¿Por qué ASTM E3022 requiere un filtro para lámparas UV LED?

Conozca la función y la importancia de los filtros de paso UV-A, y por qué la

ASTM E3022 requiere que todas las lámparas LED UV los tengan.

Learn about the function and importance of UV-A pass filters, and why
ASTM E3022 requires all LED UV lamps to have them
September 12, 2017 | by David Geis, Product Manager (updated)

Without UV-A FILTER With UV-A FILTER

The quick answer to, «Why should a LED UV black light have a UV-A pass filter?»
is because UV-A pass filters reduce glare and increase contrast of fluorescent
indications. Which makes fluorescent inspection easier, faster and more reliable.

In this article, we will explain why a UV-A pass filter is needed, and how the pass
filter works to create better UV irradiation for nondestructive testing inspection.

Why do LED UV lamps need a filter?

From a technical point of view, ASTM defines UV-A as 320-400 nm, and visible
light as 400-760 nm. The emission spectrum of an UV-A LED is a single peak in
the 360-370 nm range. But this is not a tight, sharp peak, and at the tail end of
the emission spectrum you get measurable emission above 400 nm.
Tail emission above 400 nm is a very small amount of light compared to the bright
UV-A peak, but it is visible as a deep violet glow on the surface.

Using a calibrated laboratory spectroradiometer, tail emissions can be measured

and characterized by the UV lamp manufacturer. However, the standard NDT
visible light meters which are typically used to check ambient light in an inspection
area are not capable of accurately measuring tail emissions; abnormally high
readings may be seen even when the actual visible light levels are below 2 ft-
candles or 20 lux.

How a UV-A Pass Filter Works

Instead of creating an all-new method for fluorescent NDT practitioners to monitor

their LED UV-A lamps, ASTM E3022 requires the UV lamp manufacturer to
include a UV-A pass filter in each LED UV lamp. The pass filter acts to remove
tail emissions above 400 nm, which eliminates the accuracy issue with NDT
visible light meters.

Since tail emission is visible as deep violet light, adding the UV-A pass filter
eliminates the glare and makes the background of the part surface darker. This
increases contrast between fluorescent indications and the darkened part surface
when using fluorescent magnetic particle or penetrant techniques.

Glare can also mask small indications, and the inspector may need to reposition
the part multiple times to view the entire surface. Elimination of glare simplifies
part handling and saves time during inspection.

In high volume production, small changes can multiply into large

improvements. Faster detection means more parts inspected during a shift. A few
seconds of improvement can mean the difference between NDT acting as a
bottleneck and smooth-running operations.

What to consider when looking for a new UV-A

light for fluorescent penetrant testing or
magnetic particle inspection
By David Geis, Product Manager
The general lighting industry has embraced LEDs as the preferred technology of
choice over incandescent and fluorescent bulbs due to higher flexibility and fewer
safety concerns. However, the nondestructive testing community has trailed in
adoption of LEDs due to the special lighting requirements and challenges posed
by fluorescent methods such as liquid penetrant testing or magnetic particle
inspections.
With regulatory exemptions for NDT expiring in recent years and advancements
in LED technology and manufacturing, high-intensity LED UV-A light sources are
now the go-to solution for NDT professionals.
While flexibility is one of the main advantages to LED technology brings to NDT,
it also means more details are required to specify the right performance for
nondestructive testing. For a lamp to be useful in fluorescent penetrant or
magnetic particle inspection, many factors must be considered.

Peak Wavelength & Emission Spectrum

Peak wavelength is the most important factor when selecting an LED lamp for
fluorescent inspection.
When the formulas for penetrants and magnetic particle materials were created,
the default UV-A source was mercury-vapor, which produce a single UV-A peak
at 365.4 nm, the elemental emission line of mercury. Therefore, all fluorescent
penetrants and magnetic particle materials are tuned to fluoresce under UV-A at
365 nm.
With LEDs, the peak wavelength is variable and depends on the individual LEDs
used when the UV lamp is manufactured. To make sure that an LED UV-A lamp
produces fluorescence in penetrants and magnetic particle materials, the LEDs
must have a peak wavelength within the range 360-370 nm.
It is also important to consider the UV-A emission spectrum since the UV-A
emission of an LED is much wider than that produced by mercury-vapor. At the
tail end the spectrum includes some emission in the visible light range above 400
nm which can be observed as a deep violet glare from the lamp. Fluorescent
penetrant and magnetic particle inspections are performed in a dark environment
to increase contrast, and visible light contamination will degrade the inspection.
For inspections to aerospace specifications, like ASTM E3022, Nadcap AC7114
and Rolls-Royce RRES 90061, this deep violet glare is not acceptable. For that
reason, any lamp used for aerospace inspection, such as the EV6000, must
include a UV-A pass filter to block visible emission.

