Without a comic book hero’s ability to shrink down to ant size, locating and fixing some issues within helicopter engines was a problematic and time-consuming task for engine maintenance and for engineers.
Or, it was — until smart designers at companies such as New York-based Machida, Inc. realized medical endoscopes could be redesigned to venture into the internal world of these engines, without even having to open them up.
Enter the borescope — a precision optical instrument that uses bunches of finely spun glass fibers to carry light and images. The borescope transmits images of areas inaccessible to the naked eye. Scopes can be rigid or flexible, the latter generally used in areas where tortuous bends or curves necessitate a flexible device.
More recently, these scopes have been supplemented with the addition of the videoscope, which “allows a tiny camera to go into an engine and take photos and video of parts we could not look at before,” said Jitu Patel, vice president of Machida’s industrial division.
Reliable experience and innovation
“Machida has been supporting the helicopter industry by providing leading edge borescopes for over 40 years,” said Jennifer Kempsey, Machida’s marketing and operations manager.
Over the years, Machida, Inc. has designed borescope systems for the aerospace, automotive, aviation, casting, electronic, nuclear, petrochemical, power generation and refining industries. The company’s greatest advances were in the developing of visual inspection instruments for both the military and commercial gas turbine engine market.
“We work directly with all the engine manufacturers, which ensures Machida provides the right equipment to get the job done,” said Patel.
Both Patel and Kempsey are proud to note that Machida sells products worldwide, but all the design and manufacturing of the various scopes happens right at the company’s Orangeburg, New York, manufacturing facility.
Patel noted that while Machida frequently designs and introduces new products, it continues to support all equipment, as it has for more than 40 years. Machida is approved by Pratt & Whitney, with the PWC34910-109 Kit (videoscope) being one of the popular scopes for this purpose.
“Our team offers many years of experience — only a phone call away,” said Patel.
Those interested in seeing examples of the scopes in action are encouraged to visit Machida’s website. Among other information, the site offers a variety of video clips of what the scopes “see” when they are inserted into various engine access points.
If you would like to see your company featured in Insight, contact Derek Kast at derek@mhmpub.com.
