GE

Inspection Technologies

50 Tips for
Manual Processing

GE imagination at work

Film storage

1 First of all, storage facilities for unexposed X-ray films should provide

adequate protection from any penetrating radiation. If the films are stored
for longer than 3 months, background radiation should not exceed
90 nGy/h (18 x 10-10 C/Kg/h). Films in containers sealed by the manufacturer should be stored with the films on edge, whenever possible.
Storage temperature should be between 4C (40F) and 24C (75F) at a
relative humidity range of 30 to 60 %.

2 If STRUCTURIX films are handled and stored in accordance with the

directions given above, Agfa guarantees their good quality at least until
the expiry date on the box.
Storage of film should be on a first-in first-out basis.

The darkroom

3 The darkroom must always be completely light-tight. Particular attention

shall be given to the entrance (revolving door or labyrinth) to prevent light

leakage and excessive intrusion of dust and sand.

4 Although a relatively high safelight illumination intensity is possible when

handling STRUCTURIX films, adequate filters should be used.

Recommended AGFA filters are R1 (orange-red) and G7 (green) in direct or
preferably, indirect lighting. In any case of doubt on the safety of the
lighting conditions, an evaluation should be done according to ISO 8374 or
according to any other code of good workmanship. A simple test with an
object on a sheet of film for five minutes under the safelight will already
give a good indication.

10
3

Dry section

Dry section

Wet section

Wet section

6 5 4

A. Example of a large,
multi operator darkroom.

General tip
Always work in a calm,
methodical way, in order to save
time in the end.
Haste makes waste!

1. Table
2. Cassette lock
3. Labyrinth entrance (fig. A)

Revolving door entrance (fig. B)
4. Developer bath
5. Rinsing bath
6. Fixer bath
7. Final rinsing
(underwater lock in fig. A)
8. Wetting bath
9. Drying cabinet
10. Lightbox

4 5 6

B. Example of a small,
single operator darkroom.

5 Place the safelight sufficiently high above the workbench and the tanks

(minimum 60 to 70 cm) in order to avoid interference with the film handling.

6 Keep the wet and dry sections of the darkroom well separated.
7 Avoid too high humidity and temperature with an adequate ventilation of

the darkroom. 10 air changes an hour is advisable.

8 Keep the darkroom as clean as possible. Dust between films and screens

can cause white artefacts on the image. This applies in particular to

fluorescent screens (see tip 50).

9 It is advisable to prepare photochemical solutions outside the darkroom to

prevent contamination of the dry section.

Dry section

10 Keep the worktable completely dry (see tip 6).

11 Handle the lead screens carefully when reusing them.

Creases in the screens cause lines on the X-ray image.

12 Always hold the films between thumb and index finger only (never with

three or more fingers), in order to avoid creases.

Holding the film with thumb and index finger,

attach it to one of the clips in the frame.

Attach it to the second clip holding the film

tight between the thumb and index finger

13 Never bring the hangers above the workbench:

a drip from one of the corners of the frame could fall on a lead screen
or the workbench and then become transferred to a film causing a
spurious result.

14 Use solid frames made of stainless steel. They must be perfectly square,

in order to keep the films correctly tensioned.

15 Broken frames must be repaired (welded) by a qualified expert:

unsuitable welding alloys (copper or similar) may contaminate the

developer, causing black artefacts on the film.

16 Always remove the film from the hangers development frames with

dry hands to avoid moisture spots on films or screens.

17 Keep hangers with clips vertical thus making it easier to tension the film

correctly. Films that are not correctly tensioned may stick to each other
in the processing tanks or in the dryer cabinet

18 After use, rinse the frames in running water and allow to dry thoroughly.
19 Use FIXCLEAN to remove all chemical deposits and oxidation stains

from the hangers, as these can contaminate the developer solution and
cause spots on the film.

Wet section

20 Clean the tanks thoroughly at regular intervals. Impurities can adversely

affect the properties of the processing solutions.

Preferably Agfa DEVCLEAN should be used to clean the developer section.

21 Never change the tanks, even after thorough cleaning.

Traces of fixer may still remain in the fixer tank, and if this tank is then
used for developing, the developer activity will be adversely affected.