Beam Profile & Working Distance

With LED lamps, you are not limited to a single configuration to perform all NDT
inspections. Lamps can be designed for specific applications and uses.
Lamps designed for close-up inspection will have a focused intense spot, but a
small beam area. The beam area of an LED UV-A lamp is the measure of how
much surface is above the minimum 1,000 µW/cm2 irradiance required for
inspection. To achieve a wide beam area, an array of LEDs is needed.
However, if an array is used too close to the inspection surface, patterns of bright
and dim spots will result. This is the trade-off between working distance and beam
area.
Lamps with a small beam area are useful for inspecting tight areas like holes,
weld joints, and internal surfaces. But when used on large structures, a small
beam can create “tunnel vision” where the inspector is focused on a single area
and indications just outside of the beam area can easily be missed.
A lamp with a large beam area will provide UV-A irradiation to the area peripheral
to the inspection. This allows the inspector to quickly locate and identify
fluorescent indications in the peripheral area for closer inspection.
The working distance of an LED UV-A lamp is the minimum distance required to
provide even coverage.
When placed very close to a surface, individual LEDs in an array will project
separate beams with dim areas in between. Such uneven coverage degrades the
quality of the inspection, and could lead to missed indications. But as the lamp is
moved away from the surface, the beams from individual LEDs will merge into a
smooth, even profile.
Inspection should only be performed when the lamp is positioned farther than
minimum working distance.

Power Supply

Working at low voltage, an LED UV-A lamp can operate on battery power for
several hours. This makes the lamp very portable, and field inspections become
quick and simple.
However, there is a concern with battery-powered lamps because LED intensity
is directly related to supply voltage and current. As a battery is used, the voltage
and current drops, giving a characteristic discharge curve. With an LED UV-A
lamp, this can result in decreasing intensity over time, eventually dropping below
the minimum 1,000 µW/cm2 requirements.
Advanced lamps incorporate constant-current circuits that monitor the battery
discharge. These lamps will automatically turn off if they are not able to maintain
1,000 µW/cm2 minimum intensity. Knowing the type of battery and the discharge
curve is important to ensure quality inspections with battery-powered LED UV
lamps.

Certification Requirements

Different industries have different inspection requirements and tolerances.

The aerospace NDT industry, including fluorescent penetrant and magnetic
particle inspections, have high level specifications on all aspects of the process.
After five years of study, the aerospace requirements for LED UV-A lamps were
established in ASTM E3022. This standard provides baseline performance for
lamp manufacturers to meet for use with fluorescent inspections.
An LED UV-A lamp that is certified by the manufacturer to ASTM E3022, like
the EV6000 hand-held UV lamp, is acceptable for use by all aerospace primes
and OEMs, and meets Nadcap audit criteria. However, these requirements only
apply to lamps used for final aerospace inspection. Lamps used elsewhere in the
process, such as penetrant wash or rinse stations, typically do not require full
ASTM E3022 certification.
For non-aerospace industries like welding, energy, pipeline or field inspection,
there are fewer certification requirements. More rugged industrial inspections are
often done in less-than-ideal conditions so more intense UV-A is needed to make
fluorescent indications visible. However, research has shown UV-A intensities
above 10,000 µW/cm2 at 15 inches / 38 cm can cause fading of fluorescent dyes
and pigments.
An LED lamp for industrial applications, like the newly released EV6500 dual-light
UV lamp, should include a manufacturer’s certificate of conformance that
includes the maximum UV-A intensity, regulated below 10,000 µW/cm2. The
certificate should also include peak wavelength within the range of 360-370 nm
to ensure the lamp has the proper emission spectrum to induce fluorescence.

Learn about our newest LED UV lamp for industrial NDT inspections.

LED lamps are a valuable advancement to nondestructive testing by providing

greater flexibility in design and application, and improved safety. However, there
are many considerations to choosing the right LED UV-A lamp for use in
fluorescent inspection. Factors such as emission spectrum, beam area and
power supply must be considered when using LED lamps. Certification
requirements are also a consideration for aerospace and other high-spec
industries.
By carefully considering their testing needs before investing in a LED UV lamp,
NDT professionals can be confident they are getting the right tool to help make
their fluorescent penetrant testing and magnetic particle inspections faster and
more efficient.

Published April 18, 2017