Fluorescent penetrant inspection (FPI) is a non-destructive testing process in which dye is applied to the surface of a material to examine for surface defects. Many metallic products are suitable for FPI inspection because the parts’ surface shall be smooth and have small, tight pores. The fluorescent dye contrasts with the dark background, allowing inspectors to find flaws that could cause the part to fail in operation. FPI inspection is often used throughout the manufacturing process, after key fabrication stages. This ensures the metal meets all specifications of the aircraft manufacturer and industry.
Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI), also called Liquid Penetrant Inspection (LPI) Equipment, is the most versatile NDT systems covering most of the typical requirements for surface defect testing in the Aerospace part/component manufacturing & MRO and Automotive safety parts manufacturing industry.
PROMAG offers design and manufacture of FPI (Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection) systems, including the relative equipment lines such as etching and ultrasonic degreasing for reliable quality assurance of surface defects, especially for aerospace industry (acc. to ASTM E1417 & NADCAP), and high inspection capacity, automated penetrant systems for automotive industry, such as forging & casting car part manufacturers.
The most of delivered solutions are designed fully in accordance with customer’s requirements for system space, inspection quantity, dimension and geometry of tested part and transportation system. PROMAG can also be able to provide straight, U-shape and L-shape in order to meet the demands and provide the cost-effectiveness of FPI/LPI equipment lines for different industrial customers.
PROMAG FPI Solutions Features
ODM/OEM
PROMAG provides ODM/OEM services for traders, agents, and competitors with special purposes and needs. To ensure the satisfactions, PROMAG’s customized FPI equipment lines are able to comply every standard requested and the specific requirements for each partner.
With over 10 years of experiences in ODM/OEM services for FPI system collaborative projects, we are capable of working with Penetrant Testing (PT) consumable manufacturers to develop various FPI system solutions, achieving mutual successes and benefit from the win-win in every region.
FPI in Aerospace
Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI) for Aerospace Applications
Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI) is one of the most widely used Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods in the aerospace industry. Aerospace components are highly susceptible to fatigue, vibration, and corrosion. FPI enables inspectors to detect cracks, gouges, and other surface defects in welded, sheet-metal, and CNC-machined products that are invisible to the naked eye. Through capillary action, fluorescent dye penetrates flaws on the surface, revealing discontinuities under LED UV-A lamps.
Applications & Materials
FPI is applicable to a wide range of aerospace materials—including aluminum, magnesium, steel, titanium, zinc, and specialty alloys—as well as various components such as blades, vanes, wheels, shafts, rods, spools, drums, landing gear, and structural parts.
Types of Penetrants Used in Aerospace
Color-contrast penetrant (visible dye)
Applied across the part, excess material is cleaned, and a developer is added. Inspections can be performed under white or fluorescent light due to its vivid red dye.
Fluorescent penetrant
The preferred choice for aerospace, offering superior sensitivity to very fine defects.
Dual-mode penetrant
Contains both visible and fluorescent dyes, usable under white or UV light. While versatile, its visibility is less intense compared to single-mode penetrants.
Process & Compliance
At PROMAG, all FPI processes strictly comply with ASTM E1417 and NADCAP standards, ensuring faultless inspection of critical flight components. Surfaces are meticulously cleaned—chemically or mechanically—to remove coatings, rust, or scale before inspection. For new parts, anodizing or pickling may precede FPI to ensure part integrity.
PROMAG’s aerospace FPI systems are specifically engineered to meet stringent quality, safety, and reliability requirements. Our solutions comply with NADCAP certification, the most important benchmark in aerospace NDT, and are also aligned with major OEM and customer standards, including Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell, and Safran.
Experience & Industry Support
With extensive aerospace experience, PROMAG has successfully achieved NADCAP approval and passed multiple aviation audits. Our FPI solutions serve both OEMs and MROs, supporting aerospace, national defense, and air force sectors with reliable, high-performance inspection systems tailored to customer requirements.
Electrostatic Spray FPI
Electrostatic Spray FPI Equipment
PROMAG Electrostatic Spray FPI equipment provides a spraying solution for more efficient, wasted-water-saving and better FPI application for parts with machining holes, such as engine casing and component.
Wet Application System
Our electrostatic spray system for fluorescent penetrant application is highly economical and offers unique advantages in non-destructive testing (NDT). The system ensures a homogeneous alignment of the electrostatic field lines, with penetrant particles charged with the same polarity. This alignment allows for the ideal atomization of the liquid penetrant, resulting in extremely thin and uniform coverage, even on complex geometries.