22 Rinse the developer tank thoroughly once more before filling it

with developer.

23 It is preferable to use Agfa industrial photochemical products which are

most suited for the processing of industrial X-ray film (developer G 128,
fixer G 328). In case of using the STRUCTURIX Dryer, the fixer G 335
must be used.

24 The manufacturers instructions for use should be followed precisely

when diluting and mixing the chemicals.

25 Use clean (preferably filtered) water for mixing the chemicals.

Contaminated or too hard water can adversely affect the properties

of the solutions (hardness; a CaCO3 equivalence between 40 and 140 ppm
would be acceptable).

26 To avoid oxidation, cover the developer tanks when not in use, using

a floating lid or a sheet of polyethylene.

27 Standard developing temperature is 20C (68F) for 5 minutes

developing time. Check the temperature regularly (no mercury filled

thermometers allowed).
The processing solutions should also be stirred regularly in order to
ensure a uniform temperature throughout.

27 Immediately after immersing the films in the developer, agitate them for

30 seconds in order to a) remove air bubbles from the emulsion b) bring

fresh developer to the surface of the film and prevent uneven development.

29 Agitate but do not lift the films during the development process because

developer dripping off oxidises easily, as does developer on the surface of

the film, leading to faster exhaustion of the developer solution.

30 Always apply standardised time-temperature processing.

Adjust the film exposure to suit the developer activity, not the other way
round. This guarantees consistent radiographic results in all conditions.

31 Always ensure adequate replenishment, if possible according to a

replenishment diagram (ml/m2).

The quantity of replenishment solution to be added should preferably
not exceed 5 % of the total tank volume to keep the density variations
within limits.
Replenishment should also compensate for the amount of liquid taken
out of the bath along with the films and frames.
For the exact replenishment rate, see table at the last page.

32 Keep the developer replenishment solution in sealed, air-tight tanks

or bottles.

33 It is not advisable to continue replenishment indefinitely.

The solution should be discarded when the replenisher used is twice the
original quantity of developer in the tank (example: max. 50 litres
replenisher for 25 litres developer solution).

34 Reduce the draining time of the films above the tank to an absolute

minimum (max. 2 to 3 sec.), as this causes oxidation and possible streaking.

35 After the developing process it is advisable to rinse the film

for 2 or 3 minutes in running water and/or to immerse it in a stop bath

for 30 seconds. (A stop bath is a 125 ml/l acetic acid (28%) solution or
similar acid/water solution).
Removal of as much developer solution from the film before fixation,
prolongs the life of the fixer solution considerably.

36 The difference in temperature between the processing tanks should be

within reasonable limits. Too great a difference (more than 20C) could
cause unacceptable film defects.

37 The minimum fixing time is twice the clearing time, that is when an

unexposed area becomes transparent. Films should be agitated when

placed in the fixer and stay there for 5 minutes (at 20C).
An exhausted fixer solution gives poor results and is time-consuming.

38 Only after the film has become completely clear in the fixer bath may

the white light be turned on, otherwise fogging may occur since the film
is still white light sensitive until cleared!!

39 In case an automatic dryer such as the STRUCTURIX DRYER is used,

a hardening fixer, preferably G 335 (A & B part) must be used.

In case G 328 and Aditan is used, instructions should be strictly followed.
Incorrect dosage can affect the activity of the fixer solution and result
in inadequate fixing.

40 After fixing, allow the film to drain and rinse it in running water, for at least

20 minutes. The film hangers should also be rinsed and cleaned thoroughly.

41 Processing solutions should be discarded when their photochemical

activity becomes too low.

This can be checked by comparing the achieved density against a
preset target.
A far more reliable system is the pre-exposed STRUCTURIX PMC strip.
Efficiency of fixer solution and rinsing properties can be checked with
the Thio-test.
It will give information on archival quality and lifetime expectancy of the
archived film. Wherever doubt may exist, fresh chemistry should be
used since cost of the chemicals is only a small fraction of the total
radiographic testing cost.
Therefore to ensure good quality and consistent repeatability, and
so reducing reshoots, never take risks with doubtful chemistry.

