What is the consequence of excessive drying of a part in penetrant testing?

Excessive drying of a part in penetrant testing can negatively impact the effectiveness of the testing process. When a part is overly dried, it can lead to a reduction in the resolution of the test results. This happens because penetrant solutions rely on the presence of a liquid film on the surface of the material being tested to ensure that penetrant can effectively enter any cracks or surface discontinuities. If the surface is too dry, the penetrant may not properly deposit or spread, leading to incomplete findings and potentially missing flaws that might otherwise be detected. This diminishes the overall accuracy and reliability of the testing process.

The drying process is critical to ensure that the penetrant can highlight surface defects adequately, so maintaining an appropriate level of drying is vital for achieving optimal results. If the part is excessively dried, it not only affects the resolution but could also lead to misleading assessment of the part's integrity.