Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection System Performance Test Using Known

Defect Standards

Most specifications state a requirement for conducting

this check, but do not provide a procedure.
A chrome plated strip approximately 44.5 mm wide x 0.076 mm thick (1.75 x 0.003 in.)
covers the length of the panel, and the remaining area is a grit blasted surface of
medium roughness used for determining penetrant material's washability. The chrome
plated strip contains five cracked centers evenly spaced at 25 mm (1 in.) apart (Figure
1). These cracked centers are in circular patterns, and vary in size from about 3.8 to 6.3
mm (0.015-0.25 in.) in diameter, and are arranged in order of magnitude. The cracks
may disseminate from the center in a star burst or a linear pattern. Panel manufacturers
also provide Tam panels for which the chrome strip has been lightly grit blasted. These
types of Tam panels are recommended when parts or components with rough surfaces
are to be liquid penetrant inspected.

Figure 1 - Tam panel showing fuorescent indication sizes.

Although neither MIL-STD-6866 nor ASTM E 1417 specify the type of known defect
standards to be used for the system performance check, several aerospace
specifications require the use of Tam panels for this function. These specifications
require that penetrant inspection materials exhibit a specified number of indications
based on their respective sensitivity level (Table 1).
Table 1 Sensitivity level and indications required for materials
Sensitivity
level

Minimum No.
of Indications

Low

Two largest

Normal

Three largest

High

Four largest

Ultra high

All five

Discussion
Some of the most common oversights sustained by penetrant inspection facilities using
Tam panels are:

not qualifying (calibrating) the panels prior to use, and

misunderstanding their applicability.

Qualification
Upon receipt, if the panels have not been serialized by the manufacturer, the inspection
(purchaser) facility should serialize each panel and designate two panels (working and
master) for each type and sensitivity level of penetrant in use. The certificate
accompanying the Tam panels from the manufacturer does not state the actual sizes of
the indications. This certificate will attest only that the panel meets the requirements of
Tam Drawing 146040. The exception is the Five Star NDT certification which does state
the actual sizes. Nonetheless, the inspection facility should qualify (calibrate) the Tam
panel by processing it with unused penetrant materials of the type and sensitivity for the
panel's intended use, measuring the longest line of each fluorescent indication under
the appropriate ultraviolet illumination, and recording the measurement.
The measurements may be direct, using an optical comparator, caliper with the tips
coated with a fluorescent paint, stereoscopic microscope with a reticule and fluorescent
lighting background, or any other reliable method, and shall be recorded on a suitable
form for subsequent use. The same line should be measured to ensure repeatability,
especially during the periodic degradation check (Table 2). The measurements will
confirm that the panel's indications meet the minimum sizes as required by the drawing,
and should be used to establish a baseline for the periodic degradation check. This
degradation check is required by several aerospace primes to determine whether the
panel's ability to exhibit the indications has deteriorated.

Table 2

Photographs (with a scale) of the indications have been recommended by some, but it
is a less reliable method for one-to-one comparison purposes, or for degradation
checks.
Degradation Check
ASTM E 1417 states that the "maintenance procedures shall assure that cleaning of the
standards between usages is adequate and that physical changes in the standard that
make it unsuitable for use can be detected."
This can be accomplished by periodically (at least monthly) reprocessing the panels
with unused penetrant materials and comparing the sizes to the initial sizes taken when
the panel was first received.
A practical tolerance should be allowed for gain or loss of indication sizes. Several
facilities are using a tolerance of approximately 30 percent from the initial
measurements. These measurements are also to be used during the system
performance tests in order to evaluate:

a drastic change of the penetrant inspection system's Performance. This

change may be due to the penetrant or the emulsifier becoming
contaminated, improper use of developers, improper dwell times, improper
emulsifier concentrations, improper washing parameters, or excessive
temperatures.
the Tam panels indications (crack centers) have degraded. This
degradation may be evidenced by a decrease or increase in indication
size. A decrease may be due to contamination with residue penetrant
materials, excessive handling (skin oils), and improper washing, after each
use. An increase in crack sizes may be due to thermal shock (excessive
drying, overheating) or by simply dropping the panel on a hard surface.

