{"id":1716,"date":"2019-03-22T14:22:58","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T14:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/?post_type=news&p=1716"},"modified":"2026-01-06T04:20:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T04:20:06","slug":"simplified-versatile-aviation-eddy-current-testing","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/index.php\/news\/simplified-versatile-aviation-eddy-current-testing\/","title":{"rendered":"Simplified, Versatile Aviation Eddy Current Testing"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Simplified, Versatile Aviation Eddy Current Testing<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Simplified, Versatile Aviation\n\nEddy Current Testing<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Innovative flaw detection devices can streamline the testing of<\/i><\/p>

a wide variety of aircraft parts while easing lift-off and operation<\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In aircraft maintenance and repair, eddy current devices have long been used to nondestructively test (NDT) wheels, struts, propellers, airframes, hubs, engine components and other parts for flaws such as cracks, fatigue or corrosion in a variety of metals such as aluminum and steel alloys.<\/p>

This traditionally involves multiple eddy current test instruments to address the full scope of work, which can involve inspecting surfaces, welds, tubing, and bolt holes.<\/p>

\u201cWhen it comes to metal fatigue testing, there are a number of different ways to test the materials,\u201d says Beau Klingbeil, General Manager of Eclipse Aerospace Inc.\u2019s Chicago service center, which provides complete servicing of the manufacturer\u2019s twin-engine, single pilot jet line of aircraft. \u201cEddy current is the least expensive, least invasive way of doing those tests so we typically end up using it on a weekly basis.\u201d<\/p>

While meter type instruments are traditionally limited to aluminum airframe inspection with a set frequency and probe type, more sophisticated impedance plane units that can be set to a variety of frequencies allow for testing in a much wider range of applications. However, these versatile tools can be quite complicated to use \u2013 almost too complicated \u2013 even for those with some training.<\/p>

Fortunately, for busy A&P mechanics that do not specialize in NDT testing, yet are responsible for a breadth of repairs, streamlined testing using sophisticated impedance plane devices is now possible. These devices can provide very accurate test results and dramatically simplify operation while utilizing a wide range of probe types.<\/p>

Simplifying Lift-Off and Operation<\/b><\/p>

All-digital eddy current instruments, utilizing incremental push button adjustment instead of rotational knobs, are common in aviation repair. However, operating the devices can be complex to the point that mechanics unfamiliar with their peculiarities are often forced to pull out the manual to set up and use them.<\/p>

This is particularly true when it comes to lift-off, which is required at the start of eddy current testing to offset any surface abnormalities or hand movement that could distort accuracy of the measured material. During lift-off with such instruments, mechanics typically end up pressing buttons and waiting for the computer processor to rotate through the set-up process, which can be agonizingly slow.<\/p>

\u201cWith most digital eddy current units, you push buttons to incrementally set a variety of different parameters,\u201d says Klingbeil, who is an A&P mechanic and Level 2 certified in eddy current testing. \u201cYou have to constantly go back and forth to adjust things like the single amplitude, phase angle, and vertical\/horizontal position.\u201d<\/p>

Instead, Klingbeil found a better alternative by turning to an impedance plane eddy current instrument by Centurion NDT, a Streamwood, IL based manufacturer of portable eddy current and ultrasonic equipment.<\/p>

\u201cI can step up for an eddy current test in minutes and be ready to go with the NDT-1100,\u201d says Klingbeil. \u201cThe portable unit is very easy to use and performs a variety of tests.\u201d<\/p>

The instrument, which is about the size of an iPad with an LCD screen, will locate surface and near-surface defects and conductivity changes in magnetic and non-magnetic materials, and can cover about 85% of the applications for eddy current testing that might be performed. This includes crack detection; sorting classes of materials according to hardness alloy, carbon content, tensile strength, and grain structure; as well as measuring coating thickness, sheet thickness, and the relative conductivity of critical materials.<\/p>

Unlike traditional all-digital units, the instrument has an automatic balance\/null feature that substantially reduces set-up time for manual operation. By moving the probe and turning a phase control knob on the front panel, lift-off can be completed in seconds.<\/p>

According to Klingbeil, the unit is very easy to use at lift-off and during operation, which tends to eliminate common errors of adjustment that can otherwise occur.<\/p>

