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Metal cutting tools, ranging from small bits and drills to costly milling cutters, influence costs in manufacturing industries. Even excellent tools can be misapplied or used improperly. Liquid penetrant testing reveals many types of relevant discontinuity conditions. It permits anomalous or dysfunctional tools to be eliminated from those to be sold or used in production.
Metal cutting tools, ranging from small bits and drills to costly milling cutters, influence costs in manufacturing industries. Even excellent tools can be misapplied or used improperly. Liquid penetrant testing reveals many types of relevant discontinuity conditions. It permits anomalous or dysfunctional tools to be eliminated from those to be sold or used in production.
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Metal cutting tools, ranging from small bits and drills to costly milling cutters, influence costs in manufacturing industries. Even excellent tools can be misapplied or used improperly. Liquid penetrant testing reveals many types of relevant discontinuity conditions. It permits anomalous or dysfunctional tools to be eliminated from those to be sold or used in production.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Formati disponibili
Scarica in formato PDF, TXT o leggi online su Scribd
Indianapolis, Indiana Joseph L. Mackin, International Pipe Inspectors Association, Houston, Texas Roger D. Wallace, Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia 15 C H A P T E R Various Applications of Liquid Penetrant Testing Need for Nondestructive Testing of Machine Tool Bits Metal cutting tools, ranging from small bits and drills to costly milling cutters, are replacement items that influence costs in manufacturing industries, particularly if some tools are anomalous or dysfunctional. Even excellent tools can be misapplied or used improperly and perfectly good tools can be used to produce either quality products or scrap, depending on how they are assigned and used. Reasonable standards of tool quality can be agreed on by both manufacturer and user to achieve economy in tool use. Standards on limits, tolerances and test methods for tools and on the ability of the tool to produce results, can be based on nondestructive tests and manufacturing experience. Various types of discontinuities in cutting tools can cause problems for their manufacturers and users. High speed steel cutting tools may contain voids or inclusions in the metal, cracks produced by heat treatment, variations in stress relief or grinding checks. Carbide tools have potentials for brazing, grinding and lapping discontinuities. Hard, cobalt based alloy tools may be subject to difficulties related to welding, porosity or grinding. Advantages of Liquid Penetrant Testing of Cutting Tools Sensitive liquid penetrant testing reveals many types of relevant discontinuity conditions and permits anomalous or dysfunctional tools to be eliminated from those to be sold or used in production. It also assists the tool manufacturer in early detection and correction of faulty methods of processing tools during their manufacture. Anomalous materials can be weeded out of incoming stock before costly processing has been wasted on them. Magnetic particle testing can be used only on ferromagnetic materials such as high speed tool steels. Fluorescent liquid penetrant testing is recommended for carbide tools, which do not lend themselves to magnetic particle testing and for hard, cobalt based alloy tools, which are nonmagnetic. It is also applicable to testing of carbide tipped tools, both for cracks and discontinuities in the tip material and for poor braze bonds between tip material and support materials. Fluorescent liquid penetrant testing permits inspection of the complete tool surface and provides adequate test sensitivity that can be controlled for specific testing needs. In small plants, liquid penetrant testing is used by shop personnel to detect problems in heat treating, brazing and grinding processes. Shop personnel can acquire the needed skills readily, with proper instruction and experience. Equipment and Techniques for Liquid Penetrant Testing of Cutting Tools General purpose stationary liquid penetrant testing equipment used for testing of small parts finds wide use in testing of cutting tools. It includes liquid penetrant dip and drain station, wash station, recirculating hot air dryer and developing and inspection stations. Penetration times may vary, depending on the type of tool material and the tightness of discontinuities to be detected. Interpreting Liquid Penetrant Indications on Cutting Tools Liquid penetrant indications produced by tool discontinuities will vary in brilliance, depending on the depth, width and length of the discontinuities and on the particular liquid penetrant systems used. Porosity in braze bonds will show up as brilliant fluorescent specks along the bond line. If there is depth or an extended subsurface area of porosity, the indication will grow in size and brilliance with time after application of developer. Under certain processing conditions, shims and sandwich braze, used to eliminate brazing strain and other problems, may result in porosity. When questionable porosity occurs in braze 416 Liquid Penetrant Testing PART 1. Liquid Penetrant Testing of Metal Cutting Tools bonds, its position and the service conditions in which the tool will be used should be deciding factors in evaluating the acceptability of the tool. The desirable factors of good thermal conductivity of the braze metal and its cushioning effect should be compared (in light of the job the tool must do) with the fact that the braze bond may be soft and consequently may not provide sufficient rigidity and support for the cutting tip in service. Evaluating Liquid Penetrant Indications of Cracks in Cutting Tools Liquid penetrant indications of minute checks and larger cracks can be identified on tools. Because scratches are relatively wide and shallow, as compared with cracks that are narrow and deep, they will not show at all with conventional water washable liquid penetrant systems because washing removes liquid penetrant from scratches. Discontinuities such as cracks are probably due to combined brazing strain and improper grinding. Although these are rejected because of their directions and locations, it is conceivable that tools with cracks in certain locations and generally parallel to the principal stress, would give satisfactory service. The value of the tool relative to the value of the work in process and the danger involved would probably be deciding factors but the problem should receive much consideration. Evaluating Liquid Penetrant Indications of Cracks and Checks in Thread Gages Indications of extensive cracks and