New Fluorescent Liquid Penetrant Line

This month, Solar Atmospheres of Western PA officially launched its Fluorescent Liquid Penetrant (FLP) testing line which is capable of testing up to 40 foot long parts.  This crane accessible operation is run by in-house level 2 inspectors (IAW NAS410 Rev. 3) and includes a 36×3 wash tank with a 10×12 inspection booth.  Michael Johnson, Solar Atmospheres Sales Manager, expects the line to assist our customers by offering a more diverse and capable service line.  This FLP line is another way we can ensure quality and give our customers more value added processing at the same time.

Fluorescent penetrant inspection is a method of inspecting materials for cracks or indications after the heat treating process.  This high sensitivity application is used to determine defects in heat treated parts by using a darkened atmosphere and fluorescent dye.  The dye is attracted to defects in the weldments via capillary action giving a visual alert to the inspector that there is a crack in that particular area.