Misunderstanding
The system performance is the requirement for the penetrant inspection system
(materials, washing, lighting equipment, operator's techniques, etc.) to be able to
demonstrate its capability to exhibit the indications (quantity, sizes, and brilliance) of the
known defect standard (Tam panel) on a continuing (reliable) basis. Several inspection

facilities have misinterpreted this requirement. They are under the assumption that a
level 2 sensitivity penetrant is required only to exhibit the three largest indications during
the system performance test; whereas during the initial qualification (calibration) of the
Tam panel, and occasionally during daily system checks, up to five indications may
have been exhibited. If the system cannot demonstrate repeatability, regardless of the
number of indications required by the specifications, then the penetrant inspection
system should be considered suspect.
The number of indications required by the specifications are the minimums for that
sensitivity level of penetrant, not the minimum for the penetrant inspection system.
If the system is not, therefore, able to exhibit the same number of indications found
during the initial qualification, then the panel should be thoroughly cleaned and
reprocessed. If, after reprocessing, the required indications are still not evident, then the
master panel for that level of penetrant should be processed and its current indications
compared with its respective initial indications.
If the master panel fails to exhibit the required indications, then an investigation and
corrective action is warranted. The investigation may include an assessment of impact
on inspections, processes, and parts or components.
Penetrant Sensitivity Tests
MIL-STD-6866 and ASTM E 1417 require inspection facilities to compare unused with
in-use penetrant materials on a monthly basis by processing both materials in order to
demonstrate that there is no significant difference between them. The acceptance
criteria in both standards states "sensitivity of the used penetrant noticeably less than
the reference is unsatisfactory." "Noticeable difference" should mean not only the
number of indications seen, but also the size and brilliance of the indications. Although
both standards state that the sensitivity test shall be conducted using the same
procedures used for performing the system performance test, they do not state what
type of known defect standards are to be used. Several NDT facilities, including certain
penetrant testing laboratories, are using Tam panels for conducting the sensitivity test.
Concern
Tam panel manufacturers state on the brochures accompanying the panels that:

"No two Tam panels are identical. Crack patterns vary from panel to panel,
as chrome plate properties and thickness cannot be precisely controlled,"
and
"... nor is the panel a sensitivity comparison tool: it does not replace the
NiCr panels."

It is not, therefore, practical to use Tam panels for this test unless the criterion adopted
is simply the number of indications found with used materials compared with the
number found with unused materials. If the facility conducting this test is attempting to
validate the number, sizes, and brightness of the indications by using Tam panels, then

it stands to reason that by comparing panel against panel the user will always detect a
noticeable difference and therefore is required to reject the used materials every time
the test is conducted.
Resolution
The known defect standards which would give a more convincing evaluation (side by
side comparison) of the monthly sensitivity tests are the nickel chromium (NiCr) panels;
(See Figure 2). These panels are made from a 2 mm thick x 100 mm long 71 mm wide
(0.079 x 3.94 x 2.8 in.) brass plate. A nickel plating is applied to the brass plate, which is
then flashed or plated with a thin layer of chromium. The panel's plating is then cracked
by applying tension parallel to the long dimension. The cracks do not extend into the
brass base. The depth of the cracks is equal to the thickness of the plating, allowing for
an accurate control of crack size. After the panel is cracked, it is cut lengthwise, thus
allowing for two panels with identical cracks running across its width.

Figure 2 - A nickle-chromium (NiCr) panel showing its construction.

These panels may be purchased with crack depth in several sizes (measured in
micrometers[m]) depending on the manufacturer and level of penetrant sensitivity to be
tested. The sizes and respective sensitivity levels are given in Table 3.
Table 3 Size and sensitivity levels for NiCr panels
Sensitivity level
1

40 m

20 or 30 m

10 m

NiCr panel sizes

50 m

One of the panels is to be processed with in-use penetrant material and the
accompanying panel is processed with the unused (reference) penetrant material and
observed side by side under the proper ultraviolet illumination for overall brightness,
color, and presence or absence of the indications. Any noticeable difference between
the materials shall be cause for investigation.
Conclusion
Penetrant inspection facilities should be informed of and be required to:

qualify (calibrate) all Tam panels immediately after purchasing to confirm

the number and actual sizes of the star burst/linear indications, and not
use the drawing sizes for the periodic degradation check.
compare the Tam panels indications during the System Performance Test
against those obtained during the initial calibration.
not compare Tam panel against (working vs. master) Tam panel since no
two panels are alike; rather to compare the Tam panel against its
respective initial calibration sizes.
demonstrate repeatability of the same number of indications found during
the initial Tam panel calibration regardless of the penetrant sensitivity level
during the periodic System Performance Test.
not use Tam panels for the monthly sensitivity test for comparing used with
unused penetrant materials.