In the fast-paced world of aviation, where innovation and precision are paramount, 3D printing has emerged as a game changer. Known as additive manufacturing, this cutting-edge technology is reshaping the aviation industry by offering many benefits and applications that transform how aircraft are designed, produced, and maintained. In this blog, we will discuss the extent of 3D printing in modern aviation design, allowing you to understand why it is becoming a vital tool.

While many are familiar with how ground support equipment may be used to manage and maintain aircraft, they may overlook the fact that such equipment requires regular maintenance itself. For example, the aircraft towbar is a very useful device for moving aerial vehicles across a runway, and its failure may lead to high repair costs, decreased safety, and increased downtime as operations take longer to complete. In order to maintain the functionality and reliability of an aircraft towbar, it must be checked over on a regular basis. Depending on the manufacturer, make, and model of an aircraft towbar, the exact inspection process may differ. Nevertheless, inspections will generally cover many of the same wear-prone areas, those of which we will discuss below.

The airline industry is a costly and competitive market under strict regulations and economic pressures. As such, airlines must look for ways to be efficient while aircraft component maintenance, engine maintenance, and heavy maintenance account for a large cost on a regular basis. In accordance with routine maintenance, airlines must manage their initial part supply, maintain appropriate spare levels without over-investing, ensure component reliability, and more; however, each of these factors account for a bulk of resources, cost, and effort. One of the most efficient ways to address each of these factors is to source all your aircraft component needs through a single distribution channel, as opposed to twenty or thirty suppliers. In addition to ensuring supply all in one place, an aircraft component pooling partner provides valuable support for component repair and removal services.

Electric cars are quite commonplace in the 21st century, with more than 6 million electric cars worldwide. While they only garnered popularity in the last decade, it is predicted that the demand for electric cars is only going to increase, meaning that they will become more affordable and contain better battery technology. This is only, however, if the electricity used to power these vehicles comes from renewable sources.

Aircraft mechanics and pilots will often say technical terms you may not be familiar with. With countless terms and acronyms that are unique to the aviation industry, it can be difficult to decipher the differences among them all. Maintenance-related terms in particular touch on a number of standard aircraft operations, making them an important group to become familiar with. This blog will cover the most common aircraft maintenance-related terms you should know.

Fasteners are implemented throughout aircraft to bind structural areas and other accessory components. Of the millions of parts in a jet aircraft, fasteners tend to account for close to 50% of the total. These elements must be durable and resistant to the harsh operating conditions present in aviation. In this blog, we will discuss several types of aircraft fasteners and how they find use in modern aircraft.

For an aircraft to traverse the atmosphere optimally and efficiently, it will take advantage of various flight control surfaces that enable pilots to govern flight attitude. Ailerons are a commonplace device for many aircraft, coming in the form of a hinged surface that is placed on the trailing edge of wings. Generally, pilots rely on ailerons to control the roll of an aircraft, and they are operated in pairs to change the flight path. To help you better understand the use and importance ailerons serve for flight operations, we will discuss their design and functionality further.

When working with hoses for the transportation of various fluids, it is important that any connections made are robust and secure to prevent any chance of a leak. Whether the hose is used for an automobile engine or a bathroom plumbing system, hose clamps, or hose clips, are the accessories that are used for securing the hose to a fitting. Depending on the application and requirements, one may choose from four categories of hose clamps, those of which are the screw/band, spring, wire, and ear types. To ensure that you procure the proper hose accessories for your particular operations, we will provide a brief overview of the common variations of hose clamps.

Washers are typically used to secure bolts. They are mechanical components that keep a bolt or screw from loosening or aid in distributing loads from a nut or bolt head over a large surface area. More than that, they protect the area from damage during installation by providing a wedge between the fastener and the mating surface. Skipping out on these useful devices can reduce the service life of the system or product you are working on. As such, this blog will cover three of the most common washers: flat, spring, and stop washers.

A bleed screw is a common component found on countless hydraulic systems, allowing for a temporary opening to be established for air or substances to escape. Bleed screws are important to varying applications, ensuring that pressure and density is maintained or serving to remove unwanted substances. For automobiles and aircraft in particular, bleed screws are often found in numerous areas such as the braking system and engine. In this blog, we will discuss the design and functionality of bleed screws, allowing you to better understand their importance for various applications.