minute indications extending over one thread only were found on a hard, cobalt based alloy thread gage. Slight cracks in the rough stage after welding grew during the following grinding and thread cutting operations. The minute indications correspond to grinding checks that originated in the final grinding. The indications are similar to those of pickling cracks and, in this case, were caused by acid attacking areas of high residual stress during macroetching. Correlating Liquid Penetrant Test Results with Tool Service Life For control of quality, in many cases, it may be desirable to keep records of quality or of the life expectancy of typical tools. The manufacturer may plot the percentage of anomalous tools on a day-to-day or lot-to-lot basis to illustrate quality averages graphically. Any trend toward excess scrap can be noticed and corrective measures taken. Similar procedures can demonstrate the efficiency of an individual machine or process. When such records are properly used, the specialized job knowledge of the practical person is coordinated with that of test personnel and should result in reduced scrap loss. The tool user must have the right tools available for repeat usage. Otherwise quick decisions are often necessary to select the optimum tool for the job from the types of tools that happen to be available. It would be desirable to keep shop records showing the length of service between grindings as well as the ultimate life of certain types of tools as used for various processes. Similar records of tool regrinding for individual machines could assist the selection of proper tool grinding wheels, speeds and feeds. Inspection of Carbide Tipped Milling Cutters Carbide tipped milling cutters each normally contain between 8 and 24 cutting blades, yet if only one tip shatters and drops out of its blade during the machining cycle and the operator does not immediately back off on the controls, then the entire cutter and possibly the workpiece could be ruined. Machine downtime also would result, which is quite costly for some of the larger milling machines. Causes of Failure of Carbide Cutting Tips The most frequent cause of carbide tip fracture is tiny, hairlike cracks that form in the carbide section during heat treating, brazing and grinding operations. Manufacturers of milling cutters try to prevent such cracks throughout tool fabrication, grinding, shipping and handling. Combinations of standard and metallurgical tests and nondestructive testing methods are used. Large scale users of milling cutters who resharpen their own cutters can benefit by using these procedures. The carbide tips are brazed into a variety of blade materials in various ways, depending on their ultimate use. For example, a tip would be brazed into the tool body with copper brazing if a high amount of heat is expected to be generated during cutting. Some tips are brazed in with silver solder where less heat is generated. During the brazing, uneven material stresses could cause tiny cracks to form in the carbide. 417 Various Applications of Liquid Penetrant Testing Liquid Penetrant Processing of Carbide Tipped Milling Cutters Once the tips are brazed into the cutting tool bodies, they are sent in baskets to the blade inspection area. Here, they are first put through a postemulsification fluorescent liquid penetrant testing station to seek the almost invisible cracks that might be present. This equipment will reveal the tiny cracks under ultraviolet radiation after they have been processed. One man handles the entire operation. It takes about 25 min for a part to go through this test from liquid penetrant application through ultraviolet radiation inspection. However, the operator has many different parts in various stages of preparation on the roller conveyor. Fluorescent Inspection of Carbide Tips and Blades Each blade tip is then viewed under ultraviolet radiation. At this point in the test, the tiniest cracks in the carbide tips will show up as thin, brightly flowing lines. Cracked blades discovered at the test station are not necessarily scrapped. If economical, they are sent back to production to have anomalous inserts removed and new ones brazed in. The reinserted blades must then go through the entire liquid penetrant procedure again. When the blades pass the liquid penetrant test, they go through to the identification station. Here, numbers and letters are etched into the blades with an acid pad and stencil. The blades then undergo a Rockwell hardness test if a special blade shank hardness is read. If a 10 percent random sample of the batch passes this test, the entire batch is allowed to pass. Then the blades go to the size test. At this station, the inspector compresses the size of the production blade with a master blade in a tabletop comparator. At this 100 percent go or no-go testing, the blades that do not pass are scrapped. Replacement blades that pass are ready for shipment. Others go to the assembly area where they are inserted in milling cutter bodies and given a final grinding operation. Final Inspection of Cutter Assemblies after Finish Grinding Because final grinding could cause tiny checks in the carbide tips, the entire cutter assembly goes to the liquid penetrant station for final testing. This time, the body and blades are processed overall and the entire assembly is inspected for cracks in critical areas. Liquid penetrant test kits are available for small lot postproduction test needs. To inspect parts with this kit, the operator sprays them with a cleaner, wipes them dry and sprays on a red dye liquid penetrant. After this is wiped from the surface, the operator sprays on a white developer. Any crack that is present will then show up as a red line on the white background. The cleaner is also used elsewhere for general parts cleaning. 