Our chemical consumable products are guaranteed to perform correctly if stored under suitable conditions and used according to the instructions. In particular, the products must be stored upright in closed containers at temperatures between +10°C and +30°C. They must also be kept dry and protected from sunlight.
Shelf life (unopened) is 5 years from the date of manufacture.*
The batch number consists of seven digits. The first two digits represent the year of manufacture and the third and fourth digits give the month of manufacture.
Shelf life (unopened) is 5 years from the start date of manufacture, if manufactured on or after 23rd June 2025.
The batch number together, with the ‘Best Before End’ and ‘Date of Manufacture’, is printed on the underside of the aerosol can.
Note: aerosols manufactured before 23rd June 2025 will have 3 years of shelf life. Due to slight propellant loss, aerosols may not spray as well after two years.
Shelf life (unopened) is 3 years from the date of manufacture.
The batch number consists of seven digits. The first two digits represent the year of manufacture and the third and fourth digits give the month of
manufacture.
Shelf life (unopened) is 3 years from the date of manufacture.
All unopened Magnaflux couplants have a shelf life of five (5) years starting from the date of manufacture. The date of manufacture is established from the batch number which is located on the product label for bulk materials.
The Magnaflux batch numbering system should be interpreted as follows: The first two numbers represent the year the product was manufactured, i.e., “19” = 2019. The third character, a letter, represents the month the product was manufactured. A= January, B = February, C = March, D = April, E = May, F = June, G = July, H = August, J = September, K = October, L = November, M = December.
Notes:
* Except ZYGLO ZL-405; its shelf life is 12 months (unopened).
The shelf life is the period of storage time during which the material is determined to be fully functional. The shelf life is a guideline for the time for which Magnaflux has determined product quality during storage.
The expiry date is also included on the Batch Inspection Certificates and can be found on both our aerosol can and bulk chemical labels. With these items the shelf life is referred to as ‘Best Before End’ date or BBE.
The information quoted above is quoted for Magnaflux products manufactured within Europe.
The ‘Best Before End’ (BBE) date is an indication of the recommended shelf life of our products. It is a guide to what Magnaflux EMEA recommends, provided that the customer has followed our storage guidelines.
In brief, products should be stored:
The BBE date is derived from the date where the product is manufactured. In general, we give a 5-year shelf life to bulk materials and aerosols, and a 3-year shelf life to aqueous ink concentrates. These time frames are derived from understanding the range of normal conditions that our products will be stored in. In reality:
Bulk products
We would not expect to see any deviation from the manufacturing specifications (AMS and ISO) on unopened products, so the shelf life should be regarded with a degree of common sense. We recommend carrying out basic quality control tests in-house to ensure acceptable appearance and performance BEFORE adding to in-use material. After that, your routine procedures should ensure no problems are experienced. Once a product enters use, then you can use a process check/comparison product (for example, test pieces/panels) or, alternatively, use the PeneCert Service for external laboratory assessment on penetrants.
Dry powder developers
These can be inspected yourself when they are first opened. If there are no visible signs of contamination, clumping, etc, a small off-line test using a test piece should give an indication as to whether or not the product is OK to use.
Aerosol products
By their very nature, aerosol cans are sealed containers that do not allow contamination to enter. However, it is important to note that the limiting factor which necessitates a BBE date is propellant loss – normally on account of poor storage or handling conditions which allow decompression of the can. If an aerosol works well after its BBE, then it is probably OK to use, but should be used as soon as possible. Experience also shows that developers are more likely to fail on account of the particulate content, which settles on standing. Failure to shake a can properly can lead to the nozzles blocking.
PLEASE NOTE: Magnaflux is unable to extend the shelf life of its products. Once the product leaves our facility, we lose the traceability of the storage and handling of material, and we don’t offer retesting of material at a customer’s facility.
Clearly it is best practise to ensure that all in-use materials are within their BBE date. However, if in-house or PeneCert testing verifies that a product is OK for use, then this should meet the needs of an external auditor. If there is any doubt around the performance of a product, it should be withdrawn from use.
The production schedule for filling aerosol products may take several days to complete and run over one month into the start of the next month.
Therefore, it is important to note that the BBE date is 5 years from the start of manufacture, which can be found on the Batch Inspection Certificate. Below is a visual of the underside of the can to help with identifying the BBE date when the manufacture has spanned two consecutive months:
For the purpose of any audit on internal procedure requirements, use the BBE date that matches up with the date of manufacture of your specific product.
Subscribe to Magnaflux NDT Blogs:
Faraday Road, South Dorcan Industrial Estate
Swindon, Wiltshire, SN3 5HE, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)1793 524566
Contact Magnaflux Customer Service
Magnaflux, A Division of ITW Limited VAT number: GB 531 8325 59
