A borescope allows remote visual inspection. It is an optical device comprising of a flexible or rigid snake tube housing a camera heat at the probe end. It is connected with a relay optical system, which is surrounded by fiber optics for illumination.

An image is captured by the camera head and magnified through an eyepiece for the viewer’s eye. The difference between a rigid and flexible borescope is the tube material. The former is designed from steel and is used for inspecting a straight pathway.

The flexible borescope [fiberoscope] has a tube made from iron, plastic, steel, and composite materials. The tube has no length limitations but bends to a specific degree. It is used in several fields like underwater viewing, industrial engine inspection, etc. The advancement in a flexible borescope is witnessed in videoscope. It is a combination of images and videos.

The USABorescopes company is a supplier of visual inspection equipment. It has been catering to a variety of sectors like automobiles, locomotives, agriculture, transportation, military, irrigation, tractors, drainage machinery, material handling machinery, aviation, power generation, etc.

All these fields make use of some kind of combustion engine that transforms energy into mechanical energy like diesel engines, petrol engines, jet engines, turbine engines, and more. The engine structure is complex, so disassembling for inspection regularly is laborious and time-consuming.

Advantages of a borescope for engine inspection

RVI with borescope technology offers unique advantages.

• The colored image captured is crisp and clear. The image is in high resolution and magnified, so inspecting small defects is made easy.
• Videoscope can capture photos and videos. The feedback can get stored for later viewing. It means continuous observation gets controlled, and the borescopes battery gets saved.
• The HD color LCD is functional. You can connect it to see the real-time inspection feedback.
• The video can be stored for a convenient diagnose with the team.
• Avoid easy image dilution and distortion effectively.
• The camera lens is scratch-resistant.
• The stainless steel molding and casting guarantee the durability, corrosion & wear resistance, as well as waterproofing in harsh environments.
• The device has external rechargeable batteries. The supplier may even offer an extra battery.
• It is portable, so you can carry it around with ease.

The videoscope cost may seem high, but it is worth it because you can never take chances with poor engine inspection. Boroscope inspection helps to prevent many problems that could turn out to be expensive soon.

• Remove tiny particles and debris, which can shut the machine. Turbine blades can decrease their output.
• Prevents downtime that can otherwise damage the industry’s bottom line.
• No need to separate the parts for locating the debris. Videoscope allows illuminating the space under inspection. Therefore cleaning gets done in the exact space within a short time.
• Hard to access areas can be visualized, and in case of flaws strategy gets planned to resolve it.
• Due to plenty of repairs, the lifespan of machines reduce. Limiting the breakage and repairs allows improving the lifecycle of the machine.

How borescope help in aircraft engine maintenance?

The aircraft engine needs regular servicing, maintenance, and repair. The tools like aviation boroscope can help to spot potential issues early.

• The components are designed to last long, but sometimes they wear prematurely. Identifying the components wear indicates a large issue.
• Many aircraft components need sufficient lubrication. While inspection, if these areas seem dry you need to look for the root cause. It can be because the engine is burning the oil because of too little or too much friction.
• The engine of the jet plane is designed to keep the dirt & debris away from entering the fluids. If the coolant, engine oil, or other fluids get contaminated then you need to look for the culprit. Contaminated fluids can eat the seals over time. Identifying and correcting the contamination source, then changing all the fluids will prevent further damage.
• Leaks are serious. It can allow the fluids that engine need for operating flow out and give access to damaging contaminants. Contamination can in turn sabotage fluid performance.
• Cracks in the engine indicate a large problem. The part may have got brittle and fractured during use. A crack in the engine block can be easily identified with a video scope before it transforms into a large problem like over-heating and fluid loss.
• The internal engine mechanism is meant to be corrosion and rust-resistant. During an inspection, if the maintenance crew identifies a spot it means the engine is getting air and water, which it shouldn’t.

You can see how a boroscope can help the aviation maintenance crew to be proactive and resolve the engine issue before it gets out of hand. Proactive approach and proper maintenance ensure long-term engine performance and reliability.

How does borescope help in piston engine maintenance?

Borescope use is a good inspection practice. It allows you to see the real-time status of the interiors. Changes in the parts get noticed clearly on the LCD screen and corrective actions get planned.

When the maintenance technician experience cylinder compression reading that are questionable, then he uses the borescope to evaluate the situation. Manual compression checks are made in these situations, but borescopes offer them an opportunity to identify the flaws, which may be impossible with sound compression tests. Issues like cylinder wall scoring and corrosion can get identified.

Boroscope using tips for piston inspection

Experience matters

‘Defects can get identified easily’ – in theory, boroscope use sounds so simple. The main thing here is you need to know what defects you are searching for. Defects get identified, but if you don’t know what a good or bad part looks like, then it is poor inspection practice. The experience gets acknowledged with years and competence. Your co-workers can teach you things that cannot get learned from books.

Boroscope operating skills matter

If you are skilled in operating the borescope, your inspection runs smoothly. The knowledge of how to move the boroscope to inspect the specific spot is useful. You need to know the position of the mirror, which is hard for new boroscope users. Being familiar with how to operate a boroscope itself and what you are viewing matters.

Identifying defects skillfully matters

During an inspection, you will need to view the piston crown, cylinder walls and head for cracks, corrosion, and scoring. Check the rings for damages. Inspect the exhaust and intake valves. You can identify issues without separating the cylinder. Captured images and videos can get stored for documentation.