Duncan White of ViewTech Borescopes: Advanced Devices for Remote Visual Inspections

To read the full article on the Hydro Leader website, please go here, view the PDF version here or read the text version below.

September 2022
Hydro Leader

Michigan-based ViewTech Borescopes is a leader in remote visual inspection. Its borescopes have a manipulatable probe and video technology that allows facility managers to create an archive of photos and videos to inform decisions about troubleshooting and preventive maintenance. In this interview, ViewTech’s director of sales and marketing, Duncan White, tells us about the company’s technology and its demo-before-you-buy sales philosophy.

Hydro Leader: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.

Duncan White: I am the director of sales and marketing at ViewTech Borescopes. I have been here for about 10 years. My background is in online marketing. Before coming here, I worked as the director of client services, a sales role, at an internet marketing company.

Hydro Leader: Please tell us about ViewTech Borescopes.

Duncan White: We’re a small company of about 10 people based in Traverse City, Michigan. We are the exclusive distributor in the United States and Canada of ViewTech Borescopes for commercial and industrial applications. A borescope is a small inspection camera that can go inside places you can’t reach with your eyes. The technology is related to that used in medical endoscopes. The difference is that the borescope needs to be durable enough to work in industrial settings. With many types of inspection cameras, you can put the camera in, but you can’t move it around. We distribute a class of borescopes called articulating video borescopes, which means that their ends can be moved around to get a better view of the area that you’re inspecting.

Hydro Leader: How do potential customers learn about your products?

Read the full article on the Hydro Leader website.

An inspection image from a West Coast customer in the hydropower industry that uses the ViewTech VJ-3 6.0mm

Coming into View: TC company is top seller of video borescopes in North America

To read the full article on Traverse City Record-Eagle’s website, please go here, view the PDF version here or read the text version below.

December 8, 2021
Traverse City Record-Eagle
By Mark Urban murban@record-eagle.com

ViewTech Borescopes Founder and General Manager Sean O’Connor is seen on the screen of one of the video borescopes sold by the Traverse City company. photo credit – Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump

TRAVERSE CITY — For a company specializing in looking in difficult places, ViewTech Borescopes is incredibly inconspicuous.
The brick building on Barlow Street sits behind a brick wall bearing the name of the company.

A newly constructed apartment complex sits just north and to the east. Most of the public parking lot traffic comes when people miss the turn for the Michigan Secretary of State office a short distance to the south.

An articulating camera snakes down, back up and out the elongated ‘V’ in the first letter of the company. It’s the only hint that inside is top seller of video borescopes in North America.

But for those who need visually inspect small spaces, the importance of ViewTech Borescopes and its Traverse City office are clear. Because no matter how hard the office may be to locate, those in aviation maintenance and turbine engine inspection know one of the company slogans often shines an LED light on an important issue: “You can’t fix what you can’t see.”

“Anywhere you can use your eye, but you can’t fit your head,” ViewTech Borescopes founder and general manager Sean O’Connor said of another of the company’s expressions.

The handheld device made by ViewTech Borescopes has controls just below a video screen. The tungsten-braided insertion tube comes standard in four different diameters (2.2, 2.8, 3.9 and 6 millimeters) and five different lengths (1, 1.5, 3, 5 and 8 meters). Each unit has an LED light at the end.

The choice depends on the particular task the articulating borescope — called an industrial endoscope in Europe — needs to perform. But in terms of the durability, resolution and size of the light on the end, one rule applies.

“You want to get the shortest insertion tube you can with the largest diameter where you can still perform your inspection,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said ViewTech Borescopes’ biggest areas of use are in aviation maintenance (20 percent) and power generation (18 percent), but said “all the automobile factories have our scope.”

Tim Lechota, lead mechanic for North Flight Aero Med in Traverse City, said ViewTech Borescopes are used 30 weeks of the year for both helicopter and aircraft inspection.

“We’re busy,” Lechota said. “It’s a very, very handy piece of equipment to have. There are a lot of nooks and crannies in the helicopters and our aircraft and having a video scope lets us get a set of eyes in there where it would be a lot harder to do so otherwise.”

Lechota said he has used ViewTech Borescopes for nearly six years, using and later borrowing one from Aero Med Grand Rapids before purchasing one for the Traverse City office in September, with the added convenience of being able to pick it up in person.

“I was using theirs so much, we got our own,” Lechota said.

Nick Summerland, Health Safety Environmental manager for Lambda Energy Resources in Kalkaska, said the oil and gas industry “has a few different uses” for the ViewTech Borescopes. Summerland said the Houston-headquartered company purchased one this summer to use in Michigan.

“There are a multitude of functions, providing pipe inspection and internal engine inspection, whether it be cylinder heads, piston tops or actual cylinders inside of an engine,” Summerland said.

“It was easy to use. It seems pretty rugged, not that we would abuse it, and able to stand up (to use). It’s something anybody can use, even with short training. I was trained to use it by the salesman in about five minutes.”

Manufactured in a factory in Shenzhen, China, ViewTech Borescopes are sold from the office in Traverse City. O’Connor said Director of Sales and Marketing Duncan White runs the day-to-day operations. Formerly at OneUpWeb, White and the staff of 10 operate as a team using customer relationship management software.

Since a sales staff of four can’t visit all of North America, ViewTech personnel attend nearly two dozen trade shows a year and sends thousands of daily emails to sell the borescope.

O’Connor said ViewTech currently has about 150 demo units in the field for customers to try, which they keep if they decide to purchase.
“Every day there are four to five units going out the door for people to evaluate,” O’Connor said.

ViewTech sells hundreds of its borescopes annually, which O’Connor said “cost several thousand dollars, and prices vary quite a bit based on insertion tube length and diameter.”

And while its use in aviation, turbines, engines and heat exchangers is the norm, some customers use them for unusual applications.

O’Connor said ViewTech Borescopes have been used to inspect the inside of antique violins and even The Spirit of St. Louis, the airplane Charles Lindbergh flew non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. Quinnipiac University in Connecticut used ViewTech to inspect a mummy.

