How to get the best from your impregnation plant
Checking Out The System – Using test rings
Using test rings in routine processing
If your sealant supplier is approved to US MIL-I-17563C, the most effective tool for quality audit is to pass a US MIL-I-17563C Test Ring through your plant. Check with your supplier for availability. Obtain certified rings if you can. See below for an alternative.
Identifying Correct Test Rings
It is possible that there will be limited availability of the US Mil Test Ring. Due to their composition, they are difficult to manufacture and therefore expensive to use for routine testing. A substitute ring having identical porosity levels has been in use for over 25 years that has proved invaluable as a Quality Assurance Tool.
Specification
Chemical composition of ring
| Alloy | Cu % | Mg % | Si % | Zn % | Wax lub | Aluminum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlCuSiMg | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | - | 1.5 | remainder |
Finished size: 1" (25mm) long x 1" (25mm) od x ¾" (19mm) id.
Manufacture: Sintered only. Dry. No deburring or post treatment of any kind.
Storage: Keep dry in sealed container.
Rings to this standard are available online from www.x-seal.co.uk
Using the Test Ring to test overall plant performance.
Placing the test ring or several test rings in different parts of the process basket and passing it/them through the plant may also reveal some interesting results. It allows you to know more about your plant and where possible problems lurk – forewarned is forearmed. It is the one certain standard against which performance can be judged. It may not be able to tell what is wrong with the process application but at least you will have the knowledge whether the process is working correctly or note.