UV Lamps for Non-Destructive Testing

Magnaflux UV lamps are designed for NDT professionals looking for UV technology developed exclusively for nondestructive testing. Our line of UV lamps and LED UV lights for non-destructive examinations will help you find indications faster and more reliably.

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from AJR.

Setting the Standard for NDT UV Lamps

Magnaflux UV lamps are specifically designed for non-destructive testing. Each comes with a manufacturer&#;s certificate of conformance, proving that our products meet or exceed all current specifications for use with fluorescent liquid penetrant and magnetic particle testing. Our focus on quality, efficiency, and reliability is why customers turn to Magnaflux products for their non-destructive testing needs. Designed by industry experts, our NDT UV lamps are perfectly suited to any testing environment.

How to Select the Right UV-A Lamp for Your NDT Needs [Checklist]

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.

1. 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 E, Nadcap AC and Rolls-Royce RRES , this deep violet glare is not acceptable. For that reason, any lamp used for aerospace inspection, such as the EV, must include a UV-A pass filter to block visible emission.

Read more about why ASTM E requires a UV-A pass filter.

2. 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.

Check out Magnaflux's range of LED UV lamps for nondestructive testing.

3. 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.

4. 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 E. 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 E, like the EV 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 E 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 EV 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 Stationary LED UV Lamp for 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,

UV Applications

Products & specifications subject to change without notice.                            E. & O.E.

Advanced NDT Limited

Unit 4, Elgar Business Centre

Moseley Road

Hallow, Worcester

WR2 6NJ, UK

:

44 (0) 371 460

Possible UV applications seem to be growing by the day. Here is just a

small selection of some of the many uses and applications for our wide

range of UV Lights & UV Torches.

NDT - Non Destructive Testing

Labino Inspection UV Lights helping you to perform your testing

requirements in an efficient and safe manner.

Developed to eliminate the common problems identified in NDT

Testing, such as burning of operators from overhead lamps,

disturbance by magnetic fields and long start up times. Labino UV-

lamps make use of both MPXL and LED technologies offering a strong

performance for use with such NDT (Non Destructive Testing) methods

as Fluorescent Magnetic Particle Inspection (FMPI) and Fluorescent

Penetrant Inspection (FPI). Labino UV Inspection Lamps have been used

within Non Destructive Testing for almost 20 years. Our goal is to

constantly gather knowledge from you and use that knowledge to

develop new high performance UV Blacklight lamps to fulfil your needs.

Crime & Forensics

Labino helps you see what your eyes can&#;t see at a crime scene. At a

crime scene, fast and accurate detection of possible traces is of vital

importance. Many biological fluids are fluorescent in nature. When

such traces are illuminated with light of the right wavelength they

fluoresce and are detectable to the investigator. The degree to which

various substances become visible when using different filters depends

on the state of the substance and the surface on which the substance

exists. Deciding what light source to use to achieve the best result in

finding traces at the crime scene is an art. It takes years of experience

to learn what light to use depending on the occasion - it&#;s not an exact

science. New users using ALS (Alternative Light Sources) can of course

use combinations of light and goggles to determine the best option for

that occasion using trial and error until confidence and knowledge has

been built up. We make it possible for each user to put together their

own unique ALS kit. No crime scene looks the same. No crime scene

investigator uses the same method, but we can all share experiences

and learn from each other. Labino does offer professional training in

using light at a crime scene. All their trainings are held by Crime Scene

Investigators.

Further Information on Forensic Lighting and application can be found here.

Curing & Coating Applications

Curing with UV when time, perfection and safety is a given priority.

Curing using UV Light

Curing with high intensity UV light is used to instantly dry inks, coatings,

and adhesives. The process is based on a photochemical reaction, when

liquid monomers and oligomers are mixed with photo initiators, and

exposed to the UV light. UV curing is used in many industries including

automotive, electronics, telecommunications, graphic arts, converting

and metal, glass and plastic decorating. The UV curing process has many

advantages over traditional drying methods in terms of production time,

number of errors, manufacturing space, and environmental issues.