“People think it’s boring because we only have one product,” O’Connor said. “The cool thing is we’re in so many industries.

“You never know what the next oddball call is going to be,” he said, right before the nearest desk phone chimed.

ViewTech Borescopes started business in 2008 as RF System Lab in Gaylord, where the 53-year-old O’Connor grew up. The company moved to Traverse City in 2012, occupying the Gateway Building for five years before O’Connor bought the building at 1745 Barlow Street in 2017 and changed the name of the company.
ViewTech is in the process of remodeling and expanding its office, going from 3,600 to 6,600 square feet. The remodel is expected to be ready early next year.
O’Connor said the idea for the borescope came from when he worked in the dental equipment industry and was working with a Japanese manufacturer on a wireless oral camera.

“That was back in 2001,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor, who said he loves the research and development portion of the business, said the current ViewTech product is the third generation. He said that as cell phones keep improving, technology continues to trickle down to other applications like the borescope.

“We’re already working on the fourth,” O’Connor said. “The technology is always getting better.”

AMT 40 Under 40

To read the full article on AMT’s website, please go here, view the PDF version here or read the text version below…

October, 2021
Aircraft Maintenance Technology

Congratulations to this year’s winners of the AMT 40 Under 40 Maintenance Professionals Awards. It is their love, passion and respect for the industry that keeps aviation strong, exciting and above all else – safe. The winners come from all segments of the industry, just like the segments we feature in each issue of Aircraft Maintenance Technology. Whether they come from general aviation, business aviation, antique aircraft, rotocraft, military, airline, education, executive management, or maintenance, these individuals have one thing in common – high standards and a drive to do the very best for this industry.

Zack Wessels joined ViewTech Borescopes in 2014 as a sales representative serving the needs of users across a wide range of industries. Within a short period of time, however, his interest in aircraft-specific borescope applications led him to pursue a months-long self-study program to learn everything he could about the unique needs of AMTs and aircraft OEM and component manufacturers. He is now the senior sales consultant at ViewTech and the go-to person when it comes to solving the most difficult aviation borescope inspection challenges.

Sean O’Connor, General Manager of ViewTech Borescopes nominated Wessels for the award. “For Zack, delivering outstanding customer service is absolutely essential to success in the aviation industry,” noted O’Connor.

“Keeping an aircraft flying safely, around the clock and in the most extreme environmental conditions, requires so many variables to align perfectly, it still amazes me how well aircraft operators pull it off,” noted Wessels. “There is so much at stake, purely from a safety standpoint, every time an aircraft lifts off the ground, and yet 99 percent of the general public takes it for granted. That in itself is a testament to the quality of the professionals that keep everything working smoothly. To be able to service this industry with a product that makes the job easier for the engineers and technicians on the front lines is just incredibly rewarding to me.”

“Zack has hundreds of clients in every corner of the aviation industry, from avionics to zeppelins, and each of his customers knows that he can be reached 24/7 if needed,” noted O’Connor. “Zack also logs thousands of miles annually in service of the aviation industry and is a well-known presence at several aviation-related tradeshows, including NBAA, NAAA, Heli-Expo and MRO Americas.”

“I have met some really great people in this industry over the past several years, and I look forward to continuing to do my part to the very best of my ability,” commented Wessels.

In addition to helping AMTs and directors of maintenance with the tools they need to inspect turbines, airframes, landing gear, etc., Wessels has built a network of contacts he can connect and let them help each other. As for the future, Wessels says he will continue to dive deeper into the aviation industry and earning the word “Consultant” in his job title with every interaction. “When I can deliver valuable information and tools quickly, everybody wins,” he said.

Contact Zack Wessels for more information on ViewTech Borescopes no-cost, no-obligation demo program.

WELDING DIGEST
New Products For Weld Inspection

With our extensive video borescope experience, ViewTech | RF System Lab was featured in Welding Digest.

To read the full article on Welding Digest’s website, please go here, view the PDF version here or read the text version below…

July 20, 2020
Katie Pacheco
Associate Editor for American Welding Society

Weld inspections allow for various characteristics of the weld to be evaluated to ensure its quality, reliability and suitability for a particular application. Many of the modern conveniences we rely on every day, from kitchen gadgets to the vehicles that grant us safe travel, have welds that have been inspected for our safety. There are a multitude of tools and devices that facilitate weld inspections, with dozens of new products released every year. The following showcases four new weld inspection products that have recently hit the market.

Video borescope delivers a small diameter
Crafted by ViewTech Borescopes, the VJ-3 2.2-mm mechanical articulating video borescope is a small-diameter NDE tool for remote visual inspection of machinery, equipment and components. It has an ultra-thin, 2.2-mm insertion tube with a length of 1 m that facilitates the visual recording and photo documentation of an inspection, as well as components in areas that are otherwise inaccessible or require effort to access directly, thus ensuring every part is up to specification. It consists of two modules integrated into one system: an insertion tube with distally mounted camera/light-emitting diodes, plus a base unit with a control panel, liquid-crystal display monitor, power source and all necessary circuitry. It also features two-way, joystick-controlled articulation and a rugged, liquid-proof design.

View details on the most popular video borescope ViewTech Borescopes offers that is used by welders – the VJ-3 Dual Camera Video Borescope.

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QUALITY MAGAZINE
Latest Developments in Borescope Technology: Dual Camera Modules

Breakthroughs in materials, electronics and manufacturing techniques have led to innovations that have greatly expanded the capabilities of borescopes.

by Zack Wessels

With our extensive video borescope knowledge, ViewTech | RF System Lab discussed how the borescope has evolved, including technology and user feedback to help drive product inovation for Quality Magazine.

To read the full article on Quality Magazine’s website, please go here, view the PDF version here or read the text version below…

April 1, 2020
Zack Wessels

Of all the various NDT disciplines, it is safe to say that remote visual inspection (RVI) is the one most widely used across all industries. While radiography and ultrasonic testing, for example, are essential in certain situations and applications, there is no real substitute for being able to visually inspect and monitor the condition of internal components. Furthermore, ongoing technological advancements in video borescopes serve to continually expand the range of uses and applications for RVI.

