Solar Atmospheres Receives Inspection Certification

Manufacturers looking for Nadcap certified heat treating and fluorescent penetrant inspection have a solution in western Pennsylvania. Nationally-recognized, Nadcap certified vacuum heat treating experts, Solar Atmospheres of Western PA (SAWPA), received notification from Nadcap of the renewal of the non-destructive testing certification. SAWPA has been continuously Nadcap NDT certified since 2009. Most specifically, SAWPA has been certified for fluorescent liquid penetrant inspection (FLP). The original certification resulted primarily from an audit of inspection work currently being performed on major aerospace structural parts. Companies looking to streamline their supply chain can receive heat treating and FLP inspection at the same location, saving time and money. As a nationally-recognized, Nadcap certified vacuum heat treater, Solar Atmospheres, with three plants across the United States, has numerous third party quality certifications as well as many prime certifications. This renewed certification recently awarded to the Hermitage, PA, plant covers a process where fluorescent light is used to check for cracks immediately following heat treating. A liquid penetrant is uniformly applied to the part, allowed to reside on the part for a pre-determined length of time, and then washed from the part. The part is then air dried by passing through a controlled temperature dryer and slowly advanced through a darkroom where fluorescent lighting and magnification are used to identify crack locations. Cracked parts are rejected, segregated and the customer notified. SAWPA’s quality manager, Susan Generalovich, indicated that she was “pleased with the outcome of the audit. The Solar team has done a great job knowing and following the stringent inspection procedures we promised to deliver to our customers. We’re pleased that Nadcap has once again recognized our corporate commitment to quality.” SAWPA also recently passed, with merit status, a Nadcap heat treating audit, an accomplishment not common among heat treaters and allows SAWPA to go 24 months before their next Nadcap Heat Treat audit. “Achieving Nadcap accreditation is not easy: it is one of the ways in which the aerospace industry identifies those who excel at manufacturing quality product through superior special processes. Companies such as Solar Atmospheres of Western PA go above and beyond achieving Nadcap accreditation to obtain Merit status and they should be justifiably proud of it,” said Joe Pinto, vice president and chief operating officer at the Performance Review Institute.