The general lighting industry has embraced LEDs as the preferred technology of choice over incandescent and fluorescent bulbs due to higher flexibility and fewer safety concerns. However, the nondestructive testing community has trailed in adoption of LEDs due to the special lighting requirements and challenges posed by fluorescent methods such as liquid penetrant testing or magnetic particle inspections.
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.