NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING (NDT)

LAB SHEET

Non Destructive Testing (NDT) is an important technique for examining finished components to
detect flaws (cracks, defects ….) without any damaging to the component. It is frequently used
in industry to test critical and important components before they are put into service.

Many NDT techniques are available and can be carried out “on and off-site”. With some
techniques, negative results maybe obtained on a component. This does not mean the
component is necessarily free from defects. It may mean they cannot be detected by the
technique being used.

In this lab experiment, several NDT techniques will be demonstrated to you. These include
microscopic examination, dye penetrant, ultrasonic testing, and magnetic particle testing. You
will need to take notes of the testing procedures involved and make some sketches of your
observations in each test.

1. Visual Examination
Clean each component with a suitable solvent. Examine each specimen in turn by eye.

2. Microscopic Examination
Examine each component, in turn, under the binocular microscope at magnifications from x10
to x40. Ensure the illumination is set correctly. Try to estimate the width of the cracks if present.
Place a ruler alongside the cracks and measure the lengths and widths.

3. Dye Penetrant
Cracks and fissures near the surface can be detected by the careful application of coloured dyes,
which are chosen to show a high degree of contrast. The dye penetrant is made up of a
“developer” and “fixer”.

4.Ultrasonic Testing
A radio wave of fixed frequency (between 0.5 and 15 MHz) is transmitted through a component.
Defects cause the wave to be reflected, which can be measured by a probe. This technique can
be used to detect internal, as well as surface flaws.

Ensure the surfaces of the component are well covered with lubricating oil to provide contact
between the specimen and the probe. Test each component as instructed. Note your
observations including the positions and sizes of the defects.

5. Magnetic Particle
This technique is used to detect surface and subsurface (near surface) flaws in ferromagnetic
materials such as iron and steels. Before the test, the component surface is covered with a thin
layer of iron fillings or particles. An electromagnetic field is then induced around the component.
Iron particles will accumulate at the surface or near surface crack.

Logsheet on NDT:
Complete the logsheets overleaf and submit via the Blackboard.
 ENGD2007: Strength of Materials

NDT Assignment: Nondestructive Testing (NDT)

Name: Nizamuddin Patel

Date: 08/12/2016

Instructions

1. Attend the lab session

2. Conduct some research
3. Answer the following questions. This work counts towards 10% of CW in Term 1.
4. Submit this logsheet via the Blackboard by 10.00 pm, next week Thursday.

Learning outcomes

1) Familiarize with various NDT techniques

2) Understanding facture mechanics and the importance of NDT

Answer the following questions:

1. Briefly explain the limitations of visual inspection and microscopic techniques.

Visual Examination is the most basic of NDT techniques. It can only detect large visible
faults or cracks within the material. It is limited by the sight of the observer and the
observer will be unable to see small cracks or see how deep the crack is. Also, only surface
cracks are visible and any cracks within the material cannot be seen.

The Microscopic Examination is using a microscope on low power (X5 – X40) to detect
surface cracks. The problem is that the equipment has high costs; the microscope costs
approximately £1000. Also, it can only detect surface cracks, not cracks within which are
hidden. Furthermore, the higher the magnification, the flatter is the surface required in
order to view the material properly.
2. List the steps in dye penetrant technique.

The Dye-Penetrant Test is the most widely used from the NDT techniques. Its process is
as follows:

a. Firstly, an evaporative cleaner should be used in order to clean the material and
to leave it dry to be tested.
b. Next, the red liquid dye should be sprayed onto the surface of the material which
needs to be tested.
c. Then it should be left for a minute to soak where the voids/bores will draw in the
dye by process of ‘Capillary action’ (the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces
without the assistance of, or even in opposition to, external forces)
d. Next, the dye should all be wiped off with a cloth.
e. Next, a developer (a dry powder suspended in a liquid propellant) should be used
onto the surface of the material. (it is a spray so it can be also used on horizontal
surfaces)
f. There will be red marks on the material which indicate where the bores/voids are;
the more ink visible, the deeper the void.
g. Finally, the observer can be wiped off to clean.

3. In ultrasonic testing, how can you tell there is a flaw in the material and how can you
determine the location and size of the flaw?

In Ultrasonic testing, a flaw can be detected in materials than can transmit sound. The
material should be measured and noted. The ultrasonic tester will have a screen with
squares and a scale to show the length of each square. An example of this is if the
material is 100mm long and the ultrasonic tester shows a final line after 10 squares
(ignore other lines for now if there are any). This means that each square represents
10mm. then the ultrasonic pulser should be moved around on the oil coated surface (oil
coated so the initial ultrasonic waves can mostly pass through and not all reflect back at
the first surface). This should be passed across the material and the screen should be
observed so if any lines appear between the 1st square and the 10th square, it indicates
that there is a flaw there. This location should be noted. Then the pulser should continue
until the line is no longer visible on the screen. The difference between the two lines is
the size of the flaw.

4. Can you use magnetic particles technique to inspect aluminium castings? Explain.

The Magnetic Particles technique cannot be used to inspect aluminium castings because
it requires the material to be an iron based material for example, steel. This is because
Aluminium is not iron based, therefore not magnetic. A magnetic material is required
because a current is passed through the material which generates a magnetic field. Any
discontinuity in the material allows the magnetic flux to leak. Ferrous particles in a liquid
suspension are applied and are attracted to the areas where there is a leakage of
magnetic flux. This is visible and shows all the surface (and few near-surface) flaws.
 5. Briefly explain what Eddy current is and how it can be used in NDT.

Eddy Currents are electromagnetic currents that when generated, travels near the
surface of a material. The presence of a defect on the surface or near the surface of a
material causes a change in the phase and amplitude that is detected.

6. The upper sections of the Blackpool Tower need inspection to detect any possible surface
and internal flaws developed over the years. How can this inspection be done and which
NDT technique would you suggest and why?

The upper sections of the Tower should be inspected using ultrasonic testing. This is
because ultrasonic testing can detect surface and internal flaws. It can also detect the
location and size of these flaws irrespective of their orientation so that the decision of
repair can be made and the correct parts of the tower can be replaced. Also, ultrasonic
testing requires access to only one side of the material which means that no structures
or lifts need to be used outside the tower as all the testing can be done from the inside.
The thickness of the walls does not take longer to test than thin materials. Other NDT
techniques would not match these criteria as they do not detect faults that lie far below
the surface.

7. A surface crack of 10 mm long is detected by dye penetrant testing in an airplane

component made of an aluminium alloy having a plain strain fracture toughness of
25MPa m . Is it safe to use the component if the maximum applied stress is 100 MPa?

𝐾𝐼𝐶 = 25𝑀𝑃𝑎 √𝑚

𝐾 = 𝑌𝜎√𝑎𝜋
𝑎 = 10𝑚𝑚 = 10 × 10−3
𝜎 = 100𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑌 = 1.1 (𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑘)
𝐾 = (1.1) × (100) × √10 × 10−3 × 𝜋

𝐾 = 19.497𝑀𝑃𝑎 √𝑚
KIC> K , no fracture

It is safe to use the component because the value of K is less than the value of K IC. This means
that the component will not fracture.