A Brief History

Borescopes have been used to visually inspect internal componentry for over 100 years. During most of that time, the instrument consisted of a narrow, rigid tube with integrated lens, mirror(s), eyepiece and light source. Over the past few decades, however, breakthroughs in materials, electronics and manufacturing techniques have led to a series of innovations that have greatly expanded the capabilities of borescopes and, in turn, broadened their use in industry.

The first major breakthrough in borescope design was the development of fiber optic bundles, which allowed borescope insertion tubes to become flexible. This flexibility permitted visual access through curved channels and pathways. Soon afterwards, manufacturers began attaching video cameras to the proximal end of the “fiberscope,” allowing the user an easier way to view the remote image and enabling the capture of photos and video. Eventually, image sensors, LEDs and lens designs became small enough that they could be mounted directly onto the distal end of a flexible insertion tube, and the modern “video borescope” was born.

Manufacturers have been building off of this “distally-mounted camera/LED module” design for the past 15 to 20 years, relying on advancements in PCBs and image processors, as well as ever-smaller and more powerful image sensors. The end result is that the rigid tube borescope of 100 years ago has evolved into a device that would be unrecognizable to early borescope users.

Technology that Drives Innovation

In the broadest sense, the technology that has most enabled the fundamental improvements in borescopes over the past 20 years involves:

– Smaller image sensors.
– Smaller and brighter LEDs.
– Smaller and more powerful image processors.

The common denominator is miniaturization, which lies at the heart of modern video borescope innovation. Smaller image sensors and LEDs allow for smaller diameter insertion tubes, which in turn permit access through smaller ports and narrower passageways. The state-of-the-art has evolved to the point that QC and repair technicians can now add to their arsenal a video borescope with joystick-controlled, four-way steering with an insertion tube diameter as small as 2.8mm. Needless to say, the potential applications for this type of technology increase exponentially when diameters get this small.

User Feedback that Drives Innovations

While miniaturization of key components lies behind much of the progress we see in borescope technology, requests for new features from current and prospective borescope users have also compelled the development of new products and creative solutions. This feedback loop between borescope manufacturers and technicians in the field becomes even more important as technological advancements greatly open up the possibilities of what can be designed and produced. As anyone who has been in business knows, just because something can be built does not mean there is a market for it, and it is the end-user—not the sales and marketing department—who will ultimately decide whether a certain feature is worthwhile.

Dual Camera Modules

One recent breakthrough in borescope technology that is the direct result of the convergence of technology and customer feedback is the dual camera module. While the majority of borescope applications require only a forward view camera, there are certain inspections that call for a side view camera, typically because of extremely tight confines that don’t leave enough room for movement of the articulating tip. In the past, these side viewing requirements have been met by attaching a mirror, prism, or other type of adapter to the distal end of the insertion tube. While these side view adapter configurations can provide excellent image quality in tight spaces, they do limit the technician to an either/or choice: either forward view or side view, but not both. Now, thanks again to miniaturization, four-way articulating modules with two cameras—one forward view and one side view—are available. This dual-camera module speeds up and simplifies the inspection procedure by providing a forward view that is ideal when guiding and steering the insertion tube into the inspection area, at which point, with the press of a button, the user can switch to the side view camera in order to inspect the target.

Applications for Dual Camera Borescopes

While fully-articulating dual camera borescopes are still fairly new to the market, some early indicators of key applications are already beginning to appear. These applications include:

Orbital welds in process piping. If process piping is over 3” in diameter, usually a forward view borescope with at least 90 degrees of articulation will be able to deliver a good view of the interior orbital weld. When pipe diameter gets below 3”, it becomes more difficult to obtain a straight-ahead view of the welds when using a forward view camera, even if the camera has a wide field of view. For small ID pipes, the side view camera solves this problem and can provide an excellent, straight-on view of welds in pipes as small as ¾” ID.

Heat exchangers. Pitting, scale buildup and corrosion in heat exchangers reduces efficiency and can lead to system failure if left untreated. A side view camera is ideal when examining the condition of small diameter heat exchangers, and capturing photos of problem areas over time can help technicians predict when refurbishment or replacement will be necessary.

Cast metal parts. Dual camera modules can be very useful when inspecting the inside of cast metal parts for burrs, pin holes or slag inclusion. Once inside the component, if there is enough room to point the forward view camera at the inspection target, then this camera should be used. If a certain channel is too narrow, however, this is when the side view camera can be activated to get a closer look at surface areas perpendicular to the camera module.

Bearings and inner/outer races. Gear assemblies and gear boxes seem to be getting more complex and crowded all the time. This has been great for drive efficiency and system performance, but it makes inspecting the gears correspondingly more difficult. The dual camera module has proven useful in providing visual access to gear and bearing components that are tightly spaced and otherwise inaccessible.

Disadvantages of Dual Camera Borescopes

While a dual camera module can increase the utility of a borescope for some users, there are certain drawbacks that need to be considered. First, a dual camera module is about 6mm longer than a single camera module, which increases the bending radius of the distal tip, something that can be especially relevant when snaking the insertion tube through multiple tight turns. Additionally, because extra power is required to run two sets of cameras and LEDs, a slight reduction in maximum light output is necessary in order to keep overall module heat levels within a safe tolerance. Finally, a dual camera borescope will cost somewhere between 5% and 10% more than a similar scope with only one camera.

Do Your Homework

As with any purchase of high-tech NDT equipment, it is important to know that your investment is going pay off. Everyone’s situation is unique, and just because a piece of gear may get rave reviews from your colleague on the other side of the country doesn’t mean that you’re going to feel the same way about it. A good place to start is by accurately defining the problem you are trying to solve. What inspection, maintenance or repair process are you trying to improve or speed up? Then have a discussion with a knowledgeable sales consultant about your application, what you want to achieve, and whether the equipment under consideration is suitable to the task. Finally, you should evaluate the equipment in your facility and on your actual inspections before buying it— this is the absolute best way to be sure that you’re going to happy with your investment over the long haul.