Depth-curing with UV radiation, at wavelengths between 300-400 nm

give the best results. The method gives very short curing times to

handling strength as well as low heat generation and energy

consumption.

Curing Silicon with SuperXenon at low temperature

Many silicone products are cured using UV light for electronic display

applications. During such process the curing time must be very short

and the temperature as low as possible. The actual curing time is

determined based on the distance between the light source and the

surface as well as the thickness and dimensions of the silicon applied. 

UV inspection of coatings on electronics

Most PCBs manufactured are sealed with some kind of coating. Either

for moisture protection, water protection or other kinds of sealing. It is

of utter importance that the coating is applied in a correct way on the

PCB, covering the components it is intended to. Some components are

crucial to cover, others must not be covered. All coatings are clear and

very difficult to see with the naked eye. The majority of all coatings

fluoresce under 365 nm and become visual to the human eye. Inspecting

the PCB with Labino ultra violet light ensures that the coating has been

applied correctly.

Lighting Effects

Illumination with UV Light

UV-Light combined with fluorescent colours creates special lighting

effects. These colours can be in the form of spray paint, make-up,

colourful clothing, as well as special fluorescent liquid mixed with water.

Ultraviolet light is invisible to the human eye and only the fluorescent

material glows when UV-illuminated - everything else will remain dark.

This is a very effective way of highlighting small or large details on a dark

stage. In contrast, if white light (visible light) is used to highlight small or

large details, everything that is hit by the white light will be illuminated.

The Labino lamps (LED and MPXL) produce such a powerful

concentration of UV-light that they can be mounted high above the stage

or arena, where the normal white light lamps are mounted. This in turn

enables lighting designers at theme parks or other stage productions

the possibility of creating staggering special effects. Labino lamps are

currently used at several Disney parks. Thanks to their light weight and

small size, Labino UV-lamps are also easy to mount and can be placed

wherever the effect is optimized. As Labino UV-lamps are of industrial

quality and IP65 approved (IP68 for MB Series), they can even be used

outdoors. In addition to offering unbeatable performance, the Labino

UV-lamp also has a power consumption of only 44 watts, which means

that it generates very little heat.

Automotive Leakage

Detect engine leakage with high intensity UV-Light

63,000,000 automotive engines are inspected every year. Several of the inspections regarding leakage of oil, gasoline, diesel and glycol are

made by UV illumination. The Labino Spotlight and its subsequent UV illumination, based on the MPXL technology, makes detecting engine

leakage easier. By mixing certain fluids with different coloured fluorescence, it becomes possible not only to identify engine leakage, but also to

identify the source of leakage; i.e. oil, gasoline, diesel or glycol on spot. The new Labino Torch Spotlight, based on the LED technology, is

suitable for quick inspection and in areas hard to reach.

Leak Detection

Use Labino Ultra Violet Lamps to detect leakage not visible to the human

eye and identify leakage at an early stage.

Leak detection using fluorescent tracer additive In order to detect fluid

leaks and their sources quickly, UV (365nm) lights are used together

with UV fluorescent tracer additives. This method is used by most

manufacturers of petrol and diesel vehicle engines, earth moving

equipment and fork lift trucks. Leakage is detected the following way.

The UV fluorescent additive is mixed with a fluid system, e.g. water, oils,

fuels, coolants and refrigerants, and then the equipment is operated as

normal to allow the fluorescent additive to circulate throughout. If the

leak occurs, the UV fluorescent tracer will run with the fluid and remain

at the site of the leak. After that, all external surfaces such as pipework,

joints, connectors, gasket seals and coils are inspected with the UV light.

The leak and its flow path will glow bright yellow/green under the UV.

