Types of Borescope and their Applications
Borescopes are becoming more and more practical and useful now-a-days. A borescope is an optical instrument that helps you to view unreachable objects and areas without disassembling or dismantling the things. Borescope consists of a tube with an eyepiece on one side and an objective lens on the other, and these are connected together by a communication optical system. Mechanics, engineers, technicians and so many other professionals are using borescopes daily. There are two main types of borescopes, flexible and rigid, and a third type of semi-flexible borescope. The key difference in the types of borescope is found in optical relay.
The Rigid Borescope: The tube of rigid borescope offers a high quality image at a lower cost but it has a limitation that it cannot bend. You can get the rigid borescope tube in a variety of angles such as a straight tube and a tube with a 90 degree angle. The rigid borescope uses a number of lenses to broadcast an image to the viewing eyepiece or the video device. They usually present the highest quality of imaging at a lower cost. A rigid borescope can be a best option for inspecting automotive cylinders, fuel injectors and hydraulic manifold bodies, and gunsmithing an image.
The Flexible Borescope: Flexible borescopes or fiberscopes have collection of fiber optic fibers linked together with an eyepiece at one end, and a lens at the other, that broadcast an image from the lens to the eye. The utilization of fibers as a substitute of lenses; provide the borescope flexibility; but high quality of image is given up in the process. Fiberscopes have some significant benefits and characteristics such as higher length then rigid borescope and articulation capacity. Articulation helps inspector in manipulating the tip of the fiberscope and to reach inaccessible areas plus to inspect object from diverse angles. Fiberscopes are normally used in aircraft inspection and maintenance, engines machining, computer repair, espionage, blacksmithing, safecracking, and computer forensics.
Semi-flexible Borescopes: They offer some flexibility but are still fairly constrained in the access they can provide. Semi-flexible borescope could be the best option, if you require minimal manipulation more than a rigid borescope, but do not want total flexibility of fiberscopes. With semi-flexible borescope you cannot get the high image quality that you normally get with rigid borescopes, but you can save the expense that you have to bear in the case of flexible borescope.
Application of Borescopes:
* Airplane mechanics make use of borescopes to ensure security and avoid costly future repairs of internal engine turbines, compressors and fuel machinery.
* Auto and diesel engine mechanics utilize borescopes to examine all the inner working parts of engines to avoid expensive repair.
* Machinists employ borescopes to inspect the accuracy of machined components before bringing them into the market.
* The borescopes are used by gun makers to check rifle barrels for imperfection that can affect the precision of the gun when it is shot.
* Borescopes permit construction supervisors to observe out of sight flaws, for example pest, water, mold and mildew that have an effect on the structural integrity of a building.
* Borescopes are utilized for instructive and medical purposes too. An optic borescope used to inspect the internal mechanism of the body are called endoscopes.
The innovation of these borescopes makes it easy for people to decide on the basis of best available information rather than a best guess at what should be done.
Interesting Facts About Borescopes
With its great uses, borescopes are becoming more and more popular and useful. Many professionals use this gadget in their everyday jobs. Individuals like mechanics and engineers have their works done easily because of borescopes. There are many types of borescopes and if you are going to use one, you should choose the right type to acquire.
These gadgets can let you take a look at remote areas of equipment or a building. There is a reflecting mirror on one end of it that enables you to look from the other side. This mirror is perfectly crafted like those being used in cameras. The tubing is composed of optic mechanism that enables the images to travel to the eyepiece for the user to see.
There are two types of borescopes which are flexible and rigid. There is also a third one which is not commonly used but as effective. This is called the semi-flexible borescope. The main difference among borescopes is found in the optical relay.
About Rigid Borescopes
The rigid borescope's tube will not bend. You can also find rigid tubes that are ninety degrees. These are the two types that are widely used and are best-sellers. There are other angles as well, but are rarely being sold. If you found one, you can encounter a very heavy price tag. There are several lenses on the tube that enables the user to see the images from the inspected material. Borescopes gives the best quality inspection images. If your inspected equipment is compatible, you should use a rigid borescope in order for you to have the clearest image possible.
