Inspection Scope
- Flight Surface
- Windows And Windshields
- Landing Gear
- Fuselage
- Aircraft
- Various Other Engine Components
In aircraft maintenance programme it is important to inspect the mechanical damage and assess the extent of the repair work. But in schedule maintenance it is a difficult to finding the defects rapidly, as the maintenance of aircraft must be accomplished within scheduled time and same to be released in time for commercial operation.
During aircraft maintenance 'NONDESTRUCTWE TESTING' (NDT) is the most economical way of performing inspection and this is the only way of discovering defects. In simply we can say, NDT can detect cracks or any other irregularities in the airframe structure and engine components which are obviously not visible to the naked eye.
Structures & different assemblies of aircraft are made from various materials, such as aluminium alloy, steel, titanium and composite materials. To dismantle the aircraft in pieces and then examine each component would take a long time, so the NDT method and equipment selection must be fast and effective.
Eddy current uses electromagnetic induction to detect flaws in conductive materials. Eddy-current testing can detect very small cracks in or near the surface of the material, the surfaces need minimal preparation, and physically complex geometries can be investigated. It is also useful for making electrical conductivity and coating thickness measurements.
Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) is a non-destructive testing (NDT) process for detecting surface and subsurface discontinuities in ferrous materials such as iron, nickel, cobalt, and some of their alloys. The process puts a magnetic field into the part. The magnetic force may be applied using either alternating current (AC) or some form of direct current (DC) (rectified AC).
Also called liquid penetrant inspection (LPI) or penetrant testing (PT), is a widely applied and low-cost inspection method used to locate surface-breaking defects in all non-porous materials (metals, plastics, or ceramics). The penetrant may be applied to all non-ferrous materials and ferrous materials.
Ultrasonic testing is a very short ultrasonic pulse-waves with center frequencies ranging from 0.1-15 MHz and occasionally up to 50 MHz are launched into materials to detect internal flaws or to characterize materials. The technique is also commonly used to determine the thickness of the test object, for example, to monitor corrosion. Ultrasonic testing is often performed on steel and other metals and alloys
Radiography is one of the oldest and widely used nondestructive testing methods. A radiograph is a photographic record produced by the passage of electromagnetic radiation such as x-rays or gamma rays through an object onto a film. When film is exposed to x-rays, gamma rays or light an invisible change called a 'latent image' is produced in film emulsion. The areas so exposed become darker when the film is immersed in a developing solution. After development the film is rinsed to stop development. The film is next put into a fixing bath and then washed to remove the fixer. Finally dried so that it may handled for interpretation and record.
Infrared and thermal methods for nondestructive are based on the principle that heat flow in a material is altered by the presence of some types of anomalies. These changes in heat flow cause localized temperature differences in the material. The imaging or study of such thermal patterns is known as 'thermography'. The terms 'infrared' and 'thermal' are used interchangeably in some contexts. Thermal refers to the physical phenomenon of heat, involving the movement of molecules. Infrared (below the colour red) denotes radiation between the visible and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.The intensity and frequency/wavelength of the radiation can be correlated closely with the heat of the radiator. it follows that radiation sensors can be used to tell us about the physical condition of the test object. This is the basis of the technology of 'thermography'.
Several kinds of equipment can benefit from a borescope inspection: aircraft engine, turbines, and other rotating equipment. Applied Technical Services offers borescope inspections for a number of applications, including borescope inspections for aircraft engines. Borescope inspections are a type of visual inspection that can examine hard-to-reach or inaccessible components without taking them apart or damaging them. Aircraft engine disassembly can be complex, risky, and expensive making -nondestructive testing techniques such as borescope inspections essential to evaluating the condition of engine parts. Additionally, these inspections can contribute to improved flight safety by quickly detecting aircraft engine defects before they can cause further problems.
Barkhausen noise analysis is a non-destructive method involving the measurement of a noise like signal induced in a ferromagnetic material by an applied magnetic field. There are two main material characteristics that will directly affect the intensity of the Barkhausen noise signal: hardness and stress.