11.  Conclusion

The demise of penetrant testing has been predicted since 1960. Although other methods have been developed, they are only suitable for very limited applications. However, penetrant testing remains an essential non-destructive testing method.

Penetrant testing has reached maturity, and we don't expect any technological developments in the future.

Like the Loch Ness monster, since 1980 there has been regular talk of the emergence of so-called automatic processes for reading discontinuity indications and accepting parts; an unfulfilled dream!

It's true that signal acquisition and processing systems have gained in performance and speed. While many companies offer software, what is sorely lacking are integrators capable of linking these systems to automatic penetrant testing lines. In fact, one of the problems is entering...