Magnetic Particle Testing (MT) Report Template

An MT report for ferromagnetic welds and components that records how the part was magnetised, how the field was verified, what particles were used under what light, and every relevant indication.

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What a compliant MT report must contain

ASME Section V Article 7 mirrors Article 6. Rejectable indications must be recorded with, as a minimum, their type (linear or rounded), location and extent; non-rejectable indications are recorded as the referencing code requires. For each examination the record must include the Article 1 general items, the magnetic particle equipment and type of current, the particles (visible or fluorescent, wet or dry), a map or record of indications, the material and thickness, and the lighting equipment. Recent editions place these in the T-790 documentation paragraphs.

ISO 17638 specifies MT techniques for surface imperfections in welds in ferromagnetic materials, including the heat-affected zone. It explicitly does not set acceptance levels; those come from ISO 23278 or the product or application standard. Its annex describes technique variations that raise or lower sensitivity, so the report must say which technique and field-verification method were used.

• Magnetisation: technique (yoke, prods, coil, central conductor), current type (AC, half-wave or full-wave DC), and for prods or coils the amperage and spacing.
• Field verification: yoke lift test result, or the field indicator or shim used, or a gaussmeter reading, as your procedure requires.
• Particles: wet or dry, visible or fluorescent, colour, carrier and concentration check, and any contrast paint.
• After the examination: whether demagnetisation was required and how residual field was checked.

Example magnetic particle (MT) report layout

The layout below is the template filled with illustrative example values so each field's purpose is clear. The print view gives you the same layout blank, ready to fill in on site.

Download, print or get the editable version

• Open the printable MT template: a clean blank form. Use your browser's Print and choose "Save as PDF" to keep a PDF copy.
• Download the CSV with every field and the example rows, to build your own spreadsheet.
• Want the editable Word or Excel version with your logo? Use the request form on this page or ask for it here.

What makes an MT report hold up at audit

An MT result is only as good as the field that produced it. Reviewers therefore read the technique block before the results: if the report does not show two magnetisation directions, or does not show that the field was verified, a clean result proves little. The second area is lighting, and the third is the indication description.

1. Record both magnetisation directions and how they were achieved; one direction finds only discontinuities roughly perpendicular to the field.
2. Record the yoke lift test result or the field indicator used, and when it was checked.
3. For fluorescent particles, record UV-A intensity and ambient light, and the meter used.
4. Describe indications by type, orientation, location and length, and record the decision against the named acceptance standard.
5. State whether demagnetisation was required, and if so how it was done and verified.

Choosing and recording the magnetisation technique

The technique block tells the reviewer what the examination could and could not find. A yoke is the usual field tool for welds: it is portable, it does not touch the part with current-carrying contacts, and with alternating current it is well suited to surface-breaking cracks. Prods pass current through the part and can leave arc strikes, which is why many clients restrict them on finished or high-strength components; the report should say if prods were used and how contact was controlled. Coils and central conductors are common on shop work for shafts, bars and ring-shaped parts.

Particle choice matters as much. Wet fluorescent particles under UV-A generally give the best sensitivity for fine cracks; visible particles on a white contrast paint are practical in daylight on site; dry powder is used on hot or rough surfaces. Record which was used, the product and batch, and for wet particles any concentration check your procedure requires.

• Record the yoke leg spacing or prod spacing if your procedure limits it.
• Record the surface condition and whether contrast paint was applied, since both affect what can be seen.
• If the part is to be machined, welded or used near instruments after the examination, record the demagnetisation step and the residual field reading.

The header fields every NDT report shares

Whatever the method, a report is only useful if it can be tied to the job, the drawing and the people. Every template in this library starts with the same header block: report number and revision, date, client, job and work-order references, site, component, drawing and revision, procedure and revision, acceptance standard and extent. ASME Section V Article 1 sets general record requirements that each method article then builds on, and client specifications almost always add their own. Keeping the header identical across methods means a reviewer, or the software that reads your reports later, always finds the same facts in the same place.

Generate these reports automatically in Atlantis NDT Reporting

A template solves the layout. It does not stop the same job, drawing, procedure, instrument and technician details being typed again on every report, or a report going out before anyone checked the technician's certificate was in date. In Atlantis ERP, the NDT Reports app holds MT as its own report type with its own numbering sequence, captured in an offline field app with photos and on-screen signatures, then moved through draft, review, approval and sending with inspector, reviewer and approver signatures.

The MT report type in the NDT Reports app records the technique and particle type, and each weld line carries defect type, orientation and result. The yoke itself is a tracked instrument in Asset Management, with its calibration or verification record and next due date, and Team Assignments warns when an out-of-calibration item is assigned to a job.

Your company format is kept: templates can be versioned in Excel, Word, PDF or HTML with your logo, header and footer, and Excel templates are filled automatically by mapping fields to cells. When the report is approved, Digital Twin Reporting can place its results on a 3D model of the asset, so clients find reports by location rather than by file name.

See MT reports generated in Atlantis, or keep using the template: both are fine starting points.

Frequently asked questions

What must an MT examination record include under ASME Section V?

The Article 1 general record items, the magnetic particle equipment and type of current, the particles (visible or fluorescent, wet or dry), a map or record of indications, material and thickness, and lighting equipment. Rejectable indications are recorded as linear or rounded with location and extent.

Is ISO 17638 an acceptance standard?

No. ISO 17638 covers MT techniques for welds; acceptance levels come from ISO 23278 or the product standard.

Why record two magnetisation directions?

MT is most sensitive to discontinuities lying across the magnetic field. Two directions at roughly 90° cover discontinuities in any orientation, and the report should show both were applied.

Do I need to record the yoke lift test?

If your procedure uses it as the field check, yes: record the result and when it was done. Many procedures require a daily or pre-use check.

Can MT be used on austenitic stainless steel?

No. Austenitic stainless steels are not ferromagnetic; use PT or another method and report it on the matching template.

Other NDT report templates

• All NDT report templates
• Ultrasonic Testing (UT) Weld Inspection Report template
• UT Thickness Survey Report template
• Liquid Penetrant Testing (PT) Report template
• Radiographic Testing (RT) Report template
• Visual Testing (VT) Weld Inspection Report template
• Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) Report template
• Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD) Report template

Standards referenced

• ASME Section V Article 7 examination records
• ISO 17638:2016

ASME Section V paragraph numbers change between editions. Always check the edition your contract or the referencing construction code names; the template fields are the same.