If you work with big reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE), you may have read our most recent blog article about their maintenance and inspection. It explored how borescopes evolved into video borescopes and how automotive borescope camera producer used them. The second item in our RICE series will address practical issues, such as how to choose the best video borescope for big engine examinations. I’ll also provide some useful advice on how to maximize the effectiveness of inspections.
What a Video Borescope Should Have
Look for the following characteristics and specifications when purchasing a video borescope from industrial endoscope exporter for use in big engine inspection applications to ensure that the apparatus will fulfill your requirements:
- A minimum of 2 meters (6.6 feet) of insertion tube length
- The diameter of the probe is 6 mm (0.2 in).
- LED source of illumination
- Robust design
- Two optical tips for ideal focus and a wide field of vision (FOV)
It’s also critical to take scope movement and picture steadiness into account. Using a stiff sleeve is one way to ensure that your probe is stable. Your photos will remain clear if you install a stiff sleeve on your insertion tube. By keeping your scope from colliding with the inside surfaces of the cylinder, it also lowers the possibility of damage.
Practical Advice on Borescope Tip Articulation
Your capacity to manipulate your scope once it is implanted is greatly influenced by the type of articulating tip you select. One-way, two-way, four-way, and joystick style are the four articulation kinds, which are distinguished by the direction or directions in which the probe tip may bend. There are two options for the joystick-controlled probe tip: manual and motorized. A motorized joystick allows for easy speed adjustment and accurate, sensitive, and smooth movement.
It’s not as hard as you may think to examine an engine using a borescope. Inserting the probe into the cylinder, checking the parts, and then taking the probe out are the three key procedures. Here are some suggestions for optimal practices:
- Make sure the engine is off and well-cooled before you start. This lessens the chance of both physical harm and borescope damage. Additionally, make sure that everything is clean and prepared for clear, high-definition images, and that you have the appropriate optical tip for your examination.
- Inserting the scope is the next exciting step. First, place the probe into the cylinder using a stiff sleeve. The stiff sleeve lowers the possibility of probe damage and oil contamination. The piston should be placed at the very bottom of the cylinder after it is inside. This allows you to see the cylinder walls’ greatest length.
- It’s time to conduct and document your inspection. Using a side-facing optical tip for a general examination may be quite beneficial since it provides a view of the valve deck, cylinder walls, piston, and valves (as shown). For more comprehensive photos, you can switch to a direct-facing optical tip if you see any fractures, corrosion, or cracking.
- Repeat after retracting the scope! After completing a cylinder inspection, carefully and slowly remove the probe by unlocking its articulation. After that, repeat the process until every cylinder has been examined.