Flight instrument parts are a crucial aspect of aircraft, allowing pilots to determine altitudes, airspeed, heading, and other flight characteristics with high amounts of precision and accuracy. This is highly beneficial for numerous reasons, permitting exact readings for carrying out safe operations and allowing for pilots to conduct instrument flight rules (IFR) flight for when meteorological conditions are too poor for visual flight. The aircraft altimeter in particular is a staple instrument that permits the measurement of altitude above a fixed level. As an instrument that is paramount to safe flight, having a general understanding of the functionality and use of altimeter cockpit instruments is crucial for anyone invested in flight.

A jack is a type of mechanical lifting device that utilizes large amounts of force to lift heavy loads. Jacks may be powered through various means, and hydraulic jack, car jack, and floor jack types all are common for different applications. The jack screw, or screw jack, is a specific type of jack which may be operated through the turning of a leadscrew. As an equipment piece that is well capable of lifting very heavy loads, the jack screw assembly may be found on aircraft for adjusting horizontal stabilizers, in garages for lifting automobiles, or may serve as an adjustable support for house foundations.

Bearings are hardware components that are common to many assemblies with moving parts. Coming in a variety of types, bearings are often used for minimizing the forces of friction while facilitating constrained motions. As each bearing type may feature varying capabilities due to differing parts, it can be useful to understand the differences between common bearing components as well as the requirements of one’s specific application when searching for a particular type. Cylindrical roller bearings in particular are a common type that may be found in numerous assemblies ranging from electric motors to machine tools. Due to the commonality of such roller bearing types, understanding their construction and functionality may be useful for any prospective buyer looking for the right fit for their application.

Computers have revolutionized how we communicate with others and operate as a society, and such technology can be found in countless industries and homes for a variety of applications. While computers range in technological capability and use, all rely on common computer hardware components and motherboard accessories in order for them to function as intended. Computer hardware can include both the parts that are internal and external, including common components such as power supplies, memory, monitors, keyboards, and more. If you are looking to build a new computer or are simply replacing parts, having a basic understanding of the common main components can be useful before making a decision.

The COVID-19 pandemic unquestionably threw many industries into disarray. Commercial aviation was no different. In the early stages of the pandemic, an estimated 16,000 passenger jets around the world were grounded, reducing the amount of jets in service to its lowest point in more than 25 years. To give you an example of the severity of the dropoff in air travel, on January 22, 2020, there were more than 113,000 passenger flights. Just three months later, on April 22, there were fewer than 27,000. However, airlines are not the only companies being affected. Diminished demand has caused leading manufacturers like Airbus group to cut their production by more than thirty percent.

A flanged ball bearing is a configuration of a standard ball bearing that features an extension or lip on the outer ring of the bearing which is designed to aid the mounting and positioning of a bearing in a delicate application. Just as ball bearings are available in sealed or open, they are also available flanged or plain - a flange is simply another option for the design engineer or manufacturer. Flanged bearings are most commonly used in applications where the bearing must be locked in place. Depending on the application, the bearing will need to be locked axially (along the shaft) or radially (perpendicular to the shaft). In either case, a flanged bearing will help withstand axial thrusting.

A grinding machine, also known as grinder, is a machine tool used for grinding. Grinding machines use an abrasive wheel as the cutting tool, with each grain of abrasive on the wheel’s surface cutting a small chip from the workpiece through shear deformation. Grinding is commonly done to finish workpieces that must show high surface quality (surface smoothness) as well as high accuracy of shape and dimension. More often than not, grinding is a finishing operation because it can accurately remove minuscule amounts of metal, at depths of approximately 0.25-0.50 mm. Despite this, grinding is a diverse field and is used in some applications to rapidly remove high volumes of metal.

For countries such as the United States, steam turbines play a major role in the production of electricity. Steam turbines are a type of heat engine apparatus that utilize mechanical means to extract thermal energy from pressurized steam. Due to their generation of rotational motion through pressurized gases, steam turbines and components are extremely beneficial for driving Electrical Generators. With their widespread use for energy production, understanding how they function and what various parts make them up can be beneficial.

As aircraft are often subject to a number of extreme conditions during flight operations and may be flown numerous times over a given period, it is critical that they are well maintained to ensure safety and efficiency of all components. When conducting maintenance on an aircraft, the towbar serves as one of the most important yet overlooked pieces of Ground Support Equipment as they are used for the transportation of the aircraft to a maintenance area for work. Depending on the type of aircraft in question, a number of towbar assembly types may be used, ranging from small hand operated equipment pieces to robust vehicle operated assemblies.