Zack Wessels is a Senior Sales Consultant with ViewTech Borescopes, formerly RF System Lab. For more information, call (231) 943-1171 or visit www.ViewTech.com.

QUALITY MAGAZINE
Video Borescope Diameters are Shrinking while Image Quality Improves

The name of the game is always higher resolution, greater detail, improved accuracy, and faster speeds.

by Zack Wessels

With our extensive video borescope knowledge, ViewTech | RF System Lab discussed how borescope diameters are shrinking, while the quality of image improves for Quality Magazine.

To read the full article on Quality Magazine’s website, please go here, view the PDF version here or read the text version below…

June 3, 2019
Zack Wessels

Advancements in technology continue to enhance the capabilities of all areas of industrial quality and process control, and this is certainly the case within the various disciplines of nondestructive testing (NDT). Whether we consider industrial radiography, ultrasonic testing, eddy current, or remote visual inspection (RVI), the name of the game is always higher resolution, greater detail, improved accuracy, and faster speeds.

In the same way that industrial radiography benefits from the huge R&D investments made in medical radiography, manufacturers and users of RVI equipment benefit from the technical breakthroughs achieved in medical endoscopy and other fields. For example, the improvements in micro cameras and lenses that are driven by the cell phone industry accrue in a trickle-down fashion to industrial video borescopes. The same can be said of the rapid gains made recently in micro COB (chip on board) LED illumination, which delivers extremely powerful light output from a circular footprint, perfect for the distal tip of a video borescope. These distally-mounted LEDs produce the same high intensity light that was previously only available in borescopes utilizing fiberoptic illumination, resulting in increased durability and lower costs.

Small Diameter Insertion Tubes
The most consequential result of these overarching technical trends on RVI is the very small diameter insertion tubes that can now be found on a full-featured video borescope. Why is this important? Because smaller diameter insertion tubes permit access to smaller and narrower spaces, bringing the benefits of nondestructive visual examination to more industries and applications than ever before. For example, if we use VGA resolution (640×480) as a benchmark—a standard that is deemed sufficient for perhaps 90% of applications when we consider that the target viewing area is typically less than 42 inches—we can trace the evolution of the diameters that deliver this level of image resolution over the past 15 years.

In that time, the diameter necessary to house the components required to provide VGA resolution has shrunk by more than 50%, from 6.0mm to just 2.8mm. And keep in mind that this is in a borescope with full, four-way, joystick-controlled articulation, which allows very precise steering and targeting within the visual field. Even the fact that four-way articulation can be achieved in this extremely small diameter is due to the gains made in micro EDM and assembly techniques.

The new VGA threshold of 2.8mm has opened up several categories of industrial processes and applications that were previously unable to utilize RVI because the insertion tubes were too large or the image quality and illumination at this diameter were too poor. These include casting inspections, small ID orbital welds, difficult to access gear boxes and bearings, avionics installation and troubleshooting, and medical devices and PCBs.

As we go up in size from 2.8mm to 3.9mm or 6.0mm (generally considered the standard or most common diameters for video borescope insertion tubes), the capabilities in terms of image resolution and light output increase accordingly, with full HD resolution and ultra hi-output LED modules facilitating inspections of larger chambers, pipes and mechanical assemblies.

Better Base Units
Besides the primary benefits owed to new technologies in the form of smaller diameter VGA borescope insertion tubes and higher-resolution standard size insertion tubes, the base unit, or platform, which is shared across all insertion tube types, is becoming more capable and rugged. Features that are now considered standard for most video borescopes include variable LED illumination, multi-step zoom, image rotation/inversion, built-in IPS anti-glare display, on-board photo/video/audio capture and playback, and enough built-in memory to store thousands of photos and hours of inspection video footage. Furthermore, most borescopes today are powered by interchangeable and rechargeable Li-ion batteries, which provide several hours of continuous use.

From a ruggedness and durability standpoint, tungsten-braided insertion tubes are now the norm, although polyethylene-coated insertion tubes are also available for application that require smooth, non-abrasive instruments, such as sanitary or high purity stainless steel tubing. Hermetically sealed bending sections protect the micro camera/LED module from liquid intrusion, and base unit IP ratings of 54 ensure that the unit is ready for field work in all weather conditions.

It is important to note that while video borescopes are becoming feature-rich, manufacturers are very deliberate in the layout and design of control buttons and software menus so that complexity and the “learning curve” are reduced as much as possible. Unlike most other NDT instrumentation, a well-designed video borescope does not require days-long training in order to leverage its full capabilities. Naturally, a technician with several years of experience using a borescope will be more adept, but even a novice will be able to put a modern borescope to effective and efficient use within a very short period of time.

Borescope Selection
As with most other technical instruments, there are tradeoffs when it comes to product selection. Thankfully, with video borescopes, these tradeoffs are pretty straightforward and easy to understand. In the broadest terms, you can choose the insertion tube diameter and the insertion tube length. For a fully articulating video borescope, insertion tube diameters range from 2.8mm to 6.0mm, and lengths range from 1.0m to 5.0m or, sometimes, even 8.0m. The tradeoffs associated with the various diameters are as follows: larger diameters mean better image resolution, higher light output, better durability and lower cost vs. smaller diameters. The key advantage of smaller diameters is that they allow you to access and inspect areas where larger diameter insertion tubes simply will not fit.

As for insertion tube lengths, shorter insertion tubes have better maneuverability, higher durability and lower cost vs. longer insertion tubes. The main advantage of a longer insertion tube is that it allows you to inspect areas that may not be reachable with a shorter tube.

