Vol. 8, No. 1 • January 2009Penetrant system monitoring or PSM-5 TAM (testing and monitoring) panels that are used to establish system baseline and system performance checks in a fluorescent penetrant system shall always be placed in a near upright position during processing, with the largest starburst “E” at the top position. They shall not lie flat. The placement of TAM panels in this near upright position enables excess surface penetrant to flow down or drain off from the TAM panels during the specified dwell and drain time.
We fabricated a steel holder to hold TAM panels in place so that they stand at a 70 deg angle during processing. This angle is fixed for all steel holders used in our facility. A simple and effective design, the steel holder offers these advantages. Elimination of false indications on TAM panels caused by contaminated gloves and improper handling during processing stages. Inspectors no longer need to handle or hold the TAM panels directly. Instead, they grasp the handles of the steel holders when moving the TAM panels from one station to another. Results obtained are repeatable since the holder eliminates variations in positioning of TAM panels by different inspectors. Placing TAM panels in a “near upright position” reduces the drag-out of penetrant from the dip tank and allows most of the excess surface penetrant to drain back into the tank during the specified dwell and drain time. Resulting background fluorescence is more consistent, especially when using water-washable penetrants.
Charlie Toh Tiong Heng
Eagle Services Asia
NDT Specialist
Singapore
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