418 Liquid Penetrant Testing Range of Applications Most of the products used in drilling an oil well are made of ferrous steels and therefore inspected with magnetic particle and electromagnetic methods. Some products used down hole are made of austenitic stainless steels or beryllium copper. These parts are normally used for directional survey or other application where a magnetic field would interfere with the results that would be obtained with ferromagnetic materials. These tubulars normally fall into the category of bottom hole assembly (BHA) components. The bottom hole assembly is used to put weight on the bit so that it will break up the formation as it rotates. The tubulars have large outside diameters and minimal inside diameters to maximize weight on the bit and stability. The cross section of the nonmagnetic tubular shown in Fig. 1, is 200 mm (7.75 in.) outside diameter and 70 mm (2.8 in.) inside diameter. During use, the nonmagnetic bottom hole assembly components develop cracks because of fatigue and stress corrosion. Fatigue cracks originate in the thread roots because this is the weak point for cyclic stress. The cyclic stress is caused by the rotation of the bottom hole assembly while it is bent from compression or in a dogleg. Stress corrosion cracking originates from the bore of the nonmagnetic bottom hole assembly (Fig. 1). Stress corrosion cracking is caused by a combination of stress and corrosion. These cracks can be either longitudinal or transverse. Cleaning Steam cleaning is the method of choice for cleaning bottom hole assembly components. The heat both opens the cracks and makes the thread lubricant less viscous. For this system to work the cleaning must be done for sufficient time to warm up both the bottom hole assembly material and any thread lubricant. If steam cleaning is not available solvent is the next choice. Solvent can also be used after steam cleaning, to remove the detergent residue. The final cleaning solvent should be one that the liquid penetrant manufacturer has deemed compatible. Residues from cleaning agents, strong alkalies, picking solutions and chromate may adversely react with the liquid penetrant and reduce sensitivity and performance. Liquid Penetrant Testing Technique Selection Visible dye liquid penetrants are used to inspect nonmagnetic bottom hole assembly materials. Visible dyes provide the required sensitivity for the type and size of cracks found in nonmagnetic bottom hole assemblies. Further, because nonmagnetic bottom hole assembly connections are inspected many times in their life and it is not advisable to use fluorescent liquid penetrant after visible dye liquid penetrant, the use of fluorescent is avoided. Liquid penetrant used to inspect the threaded area is normally removed by the solvent wipe technique. Because of the restricted access to the box threads and the difficulty in removing excess water, water washable liquid penetrant is not appropriate. 419 Various Applications of Liquid Penetrant Testing PART 2. Liquid Penetrant Testing of Oil Field Down Hole Tubular Parts FIGURE 1. Cross section of nonmagnetic tubular from bottom hole assembly. Because of the small inside diameters, water washable liquid penetrant is the most appropriate for the bore. Either postemulsifiable or water washable liquid penetrant is used for the outside diameter surface. Test Process Temperature Surface temperature is normally the biggest problem in testing of oil field equipment. The acceptable range of temperatures for liquid penetrant testing is 10 to 52 C (50 to 125 F), it is important that the temperature remain within this range throughout the testing process. Because most of these tests are done in the field, the inspector has little control over the environment. If steam cleaning is done, the bottom hole assembly must be allowed to cool to an appropriate temperature. In the winter while doing the testing outdoors, the bottom hole assembly may be too cold to do a reliable test. In this case the bottom hole assembly must be moved inside and allowed to warm up before testing. It is important that the surface temperature remain within the proper range during the entire test time. The bottom hole assembly temperature is the main consideration for dwell time. As the temperature approaches the minimum temperature of 10 C (50 F) the dwell time should be extended to 30 min. Longer dwell times do not affect the sensitivity of the test as long as the liquid penetrant is not allowed to dry, so if in doubt extend the dwell time. Removing Excessive Liquid Penetrant Standard liquid penetrant removal procedures are used for the removal of both the postemulsifiable and water washable liquid penetrants. When liquid penetrant is removed with a solvent wipe, a technique for both the dry wipe and damp wipe should be developed so that the minimum number of passes over the surface are required to thoroughly clean the surface. Ideally, if all the excessive liquid penetrant could be removed with one pass of the dry cloth and one with the dampened cloth the optimum result for the test would be achieved. Drying The surfaces of the bottom hole assembly to be inspected must be completely dry before the application of the developer. With the solvent remover system, this is not normally a problem, because the solvent dries quickly. Developer Application Solvent based (nonaqueous wet developer) spray-on developer is normally used in the testing of bottom hole assembly threaded areas. This of course is difficult in rotary shouldered connections, particularly the box, because you cannot spray directly on the thread roots because of the restricted diameter. Emphasis for an even thin coating should be focused on the thread roots because that is the location of cracks. For the inside and outside diameter surfaces dry powder developer is also used. Evaluation The area to be inspected should be observed periodically during the development time. In the evaluation process, the observations concerning indication development will be helpful. The test should be done with at least 500 lx (50 ftc) light intensity at the surface to be inspected. The final examination is only done after the full development time has elapsed. Figure 2 shows crack indications on the connection outside diameter after the development time. Cracks regardless of size render the bottom hole assembly unfit for further service and the part is rejected. Other indications are classified according to the appropriate testing standard. 420 Liquid Penetrant Testing FIGURE 2. Crack indications on connection outside diameter after development time. Liquid Penetrant Testing in Shipbuilding, Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair Yards Liquid penetrant testing has been used in shipyards since the first half of the twentieth century. 