tab query on the production server labcoda.pl on 03.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (items in PCA). Object: castings and products of cast iron, cast steel and non-ferrous alloys (AB 197), spheroidal graphite cast iron castings alongside steel castings (AB 608), steel and iron castings (AB 1336), castings (AB 1827, AB 1978), spheroidal graphite cast iron castings alongside steel castings (AB 1307). Characteristic: internal discontinuities (AB 197, AB 608, AB 1307, AB 1336) or discontinuities (AB 1827, AB 1978), ultrasonic method.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. With the edition: the current edition is PN-EN 12680-3:2026-04, while four laboratories cite the withdrawn 2012 edition — the changes are described in Annex A. With the order: without agreed areas, testing method, directions and severity levels the result cannot be assessed (4.1, 4.2). With zones: the rim zone boundary is counted from the dimensions after machining — an unknown allowance shifts a discontinuity into the rim zone (4.1, 4.3). With thin walls: up to 10 mm the whole wall is rim zone (4.3). With a discontinuity on the zone boundary: threshold of 20 % of the area (4.3). With the technique: neither the transmission technique (insufficient sensitivity) nor phased array is covered by this part (1).

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not read the acceptable sizes of discontinuities, the severity level tables, requirements for personnel, probes, frequencies, sensitivity setting, surface preparation, procedure, evaluation and sizing of indications or the content of the report (4.4–5.6), nor the list of changes in Annex A.

Method principle

A spheroidal graphite cast iron casting is tested with an ultrasonic flaw detector by the pulse-echo technique in the areas and directions agreed in the order, by point testing or scanning. Indications are assigned to the rim zone (1/5 of wall thickness, 5–30 mm, counted for the machined casting) or the core zone and compared with the acceptance values of the severity level chosen for the area — from the tables for small or large castings.

Applications

• Spheroidal graphite cast iron castings — detection of internal discontinuities (1)
• Acceptance of serial castings (usually up to 200 kg) and large hand-moulded castings according to severity levels from the order (4.1)
• Iron, steel and non-ferrous castings — items in the accreditation scopes of 6 laboratories in PCA

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 12680-3:2026-04 (wersja angielska; EN 12680-3:2025 IDT)

Title (PL)

Odlewnictwo — Badania ultradźwiękowe — Część 3: Odlewy z żeliwa sferoidalnego

Title (EN)

Founding — Ultrasonic testing — Part 3: Spheroidal graphite cast iron castings

Step-by-step procedure

1. Order

   Areas, number of castings, severity levels for zones, written procedure, machining allowance (4.1). PN-EN 12680-3:2026-04 — current (03.10.2026).

2. Extent and zones

   Testing method (point/scanning) and directions; division of the wall into rim zone and core for the machined condition (4.2, 4.3).

3. Equipment and sensitivity

   Checking of equipment, range and sensitivity setting according to Clause 5.3 (not read).

4. Testing and assessment

   Pulse-echo testing, assignment of indications to zones, comparison with the severity level; procedure and assessment according to 5.5 (not read).

5. Report

   According to 5.6 (not read).

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Work with large castings — handling and stable support of the item

Frequently asked questions