Leak detection using LabinOil

LabinOil is a florescent dye and should be used with petroleum based

lubricants. The fluorescence in the LabinOil is activated by irradiating

with UV-light. Labino UVG2 Spotlight Torch is a powerful LED light

source used together with LabinOil . You do not need to clean the

engine before or after the engine leakage test, nor do you have to

empty the engine oil. You add the dye into the engine oil, start the

engine to make the dye mix with the oil and circulate in the engine.

Illuminate using the Labino UVG2 Spotlight to identify leakage. No

special training is required when using the LabinOil kit.

Finding Flaws with UV Light

UV-light is used in industry to determine if the surface of a component

is thoroughly covered by conformal coatings, i.e. transparent coating

and lacquer.

Examples from the Swedish industry

Casco (Akzo Nobel) manufactures for coating components with glue.

For quality reasons they perform ocular surveillance by mixing

fluorescent substance with the glue and the UV-illuminating the

surface of the glue coated object. Non-coated parts do not fluoresce.

One or several Labino UV-lamps are fitted on each machine, depending

on the size of the coated object and the amount of surrounding visible

light.

Scania uses the same technique to determine if their truck chassis are

completely coated with lacquer.

Ericsson uses Labino lamps on their production line for loud speakers,

used in mobile phones. Since these parts are very small, they use a

sensitive camera to detect non-coated areas.

Cleanliness Applications

Purity Control

Hygiene and UV-lamps

Certain materials and substances are fluorescent in nature when

illuminated with UV-light.

Dairy production.

Due to health regulations, it is essential that the equipment used in dairy

production, such as tubes and vessels, be cleaned on a regular basis.

Some proteins found in milk and yoghurt are fluorescent when

illuminated with UV-light. By using the Labino UV-lamps, dairy

manufacturers are able to discover not only if their equipment is clean

but also where the left over residue can be found.

Sanitation

Another unexpected fluorescent substance is cat urine. Sanitation

companies involved in the sanitation of apartments and private houses

have recently discovered how effective it can be to use UV-light to

illuminate the areas affected by cat urine. Instead of cleaning and

repainting every room, only those areas that are covered in dry urine

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Ndt Uv LED Lamp.

splash need to treated, thereby saving the sanitation company both time

and money. The UV-Spotlight is exclusively used in this application as it is

the most effective lamp used in investigatory work performed during

normal daylight conditions.

Clean Rooms

Use Labino Ultra Violet Lamps to detect particles as small as 30 μm that

are not visible to the human eye and prevent contamination in the clean

room. The human eye is able to visualize a part as small as 50 μm under

very good light conditions. Ultra Violet light enables the human eye to

see parts almost half the size, down to 30 μm.

UV inspection after Cleaning Machined

Castings prior to delivery

Regardless of what cleaning methods you use to clean your machined

plastic or metal parts from contamination, you need to validate that the

part is clean. If inspecting the cleaned parts with Ultra Violet light, you

will detect contamination that is not possible to see with the human eye.

By adding UV inspection to your quality process you ensure that clean

parts are delivered to your customer.

UV inspection prior to assembly in Clean Room

Products sensitive to contamination must be assembled in a certified

clean room or in a clean environment. It is of utter importance that the

parts are clean prior to entering the assembly. Illuminating the parts

with Ultra Violet light prior to entering the clean room decreases the risk

of

contamination.

UV inspection during assembly in a Cross Flow

Cabinet

If your assembly process doesn&#;t include the use of a classified clean

room, a Cross Flow cabinet could be very efficient. The cabinet keeps the

air clean and the assembly process secured. However, the parts need to

be clean when entering the cabinet. By inspecting the parts with Ultra

Violet light inside the cabinet you ensure that the parts are clean prior to

being assembled.

Hotel Inspections

Hotel Inspections can be undertaken using Ultra Violet light to detect

traces of body fluids in previously occupied rooms. Many Television

show hotel inspectors also effectively use this method to highlight

problem areas to Hotel owners.