1 The methods applications in shipyards are varied. The uses range from checking many sizes of ship propellers to inspecting welded or brazed joints in small diameter stainless steel tubing used for instrumentation on turbines and boilers. Generally an all inclusive procedure specification (typically ASTM E 165 2 ) covering the different liquid penetrant techniques is the basis for testing. The United States Coast Guard, American Bureau of Shipping, United States Navy, Lloyds Registry, Det Norske Veritas etc. each have specific areas for which they require liquid penetrant nondestructive testing and in some cases they have established acceptance criteria. Liquid Penetrant Testing in New Ship Construction Typical applications of liquid penetrant testing that may be required include the following: (1) testing of welded or brazed joints in austenitic piping, (2) checking nickel copper, stainless and other nonferrous alloy cladding or buttering of steel components, (3) inspecting welded joints in reactor piping systems using nonmagnetic materials, (4) testing of ship propellers where both hub and blades are visually inspected with the aid of visible dye liquid penetrants and (5) checking joints and nozzles in stainless steel pressure vessels and steam accumulator tanks. Good marine workmanship requires liquid penetrant testing to check many other welded joints in nonmagnetic materials. Liquid Penetrant Testing in Ship Repair and Maintenance Applications of liquid penetrant testing in ship repair are generally the same as those in shipbuilding. However, it is also used in the overhaul of turbines, reduction gears, pumps and other ship machinery components. Many different applications occur in the cargo handling equipment and piping systems of specialized ships such as liquid sulfur tankers, refrigerated ships and liquid natural gas carriers. Liquid penetrant nondestructive testing is also used in recreational boating. Many skippers in the highly competitive sailing races have titanium or stainless fitting in the rigging checked before races. In power boat racing, the stainless steel fittings in control systems are checked by many operators and owners. Components Typically Inspected by Liquid Penetrants in Ship Repair Yards The following are typical applications of liquid penetrant testing in ship repair facilities: 1. checking for cracks and discontinuities in bronze and stainless steel propeller blades and hubs; 2. checking for cracks in castings with as-cast surfaces (for example, checks for cracks can be made in valve bodies where surfaces are too rough for dry powder magnetic particle testing); 3. checking for cracks in bronze pump castings and impellers; 4. checking highly polished tail shaft and rudder stock tapers (often it is more convenient to use visible dye liquid penetrants because there is no need then to bring magnetic particle test equipment or electric power leads into shaft alleys); 5. checking for through-wall cracks in bulkhead welds by application of liquid penetrant on one side and developer on the other; 6. checking welds on copper or brass pipe used on salt water service lines; 7. checking crank pins and crank webs on diesel engine crankshafts, cylinder liners and connecting rods; and 8. checking hydraulic pump and motor parts (pistons, plungers, rods, cranks and ported heads). The above components are usually checked with a standard visible dye liquid penetrant. Testing with fluorescent liquid penetrants is seldom used in shipyards because it is difficult to isolate test parts in a darkened area after installation. 421 Various Applications of Liquid Penetrant Testing PART 3. Marine Applications of Liquid Penetrant Testing Liquid Penetrant Testing Specifications in Marine Industries Liquid penetrant testing requirements in the marine construction industry are as varied as the applications. Marine specifications fall into two broad classifications: (1) United States Navy new construction and overhaul/repair requirements and (2) maritime (commercial) new construction and repair/overhaul. Table 1 lists typical nonnuclear United States Navy specifications controlling liquid penetrant testing. 3-5 Specifications for Liquid Penetrant Testing of United States Navy Vessels For construction of new United States Navy vessels, each ship (or ship class) has a set of detail specifications that invoke basic fabrication and test requirements (see Table 2). These basic fabrication and testing documents specify (1) what to inspect, (2) where to inspect, (3) acceptance criteria and (4) test methods. The acceptance criteria requirements of these fabrication/inspection documents generally invoke an acceptance standard, such as MIL-STD-2035. 4 This acceptance standard requires a certain class or severity level to be used for the various components or areas to be inspected. In some cases, the fabrication/inspection documents specify that particular materials be used for a component and the material must be inspected in accordance with specification. A typical situation of this type would be that of machinery studs fabricated to specification. The test method requirements given in the fabrication and inspection documents generally invoke NAVSEA Technical Publication T9074-AS-GIB-010/271. 3 However, many times this standard is invoked with limitations and modifications. It should also be noted that ship detail specifications may also limit or modify the basic fabrication documents, acceptance criteria or method specification. Specifications Covering Liquid Penetrant Testing in Nuclear Navy Ship Systems United States Navy nuclear fabrication/inspection requirements are generally contained in NAVSHIPS 250-1500-1 6 as invoked by the ships specifications. For some applications, the test methods are specified in accordance with MIL-STD-2132. 7 422 Liquid Penetrant Testing TABLE 1. Typical United States Navy standards and specifications on liquid penetrant testing of ship hulls and nonnuclear machinery. Item Fabrication or Inspection Document Acceptance Standard Welding of pipe, pressure vessels, machinery a NAVSEA Technical Publication T9074-AR-GIB-010/278 3 MIL-STD-2035 4 Structural welds, ships hulls b MIL-STD-1689 5
5 MIL-STD-1689 5 HY-80 hull castings NAVSEA Technical Publication T9074-AD-GIB-010/1688 3 NAVSEA Technical Publication T9074-AD-GIB-010/1688 3 a. Technique requirements (how to do inspection) are covered in NAVSEA Technical Publication T9074-AS-GIB-010/271. 3 b. Other than HY-80 submarine hulls. TABLE 2. Maximum permissible rounded indication sizes. Total indication area is 0.50 percent of weld surface area. Maximum Permissable Nominal Weld Thickness Rounded Indication ____________________________ ______________________ mm (in.) mm (in.) 3.2 ( 0.125) 2.0 (0.08) 3.2 to 4.8 (0.125 to 0.19) 2.0 (0.08) 4.8 to 6.4 (0.19 to 0.25) 2.4 (0.09) 6.4 to 9.5 (0.25 to 0.375) 2.4 (0.09) 9.5 to 12.7 (0.375 to 0.50) 3.2 (0.125) 12.7 to 19.0 (0.5 to 0.75) 3.2 (0.125) 19.0 mm ( 0.75 in.) 3.2 (0.125) Specifications Covering Liquid Penetrant Testing in Navy Ship Repair and Overhaul Repair and overhaul requirements are given in the overhaul work package (OWP) or the repair contract and invoke the Naval Ships Technical Manual (NSTM). 8 The NSTM is published in chapters as a NAVSEA document. Typical of these is Chapter 556 on hydraulic equipment (NAVSEA 0901-LP-556-000). 