In deciding which borescope is right for you, first talk to an experienced borescope sales rep about your specific application. Within a few minutes, the rep will be able to narrow down the options and determine the type of scope that is best suited to your requirements, balancing all of the tradeoffs mentioned above. Next, insist on an on-site demo of the borescope and put it to use on your real-world applications. Having the scope in your shop for at least a full week is ideal, as this is the best way to be 100% sure that you are getting exactly what you need in order to improve your inspection, maintenance and repair capabilities. During the demo period, go through several cycles of each of your typical inspections and try to use all of the various features of the scope. You will find that with each subsequent use, you’ll become more comfortable with handling the borescope, manipulating the control buttons and steering the camera/LED module with the joystick. If other colleagues will be involved in the purchase decision, be sure that they also spend time working with and evaluating the scope.

You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See
Ask any technician who uses a borescope on a regular basis and they’ll tell you that they consider it an indispensable part of their tool kit. If it has been a few years since you considered a video borescope for your inspection applications or facility, now may be a good time to take another look. Like all technology products, borescopes are getting better all the time. As cameras and LEDs continue to get smaller and more powerful, the resulting small diameter insertion tubes enable visual assessment in areas that were inaccessible just a few years ago. And with HD resolution coming to standard sized insertion tubes, the resulting level of visual detail is truly incredible.

Zack Wessels is a senior sales consultant with ViewTech Borescopes, formerly RF System Lab. For more information, call (231) 943-1171 or visit www.ViewTech.com.

QUALITY MAGAZINE
Advancements in RVI

Remote visual inspection (RVI) technology can have a huge impact on maintenance and repair expenses and, most critically, downtime.

by Sean O’Connor

With our extensive video borescope knowledge, ViewTech | RF System Lab discussed the Advancements with Remote Visual Inspections for Quality Magazine.

To read the full article on Quality Magazine’s website, please go here, view the PDF version here or read the text version below…

October 6, 2011
Sean O’Connor

For any technician who monitors, maintains or repairs complex machinery or equipment, nothing aids the diagnostic process more than being able to see the physical condition of critical components. Unfortunately, this often means tearing down an engine, disassembling a machine, or shutting down an assembly line, all of which cost precious time and money. And while there are other instruments and methods than can sometimes help determine the condition of wearing components – think eddy current or radiography, for example – nothing else is quite as useful as a visual inspection. This is where the newest advancements in remote visual inspection technology (RVI) can have a huge impact on maintenance and repair expenses and, most critically, downtime.

RVI instruments have existed for nearly a century and, while the technology behind RVI has certainly evolved, the basic goal remains the same: to see into places that your eyes can’t reach. The pathway to today’s state-of-the-art RVI instruments has evolved from rigid borescopes that relied upon mirrors and lenses, to fiberscopes that utilized highly-flexible fiberoptic strands to transmit a remote image, to the current technology in which distally-mounted micro cameras are used to capture real-time high-resolution images. Along the way, advancements in articulation mechanisms now allow a technician to accurately control exactly where the micro camera is pointed, even while it is snaked five or ten feet into a piece of machinery.

Today, the most common RVI instrument is a video borescope, and most video borescopes on the market can be broken down into three main components: 1. The articulating tip, which contains the micro-camera, LEDs and “bending section”; 2. The insertion tube, which can range in length from a few feet to several meters, and can range in diameter from 3.9mm to 8mm; and 3. The base imaging unit, which houses the main PCB, camera articulation controls, video monitor and power supply.

Why RVI?
In addition to the obvious advantage of being able to see things you could not otherwise see without time-consuming disassembly, there is another key reason to consider adding a modern video borescope to your tool kit, and that is the ability to document, through pictures and video, the condition of the inspected components. Visual documentation can serve three important purposes. First, pictures can be used to help explain to a customer why certain repair work needs to be done. It’s one thing to read an oil analysis report that turns up metal shavings in gear box lubricant. It’s another thing to see a color photo of a bevel gear with missing teeth. Second, visual documentation provides an insurance policy against any potential misunderstanding or disagreement over component condition or service work justification. In the example above, if the customer sees the condition of his bevel gear, and still decides not to replace the broken gear, he will be hard-pressed to come back to the service technician three weeks later when the gear strips out entirely and claim he was not properly informed of the severity of the problem. Forewarned is forearmed. The third reason why documenting with the use of a video borescope is a good idea is because, when used over time, visual documentation can show the wear trends that occur with use. For example, by inspecting the stators of progressive cavity pumps at regular intervals – say every 10 hours of use – a technician can learn to gauge the remaining life of the stator and remove it from service before it chunks out on the job. Other types of inspections in which it is helpful to monitor and document the condition over time include engine valve inspections, boiler tube inspections, and any inspection related to corrosion or accumulated blockage.

Industry and Product Trends
One of the key trends occurring with video borescopes is the simplification of design in order to allow the technology to “trickle down” into applications that previously did not justify the expense. This same trend occurs in many other technical and consumer product categories, from flow meters and thermal imaging cameras to GPS and digital cameras. With technology in general, devices that at one time were very expensive and complicated tend to become more affordable and easier to use, opening the door to much wider adoption. In the case of video borescopes, this “trickle down” trend has been fueled by the ever-smaller and more powerful cameras developed for use in cell phones and laptop computers, as well as advancements in micro-LEDs that deliver the necessary illumination. The result is that there are now video borescopes that deliver all of the key features – joystick articulation control, direct micro-camera imaging, on-board photo and video storage – at a fraction of the price seen only five years ago.

We can see this trickle down effect, for example, in aviation MRO centers, where until recently, only technicians in the engine shop used borescopes because of their cost, complexity and lack of portability. Now, because borescopes are less expensive, more portable and easier to use, their use is being extended to inspections of airframes, instrument panels, flap tracks, and even ground support equipment. In other industries, borescopes are being used to inspect gear boxes, internal welds, pump vanes, and combustion chambers in reciprocating engines. These are all applications for which the use of a borescope would have been cost prohibitive just a few years ago.

