Ultrasonic Safety & Survey Equipments

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Hatch Cover Ultrasonic Tightness Testing Is the New Way to Check Airplane Integrity

Air transport is one of the fastest and the most expensive mode of transport available today. The powerful airplanes can easily carry tons of weight and can deliver them within the shortest time to a destination hundreds of miles away. Their first use was started by the military which used to transport their tanks and other artillery to the areas where their troops were engaged in a fierce war. As soon as the first flight was successfully made, the transport companies also started showing interest in it. Thus with some modifications, the air planes for commercial use were also introduced.

Since the airplane has to reach a great height to attain its balance, the air pressure on it is greater than ever when it starts the flight. Any weak area of the airplane can burst open under the immense pressure of the air and it can blow up the entire plane in mid air. To make sure that the plane is air tight, the hatch covers are checked through a procedure known as tightness of hatch with ultrasound. This is a new method and came into existence when the first ultrasonic tightness testing device was invented. This allowed the team to do a speedy check of the sensitive areas of the air plane.

In the past when there was no ultrasonic device available to check the air tightness of the airplane, they used water and chalk to find out the weak areas and probably areas that had sprung a leak. Water from high pressure pumps was targeted on the body of the plane. The pressure would then force its way inside the plane’s body through the weak spots. This allowed the staff to learn about a leak in the body of the plane. Another method was to use air pressure to check the integrity of the plane’s body. Through a powerful motor, chalk was blown upon the plane in a special hangar built purposefully for this type of testing. The chalk would enter the plane’s compartments and reveal the areas that need attention.

These types of testings were done in the past and to some extent are also being practiced today. But the costs of these testings are very expensive and can easily cost a lot of money. But with the hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing not only the testing cost has become manageable. It has also speeded up the process and now a plane can be checked anytime without a hassle.

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