9 These documents specify (a) what to inspect, (b) where to inspect, (c) how to inspect and (d) the acceptance criteria for each component. Specification for Liquid Penetrant Testing of New Commercial Ship Construction New construction of commercial (maritime) ships starts in accordance with the ships specifications issued by the owners. This document gives the ship engineering and naval architect requirements for the ships machinery and hull structure. These design requirements also state that these components and structure shall be in accordance with the requirements of the regulatory agencies. This means that the requirements of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) are invoked. United States Coast Guard Requirements for Maritime (Commercial) Ship Construction The United States Coast Guard requirements for new commercial ship construction are contained in Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Subchapter F-Marine Engineering. 10 For test methods, this subchapter invokes the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. 11 Section V of the ASME Code is used as the basis of the liquid penetrant testing procedure. However, because the liquid penetrant procedure of the ASME Code, Section V, is based on ASTM E 165, Standard Recommended Practice for Liquid Penetrant Testing Method, 2 the United States Coast Guard will accept this ASTM procedure. Part 56 of subchapter F of Title 46 of the CFR specifies (a) what to inspect, (b) where to inspect and (c) the acceptance criteria for liquid penetrant testing during commercial (maritime) ship construction in the United States. American Bureau of Shipping Requirements for Maritime Ship Construction The American Bureau of Shipping requirements for liquid penetrant testing in maritime (commercial) ship construction are given in the Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels. 12 Sections invoking requirements are 30, 32, 43 and 44 of these American Bureau of Shipping rules. American Bureau of Shipping surveyors (inspectors) will generally accept procedures satisfactory to United States Coast Guard requirements because American Bureau of Shipping rules in some areas are not definitive as to test methods and acceptance criteria. Both the American Bureau of Shipping and the United States Coast Guard regulatory agencies rely on ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code 11 Requirements and ASTM standards for basic inspection specifications. Confirmation of Liquid Penetrant Indications in Ship Structures All indications at the toe of weld and in weld craters shall be considered relevant and shall be evaluated in accordance with the applicable acceptance standards. If indications are believed to be nonrelevant or false, the area in question shall be investigated by the following means: 1. liquid penetrant retesting after complete cleaning of the area; 2. 5 magnification visual testing; and 3. exploration of at least 10 percent of the area in question by removing the surface condition believed to have caused the indications. The absence of indications during retesting by liquid penetrant testing after elimination of conditions believed to have caused the indications shall be considered to prove that the indications were nonrelevant or false with respect to actual discontinuities. If reinspection reveals any indication(s), these indications and all of the original indications shall be considered to be relevant and shall be evaluated in accordance with the applicable acceptance standards. A description and the location of all liquid penetrant indications dispositioned as nonrelevant and the means of confirmation shall be recorded in the inspection report. 423 Various Applications of Liquid Penetrant Testing Acceptance and Rejection Criteria for Welds in United States Surface Ship and Submarine Structure Linear Indications All welds and at least 13 mm (0.5 in.) of adjacent base metal on each side shall be free of linear indications greater than 1.6 mm (0.06 in.) long, except for acceptable undercut and base metal indications that meet the base metal specification requirements. Indications 1.6 mm (0.06 in.) and less shall be considered nonlinear. Nonlinear Indications Nonlinear indications meeting the standards of Table 2 are acceptable. Nonrelevant indications Rounded indications with diameter of 0.4 mm (0.016 in.) and less shall be disregarded for material with thickness of 4.8 mm (0.19 in.) and less. Rounded indications with diameter of 0.8 mm (0.03 in.) and less shall be disregarded for material with thickness greater than 4.8 mm (0.19 in.). Linearly Aligned Indications Linearly aligned indications shall be cause for rejection if one or more of the aligned indications is 1.6 mm (0.06 in.) or greater. Precautions in Liquid Penetrant Testing of Ship Structures Operator Safety Operators should avoid skin contact with liquid penetrant materials. The inhalation of oils and possibly certain other components of liquid penetrant materials in moist form can cause lipoid pneumonia. To protect against this hazard, use a half mask respirator with organic vapor cartridges while spraying. At other times, avoid prolonged breathing of vapors or volatile components. If natural ventilation is poor, use exhaust ventilation to prevent a high atmospheric droplets from the air. Keep respirator on if mist is visible in the air. Fire Prevention During liquid penetrant testing of ships, dispose of all wiping cloths and papers by depositing in a closed metal container. Do not dispose of wiping materials or liquids in open containers. Do not subject liquid penetrant materials to heat. Do not smoke in a space where liquid penetrants are being or have just been, used. Do not use liquid penetrants or process materials near open flames. Make certain that welding on a common bulkhead is not being performed in the adjacent space when using liquid penetrants aboard ships. Flammable liquids should be dispersed only from approved safety cans. Only explosion proof portable lights should be used in flammable atmospheres. 424 Liquid Penetrant Testing Liquid Penetrant Testing of Automotive Engine Blocks The automotive industry uses liquid penetrant testing primarily during the development of parts design and a little in maintenance of production equipment. When an engine manufacturing plant found visible cracks in the bottom of cylinder bores of certain engine cylinder blocks after machining, all cylinder blocks of this type were subjected to visible dye liquid penetrant testing until the cause was remedied. Magnetic particle testing was not used because cracks were in an inaccessible area for prods and because the area was finish machined. Procedural steps included the following: (1) clean parts thoroughly; (2) apply liquid penetrant to parts and allow 10 min to penetrate; (3) remove surface liquid penetrant from parts, using a clean cloth dampened with cleaner; (4) apply developer powder to parts and allow 5 min for powder to dry and indication to form; (5) inspect parts under white light; and (6) clean parts, using a cloth dampened with cleaner. Liquid Penetrant Testing of Aluminum Alloy Automotive Parts Visible dye liquid penetrant testing has been used to inspect experimental aluminum automotive power train components in service, including (1) aluminum cases of automatic transmissions, (2) aluminum wheels, (3) aluminum rocker arm supports and (4) aluminum rocker arm covers. Procedural steps include the following: (1) clean parts thoroughly; (2) apply liquid penetrant to part and allow 10 to 15 min to penetrate; (3) remove surface liquid penetrant from parts, using a clean cloth dampened with cleaner; (4) apply developer powder to parts and allow 5 to 15 min for powder to dry and indication to form; (5) inspect parts under white light: (6) clean parts, using a cloth dampened with cleaner. Fluorescent Liquid Penetrant Testing of Aluminum Automobile Engine Components Fluorescent water washable liquid penetrant testing is also used on experimental aluminum automotive engine components, new and used, such as (1) aluminum pistons, (2) aluminum connecting rods, (3) aluminum manifolds and (4) radiators. Procedural steps are as follows: (1) clean parts by vapor degreasing; (2) dip parts into tank of fluorescent liquid penetrant for 5 s; (3) drain parts held by wire hanger for 10 min; (4) rinse parts with water spray at 45 degree angle for about 15 s (rinse is performed in a darkened booth with a 100 W ultraviolet lamp to ensure uniform removal of background indications); (5) dry parts for 4 min, using forced air at 71 C (160 F); (6) dip parts into dry developer powder for 3 min; (7) inspect parts within 0.4 m (15 in.) of a 100 W ultraviolet spot lamp; and (8) clean parts in industrial washer. Fluorescent Liquid Penetrant Testing of Automotive Engine Piston Figure 3 is a photograph of sectioned hemi head engine piston used in maximum performance (racing) applications. In the pristine condition, no fluorescent liquid penetrant indications are allowed in these forged aluminum alloy parts. Frequently, some polishing is required to remove surface folds etc. The most severe discontinuity is any detectable discontinuity in the three oclock to nine oclock orientation about the 28 mm piston pin hole. This disqualifies the part for use. Figure 3a shows a used piston with several indications. First, the head area shows indications in all four head-to-skirt reinforcing rib sections. These are through cracks and are probably caused by the extreme stresses from engine operation. This racing engine had more hours of run on it than would be encountered in service. Secondly, in Fig. 3b an indication 425 Various Applications of Liquid Penetrant Testing PART 4. Liquid Penetrant Testing of Automotive Parts of a through crack in the upper ring groove area (compression ring) is present for about 20 mm on the photo. Finally, there is an indication of a through crack in the bottom ring groove (oil ring) almost halfway around the piston and through the plane of the sectioning. The postemulsifiable liquid penetrant testing procedure used for these pistons included the following steps. 1. Vapor degrease at 80 C (180 F) and allow to cool to room temperature. 2. Dip part in liquid penetrant, remove and drain for 15 min. 3. Dip part in emulsifier, remove and drain for 60 s, dip part again in emulsifier, remove and drain for 60 s. 4. Wash part to remove emulsifier using warm water, at about 27 C (80 F) under moderate pressure. 5. Place part in forced heated air drying oven at 65 C (150 F) until dry. 6. Remove part from oven and apply dry developer. 7. Inspect parts under ultraviolet light for discontinuities. Fluorescent Liquid Penetrant Testing of Cars in Service Liquid penetrant testing can be used by the automotive service technician to save and reuse sound parts and to detect and discard anomalous ones. Modern automotive design features thinner sections of material, in line with higher strength-to-weight ratios and more precise fits, stemming from increased complexity in parts and systems. Increasing popularity of nonmagnetic materials aluminum, magnesium, cements, plastics and fiber glass adds to the shop problem in determining the condition of key parts. Under ultraviolet radiation, the developed liquid penetrant highlights fatigue, grinding, heat treating or casting cracks, forging laps, porosity areas or other imperfections, in brilliant color. Fluorescent Leak Testing A firm specializing in rebuilding automatic transmissions has always found it difficult to locate the source of leaks that could be either in the engine or the transmission and to make certain that there were no leaks in rebuilt engines. A wrong guess could mean taking a transmission apart in a vain effort to find 426 Liquid Penetrant Testing FIGURE 3. Fluorescent liquid penetrant indications on sectioned hemi head forged aluminum alloy engine piston: (left) through cracks in head-to-skirt reinforcing rib section; (right) through crack in compression (upper) ring groove and in oil (bottom) ring groove. Scale is in inches (1.0 in. = 25.4 mm). FIGURE 4. Fluorescent liquid penetrant testing of racing wheel: (a) test station; (b) indication under ultraviolet radiation. (a) (b) a leak, which would later turn up in the engine. Leaking rebuilt units mean lost time and extra cost. The high intensity ultraviolet radiation beam is used to examine the underside of cars to determine the source of any leak. The appearance of oil under ultraviolet radiation gives the answer: transmission oil appears purple and engine oil brown. Fluorescent liquid penetrant additives that can be added to the oil in the automotive crankcase or transmission are also available. These additives produce a bright fluorescent indication at the point of the leak exit when inspected with ultraviolet radiation. Parts that go into rebuilt transmissions are sprayed with fluorescent liquid penetrant on one side, then inspected on the other side under ultraviolet radiation. Liquid penetrant soaks through the leaks and reveals them by brilliant fluorescent indications. Maintenance Inspection of Open Wheel Racing Cars 13 In 1965, the Nondestructive Testing Committee of the United States Auto Club (USAC) was formed for the inspection of cars participating in the Indianapolis 500 formula race. The committee has written specifications for formula racers and the United States Auto Club has mandated that all a cars critical components transmission, steering, suspension, wheels be inspected before the car is permitted on the track. In maintenance of formula racing cars, liquid penetrant testing is used to inspect aluminum and magnesium brackets, aluminum and magnesium gear box housings, magnesium wheels and aluminum pistons. Figure 4 shows the application of liquid penetrant testing to a racing wheel. Nondestructive Testing of Magnesium Wheels of Open Wheel Racing Cars 14 The following procedure shall apply to the inspection of magnesium wheels (Fig. 5) as required by the competition rules of the United States Auto Club. Linear Indications All surfaces shall be free of