AIT recently exhibited at the 2018 MRO conference in Orlando Florida and demonstrated the GE Mentor Visual IQ with 3D phase measurement to aviation maintenance personnel from around the world. The Mentor IQ is the only video borescope with advanced 3D measurement capability to detect and measure defects with the highest degree of accuracy.

Maintenance and repair operations rely on video borescopes like the Mentor IQ to ensure the best possible inspection of turbines in the aviation industry. The mentor IQ has the added advantage of not needing to change tip adapters to conduct borescope measurements like old fashioned stereo measurement does. The 3D point cloud also helps inspectors visualize the inspection far better than stereo.

AIT is looking forward to a repeat performance at the 2019 conference in Atlanta, GA.

Mentor Visual IQ video borescope

AIT will be exhibiting at the 2017 annual ASNT conference October 30th to November 2nd. This years annual ASNT conference will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. You can find us at the conference entrance booth 1000.

AIT will be exhibiting our video borescopes, pipe inspection cameras, Tank and Vessel inspection cameras, Small diameter inspection solutions and other remote visual inspection equipment. We look forward to speaking with you about your remote visual inspection requirements and how AIT can help.

Equipment you can look forward to seeing includes:

The NEW X-LED Plus videoscope will be available for demo! The new high definition video borescope offers probes from 2.4mm diameter and lengths up to 7.5m. An HD camera provides brilliant resolution. A high high defintion 7" widescreen LCD with a touch screen user interface makes inspections a breeze.

The Mentor Visual IQ is the most advanced high resolution 3D measurement video borescope manufactured. The Mentor IQ is available with fully interchangeable probes with diameters of 4.0, 6.1, 6.2 and 8.4mm. The system boasts the most complete set of interchangeable tip optics including 3D stereo and 3D phased measurement. A high resolution TFT touch screen LCD makes the user interface a breeze.

The PTZx Portable inspection system is tank and vessel inspection cameras will be available at the ASNT conference. Perfect for inspection of tanks, vessels, drums and other large confined spaces. State-of-the-art white LED lighting provides over 1000 lumens of light along with add-on auxiliary lighting brightens the darkest of environments. Coupled with a low-lux, high-resolution CCD imager, zoom optics, continuous pan rotation and 270° of tilt, this sub-4" camera provides excellent quality images with which well-informed decisions can be made.

The MC360 is the best industrial pan and tilt pipe inspection camera. AIT will have the MC360 available for view to show off the ability to inspection long lengths of pipes and other lines without missing any detail. The 50mm diameter head is the smallest diameter pan and tilt camera head in it’s class. The small diameter allows you to inspect smaller pipes that other systems can’t.

We are frequently asked what is different about the iRis DVR 5 and iRis DVR X videoscope. They both look identical, have the same controls and digital features and this maybe confusing when trying to compare the two products. Both videoscopes are excellent video borescope tools and and do have some important difference that need to be understood.

The iRis DVR 5 utilizes a CCD imager and the iRis DVR X a CMOS imager. What this means is that the iRis DVR 5 Videoscope is capable of higher resolution images with better color reproduction. The iRis DVR 5 Videoscope also offers interchangeable forward and side view tip objectives. The iRis DVR X videoscope is a dedicated forward view video borescope.

Both video borescopes have 5 inch LCDs, however, the iRis DVR X needs be zoomed in to have the image display on the full screen. When used at normal resolution the iRis DVR X Videoscope only uses 3.5 inches of the LCD.

The iRis DVR 5 Videoscope is also offered in more diameters. Currently, there is a 4, 6 and 8mm version available. The iris DVR X is only available in 4 and 6mm diameters. The iRis DVR 5 Videoscope is capable of withstanding temperatures of 284°F/140°C for brief periods of time. The iRis DVR X is limited 178°F/80°C.

The iris DVR 5 is a superior video borescope when compared to the iRis DVR X, However, it is also more expensive. Consider what your true needs are. If you do not need side view  tip adapters for your particular application, chances are that the iRis DVR X is the best performing and value video borescope.

