Penetrant testing is a widely applied low-cost inspection method used to locate surface-breaking defects in all non-porous materials (metals, plastics or ceramics); it is notably used to detect casting, forging and welding surface defects.

Penetrant testing is based upon capillary action, where a low surface tension fluid penetrates into clean and dry surface-breaking discontinuities. Penetrants can be applied to the test component by dipping, spraying, or brushing. After adequate penetration time has been allowed, the excess penetrant is removed and a developer is applied to help drawing the penetrant out of the flaw, thus making invisible indications becomes visible under ultraviolet or white light (depending upon the type of dye used).

CRM Group can also perform such inspection on a penetrant testing line in order to detect very small defects or to process series of small parts (aeronautics, nuclear,etc)

Application fields: materials (steel, aluminium, copper and their alloys), welded parts, surfacing verification, etc.