Dry Application System
Our electrostatic guns are also highly effective for developer application. Similar to the wet application, the electrostatic field ensures uniform and thin coverage of the developer on complex geometries, enhancing the detection process.
Benefits
- Extremely even and thin application.
- Reduced developer / penetrant consumption.
- Capability to test large components.
- Capability to test complex geometries.
- Increased sensitivity due to electrostatic attraction.
Types of FPI Systems
Manual FPI
PROMAG provides both the standard and customized manual FPI / FPT Station to satisfy the customers who are mainly doing sampling, testing and training.
Whether inspecting small parts like nuts and screws, or conducting practical training, PROMAG ECO FPI series are modular design equipment that built to rigorous specifications. It contains all functionality including pre-rinsing, penetrant, dwell, rinse, dryer, developer and inspection station. All small gauges, meters and devices such as air/water sprayer, temperature / pressure meters, dust-collector filtration, draining shelf, and foldable lid are available for customization according to customer demands.
Semi-Automatic FPI
PROMAG offers a range of semi-automatic systems for Fluorescent Penetrant Testing (FPT) and Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI), including large inspection booths, load / unload stations, pre-clean & etching stations, ultrasonic degreasing stations, dwell / rest sttation & drier stations, water-break test stations, fluorescent penetrant stations, rinse stations, drying ovens, developer storm cabinets, fluorescent wastewater treatment, and FPI / FPT consumables.
Our semi-automatic FPI systems are widely utilized across industries that manufacture safety-critical components. These include OEMs, MRO facilities, and manufacturers in aerospace, aviation, medical, automotive, electric vehicles, utilities, defense, military, and rail transportation, all of which rely on FPI to ensure the reliability of parts in service.
We also offer in-house engineering and customization services for clients with unique and specialized requirements.
Fully-Automatic FPI
PROMAG's Automatic Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI) system is driven by PLC programming. This ensures that the FPI process is automatically performed according to a preset recipe, eliminating process variability between operators.
Our team offers a wide range of fluorescent penetrant inspection (same as Liquid Penetrant Inspection) solutions tailored to the specific needs of the aviation industry. These concepts provide the following benefits:
- AI defect recognition system upgradable.
- Customizable to meet diverse FPI / LPI customer’s requirements.
- ASTM E1417 & NADCAP compliance.
- Compliant with various major aerospace standards & specifications.
- Durable & reliable systems that minimize maintenance.
- Automatic monitoring of process parameters.
- Remote control of FPI / LPI process parameters.
- Remote maintenance of FPI / LPI.
- Flexible automation options to reduce labor costs.
- Ensures traceability and reliability in the FPI / LPI inspection process.
The PROMAG automatic FPI / LPI system operates independently once the initial settings are configured by the operator. It performs cleaning, etching, penetrant application, emulsifier application (if required), rinsing, drying in an oven, developer application, and finally, suction and transport to the inspection station in a dark-room area.
High throughput can be achieved with minimal operator interaction, thanks to a processing recipe and a database that logs a time-stamped history of all processes performed on each part, ensuring traceability and process control for future use.
Applications & Specialized Solutions
FPI in Automotive / General Industrial
FPI equipment solutions in automotive are essential for detecting surface defects in non-ferromagnetic materials like aluminum and magnesium alloys. They're widely employed by casting, forging, and machining companies in the automotive sector. These lines are typically automated or semi-automated, offering efficient testing of various automotive components, including suspension parts, wheels, engine components, steering parts, and battery pack covers, ensuring high-quality standards throughout the manufacturing process.
FPI in Airforce & Military
With understanding the critical importance of military and defense applications, where adherence to stringent safety standards is paramount, our Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI) equipment enhense the inspection proccess in ensuring the integrity and reliability of military equipment. By detecting flaws early in the manufacturing process, our FPI technology helps prevent faulty or compromised parts before those parts entering service. It is made with the driven to meet safety and security concerns of military personnel and operations. Our commitment to excellence is underscored by our NADCAP accreditation and compliance with ASTM standards, ensuring that our equipment meets the highest industry benchmarks.
Fluorescent Wastewater Treatment
As fluorescent wastewater is produced during part rinsing, PROMAG has developed an automatic wastewater treatment system to prevent pollution.
- Active carbon and ozone processing system available.
- PLC-controlled for 24-hour automated processing.
- Modular design allows for capacity expansion as wastewater volume increases.