The iRis DVR X video borescope review proves that it is the best in its class. When compared to other video borescopes in it's price range the iRis DVR X videoscope or video borescope   out performs the competition on every level. The iRis DVR X offers a superior image, brighter illumination, industrial design, more options and advanced digital features.

Some of the Advantages of the iRis DVR X Video Borescope Review:

The iRis DVR X videoscope is available in lengths up to 7.5m (24.6 Ft.) while the VJ borescope and Hawkeye V2 are only available in shorter lengths.

The VJ borescope and Hawkeye V2 both have plastic housings and are not nearly as durable as the metal hand piece of the industrial iRis DVR X videoscope.

The iRis DVR X is water proof and IP 53 rated. Neither the VJ or the Hawkeye V2 have any protection rating and can not be used in wet environments.

The iRis DVR X is the only video borescope in its class that offers on screen text annotation.

The iRis DVR X videoscope or video borescope offers built in comparison measurement...nothing else in this price range offers any sort of measurement capability.

The iRis DVR X videoscope offers enhanced 3.5X digital zoom for greater detail of the inspection area.

A large 5.0 inch LCD makes the iRis DVR X easy to use and is vastly superior when compared to small 3.5" LCD displays.

The iRis DVR X offers vastly superior digital storage over both the VJ Advance Borescope and the Hawkeye V2. The iRis DVR X can hold 32 GB SD card and save 16,000 images or 32 hours of video. The VJ and V2 video borescopes can only store a fraction of this on tiny 2GB SD cards.

The iRis DVR X videoscope offers 6 hours of battery life. The VJ Advance video borescope and Hawkeye V2 borescope only offer 45 or 90 minutes...hardly enough life to ensure completion of your inspection.

The features and advantages of the iRis DVR X video borescope are overwhelming when a borescope review is conducted against the competition. Continue reading →

Advanced Inspection Technologies(AIT) was proud to be able to provide video borescope rental equipment to Ad Astra Rocket to conduct an inspection of their new rocket technology. AIT has the most advanced video borescopes available for short and long term rental to customer through out North America. The rocket that the borescope rental was used to inspect was an advanced plasma rocket.

The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR®) represents the future of translunar and interplanetary transportation as well as propulsion within Earth orbit. Its superb efficiency compared to that of a conventional chemical rocket allows double the payload mass for lunar delivery and half the transit time to Mars. Its robust design allows much greater power levels than existing electric propulsion systems and promises longer lifetimes.

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Boilers are extensively inspected with a boiler inspection camera. Inspections include: boiler fittings for security, boiler feet for cracks and distortion. Boiler Inspection Camera and Video Borescopes can be used to inspect the internal condition of boilers tubes. A boiler needs to periodically have its cooling tubes checked for imperfections. a pipe inspection camera or video borescope can be inserted into the boiler tube and pushed the length of the tube. The pipe inspection camera or video borescope can record the condition. A boiler tube needs to be checked for erosion, scale, blockage, cracking, corrosion, pitting and other defects.

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Remote Visual Inspection (RVI) equipment such as videoscopes, video borescopes, pipe inspection cameras and remotely operated vehicles (ROV) can be used for a variety of inspection requirements during outages at Nuclear Power Plants. Here are some examples of inspections that can be performed remotely using videoscopes, video borescopes, ROV's and pipe inspection cameras. Foreign Object Search and Retrieval is another common function performed during outages.

Foreign Object Retrieval or Foreign Material Exclusion (FME) utilizes equipment such as videoscopes, video borescopes, pipe inspection cameras and a range of foreign object retriaval tools to locate and remove items from plant system. Foreign Objects, loose parts and other material may become trapped inside piping, turbines, cavities, fuel pool and other difficult to reach areas. Areas that are common to remotely inspect during a plant outage ate Boiling water reactors include: Continue reading →

Oil refineries have multiple inspection requirements that videoscopes, video borescopes and pipe inspection cameras can perform. Refineries have many critical components that need to be functioning at peak performance and the only way to inspect some of these areas is with the use of remote visual inspection equipment.