Another important trend is an increase in the portability of full-featured video borescopes. Gone are the days when a user had to pull out a large cart-mounted system just to do a quick inspection. Today’s scopes take advantage of the miniaturization that has occurred in camera and lens design, as well as the latest techniques in image processing and PCB manufacturing. What used to weigh 30 lbs., require a 120 volt wall outlet and come in it’s own suitcase now weighs less than 2 lbs. and runs on AA batteries. In the aviation industry, this means that a full-featured borescope can be transported as carryon luggage when a tech has to travel to an AOG (aircraft on ground) location. Additionally, in such a situation, any photos taken with the scope can be easily emailed back to the shop for analysis or a second opinion.

Thanks go the increased portability, ease of use and lower cost of modern video borescopes, this technology is finding its way into many industries that have multiple, geographically dispersed locations, including onshore and offshore drilling rigs, natural gas compressor stations, heavy-equipment service trucks, and small power generating facilities.

Choosing the Right Scope
In selecting the right video borescope for your application, it is important to choose a scope that has the critical features you need, without going overboard paying for features or add-ons that you don’t need or will rarely use. For example, one feature available on some high-end video borescopes is referred to as a “measurement function”. This is an expensive add-on, but it can be worthwhile in certain applications, such as in the inspection of turbine aircraft engines, where tolerances for defects or damage are spelled out by the manufacturer. When there is a question as to whether a certain defect is within tolerance, a measurement function can help determine the answer. As anyone in the aviation MRO industry will tell you, repair work on an aircraft engine is very expensive, so the added cost of a measurement function on a video borescope can be worthwhile.

While it is important to not buy a more complex or expensive borescope than you need, you should also be careful not to buy the cheapest scope you can find. If you have a good understanding of your basic requirements – the length and diameter of your access path, whether or not you require camera articulation, how close you are able to get the camera to the inspection target – then you should be able to zero in on an appropriate scope through a simple, five minute conversation with a knowledgeable sales rep. As with anything, you should try before you buy, and some companies will even ship you a no-cost demo unit to evaluate in-house before making a buying decision.

A final consideration in selecting a borescope is the total cost of ownership, which includes not only the acquisition cost, but repair costs, ongoing maintenance costs, and costs to train new employees on the system if required. These items can add up over time, so be sure to inquire about these expenses when shopping for the right system. Also ask about warranty coverage and whether a loaner is available if your scope should need service.

Bottom Line
The fast pace of technological change brings with it many challenges, especially to those responsible for maintaining the performance and quality of complex machinery, equipment and processes. It’s nice when that same technological evolution delivers an instrument or tool that helps make the job easier. Such is the case with today’s video borescopes. If it has been more than three or four years since you explored this category, you owe it to yourself to take a look at what’s new. You will be surprised by what’s out there, and you will be amazed at how it can make your job easier.

PUMPS & SYSTEMS
How Borescope Technology Aids Inspection of Components

You can’t fix what you can’t see

By Joel Greene

With our extensive video borescope knowledge, ViewTech | RF System Lab discussed how the technology of borescopes can aid the inspection of components with Pump & Systems.

To read the full article on Pump & Systems website, please go here, view the PDF version here or read the text version below…

November 8, 2019
Joel Greene

Pick up any back issue of Pumps & Systems magazine and there is a trove of articles focused on monitoring, maintaining, repairing or otherwise optimizing every variety of pump system, sub-assembly and component. Why is that? Why is so much of our time and attention allocated to this subject matter? It is because selecting, purchasing and installing a pump is only the beginning of the story, not the end.

The cost of ownership of a pump and the overall system, or function, into which it is integrated, has to include the cost of keeping that pump and system predictably operational over its lifetime. Downtime costs money, and unscheduled downtime from a sudden failure can cost big.

In the never-ending quest to improve monitoring and maintenance outcomes, lower repair costs and reduce downtime, the use of video borescope technology can prove indispensable. These instruments have improved over the past five years, driven by the miniaturization of image sensors, optical lenses, LEDs and micro-EDM techniques. The end result is a portable, easy-to-use diagnostic tool that allows a technician to gain visual access to internal components without the need for disassembly—all that is required is a small access port through which the borescope “insertion tube” can be passed.

Then & Now
Experienced end users may remember when the term “borescope” referred to a small-diameter, rigid-tube instrument with an eyepiece on one end and an angled mirror on the other. These are still used for certain straight-line applications, such as rifle barrel or small dimension casting.

And while modern, video-based borescopes are used to achieve essentially the same end—to gain visual access to an obscured area—that is where the similarities to early, rigid borescopes end. Today’s video-based borescopes feature video graphics array (VGA) or high definition (HD) resolution cameras, super bright, distally mounted LEDs for illumination, onboard photo and video capture capability, and, perhaps most importantly, joystick-controlled camera articulation. These features help users see and steer through the internal area to the point of interest, clearly examine it and visually document the condition of target components.

Borescope Applications
The main limiting factor in determining whether a borescope can be used in any specific application is the diameter of the insertion tube. A smaller diameter insertion tube can fit through smaller access ports and navigate narrower passageways than a larger diameter insertion tube.

Using VGA camera resolution as a benchmark, technology over the past 20 years has shrunk insertion tube diameters from 6 millimeters (mm) to 3.9 mm to 2.8 mm, thus allowing visual access to more components in tighter spaces than before. Using a video borescope with a flexible, small insertion tube, technicians can inspect and visually record the condition of bearings, races, seals, gears, vanes and turbine blades, with minimal or no disassembly.

Borescope Selection
Every video borescope comes with a base unit, which houses the printed circuit board (PCBs), menu buttons, display monitor, batteries and other standard components. The insertion tube attached to the base unit is available in a wide variety of lengths and diameters. When deciding which type of borescope is right for a particular application, the key selection criteria are insertion tube length and diameter.

