subject: Borescope Inspection what is it? [print this page] Borescope Inspection what is it? Borescope Inspection what is it?
The simple answer is the internal inspection of an item where the inspector is unable to view the internal workings or passages of the item with a torch and naked eye along. The use of specialist optical equipment is needed.
The most common or well known type of optical equipment is the medical endoscope for use in "Key hole surgery".
Variations of medical endoscopes have been developed for industrial and commercial use these are commonly known as borescope kits or equipment.
At Remote Visual Inspections Ltd we use these borescopes to carry out internal inspections of aircraft jet engines. This type of inspection is called remote visual inspection by virtue of the fact that the viewing end of the equipment is remote from the operator. These kits are usually 2 to 3 meters in length with a diameter of 4mm to 8mm.
In some businesses such as pipe and drain inspections the length can go up to 100m or 120m and be complete with water hose and traction unit to pull the scope along the pipes or drains. Any industry or business that needs to look inside an item could be a potential user of borescopes.
The security business will use this equipment to find hidden bombs or devices, the police and customs agencies will use this type of equipment to find drugs or other smuggled items. The building trade will use this equipment to inspect the cavities in the walls of a house or under floors to check for problems etc. The nuclear industry uses this type of equipment to keep the operators and inspectors in safe areas while the viewing end of the equipment could be in a radioactive area.
The very early kits were no more than tubes with several lens in and an eye piece to look through. The latest equipment is flexible with the camera and LED light source in the viewing end and the operator sees the image on a screen. These kits are capable of recording pictures and videos. Some kits can measure defects and others have working channels where work can be carried out remotely while being viewed.
