METOPTIC International is marketing what it claims to be the world's first system for testing aircraft wheels, which combines the use of eddy currents and ultrasonics.
Eddy-current inspection systems are used to detect surface faults on the outer surface of a wheel hub, while more sophisticated ultrasonic testing allows defects on the inner surface of the wheel hub to be identified.
The majority of airlines carry out ultrasonic wheel scanning by hand, which, according to Metoptic managing director Don Webber, results in a fault detection rate of only 25%.
"A major cause of costs [for the airlines] is when a defect propagates from the inside of a wheel to the outside, resulting in a flat tyre," says Webber. "Finding defects by hand is a tremendous task...the ECU21 eliminates operator fatigue," he adds.
Defects resulting from the eddy-current inspection are identified in order of size and position on the wheel, and cracks as small as 0.5mm long and 0.1mm deep can be detected without paint removal.
Ultrasonic scanning of the wheel hub can identify internal "discontinuities" of 3.0mm by 1.0mm. The location of such defects can be presented by printing out a hard copy of the results of a scan.
The system is capable of storing scanning parameters for up to 240 wheel "halves". Also available is an archiving programme, which allows previous inspections to be recalled, allowing defect growth to be monitored for each specific component.
ECU21s have so far been ordered by a variety of carriers, including United Airlines, Swissair, Sabena and Britannia Airways.
Including the ultrasonic capability, the system has a price tag of £55,000 ($85,250).
Source: Flight International
