Your aerospace equipment must work perfectly, whether your pilot is delivering cargo, passengers, or intel. Even a slight mishap at 35,000 feet can have disastrous consequences. That’s why aerospace leaders turn to fluorescent pigments to identify issues and keep everything running smoothly.
This is why quality control is vital to the success of your aircraft or rocket. Advanced fluorescent pigments can help your aerospace company meet or exceed your customers’ manufacturing and operational goals.
Read more about how Angstrom Technologies, Inc. assists your aerospace or aircraft firm.
Aerospace Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI)
Advanced fluorescent dyes are applied to the surface of non-porous materials to detect defects or added to liquid systems to detect leaks. This non-destructive testing method can illuminate flaws such as cracks and porosity in critical systems.
Systems that benefit from aerospace fluorescent penetrant inspections include anything with a component that uses liquid (hydraulics, fuel) or air (pneumatics, cabin air pressure:
- Landing gear
- Turbine blades
- Engine parts
- Structural members
- Fuselage
- Cabin air systems
The basic process for liquid testing includes:
- A small amount of fluorescent dye is mixed with penetrant liquid.
- Fluid systems are allowed to circulate with the host fluid or refrigerant.
- If the mixture escapes and accumulates at a leak point, it can be detected visually using a UV light.
- Leaks glow brightly under UV light, making them easy to spot.
Fuselage testing for air leaks can use a different method:
- Fluorescent dye is added to the surface of the component.
- It is allowed to dwell for a specified time, giving the dye ample opportunity to seep into any cracks.
- Excess fluorescent dye is removed.
- The system is allowed to run normally.
- UV lights can detect any leaks.
Fuselage testing is ideal for seams between fuselage parts and welds to make sure there are zero air leaks. Fluorescent pigments ensure the safety and functionality of equipment.
Advantages of Fluorescent Dye Testing for Aircraft and Rockets
The main advantages of fluorescent dye testing are twofold.
How Fluorescent Pigments Create Cost-Effective Testing
Fluorescence is non-destructive testing (NDT). You don’t have to perform stress testing that pushes systems beyond their operational limits to destroy a prototype. Your tests can accomplish what they need without wasting money. It’s not easy to detect possible flaws in welds, where microscopic cracks might form. Visible dyes will stain and require additional cost to remedy.
Find Problems Before They Become Problems
Aerospace companies are acutely aware of how minor flaws can lead to catastrophic rapid disassembly. Advanced fluorescent pigments have the color change, durability, and steadfastness to discover problems before your product goes airborne.
Illuminate Cockpit Controls With Fluorescent Pigments
Stealth is one of the most important strategic advantages for military personnel. Using fluorescent pigments to illuminate cockpit controls can give airplane and helicopter pilots a distinct advantage in field operations.
UV-illuminated cockpit controls can generate less ambient light than LEDs. So, if your aircraft needs stealth, UV lights can make it harder to give away an aircraft’s position if ground-based teams are scanning the skies with infrared sensors.
Do your pilots need night vision for missions? Pilots wearing night vision goggles use IR light to create visuals. UV-backed cockpit controls have a lower chance of disrupting pilots’ night vision.
Reach Out to Angstrom Technologies, Inc. About Fluorescent Pigments for Aerospace
Angstrom Technologies, Inc. applies advanced fluorescent pigments for the aerospace industry for aircraft and rockets. Contact us or call 859-282-0020 to discuss how we can take your products to the next level.