Selecting the right insertion tube requires a thorough knowledge of the equipment to be inspected:

Where are the insertion tube access ports?
How far are these access ports from the components?
Is it a straight shot from the access port to the inspection target area, or are there bends and curves along the way?
What is the diameter of the pathway to the target area, and how much room is available to maneuver the camera once operational?
After these types of questions are answered, choose an insertion tube with the shortest length and largest diameter that will allow you to conduct inspections. Why? Because although insertion tubes can run up to 25 feet in length, if the inspection only requires a 5-foot insertion tube, the extra length can become cumbersome to manage and adds unnecessary cost. And, all other things being equal, a larger diameter insertion tube is more rugged than a smaller diameter insertion tube, will deliver higher light output and, often, higher image resolution.

Best Practices
A well-designed video borescope has intuitive operator controls and requires little training to learn how to use. That said, there is a right way and a wrong way to handle a video borescope.

First and foremost, remember there are a lot of electronics and small components in a borescope—do not treat it like a hammer, and be careful with the camera/LED module at the end of the tube. Use the camera as well as the “feel” of any resistance against the insertion tube, to help guide into and out of the inspection area, thus avoiding sharp edges that could catch on the camera or bending section. Finally, take more photos and video to document the inspection than may be needed. These are easy to delete later, but it is harder to go back and repeat an inspection.

Do the Homework
Video borescope technology is being adopted by more companies in more industries than ever before. This is the natural result of cameras and LEDs getting continually smaller, permitting access to more and tighter spaces inside machinery. That being said, every situation is different, and the only way to be sure a borescope is suitable is to try it. Any reputable borescope company should provide a free on-site evaluation.

Joel Greene is a sales consultant at ViewTech Borescopes. For more information, visit www.viewtech.com.

AVIATION MAINTENANCE MAGAZINE
Top Uses for the 2.8mm

VJ-Advance Video Borescope

by ViewTech Borescopes | RF System Lab

With our extensive video borescope knowledge, ViewTech | RF System Lab discussed the top uses for the 2.8mm video borescope for Aviation Maintenance Magazine.

To read the full article on Aviation Maintenance Magazine’s website, please go here, view the PDF version here or read the text version below…

July 22, 2014
ViewTech Borescopes | RF System Lab

In January RF System Lab announced the arrival of the 2.8mm VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV) video borescope. Now, the creators of the 2.8mm VJ-ADV would like to provide an update regarding the different industries that are utilizing the super slim 2.8mm VJ-ADV, as well as detail what makes this video borescope such a necessity in those industries.

The 2.8mm has all the same features as their original, 6.9mm VJ-Advance, including four-way joystick-controlled camera articulation, medical grade camera technology, and trigger activated image capture. However, as indicated by the name, the 2.8mm VJ-ADV offers a much slimmer insertion tube diameter, allowing inspection of much tighter spaces.

A function that was noted in several instances was the aerospace industry’s use of the 2.8mm VJ-ADV to complete casting inspections. Internal Foreign Object Debris (FOD) detection is crucial, especially for integral parts such as the small cord oil passageways in the casting that surround the turbine engine. The 2.8mm video borescope is ideal for casting inspection because of its slender size and smaller bending radius, allowing it to easily navigate through tight corners and small tubing to detect corrosion or FOD.

The small passageways of the casting are extremely expensive to replace, so a majority of companies in the Aviation and Aerospace industry use borescopes like the 2.8mm VJ-ADV to perform preventive avionics maintenance to ensure that the welding is fully sealed and that there are no ruptures or leakage in the joints of the casting. Performing this inspection prior to installing the casting also instills confidence that future inspections will be passed and that the integrity of all parts that make up the casting is upheld.

Another notable industry in which to 2.8mm has been popular is 3D printing and other electronic inspections. 3D printers are becoming standard in many industries and making sure the 3D printer you are using to create parts is in full working order, as well as inspecting the finished printed parts, is a must. The 2.8mm seamlessly fits into small openings and guides effortlessly through compact inner workings of electronics and the products they create. Uses of the VJ-ADV within the electronic industry have included solder paste inspections, circuit board inspections and different methods of preventative maintenance.
In addition to those industries, the 2.8mm VJ-ADV has been used for inspections that fall into the “other” category. These “other” inspections range from inspecting the inside of golf club heads to looking inside 300-year-old violins.

RF System Lab says the 2.8mm articulating video borescope has become a top-seller in the industries above and in many others that require a sub-4mm borescope such as oil and gas, chemical processing and manufacturing.

AVIATION PROS
Effective Use of Borescopes

Borescopes are Incredibly Valuable for Aircraft Maintenance Technicians

by ViewTech Borescopes | RF System Lab

With our extensive video borescope knowledge, ViewTech | RF System Lab was interviewed by AviationPros to discuss how borescopes are used for NDT application with aviation maintenance.

To read the full article on Aviation Pros website, please go here, view the PDF version here or read the text version below…

Mar 9th, 2009

With their ability to see places where the unaided human eye can’t, borescopes are incredibly valuable for aircraft maintenance technicians. But like all good tools, there are right ways and wrong ways to use borescopes; especially when it comes to nondestructive testing (NDT) of components and airframes. To get a clear view on this issue, AMT spoke to Sean O’Connor, U.S. sales manager for RF System Lab; Doug Kindred, president of Gradient Lens Corp.; and Laura Bustamante, senior product manager at Olympus.

AMT: How are borescopes used for NDT applications in aviation maintenance?

O’Connor: First of all, while the term “borescope” is often used to refer to any type of remote visual inspection (RVI) tool, there is a difference between a “borescope,” a “fiberscope,” and a “videoscope.” Strictly speaking, a borescope is a rigid optical instrument that can be used when you have direct, straight line access to the object being inspected. Mirrors or prisms are usually used to carry the image from the distal end of the borescope to an eyepiece or camera located at the proximal end.

Unlike borescopes, fiberscopes are flexible instruments that can bend through curves and channels in order to gain visual access to an inspection area. With a fiberscope, fiberoptic bundles carry light to the distal end of the insertion tube, illuminating the inspection area. Other fiberoptic strands within the insertion tube carry the image back [to] where it is viewed through an eyepiece or captured by a camera that can then display the image on a monitor. Some fiberscopes have directional controls and an articulating tip that allow the user to point the distal end of the insertion tube in any direction once it is inserted into an inspection area.