linear indications and free of linearly disposed rounded indications where there are four or more rounded indications in a line and each is separated from the adjacent indications by less than 1.6 mm (0.063 in.). Rounded indications are any indications that are circular or elliptical with the long axis less than three times that of the other axis. Linear indications are lines, continuous or broken, and may be caused by cracks or other serious discontinuities such as cold shuts or misruns in castings and such as laps or bursts in forgings. Cluster Porosity and Microshrinkage Cluster porosity or microshrinkage shall not exceed 13 mm (0.5 in.) square and the frequency of the indications in the affected area must be less than 50 percent of the area. Cluster indications on the opposite side must not exceed 6 mm (0.25 in.) square in area and the frequency of indications must not exceed 50 percent of the area. These cluster porosity or microshrinkage indications are acceptable when they are not within 13 mm (0.5 in.) of a bolt hole, rim edge or spokes or of any radius on the wheel configuration. Porosity Scattered indications of porosity up to 1.6 mm (0.063 in.) maximum in diameter and individual (isolated) indications of porosity up to 4.8 mm (0.19 in.) maximum in diameter are acceptable. Parts with discontinuities that can be removed by a suitable blending procedure while still maintaining minimum wall thickness in the affected area will be accepted after retest. Indication Evaluation Rounded indications that exceed the specified class level when invoked for the specific component shall be cause for rejection. Linear indications that exceed the specified class level when invoked for the specific component shall be cause for rejection. If allowed by the specific procedure, indications may be evaluated by wiping the indication with a solvent dampened swab, allowing the area to dry, and by redeveloping. Redevelopment time shall be as long as the original development time. If no indication reappears, the original indication is considered false. This procedure may be performed twice for any given original indication. When allowed by the specific examination procedure, discontinuities may be removed by an approved procedure such as sanding, either powered or manual, or grinding to determine the depth and extent of the discontinuities. After the mechanical operation, the area shall be cleaned, etched (if permitted) and reinspected. The process used for reinspection shall be at least as sensitive as the original process. 427 Various Applications of Liquid Penetrant Testing Caution Wheels must be free of surface contamination (especially in the bead seat area) that would prevent liquid penetrant from entering any discontinuities. Special attention should be given to areas of highest stress such as the pin drive holes in the hub and the junction of the spokes to the web, with both the hub and the rim. The attached sketch is an example of the inner wheel area only. The entire wheel is to be inspected using the same accept/reject criteria. Marking of parts shall be per specifications. This procedure is not intended to limit the type or amount of testing performed. It is recommended that, whenever practical, further testing be conducted to reveal any potentially harmful internal discontinuities and surface anomalies. 428 Liquid Penetrant Testing FIGURE 5. Fluorescent liquid penetrant indications in magnesium wheel of open wheel racing car. Cluster Linear Rounded Linear Cluster Linear disposed rounded each space less than 1.6 mm (0.06 in.) Linear Linear Cluster Linear (cluster) Linear Cluster not to exceed 6.3 mm (0.25 in.) diameter on one side and 13 mm (0.5 in.) diameter on the other Causes of Cracks in Plastic Products Cracks in molded organic resins or plastics can result from stresses set up in the molding process or in cooling, handling or assembly operations, as well as from chemical environments. Inservice cracking of plastics can also result from mechanical shock and electrical and thermal loads. These discontinuities in a broad spectrum of plastic components can easily be detected by liquid penetrant testing. This method has been applied to the design and processing of such plastic products as electronic insulators, business machine housings, plastic pipe, small gears and bearings, tetrafluoroethylene sheet, phenolic resin parts and switch housings for high altitude aircraft and missiles. Reasons for Testing of Plastics Nondestructive testing has become a tool of increasing value for industries that produce plastic products. Tests are used with three different philosophies, each having a different principal objective. One approach is for quality assurance, testing for discontinuities to ensure that the final product is as free as possible from discontinuities that would interfere with its satisfactory performance. This objective alone justifies a large effort and expenditure for inspection and testing equipment. But, if applied only to this end, much of what can be realized from testing is lost. The second philosophy includes quality assurance but adds to it this important concept. By applying nondestructive tests on new materials and at various strategic times during processing, an actual dollar profit will result and at the same time, the original objective will still be reached. The basic principle is to use nondestructive testing at such times that the tests locate anomalous material as soon as it becomes anomalous and then remove this material from further processing before additional work has been performed. Thus, production personnel time is devoted to producing usable products and not to producing a product already anomalous, which would be rejected as scrap on final testing. Liquid penetrant testing, along with other nondestructive tests, is used for this objective in most industries. The third philosophy, which results in substantial returns, simply uses systematically the information developed under the first two. By tabulating and analyzing the nature and times of occurrence of the various discontinuities, found during manufacture, raw materials may be better selected, designs improved and processes corrected to the end that the incidence of discontinuities is reduced or eliminated, production costs lowered and the service life of the product extended. When liquid penetrants are used to find cracks that develop in service, the prime purpose is to avoid failures during operation, with their resultant losses. By intelligent use of data on location and character of discontinuities, permanent improvement in materials and designs can be made if the information is fed back to the proper places. Selection of Liquid Penetrants for Tests of Plastics Water washable liquid penetrants, postemulsifiable liquid penetrants and water base liquid penetrants, both fluorescent and visible dye, are the basic types used in nondestructive testing of plastic materials. In addition, filtered particle testing is used on porous materials, including some reinforced plastics. No special techniques are required in most plastics applications, except that care must be taken that the plastic in question is not attacked by the liquids used in the particular liquid penetrant system being considered. In those cases where standard liquid penetrants and plastics are incompatible, several special formulations have been made to handle the testing problem. 