Explore Gems and Minerals Using Labino Ultra

Violet Lights

Find the valuable gems and minerals by making the glow and fluoresce

using Labino UV lights.

Find Gems and Minerals using UV light 365 nm

Minerals have the ability to reflect light and therefore to become visible

to the human eye. Some minerals (but not all) have the ability to

&#;fluoresce&#; meaning to temporarily absorb a small amount of light and

release it at a different wavelength. This change in wavelength causes a

temporary colour change of the mineral, visible to the naked eye. This

change in color becomes emphatically visible when illuminated in

darkness by a UV light. Fluorescence is triggered when UV radiation is

absorbed by impurities within the mineral, commonly known as

&#;activators&#; such as tungsten, titanium, manganese etc. However, some

impurities such as iron or copper have the opposite effect, restricting

or

eliminating fluorescence. Most minerals fluoresce a single colour,

although exceptions do exist. Many minerals fluoresce one colour

under Short-Wave UV light (100-280nm) and another colour under

Long-Wave UV light (315-400nm). The colour emitted makes the

identification of the mineral a simple and cost effective task. Labino UV

lights, large and small models, mains or battery models, are used by

gemologists, jewellers

and hobbyists alike to identify the correct minerals either at a work

environment or out in the open.

Beautiful colour change illuminating the minerals with UV

Not only are fine minerals exceptionally beautiful in their own right -

many mineral collectors prize the secret colour changes that occur

when minerals are exposed to UV light. Only about 15% of minerals

have the ability to fluoresce under UV light.  Fluorite, calcite, and

adamite are common minerals that fluoresces, but it's not uncommon

for ruby, kunzite, diamond, opal, zektzerite, sodalite, selenite, topaz to

react beautifully with UV light.

Art Examination / Conservation

Detect alternations and restore cultural treasures using Labino Ultra Violet

Lamps.

Art examination with UV

The use of UV light is a commonly used to identify the authenticity of

works of art or to inspect damaged or repaired paintings. Longwave

ultraviolet light (365 nm) helps to detect overpainting, repairs, and

forged signatures that are normally invisible to a naked eye. The

slightest alteration will stand out with extreme clarity under UV light.

Not only paintings can be examined with UV, but also pieces of art

made of marble, jade, and ivory.

Modern paints fluoresce under UV - older paints do not

Because of the different chemical properties, modern paint will

fluoresce or glow under UV, while older paints will not. Therefore it can

be determined whether a painted object is an antique or a newer

reproduction. UV can also be used to identify whether a piece of art

has been repaired and if so, how extensive was the repair.

Different indications appears in different ways under UV

A piece of art can be easily scanned with a hand-held UV lamp in a

dark room. If there are dark blotches, they indicate over-painting and

over-cleaning. Bluish-white spots indicate the presence of lining

compound, dark bluish-violet indicates picture repair, and very small

blue dots are dust. A chartreuse haze indicates old varnish, which

shows that no recent restoration work has been done.

Different lamps and filters for different applications

The UV lamp, used in art conservation, should be a professional lamp

with all visible light filtered out. Labino lights are perfect for this

purpose. There is a wide choice hand-held lamps with special visible

light filters. There are portable battery operated models, as well as

mains operated. Special fixtures for permanent or studio use can be

also provided.

Agriculture Applications

Protect crops from diseases using water based fluorescent, food grade dye

penetrant and Labino Ultra Violet Lamps.

Preventive Crop care for vineyards and orchards

Prevention is an effective strategy used to protect crops from diseases.

By applying bactericides you can protect leaf scars and other injuries

and minimize the disease. It is of utter importance that the process is

repeated, especially during the wet and dry seasons, to protect new

wounds as they appear. Grapes, almonds, walnuts, olives and prune

growers are examples of crops that benefits from this treatment with

great success.

Application process:

1.

 Fill a water based, fluorescent, food grade dye penetrant into a

reservoir attached to the sprayer. 

2.

 Spray the dye onto the crops and orchards during the day.

3.