About Flexible Borescope
Flexible borescopes uses optic fibers for it to transmit images from the lens to the user. There are separate fiber optic strands that are also being used to transmit light from the light source to illuminate the subject to be inspected. The image quality when using fibers is sacrificed but the flexibility is met. For many users, they always want to have the best image which is a result of high resolution lenses. To get good results from the image transmission, you should choose a borescope that has more than 10,000 pixels or even more.
The fuzzy image produced by flexible borescope is because of the contrast between black and white. Because of its flexibility and ease of use, this borescope is more expensive than the rigid ones.
Market Sectors That Use Borescopes:
1.) Borescopes are widely used by aircraft mechanics. This is to prevent future repairs in internal combustion turbines. The operating lives of the compressors of a jet engine and fuel components are preserved by inspecting those using borescopes.
2.) Diesel engines are more prone to engine wear. By using borescopes, auto and diesel engine mechanics are able to prevent engine breakups and future damages.
3.) Machinists can have convenience in their finished material. Before they give it back to their customers, they can make everything sure by using a borescope.
4.) The accuracy of guns is also being ensured by using a rigid borescope.
5.) Another major use of borescopes is the inspection of building walls and ceilings. This can give data on the structural integrity of a building like water and molds.
6.) Borescopes are also used for medical purposes as well. A particular borescope being used in a human body is referred to as endoscope.
How important is Borescope’s Flexibility?
The flexible borescope is an attractive instrument. This can be used as practical instrument for inspection. A borescope has an optical lens that projects the picture through a flexible tube via fiber optic fibers. An eyepiece can view the image portrayed by the optical lens.
The tube pf borescope is very flexible and it connects the optical lens with eyepiece. Length of flexible tube is different for different types of borescopes. A borescope may have a long flexible tube of more then 100 feet. This flexibility is very important because without this flexibility, you cannot view the hidden areas. Flexibility makes the borescope an effective tool for several applications.
Flexibility of the borescope must be measured. Before buying a borescope, you should think that how you can move the tip of borescope toward your desired direction. According to flexibility, there are two major types of borescope.
2-way articulated borescopes: 2-way articulated borescopes have tip, which can be moved from left to right
4-way articulated borescopes 4-way articulated borescopes have tip, which can be moved up and down, as well as from right to left.
The importance of the Borescope’s Flexibility can be identified by the following applications.
Flexibility of borescope plays an important role in airplane engine maintenance because airplanes have large turbines. The interior machinery of these turbines is unreachable. Human hands cannot approach the unreachable parts of airplane turbine. A borescope can solve this problem. Due to the flexibility of the borescope, the inside parts of aircraft can be inspected. Flexible borescope is very valuable for inspection of complicated mechanical engines and turbines.
Automobile mechanics operate borescopes to examine the interior ignition cylinders inside the engines. Due to efficient use of flexible borescope, mechanics are able to diagnose troubles accurately and easily.
Automobile manufacturers use this borescope to inspect machined parts faults. Manufacturers want to deliver best quality products to customer. Assembly line machinery problems are also checked by using flexible borescopes. Down time on the production assembly line can be reduced by using borescope for detecting the fault.
Inadequate structural integrity in buildings can be detected by using flexible borescope. The construction industry uses flexible borescopes extensively. A building must be inspected with a flexible borescope in order to avoid any disaster.
Water and drain lines are being inspected by borescopes. Flexible borescope can be used to uncover the problem instead of digging up the line.
Borescope is being used by scientists to study creatures or animals in difficult to reach places. Animals living in holes can be examined and evaluated with a flexible borescope. The small flexible borescope will not disturb the animals. Scientists are capable now to observe the animal in an ordinary and natural atmosphere.
Botanical research is easy now because the hidden or unreachable areas of plant and animal are visible to researchers. They can view the activities under rocks and plants on the jungle floor. Botanical research is taking full advantage of borescope use.
The flexibility is the most imperative aspect of borescopes. The aforementioned applications prove the importance of flexible borescopes and their flexible feature.
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