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 NBAA maintenance conference at West Palm beach May 2-4, 2017. Look for us at booth 713. The conference focuses on the challenges aircraft maintenance managers and technicians face. AIT will have the newest video borescope technology on display including the new XL Lv video borescope from General Electric.

The new XL Lv video borescope is the perfect solution for general aviation maintenance. The perfect combination of performance, reliability and low cost. The XL Lv is manufactured in the USA by General Electric to answer the borescope needs in industries like business and general aviation. The XL Lv has all the great feature we have come to expect from and General Electric.

Features and Benefits of the New XL Lv Video Borescope Include:

• High resolution CCD imager that out performs the competitions lower resolution CMOS cameras.
• Brilliant LEDs illuminate all the detail in a turbine engine.
• A flexible sheath made from materials like tungsten and titanium because stainless steel is not always good enough when you want the best. The new XL Lv video borescope resists common wear and tear far better than any other system in the it category.
• Powered by a rechargebale Lithium-ion battery rather than dozens of AA batteries (some other systems even rely on two separate batteries; one for the LCD display and a second to provide illumination)
• A reliable servo-controlled joystick protects the XL Lv from over torque and provides precise tip movement. Other systems still rely on old fashioned mechanical articulation that suffers from damaged articulation from routine use.
• The new XL Lv video borescope is MIL-STD-810G, MIL-STD-461F Standards Compliant and rated IP55 to resist ingress from dust and the entire system can with stand exposure to a water jet. Nobody else offers that level of quality and protection.

   

New XL Lv Video Borescope

The new XL Lv video borescope is perfect to inspect Rolls-Royce, Prat & Whitney, General Electric, Garrett, Honda, Williams and more. Available in 4 or 6 millimeter diameter the XL Lv can access the smallest turbines and deliver the best borescope inspection. The XL Lv is perfect to inspect all aircraft turbines, airframes, landing gear and more.

The NBAA Maintenance conference will be an excellent opportunity to see the latest technology. We encourage everyone in the general and business aviation maintenance community to stop bye to see the New XL Lv Video Borescope at the NBAA Maintenance Conference.

AIT is the fastest growing supplier of video borescopes and other remote visual inspection equipment to aerospace, power generation, petrochemical and other industrial customers worldwide.

Industrial Videoscopes Inspect Offshore Oil Rigs

Videoscopes are a remote visual inspection tool and are a critical part of ensure that an offshore oil rig is operating safely and efficiently. An offshore oil rig is constructed with miles of industrial pipe line, motors, valves, turbines, diesel engines and rotating machinery. It is critical that these and other operating systems on these platforms are inspected routinely for condition. Industrial videoscopes are the best method to inspect the various components.

Videoscopes are typically used to inspect the internal condition of pipes. Engineers will look for pitting, cracking corrosion, scale and other defects with an industrial videoscope. Turbines and other rotating machinery can be inspected for condition using a videoscope to snake into the small accesses. Valves can be inspected with a videoscope for internal condition and and defect that may impair safe and efficient operation. Safety and efficiency are both improved greatly on offshore oil rigs with the use of videoscopes.

The manufacture of expensive and complex communication satellites need to be thoroughly inspection with videoscopes. Any potential defect or foreign debris needs to be discovered for a space satellite to function properly. A videoscope can be snaked through tubes and behind electronic panels to check for problems before the construction is completed. Typically it is impossible to reach inside these small accesses to visually inspect for problems. Videoscopes are small enough to snake behind panels or be pushed through tubes as small as 4.0mm and as long as 50 ft.

Satellites Need Videoscope Inspections

Without videoscope inspection of these critical areas defect may go unnoticed and foreign debris may be inadvertently left inside the critical components of the satellite. A small defect such as a hairline crack could easily cause system failure. Foreign debris such as a small tie wrap needs to be removed or the object may "float" in zero gravity and cause a short between electronic components. Videoscopes are available in a range of length, diameters and directions of view to meet multiple applications.

