Magnetic Particle Testing Simulator: Yoke, Two Directions, Demagnetise
Magnetic particle testing (MT) looks simple, which is why its errors are so common: a single field direction, particles applied after the yoke is switched off, a yoke nobody checked. The magnetic particle testing simulator in Atlantis Practical NDT has 49 jobs. You use an AC or DC yoke, perform the lift test, apply particles while the part is energised in two directions and demagnetise afterwards, and the examination is credited only when that sequence has actually happened.
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The MT sequence you practise
- Confirm applicability. MT works only on ferromagnetic material and the catalogue enforces it: an MT job assigned to a non-ferromagnetic specimen never opens.
- Choose AC or DC and check the yoke with a lift test before it touches the part.
- Prepare the component and the area.
- Energise, apply particles while the field is on, then turn the yoke through roughly a right angle and examine again in the second direction.
- Inspect, and record each indication with its position.
- Demagnetise, complete the post-check and submit the training report.
What the magnetic model shows
Indication strength depends on the angle between the magnetic field and the flaw. A crack lying across the field gives a strong response; one lying along it gives very little. That one relationship is the reason for two examinations at right angles, and in the simulator you can see it: turn the yoke and the response from the same flaw changes. The demagnetisation sequence is modelled too, so leaving a part magnetised is not an invisible omission.
The magnetic model is a bounded teaching approximation, not a finite-element model. It teaches field direction and sequence; it does not predict field strength at a point, and it is not a substitute for field verification on real parts.
The MT errors the simulator will not credit
Applying particles without the field, or magnetising in only one direction, means the examination is not credited. Those are the two errors behind cracks missed because they lie parallel to the field, and both are procedural rather than perceptual: a technician with perfect eyesight still misses the crack if the field is wrong. Many site errors are of this kind, which is why the platform is built to refuse credit for them rather than to grade the final picture. Repeat the sequence until the second direction and the demagnetisation are automatic.
Where the MT jobs run
MT jobs run on ferromagnetic specimens and components across the shared catalogue, from weld coupons and fabrication joints in the welding workshop to bench specimens in the NDT lab and plant components on the process plant. Non-magnetic materials go to the penetrant testing simulator instead, which is the same choice you make on site.
What the MT simulator cannot teach
A screen cannot give you the weight of a yoke, its contact on a real weld cap, the way wet or dry particles behave on a real surface, or the lighting and viewing conditions of a real site. Deciding whether a real indication is relevant, or produced by geometry, a scratch or a change in section, needs real parts and an experienced reviewer. Atlantis runs that half of the practical in person, at the client's own facility.
How MT simulator practice fits SNT-TC-1A
SNT-TC-1A's recommended MT figures are 12 training hours for Level I and 8 more for Level II, with 70 and 210 hours of experience in the method. Those hours are fixed in the employer's written practice. Simulator practice can be counted as organised training where the written practice allows computer-based or web-based training; it is never experience in the work environment, and the practical examination on real parts still decides certification.
Check the theory with the free MT Level II practice questions.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the MT simulator insist on two directions?
Because a crack lying parallel to the field gives almost no indication. Examining in two directions at right angles is how real procedures cover that blind spot, and the simulator does not credit an examination that skips it.
Can I run an MT job on stainless steel or aluminium?
No. The job catalogue refuses an MT job on a non-ferromagnetic specimen, as the method itself does. Use the penetrant testing simulator for those materials.
Is the field model accurate enough to qualify a procedure?
No. It is a bounded teaching approximation, not a finite-element model. It teaches direction and sequence; procedures are qualified on real parts.
Next steps
Practical NDT is a training simulation, not a validated engineering tool. It runs in a standard browser, works offline once downloaded, extends to standalone headsets and is integrated with the Atlantis LMS and ERP, so learners reach it from the client portal with one sign-in. Practice in it does not replace the practical examination or the experience hours your written practice requires.
Speak to an ASNT NDT Level III
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