Videoscopes are the latest advancement in RVI. With a videoscope, a very small camera is placed at the distal end of the insertion tube, allowing direct video access to the area being inspected. The image is displayed in real time, usually on an integrated viewing monitor. Because there is no intermediate step of carrying the image through fiberoptic bundles before viewing, videoscopes have much higher resolution and image clarity when compared to traditional fiberscopes. Also, most videoscopes have built-in image capture and video recording capabilities, which makes documentation, image sharing, and archiving much easier.

Whether using a borescope, fiberscope, or videoscope, there are a number of important applications for RVI instruments in aviation maintenance. Generally speaking, these applications could be lumped into three categories: engine inspection, airframe inspection, and FOD (foreign object damage) detection.

Bustamante: With borescopes and videoscopes you can get to what’s not seen with the eye, things that you have no immediate access to and can’t immediately get to. There’s also a higher cost to take things apart to get to. That’s the main reason. Second is to get to and see inside airframe or any small area you can’t physically get to without a significant amount of time or money.

AMT: What elements of RVI instruments make them so well suited for NDT work?

O’Connor: Simply stated, RVI instruments allow a technician to conduct a visual inspection of an area that otherwise could not be seen with the unaided human eye. For any technician working on complex machinery or equipment, being able to look inside and inspect small or remote internal areas is a huge advantage. When we consider the financial costs and potential loss of life that can occur with the sudden failure of an aircraft component or system, effective RVI in aviation becomes not just an advantage but an absolute necessity.

Bustamante: Borescoping is like having an eye at the end of a cable. NDT is being able to inspect something without changing the actual structure of what you’re inspecting. You have something that’s small enough to get inside small access areas like a screw hole that brings you inside of a frame. We have technology like articulation so you can navigate a cable through some pretty difficult small areas. With every type of instrument there is for NDT, nothing beats actually being able to see it. Whether it’s a video with a camera, or going more old school with a fiberscope, you see what you need to see. You can get a lot of tools to get you different readings, but in the end nothing beats having somebody looking at it.

AMT: What parts of the airframe and engine are best suited for RVI work?

O’Connor: Different airframes will have different requirements, but a sampling of items that are inspected using RVI include bell cranks, cable attachments, hose and wiring connections and condition, the inside of wing spars, and, with composite airframes, delamination inside composite panels. RVI is also helpful in reading component ID plates and serial numbers, checking for loose nuts or bolts, inspecting the compass compartment on larger aircraft, and for locating the source of fuel or other fluid leaks.

For piston-powered aircraft, a technician will inspect the inside of the cylinder to look for scorched pistons, cross-hatching on the combustion chamber walls, and valve condition. With turbine-powered aircraft, RVI is used to inspect the turbine blades, nozzle guide vanes, and to look for any foreign object damage.

Kindred: The basic two most common things are inspecting turbine and compressor blades in engines and combustion chamber. When using RVI on the blades you’re looking for cracks from wear or impact. When inspecting a combustions chamber you’re looking for cracks, faulty fuel injectors, or anything that looks like it could be wrong. You use RVI so you don’t have to take the whole thing apart.

AMT: What are the “tricks of the trade” for using RVI tools effectively?

O’Connor: Keep in mind that modern RVI instruments are packed with electronics. A videoscope will not only have circuit boards and a power pack, but also a micro-camera, lens, articulation controls, and LEDs or fiberoptics for illumination. Accidents will happen, but dropping a videoscope from the horizontal stabilizer of a 757 has different implications than dropping a screwdriver from the same height. Treat the instruments kindly and they will provide years of trouble-free service.

When in doubt, take a picture. Videoscopes (and fiberscopes and borescopes if they have a camera attachment) allow you to capture images and video during an inspection. If there is any question as to whether or not there is a problem with the item you are inspecting, take a picture and get a second opinion. It is a lot easier to delete an image later than it is to go back and find the questionable area a second time.

When using guide tubes, if possible, place the instrument’s insertion tube through the guide tube before putting the guide tube into the inspection area. During use, RVI instruments will often come into contact with fluids or debris. This is not a problem, but be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when cleaning the instrument, especially the lens, prisms, or eyepiece.

Kindred: The key is to use the right product. Some guys will use whatever old scope they have laying around. Sometimes a rigid or flexible scope or a videoscope is the best tool. It’s best to have a full arsenal of good quality borescopes so you can use the right one for the application.

Bustamente: First of all is training, training, training — knowing your tool and having the experience of how to use it effectively. One person to the next might not use it the same. It’s kind of like a camera — like if you and Annie Liebowitz both took pictures, you aren’t going to take the same picture that she does. Learning the actual tool helps reduce cost and time.

Getting the best tool is also important. There are so many alternatives, especially with lots of lower end products, but just because they’re less expensive … do you want to risk your inspection? A difference in quality equals a difference in confidence in your inspection, and especially on aircraft engines — those are the type of things where you need to see what you need to see to see if engine can still go. People’s lives depend on it.

So much RVI equipment is coming in from the low end has bare bones image quality. When we design we design for best image quality for the most confident inspection and decisions. Where do you really want to sacrifice?

AMT: Finally, can you conclude by giving us some tips to remember when using RVI tools?

O’Connor: It goes without saying, but just as with all other aspects of your work, always remember that lives are on the line. Unlike a car, if there is a critical failure at 30,000 feet, your aircraft cannot simply pull to the side of the road.
• Be thorough.
• Use the best instruments you can afford.
• When in doubt, ask for a second opinion.

Remember that RVI is only one aspect of NDT, and it is not a universal solution. When used in concert with radiography, eddy current, or ultrasonic NDT methods, RVI helps to provide a complete picture of your aircraft.

Bustamante: Practice. There’s different tip adapters, like there are different lenses in a camera. Know what tips are available and when to use them. Today’s RVI equipment is digital and you need to know how to use that type of technology, like how to bring images into a computer … there’s so much potential for doing more if you get to know it and embrace the technology.

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