non-destructive testing
recording of the area of coverage) and a
durability report (which involves a
chemical resistance test and a drop test).
Chemicals during testing can include
kerosene, and drop tests can have a height
up to one meter. Once all testing is
completed (including lamp acceptance test
requirements, emission spectrum
measurements, and filter transmittance), a
signed certificate is required for every
lamp manufactured. Again, think of the
aircraft scenario discussed earlier. If you
state your lamp is compliant, but does not
shine at the peak as advertised, it will not
find the flaw that is causing issue to your
car/plane/structure. This could lead to
bigger problems down the road.
End users should never be fooled by
companies claiming compliance. ASTM
and RRES standards are strict, yet essential
to the NDT industry. Several lamps are
falsely marketed as compliant, and this
undermines the importance of NDT
standards. Some ways to identify a noncompliant
lamp include:
• Wavelength test: Shine the lamp at a
spectroradiometer to determine the
wavelength. To meet ASTM E3022 and
RRES 90061 standards, the lamp must
have a peak wavelength of 365 (+/-5)
nanometers
• Current ripple test: A lamp is plugged into
an oscilloscope to measure the current
ripple. By ASTM E3022 standards, the
ripple may not exceed 5%. For RRES
90061 it may not exceed 6%
• Intensity test: Shine the lamp at a
radiometer from 15” away and observe the
intensity. Per RRES 90061, the intensity
cannot be greater than 5,000 microwatts
per square centimeter
• Output stability test: Just as with the
intensity test, the lamp is shined at a
radiometer from 15” away, and the
intensity is observed. To meet the RRES
90061 standard, manufacturers are
required to determine the stability time
(Ts), which is the time from initial “switch
on” to the point where output stability
is achieved
• Battery decay test: Battery life is measured
a recorded in a graph
• Housing temperature test: A thermometer
measures the temperature of the lamp’s
housing, and per ASTM 3022 it may not
exceed 120°F under normal usage.
Before release to the public, the
packaged product will state which exams
were performed and passed. Products
should state the standards and
certifications they pass both on packages
and in manuals. All ASTM-compliant
lamps must be provided with a unique
Certificate of Conformance (CoC) and all
RRES-compliant lamps need a unique
Validation Report (VR) to assure that the
new lamp has been tested and reported to
meet the requirements. If these documents
are not included, then that lamp is not
compliant. The importance of the
documentation correlates with the lamp’s
proper usage. The last thing any end user
would need is for an inspector to run a test
with a non-compliant lamp, find no flaw,
and be told everything is in good shape. In
actuality, the flaw will deteriorate more
because a lamp did not function properly
to find the flaw.
A product manufacturer must always
provide their suppliers with compliant and
ready-made label files. CoCs are used by
auditors and customers to check for
product compliance. If not, auditors
will issue fines and may enforce a
product recall without the full set of
documents (regardless if your product
is compliant). Product regulations tend
to be administered by different
government bodies.
The NDT market is competitive in
nature. Increasing regulations make it
46 SHOWCASE 2020 \\ AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM
necessary for organizations to perform
regular inspections to check for equipment
damage. Anytime a compliant lamp
undergoes a repair, it is necessary to
generate a brand new CoC/VR. It is
integral to a product’s reliability to operate
at its stated peak for properly find flaws.
Otherwise, the lamp has no value to the
end user.
When a company promises that its
product will do something but does not
deliver on that promise, then it has
engaged in false advertising, which is an
illegal practice. If an NDT manufacturer
falsely advertises a product as compliant,
the issue of liability arises.
It is important to create and keep files
comprised of design drawings, applied
standards, photocopies of certificates and
manuals, and risk assessments. \\
Lou Mavroudis is a technical copywriter for
Spectronics and Michael Steigman is vertical
marketing strategist, NDT for Spectronics
4
5
4 // If an NDT
manufacturer falsely
advertises a product as
compliant, the issue of
liability arises
5 // For a UV-A light
source lamp to be certified
as E3022-compliant, two
levels of certification
are performed
/AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM