THE NEED FOR AVIATION-SPECIFIC NDT TRAINING FOR IN-SERVICE INSPECTIONS
Currently, training of in-service NDT technicians relies on commercially available courses. While a few of these programs cover aviation manufacturing processes and flaws few, if any, cover them as they relate to in-service aviation issues.
30 Aviation Maintenance |
avmain-mag.com | October / November 2011
BY TIMOTHY KINSELLA, DASSAULT FALCON NDT PROGRAM MANAGER T
he world of in-service aviation inspection requires skills and knowledge that are not common
to infrastructure, petrochemical, or other
industries. NDT technicians should have instruction designed specifically for the inspection of aircraft in the field. There is also a need for instruction on the unique in-service aviation NDT environment, as well as the in-service inspection of aviation composite materials and structures.
The In-Service Aviation NDT Environment NDT services for in-service inspection of aircraft are generally provided by repair stations and independent NDT shops. The manufacturing environment is easily controlled in that technicians typically employ a limited range of methods and techniques that they see every day and are trained with regard to the materials, processes and flaws that they will see in that manufacturing environment rather than the in-service environment. For example, NDT technicians in manufacturing will not be called upon to look for corrosion, fatigue cracks, or stress corrosion cracks. The in-service environment however, is much more flexible.
Technicians often see a wide variety of aircraft types, both old and new, and their maintenance manuals often contain confusing or incomplete NDT procedures. It is not uncommon for technicians to perform a few techniques that they are very familiar with on a routine basis. But since they are simply certified in say, ultrasonic (UT) or eddy current (ET), they can be called upon at any time to perform any techniques within those methods. For example, a technician might routinely perform ET conductivity testing for heat damage or cracks in wheels. Yet he may, at any time, be called upon to perform a multi-frequency test, a test for corrosion
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63