Surface Prep for WFMT of welds

[eyec]

anyone have the standard and/or offer working experience?

 

[metengr]

Yes, work experience in the Power industry. For pressure vessels, piping, boiler and steam turbine components we require grit blast cleaning to remove surface oxides in preparation for wet fluorescent magnetic particle testing (WFMT). Vacuum blasting is also effective to minimize the ingress of grit into primary and secondary water/steam systems at Power Plants.

We have also looked at other forms of surface preparation like wire wheeling and jitter bugging. However, neither of these methods proved effective in removing heavy surface oxides in preparation for wet fluorescent MT.

 

[eyec]

in lieu of grit blasting, what about grinding wheel/burs?

 

[metengr]

Surface grinding can be done using a flapper wheel versus burr. You need to minimize metal removal, and avoid smearing metal on the surface.