Examples of Blue Light Use in NDT

 

NDT (non-destructive testing) practitioners can use blue light (NIGHTSEA Xite-RB, replacement for the earlier BlueLine NDT Model FL5000) in a variety of ways to improve performance and productivity in NDT-related applications. Since these are not final inspection applications they are generally not constrained by code requirements.

Reduce rework bouncebacks

“The FL5000 light we purchased is working above our expectation. It is cutting our rework time in half.”

NDT inspectors are the final gatekeepers before a product is shipped. Occasionally they find something that needs rework. In most cases the inspector marks the indication with a circle or other mark and send the piece back to the grinders/welders. The rework crew can only see the mark and not the actual indication, so the work doesn’t always get done perfectly the first time. The result? – parts bouncing back and forth between the inspection booth and the shop floor.

Blue light with the Xite-RB lets rework personnel see exactly what they need to work on. Shop-rugged, no power cord to drag around, and instant-on performance make it easy to use whenever and wherever it’s needed. The high intensity and unique blinking mode make indications easy to see in normal shop floor lighting. If grinding is required, the light can be used to check if the grinding has gone far enough.

Rework gets done faster and better, and the part gets out the door sooner – good for the bottom line.

 

Workflow management

Blue light is being put to use for workflow management on the shop floor. A supervisor scans the parts that have left inspection and are waiting for rework, aided by the Xite-RB’s portability. Different rework personnel have different strengths, and once the supervisor has seen the indications they can make a better match between the job to be done and the person to do it.

 

Show your observations to others

You may do your inspection in the dark, but sometimes you need to show your results to supervisors, co-workers, clients, or others. The NIGHTSEA blue lights can be used on the shop floor, in conference rooms, even outdoors.

 

Don’t leave it all up to the final inspection – save time with pre-screening

In some cased acceptance inspection is not performed by in-house personnel, but by contracted inspectors on an as-needed basis. Rather than waiting for the NDT professionals to show up, some companies are now doing their own pre-inspection with mag particles and blue light. Any indications they find can be reworked before the inspection team arrives, saving inspection time and improving overall throughput. Since this is an informational inspection it is not governed by code – the final acceptance inspection is still done by the contracted professionals.

 

Enhance visible light inspection with dual use particles

Visible light magnetic particles are often used in applications where creating dark conditions is impractical or where the users don’t want to bother with the hassles of ultraviolet lights. Some of these particles are visible-only, while others are termed ‘dual use’ or ‘daylight fluorescent’. The blue light can bring out that fluorescence, greatly increasing the particle contrast. You get the increased sensitivity of fluorescence, but the convenience of working under visible light conditions. The simplicity of the BlueLine system lets you add the contrast-enhancing fluorescence component with ease.