Applications where videoscopes, video borescopes or pipe inspection cameras can be used to perform these critical inspections include: Storage Tanks, Gas Flares, Pipe Units, Cracker, Reformer, Fractional Towers, Spherical Tanks and Rail Road cars. All these areas need to be periodically check for cracking, corrosion, wear, proper alignment, pitting, cracking, corrosion, erosion, proper welding and other defects. Other common areas that need to be inspected with videoscopes, video borescopes and pipe inspection cameras may include: Reactors, Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Pressure Vessels, Pipes and Process Piping.

Remote visual inspection equipment such as videoscopes, video borescopes and pipe inspection cameras make it possible for engineers to safely and efficiently maintain and operate oil refineries around the world.

Videoscopes or Video Borescopes have many features available that need to be understood when selecting remote visual inspection equipment. Manufacturers of videoscopes and video borescopes have added more and more features over the years that have contributed to a phenomenon know as "feature creep." These unnecessary features have only driven up the cost of equipment and added little or no real value. Most remote visual inspection applications only require certain basic features to to be successfully inspected.

Many are surprised to learn that the CCD that produces a videoscope image are identical regardless of manufacturer. Olympus, General Electric, IT Concepts, Karl Storz and others all used the same CCD manufactured by Sony. The Light Sources also are typically identical across manufacturers as well as the material the videoscope's flexible insertion tube is made of.

In order to differentiate themselves manufacturers have added a dizzying array of features that have only served to make videoscopes or video borescopes difficult to use and expensive. When looking for a videoscope end users need to determine which features are absolutely necessary. To help keep the cost of equipment down and the equipment easy to operate, some basic features are all that 95% of inspections need.

Basic Videoscope Features:

• Articulation. This may be described as "all-way" or "4-way." Articulation is simply the ability of a videoscope to manipulate the tip of the scope at the bending neck. Today most videoscopes 25 feet (7.5 Meters) and shorter have the ability to articulate.
• Tungsten Braided Sheath. Videoscopes are typically used in demanding and harsh industrial environments. A videoscope needs to be constructed of material that will stand up to tough industrial conditions. Professional grade or industrial videoscopes can be distinguished by a tungsten braided sheath for durability. Consumer grade videoscopes with typically have stainless steel or PVC insertions tube.
• Powerful Light Source. A videoscope designed to remotely inspect the interior of gas turbines, heat exchangers, boiler tubes and industrial machinery require powerful light to illuminate these dark areas. Today, most industrial videoscopes use brilliant HID light sources or high output LEDs. Beware an industrial videoscope that utilizes a halogen, xenon or low output LED light sources.
• Digital Image Capture. With all the features that have been added to videoscopes over the years it is difficult to believe that the purpose of remote visual inspection is to view and capture images of the item being inspected. The majority of inspections will require an image to be saved as a record of the condition of the inspected area. Typically, These images will be in .jpeg or .BMP format to be saved on a PC or included in a report.
• Text Annotation. The ability to annotate an inspection location, serial number or condition is very helpful when recalling videoscope inspections for evaluation and determining corrective action.

Keeping the features of a videoscope or video borescope simple is the best way to keep cost low and remote visual inspection equipment user friendly.

Steel and concrete structures are subject to corrosion, fatigue, Wear and structural design flaws. Remote visual inspection of bridges can utilize industrial videoscopes  or video borescopes to inspect inside voids, cavities and other impossible to reach areas to determine the condition of a bridge.

Video Borescopes are Used to Perform Remote Visual Inspection of Bridges

Remote visual inspection of bridges—a videoscope or Video borescope is typically used to evaluate the condition of areas difficult to access for visual inspection. These instruments can be snaked to various internal areas of a bridge and transmit images viewed by a video scope camera attached to the tip of a thin flexible tube that can be as long as 15 meters. Common applications in bridge evaluation include bearing inspection and tendon inspection. Remote visual inspection access can be through existing holes/cracks or small holes (typically 10-20mm) drilled into the structure.

Facts About Bridges:

• The US has 578,000 highway bridges.
• Corrosion, cracking and other damage can all affect a bridge’s performance.
• The collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967 resulted in loss of 47 lives.
• Bridges should have a visual inspection about every 2 years.