42 After final rinsing, immerse the films for a few seconds in a solution of

Agepon wetting agent moistening bath (5 10% in water), which will

guarantee faster and more regular drying, as well as preventing
drying marks.

Drying section

43 Hang the films in a dry, warm, well-ventilated drying cab-inet or space.

The temperature of the air flow must not be higher than 40C.
Excessive turbulence should be avoided.

44 The drying cabinet should be located outside the darkroom since the air

blown out can raise dust, and the high temperature can affect the
processing chemicals.

Preference should be given

to an automatic drying
system: STRUCTURIX Dryer
(see also tip 39 and 49).

General tips

45 Always handle the films carefully, to avoid creases, scratches, fingerprints

and spots.

46 The illuminator (viewer) should be cleaned regularly, as dirt can be

misleading when interpreting the X-ray image.

47 If some films have been over-exposed, reshoots have to be made.

Treating the film with a bleaching solution can result in poor quality images.

48 Fixer stains on clothes can be removed with Antifleck.

49 When using a Structurix Dryer, the dryer temperature setting and

transport speed must be adjusted to dry the films correctly.

Excessive drying can cause deformation of the film.

50 Special hints for the use of intensifying screens:

all intensifying screens should be handled with care to prevent damage

(scratches or blemishes) and kept clean and dry.
In particular fluorescent screens should be wiped after each exposure
with a slightly moist, antistatic cloth, as this prevents white spots in the
image. If a lot of dust adheres, a screen cleaner must be used (Agfas
screen cleaner).
To prevent static electrical discharges, the worktable (preferably of
stainless steel) must be earthed in order to dissipate any charge.
After each cassette reload, the table must be cleaned with a slightly
moistened cloth (chamois).

Processing recommendations
To verify processing conditions:
use STRUCTURIX PMC strips and STRUCTURIX Thiotest.
1. Time / Temperature
Temperature
Time
6 minutes
5 minutes
4 minutes

18C (64F)

20C (68F)

22C (72F)

acceptable
acceptable
-

acceptable
standard system
acceptable

acceptable
acceptable

2. Chemistry & replenishment rate

General advice: there are two acceptable methods to preserve good processing
conditions (reference; STRUCTURIX D7, average density 2.50);
- Add 600 ml fresh chemistry for every m2 film processed.
This can be done by removing the appropriate amount from the tank and keeping
the solution level invariable. In this case, the replacement of the tank content is
only necessary after four or five times the original quantity has been replenished.
Example: tank content= 50 l, new chemistry after 200 l replenisher has been used
(big film users)
- Add fresh chemistry to keep the solution level constant.
Replenishment rates will be approximately as described hereunder. In this case the
original chemistry should be discarded earlier and replaced with fresh chemistry.
See table below for recommended replacement. In any case of doubt, fresh chemistry
should be used as its cost is only a small fraction of the total radiographic testing cost.
Type of chemistry
Dilution
Replenishment rate
mabc
2

(average 600 ml/m (90 ml/ 14x17 inch))

Developer
Replenisher
Clip type hangers
Channel type hangers
2
G 128
5 l+ H2O =
5 l+H2O =
300 ml/m
400 ml/m2
35TBN
5 l conc.
25 l ready to use
25 l ready to use
replace developer solution after replace original solution after
G 135
A+B+C+H2O =
A+B+C+H2O =
1x tankvolume or two weeks
2x tankvolume or two weeks HNKDU
5 l + 0.25 l+ 0.5 l
25 l ready to use
25 l ready to use

Fixer
Replenisher
G 328
5 l+H2O =
5 l+H2O
keep the solution level constant keep the solution level constant 35TAL
5 l conc.
25 l ready to use
25 l ready to use
replace after
replace after
1.5 m2 film per litre original 38WRN
G 335
A+B+C+H2O =
A+B+C+H2O =
1.5 m2 film per litre original
5 l + 1.25 l
25 l ready to use
25 l ready to use
solution has been fixed
solution has been fixed
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2007 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. We reserve the right to technical modifications without prior notice. GEIT-40031 (05/07)