 Inspect the density and coverage of the dye onto the crops after

sunset, with the UV light.

Detection of Aflatoxin and Mould with UV at early stage

Aflatoxins are cancerous chemicals produced by special types of mould

that are contaminants of such foodstuff and feeds as corn, peanuts,

sorghum, copra, pistachio nuts and cottonseed. Aflatoxin

contamination usually does not appear in the field. Commonly, it

develops when harvested crops are stored in damp places where mold

grows easily. If aflatoxin is detected at early stage, it can be isolated and

stopped from spreading. This helps to prevent contamination of

products, financial loss, and ensure the safety of farm products. A

simple UV test helps to identify the presence/absence of aflatoxin and

mould. If a fresh sample fluoresce greenish-gold under the UV light

illumination, most probably aflatoxin is present, but additional

laboratory tests are typically required to make final conclusions.

Visualize early Penicillium with UV

By illuminating with the Labino UV light you are able to visualize early

Penicillium spp. infections on citrus fruit. The infected tissue fluoresces

bright yellow as shown in the pictures below. The Labino BB Helios

performs extremely well with this application.

Rodent Control with UV

For sanitation purposes, it is important to identify rodent presence in all

areas of food industry. Rodent urine and hair fluoresce under the UV

light 365 nm; therefore in order to identify rodent presence, the area in

question should be simply illuminated with the UV light. Rodent hair

fluoresces blue-white and can be easily noticed on sacking material or

when intermixed with food grains for example. Rodent urine glows

blue-white to yellow-white when dry. Fresh urine glows predominantly

blue.

Various Projects and Applications

The applications list for UV appears to grow almost daily. Here are some

other potential

The Swedish organization Previa is responsible for continuously

improving safety standards on construction sites. When subterranean

work is done, such as the construction of tunnels, the intense white

light that is used to illuminate the otherwise dark tunnel has proven to

affect the workers&#; night vision. Previa has worked together with

Sweden&#; largest construction company, Skanska, on a test project, using

Labino UV lamps, to determine whether UV-Light can be used a

complement to white light.

Skanska is also testing fluorescent asphalt surfaces in combination with

black light, the aim being to illuminate temporary objects on the

surface of the road, e.g. detour signs or similar.

When the Swedish Traffic Police set up roadside control sites, motorists

occasionally complain that the officer in charge of stopping traffic is

difficult to see at night. Tests have been conducted where a Labino UV-

Spotlight is mounted on a mast by the side of the road, pointed at the

police officer, who is wearing a fluorescent waistcoat or vest,

substantially increasing his visibility. The officer operates the spotlight

with a remote control.

The Swedish Coast-Guard - Sea Rescue uses UV-light to detect

fluorescent lifeboats and life jackets. The Labino UV-Spotlight can be

used at night for easier detection, without loss of night vision, as often

is the case when using visible white light. Many standard life jackets

and lifeboats are made of fluorescent materials.

The Swedish Forest Authorities are testing the possibilities of using

fluorescent markings on trees and timber together with the Labino UV-

Spotlight. The objective is to simplify identification, even in snowy

conditions, of pre marked trees and timber. The markings are also

used at sawmills in order to optimize cutting. A sensitive camera is

used to detect the markings and the timber is then positioned

appropriately before cutting.

Scorpions fluoresce under ultraviolet light. The blue-green glow comes

from a substance found in the hyaline layer, a very thin but super

tough coating in a part of the scorpion's exoskeleton called the cuticle.

UV Applications

We offer a large range of UV Lights that can be used for an ever

growing number of Blacklight applications. From pocket sized UV LED

torches through to large hand-held Ultra Violet MPXL and LED lamps,

We even supply mounted lights for use above benches if required.

Click to view the many UV Light options available.

If you should require any help with any applications not mentioned

then please get in touch with us and we will do our best to assist you in

finding the most suitable option for your task.

For more information, please visit Surface Roughness Tester Manufacturer.