Before a satellite is packed and launched into space manufacturers ensure that they have completed a thorough remote visual inspection of the entire system using the most modern videoscopes available.

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 Inspect Cell Towers

Cellular towers need periodic remote visual inspection. Videoscopes or Video borescopes are used to inspect the inner structure of the towers for defects. Inspector will look carefully for corrosion, cracking, pitting, oxidation, weld penetration and general condition of the interior of the immense structures.

Videoscopes Used For Cell Tower Inspection

Videoscopes are chosen for the remote visual inspection task because of their high resolution, portability and ability to snake in the tower structures as far as 20 feet (7.5 Meters). Inspectors need to climb the towers and insert the videoscope or video borescope inside existing weep holes. Ideally, a 6mm videoscope or video borescope works best for this application. Battery power is also a must because AC power is simply not available in the challenging locations inspectors need to work in.

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.

Renal of borescopes, videoscopes, fiberscopes and pipe cameras has become a common method of meeting remote visual inspection needs. In the past past the only option to inspecting a one time or emergency application was to purchase equipment for that one purpose.

Today a remote visual inspection rentals can be delivered overnight or even the same day the inspection is required. The appeal of a videoscope rental the cost savings and fast turn around. Remote visual inspection equipment rentals have many benefits for both long an short term requirements.

Some Applications for remote visual inspection rentals include:

• Turbine Inspections. Turbines need to be periodically borescoped to determine the condition. A video borescope rental may be needed if existing equipment is being serviced, there is not enough existing videoscope for the work or you simply do not have the appropriate diameter or length videoscope for the turbine.

• Architectural Inspections. Architectural firms may need to inspect behind a wall, an expensive ornamental fixture or in other difficult to reach area. A Video borescope rental will provide a quick and cost effective method to determine the interior condition of old architectural buildings with damage to the surface.
• Marine Surveys. Luxury yachts and commercial shipping may require a thorough examination prior to closing a sale or lease contract, for an accident investigation or to periodically determine the condition. A video borescope rental can be used for these short term applications for little cost.
• Boiler tube inspections. Boiler tubes at industrial plants need to be inspected for scale, pitting corrosion and other defects. a long videoscope, pipe inspection camera or push camera rental is the perfect solution to quickly and inexpensively complete these inspections.
• Heat exchanger inspections. Heat exchangers at industrial plants need to be inspected for scale, pitting corrosion and other defects. a long videoscope, or video borescope rental quickly provides the best remote visual inspection equipment.

Videoscope Articulation Helps Navigate Tight Spaces in Fuel Nozzels

Videoscopes can be used to inspect the interior of large gas turbine components such as fuel nozzles. The efficiency and proper working of a gas turbine depends on components such as fuel nozzles to be free of debris and blockage. A small diameter videoscope such as a 4.0 mm diameter will easily access the twists and turns in the tight spaces of these fuel nozzles.

A 4.0 mm videoscope or a small diameter fiberscope will be able to remotely inspect the interior surfaces for foreign objects, residue and blockages that will affect the gas turbine from running at full efficiency. The videoscope should be able to negotiate several 90° bends  and twist with the assistance of the scopes articulation.

Power Generation plants use borescopes and videoscopes extensively to reduce maintenance and avoid unscheduled outages. During outages or prior to plant start up, remote visual inspection (RVI) is used used to inspect areas of the plant that are not accessible during operation. Some common applications for RVI include:

Steam and gas turbines are inspected with videoscopes to check the condition of compressor and guide vanes. Turbines are checked for foreign object damage (FOD), erosion, burning and cracking. Cobustion chambers are inspected for cracks, combustion deposits and burning. Turbine section nozzles and blades are checked for cracking, erosion, burning and blocked cooling holes.

Heat Exchangers need to be inspected to check the condition of cooling tubes. Cooling tubes are checked for scale deposits, corrosion and cracking.

Boilers are remotely inspected with long videoscopes and push cameras (sometimes called a boiler tube camera). Inspected areas include the inner boiler tube walls for corrosion, erosion, pitting, blockage and over all condition.