\u201cFor me, the reason it\u2019s so easy to use is that you just enter the frequency with a push button, and then turn knobs to fine tune everything else,\u201d he says. \u201cBecause of how easy it is to use, I don\u2019t deal with a lot of false indications. It eliminates most of those.\u201d<\/p>

In regards to ease of use, he adds, \u201cWhen you\u2019re adjusting things like the single amplitude, the phase angle and even the vertical and horizontal position, you don\u2019t use a push button that functions very incrementally. Instead, you can fine tune it exceptionally well and accurately with knobs.\u201d<\/p>

Since mechanics often must deal with a full range of testing from the airframe to the wheels, it is also important to select an eddy current instrument that accommodates a large array of probe and coil types.<\/p>

In the case of Eclipse Aerospace\u2019s Chicago service center, Klingbeil stocks about a half dozen probes from Centurion NDT.<\/p>

The manufacturer of portable eddy current and ultrasonic instrumentation makes a wide variety of probes and coils. Digital frequency selection, probe drive and impedance adjustments allow the operator to optimize system performance for whichever probes or coils are selected.<\/p>

According to Klingbeil, the Chicago service center utilizes two pencil probe testers with different frequencies, two probes for wheel specific testing, and two bolt hole probes to test different types of wheels.<\/p>

\u201cThe pencil probe testers have different angles because some areas we have to NDT are hard to reach,\u201d says Klingbeil. \u201cOne pencil probe tester is straight, one is angled 90 degrees to improve reach.\u201d<\/p>

Among the most specialized probes are those utilized to detect heat damage along the wheel bead seat, the critical area where the rubber edge of a tire contacts the wheel.<\/p>

In this regard, Centurion NDT offers an extensive library of wheel bead seat probes, which accommodate the variety of wheels manufactured for the industry.<\/p>

To improve accuracy and ease eddy current testing of the wheel bead seat, the company also offers a wheel turntable accessory. Instead of manually running the probe around the wheel, which can lead to less reliable test results, the motorized turntable provides a constant rotational speed specific to the diameter size of the wheel half. With greater consistency, even the smallest cracks are more clearly visible on the screen, without the more erratic results common to manual methods.<\/p>

Overall, Klingbeil recommends such simplified, versatile eddy current test units to other A&P mechanics at fixed base operators and major haulers alike.<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m an airframe & power plant mechanic, so NDT is not my primary job; it\u2019s something I\u2019ve certified along the way,\u201d says Klingbeil.<\/p>

He adds, \u201cIf you\u2019re a novice learning how to do NDT, it\u2019s a good unit because of the simplicity and accuracy. You could use it at a service center platform or in the field for mobile response. This will do everything that other units will, but is a lot faster and more portable.\u201d<\/p>