429 Various Applications of Liquid Penetrant Testing PART 5. Liquid Penetrant Testing of Plastic Materials Fluorescent Water Washable Liquid Penetrants Molded phenolic resin parts for electrical components such as distributor caps and switch housings are examined for cracks using the standard water wash liquid penetrant formula, because this type of plastic is unaffected by most liquids. Indications are in the form of minute molding cracks. An interesting type of molded product is made by precision molding a mixture of mica and glass (glass bonded mica) into complex parts, many of which are used for electrical insulating purposes such as tube sockets and coil forms. Liquid penetrant testing has shown indications of cracks in glass bonded mica insulators. Another application of water wash fluorescent testing is the plastic switch housings used in high altitude aircraft and missiles. Switching components housed in a plastic case are of pure silver and gold, so that they can be stored for long periods of time without problems of damage and corrosion. Because moisture entering the housing will affect the switching components, no cracks can be tolerated. Another application of water wash liquid penetrants is in checking the bond in printed circuit boards. Visible Dye Liquid Penetrants Color contrast liquid penetrants are also used successfully in many plastic testing applications. Cracks that occur in plastics are usually clean and easy to find with liquid penetrants. Color contrast liquid penetrants are used to test sheets of tetrafluoroethylene resin for surface characteristics such as degree of porosity. Lack of bond between inserts or reinforcements in molded plastics is another use in this field; an example is the testing of the edges of thick canvas phenolic resin sheets for lack of bond between resin and reinforcements. Interpretation of Glass Bonded Mica and Ceramoplastics Glass bonded mica products are formed by pressure blending powdered glass and mica into electrical insulators. The resultant mixture becomes a workable material called glass bonded mica that combines the advantages of low loss factor and high dielectric strength while eliminating the major deficiencies of the brittleness of glass and the weak structural homogeneity of mica. Glass bonded mica and ceramoplastics, a blend of powdered glass with synthetic mica, are used in making many types of insulated electronic devices. Depending on the type, the material can be precision molded to size, compression molded in sheets for fabrication or machined in the plant. The precision molding operation is extremely critical, because small variations in temperatures or pressure can cause the parts to crack. It is difficult to predict the exact requirements for a given job. Fluorescent liquid penetrant testing detects the cracked parts. With previous test techniques, the parts were molded and annealed. Only at the end of an 8 h annealing was the first check on product quality obtained. Until they had been put through annealing, there was no way of knowing to what extent the pieces would be free of failure because of knit lines and cracks. The liquid penetrant process is used to determine in advance whether or not the pieces will be good after they have come through the annealer. The molding cycle can be modified until the desired results are obtained. No time is wasted on further processing of anomalous parts. This control process gives a high percentage of good parts, whereas the old process might produce a total loss for the 8 h run. 430 Liquid Penetrant Testing 1. Swann, L.K. NDT Afloat The Development of Nondestructive Testing at Newport News Shipbuilding (Yesteryears). Materials Evaluation. Vol. 44, No. 8. Columbus, OH: American Society for Nondestructive Testing (July 1986): p 908-911. 2. ASTM E 165, Standard Test Method for Liquid Penetrant Examination. West Conshohocken, PA: American Society for Testing and Materials (1995). 3. NAVSEA Technical Publication T9074, Requirements for Nondestructive Testing Methods. Philadelphia, PA: Naval Inventory Control Point (April 1997). 4. MIL-STD-2035, Nondestructive Testing Acceptance Criteria [superseding NAVSHIPS 0900-003-8000]. Washington, DC: United States Department of Defense. 5. MIL-STD-1689A, Fabrication, Welding, and Inspection of Ships Structure [superseding MIL-STD-1689, December 1983]. Washington, DC: United States Department of Defense (November 1990). 6. NAVSHIPS 250-1500-1, Welding Standard. Washington, DC: United States Department of Defense, Naval Sea Systems Command (revised 1993; accepted June 1995). 7. MIL-STD-2132A, Nondestructive Examination Requirements for Special Applications [superceding MIL-STD-2132, January 1981]. Washington, DC: United States Department of Defense (March 1985). 8. Naval Ships Technical Manual (NSTM). Washington, DC: United States Department of Defense. 9. NAVSEA 59086-54-STM-010/CH556, Naval Ships Technical Manual. Chapter 556, Hydraulic Equipment (Power Transmission and Control). Washington, DC: United States Department of Defense (August 1997). 10. 46 CFR 56, Piping Systems and Appurtenances. [Code of Federal Regulations: Title 46, Shipping.] Washington, DC: United States Department of Transportation, United States Coast Guard; United States Government Printing Office (1995). 11. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. New York, NY: American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 12. Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels. Paramus, NJ: American Bureau of Shipping. 13. Monks, G. and L. Niro. NDT A Critical Procedure in Indy-Style Auto Racing. Materials Evaluation. Vol. 45, No. 10. Columbus, OH: American Society for Nondestructive Testing (1987): p 1154-1156. 14. Nondestructive Testing Manual. Indianapolis, IN: United States Auto Club (1994). 431 Various Applications of Liquid Penetrant Testing References
Strength of Metals and Alloys (ICSMA 7): Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on the Strength of Metals and Alloys, Montreal, Canada, 12–16 August 1985
Mechanisms of Deformation and Fracture: Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary Conference Held at the University of Luleå, Luleå, Sweden, September 20-22, 1978