A damper is a valve or plate that controls the flow of air within a duct, chimney, VAV (variable air volume) box, air handling, or other airflow equipment. Dampers are sometimes used to cut off central air conditioning to an unused room, or to regulate it for room-by-room temperature and climate control. The operation of a damper can be manual or automatic. Manual dampers are activated by turning a handle on the outside of the duct. Automatic dampers are operated by electric or Pneumatic motors, which are in turn controlled by a thermostat or an automation system within the building.

Whether a pilot is using an inertial navigation reference unit, automatic direction finder, omnirange system, cockpit indicator, or many other aircraft systems that they regularly depend on during flight operations, they rely on the capabilities of synchros and resolvers. This is because synchros and resolvers serve as types of transducers, devices that convert energy from one form to another. Synchros and resolvers have been implemented in many military and commercial systems for a number of years, and they provide for high reliability for applications in which difficult environments are present. In this blog, we will discuss more in detail about what synchros and resolvers are, and how they benefit the systems that they are present in.

Whether the assembly in question is as simple as a coffee table or a complex jumbo airliner, many structures require a number of fasteners to stay together and provide reliable load support. Fasteners in general are hardware components that are used to join together two or more parts either permanently or non-permanently. While there are a number of fasteners that are widely used across different assemblies, some of the most common and critical Fastener Types that cater towards many applications are bolts, nuts, and washers.

Federal Supply Group 70 includes many Federal Supply Classes that are related to Automatic Data Processing (ADP) equipment. This may include firmware, software, components, and equipment that are used in relation to ADP operations. In this blog, we will discuss a few of the Federal Supply Classes that fall under the category of Federal Supply Group 70, and some of the items that are categorized under each.

Turbosuperchargers, now known as turbochargers, are a device that may be used to increase the amount of compressed air that is fed to an internal combustion engine of an aircraft. By feeding more compressed air to the engine, performance and power may be increased, opening new capabilities of aircraft that feature a Turbosupercharger and Components. In this blog, we will discuss the various inner workings of the turbosupercharger, and how they provide increased performance to the aircraft internal combustion chamber.

When moving an aircraft away from the airport gate or out of a hanger, a towbar is an indispensable piece of equipment. Aircraft engines are powerful, thus if used in close proximity to equipment and structures, they can pose serious damage or safety risks. Engines are expensive to run, and thus it is not beneficial to spend fuel that is best reserved for takeoff and flight. Because of these concerns, towbars along with pushback tractors are used to safely taxi aircraft around a runway. As aircraft come in many types and sizes, choosing the Right Aircraft Towbar for your needs is important.

As the heart of any automated machine, the engine requires a substantial amount of attention and care. Without a properly-functioning engine, your automobile, no matter how sophisticated, will be rendered obsolete. To help keep your engine clean and operating smoothly, manufacturers install air and Oil filters to stop particles of dirt and grime from coating or entering the engine.

When we think of aircraft functionality, we tend to forgo the importance of the wheels and brakes. Although the main functionality of aircraft is to fly, wheels and brakes are what enable the aircraft to both start movement, and safely land at their various destinations. They are expensive and important components, and often are subjected to great deterioration with every flight. With wear and tear of any aerospace part comes the need for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).

Memory in a computer is any hardware that can store data for any amount of time. If a computer memory is volatile, the information stored on the hardware is lost after the power source is disconnected. In contrast, non-volatile computer memory retains the stored information. Under these two broad categories are many subtypes of memory.

A DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module) is comprised of a series of dynamic random-access memory integrated circuits. This small piece of technology has the fascinating ability to provide central memory storage and data directly to the CPU it is in tandem with. It was evolved from its predecessor, the SIMM, and is capable of maintaining double the data path at 64-bit. The DIMM is also twice as small, leaving room for other components within the CPU.    

One of the most important aspects to consider when looking for a new computer is probably the memory. In Computer memory, the storage space in the computer where data is processed and stored, making it one of the determining factors in how well your computer performs. In general, there are two types of computer memory: primary memory and secondary memory.           

When operating any type of equipment from a cell phone to a jet plane, you’re provided with the status information of the equipment or machinery in question.  For example, your cell phone constantly tells you what the battery life is at and how much cell signal you get. Your car tells you how much fuel is left, how fast you’re driving, etc. As the sophistication of the equipment increases, so does the need for accurate and reliable instrumentation.