For more info, call 630-736-5500; Fax 630-736-5700; visit www.centurionndt.com; or write to Centurion NDT at 1400 Yorkshire Drive, Streamwood, IL 60107.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Simplified, Versatile Aviation Eddy Current Testing Simplified, Versatile Aviation Eddy Current Testing Innovative flaw detection devices can streamline the testing of a wide variety of aircraft parts while easing lift-off and operation In aircraft maintenance and repair, eddy current devices have long been used to nondestructively test (NDT) wheels, struts, propellers, airframes, hubs, engine components and other parts for flaws such as cracks, fatigue or corrosion in a variety of metals such as aluminum and steel alloys. This traditionally involves multiple eddy current test instruments to address the full scope of work, which can involve inspecting surfaces, welds, tubing, and bolt holes. \u201cWhen it comes to metal fatigue testing, there are a number of different ways to test the materials,\u201d says Beau Klingbeil, General Manager of Eclipse Aerospace Inc.\u2019s Chicago service center, which provides complete servicing of the manufacturer\u2019s twin-engine, single pilot jet line of aircraft. \u201cEddy current is the least expensive, least invasive way of doing those tests so we typically end up using it on a weekly basis.\u201d While meter type instruments are traditionally limited to aluminum airframe inspection with a set frequency and probe type, more sophisticated impedance plane units that can be set to a variety of frequencies allow for testing in a much wider range of applications. However, these versatile tools can be quite complicated to use \u2013 almost too complicated \u2013 even for those with some training. Fortunately, for busy A&P mechanics that do not specialize in NDT testing, yet are responsible for a breadth of repairs, streamlined testing using sophisticated impedance plane devices is now possible. These devices can provide very accurate test results and dramatically simplify operation while utilizing a wide range of probe types. Simplifying Lift-Off and Operation All-digital eddy current instruments, utilizing incremental push button adjustment instead of rotational knobs, are common in aviation repair. However, operating the devices can be complex to the point that mechanics unfamiliar with their peculiarities are often forced to pull out the manual to set up and use them. This is particularly true when it comes to lift-off, which is required at the start of eddy current testing to offset any surface abnormalities or hand movement that could distort accuracy of the measured material. During lift-off with such instruments, mechanics typically end up pressing buttons and waiting for the computer processor to rotate through the set-up process, which can be agonizingly slow. \u201cWith most digital eddy current units, you push buttons to incrementally set a variety of different parameters,\u201d says Klingbeil, who is an A&P mechanic and Level 2 certified in eddy current testing. \u201cYou have to constantly go back and forth to adjust things like the single amplitude, phase angle, and vertical\/horizontal position.\u201d Instead, Klingbeil found a better alternative by turning to an impedance plane eddy current instrument by Centurion NDT, a Streamwood, IL based manufacturer of portable eddy current and ultrasonic equipment. \u201cI can step up for an eddy current test in minutes and be ready to go with the NDT-1100,\u201d says Klingbeil. \u201cThe portable unit is very easy to use and performs a variety of tests.\u201d The instrument, which is about the size of an iPad with an LCD screen, will locate surface and near-surface defects and conductivity changes in magnetic and non-magnetic materials, and can cover about 85% of the applications for eddy current testing that might be performed. This includes crack detection; sorting classes of materials according to hardness alloy, carbon content, tensile strength, and grain structure; as well as measuring coating thickness, sheet thickness, and the relative conductivity of critical materials. Unlike traditional all-digital units, the instrument has an automatic balance\/null feature that substantially reduces set-up time for manual operation. By moving the probe and turning a phase control knob on the front panel, lift-off can be completed in seconds. According to Klingbeil, the unit is very easy to use at lift-off and during operation, which tends to eliminate common errors of adjustment that can otherwise occur. \u201cFor me, the reason it\u2019s so easy to use is that you just enter the frequency with a push button, and then turn knobs to fine tune everything else,\u201d he says. \u201cBecause of how easy it is to use, I don\u2019t deal with a lot of false indications. It eliminates most of those.\u201d In regards to ease of use, he adds, \u201cWhen you\u2019re adjusting things like the single amplitude, the phase angle and even the vertical and horizontal position, you don\u2019t use a push button that functions very incrementally. Instead, you can fine tune it exceptionally well and accurately with knobs.\u201d Since mechanics often must deal with a full range of testing from the airframe to the wheels, it is also important to select an eddy current instrument that accommodates a large array of probe and coil types. In the case of Eclipse Aerospace\u2019s Chicago service center, Klingbeil stocks about a half dozen probes from Centurion NDT. The manufacturer of portable eddy current and ultrasonic instrumentation makes a wide variety of probes and coils. Digital frequency selection, probe drive and impedance adjustments allow the operator to optimize system performance for whichever probes or coils are selected. According to Klingbeil, the Chicago service center utilizes two pencil probe testers with different frequencies, two probes for wheel specific testing, and two bolt hole probes to test different types of wheels. \u201cThe pencil probe testers have different angles because some areas we have to NDT are hard to reach,\u201d says Klingbeil. \u201cOne pencil probe tester is straight, one is angled 90 degrees to improve reach.\u201d Among the most specialized probes are those utilized to detect heat damage along the wheel bead seat, the critical area where the rubber edge of a tire contacts the wheel. In this regard, Centurion NDT offers an extensive library of wheel bead seat probes, which accommodate the variety of wheels manufactured for the industry. To improve accuracy and ease eddy current testing of the wheel bead seat, the company also offers a wheel turntable accessory. Instead of manually<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1716","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/1716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/1716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1720,"href":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/1716\/revisions\/1720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web4.4imidev.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}