5/6/2016

ImprovingDetection

ImprovingDetection
WhyaPenetrantInspectionImprovestheDetectabilityofFlaws

Theadvantagethataliquidpenetrantinspection(LPI)offersoveranunaidedvisualinspectionisthatit
makesdefectseasiertoseefortheinspector.Therearebasicallytwowaysthatapenetrantinspection
processmakesflawsmoreeasilyseen.First,LPIproducesaflawindicationthatismuchlargerand
easierfortheeyetodetectthantheflawitself.Manyflawsaresosmallornarrowthattheyare
undetectablebytheunaidedeye.Duetothephysicalfeaturesoftheeye,thereisathresholdbelow
whichobjectscannotberesolved.Thisthresholdofvisualacuityisaround0.003inchforapersonwith
20/20vision.

ThesecondwaythatLPIimprovesthedetectabilityofaflawisthatitproducesaflawindicationwitha
highlevelofcontrastbetweentheindicationandthebackgroundalsohelpingtomaketheindication
moreeasilyseen.Whenavisibledyepenetrantinspectionisperformed,thepenetrantmaterialsare
formulatedusingabrightreddyethatprovidesforahighlevelofcontrastbetweenthewhitedeveloper.
Inotherwords,thedeveloperservesasahighcontrastbackgroundaswellasablottertopullthe
trappedpenetrantfromtheflaw.Whenafluorescentpenetrantinspectionisperformed,thepenetrant
materialsareformulatedtoglowbrightlyandtogiveofflightatawavelengththattheeyeismost
sensitivetounderdimlightingconditions.
Additionalinformationonthehumaneyecanbefoundbyfollowingthelinksbelow.
https://www.ndeed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/PenetrantTest/Introduction/improvingdetection.php

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