Prods
Prods are a pair of handheld copper or copper-aluminum electrodes that pass high current through a localized area of a ferromagnetic part to induce a circular magnetic field for magnetic particle testing.
Definition
Prod technique passes current (typically 90–125 A per inch of prod spacing) directly through the part. It produces strong circular magnetization but can cause arc-burn damage, so it is limited to applications where light surface damage is acceptable.
Related terms
- Yoke — A yoke is a handheld electromagnet with two articulated legs used in magnetic particle testing to induce a longitudinal magnetic field between the leg tips for detecting transverse surface defects.
- Central Conductor — A central conductor is a current-carrying copper bar passed through the bore of a hollow ferromagnetic part during magnetic particle testing to induce a circular magnetic field around the inner and outer surfaces.
- Magnetic Particle Testing (MT) — Magnetic Particle Testing (MT) is a surface and near-surface NDT method for ferromagnetic materials that detects discontinuities by applying a magnetic field and observing the leakage flux attract magnetic particles to the flaw indication.
More equipment terms
Calibration Block · Transducer · Dual-Element Probe · Angle-Beam Probe · Normal-Beam Probe · Couplant · Reference Reflector · Side-Drilled Hole · Flat-Bottom Hole · Notch Reference
Where this comes up in practice
Terms like this one appear in three places that matter commercially: the written practice that governs how your personnel are qualified, the procedures and technique sheets that define how an examination is actually performed, and the evidence an auditor or client asks for when they want to know why an inspection was accepted. Getting the terminology right is the easy part; being able to produce the qualification record, the calibration traceability and the procedure revision that applied on the day of the inspection is the part that decides audits.
Atlantis NDT provides NDT training and certification against ASNT SNT-TC-1A and ISO 9712, ASNT Level III consulting for written practices and procedure approval, inspection management software that holds qualification, calibration and procedure-revision evidence in recoverable form, and an asset integrity platform that binds inspection results to the asset they describe. Browse the full NDT glossary or ask a Level III directly.