Calibrating a control valve is a vital part of operating industrial systems efficiently and safely. Control valves regulate the flow of fluids by varying the size of the flow passage as directed by a signal from a controller, and proper calibration ensures that these valves accurately maintain desired flow rates and system pressures. This blog will outline the essential steps for calibrating a control valve, offering a clear understanding of the process for technicians and engineers alike.

Hydraulic systems play a vital role in numerous industrial applications, commonly finding use in large automotives, construction equipment, and aerospace systems, among other heavy machinery. Overall, these systems rely on hydraulic oil to transmit power, lubricate components, and maintain operational efficiency. However, hydraulic oil is susceptible to contamination from various sources, such as dust, metal particles, and water. So, to ensure optimal performance and longevity of hydraulic systems, they need to be equipped with oil filtration equipment. In this blog, we will be discussing the major types of filters you may come across and why they are important to hydraulic systems.

Also called strobe, pulsed, or blinking lights, “flashing lights” is a term used to describe the rapid, repeated changes in brightness of light over time. Some pulsed light sources are manufactured with fixed frequency and duration features, and many are controlled by programmable power supplies that change frequency, duration, and amplitude. In order to narrow down a system for the measurement of pulsed light, one must become familiar with the parameters of the sources’ output.

During the 1960s, Boeing offered gravel kits for 737s which were necessary for the aircraft to perform safe takeoffs and landings along runways, those of which were unpaved at the time. On an unpaved runway, foreign object debris (FOD) like gravel have the potential to become ingested by the tires of the aircraft which can cause serious issues with vehicle function. This protective equipment has been phased out of the market in modern times, and companies like Canadian North operate their final few aircraft featuring gravel kits with the intention of retiring them by 2022. A gravel kit is a modification that helps aircraft avoid contact with FOD when taking off or landing along an unpaved runway. This modification is intended to prevent harmful materials on the ground from being sprayed into the engine and onto the wings during takeoff, landing, and taxiing.

In the realm of aviation, communication is essential to the success of flight operations and safety. When operating in high-traffic areas, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also requires that aircraft have a two-way radio equipped for the means of upholding communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC). Communication was not always deemed a necessity by the aviation community, many early pilots simply betted on the chance that a collision would not occur considering how spacious the sky is. However, after the 1956 mid-air collision at the Grand Canyon, the community quickly realized the importance of embracing communication technology. From that event, much focus and investment was put into developing the American ATC and creating civilian radar stations.

Turbojets and turbofans are commonly used jet engines for aircraft. As the first type of jet engine to be developed, turbojets were used extensively in World War II fighter aircraft. On the other hand, while similar to turbojets, turbofans are a newer model of jet engine with bolstered efficiency due to their particular construction. Moreover, both types of engines are used in commercial and military aircraft ranging from small regional jets to large, wide-body jets. Together, they have transformed how aircraft fly, making long-range flight possible while opening up the skies to millions of passengers each year.

Modern aircraft take advantage of numerous systems and instruments to provide pilots with crucial flight data, ensuring that they have everything they need to maintain a safe and efficient flight from takeoff to landing. There are numerous types of instruments that are commonly found in aircraft, each of which perform varying roles based on their design and capabilities. Gyroscopic instruments in particular are those featuring mechanical gyroscopes, allowing them to determine deviations from a desired orientation. For an aircraft, gyroscopic instruments often come in the form of the attitude indicator, heading indicator, and turn and slip indicator, all of which are necessary for safety. In this blog, we will provide a brief overview of the three main gyroscopic instruments and their role in aviation.

Aircraft are complex pieces of machinery, often featuring retractable landing gear assemblies, adjustable flight surfaces, and much more. In order to move various components on an aircraft from the cockpit, pulleys and other mechanical solutions are relied on. Pulleys are fairly simplistic machines, featuring a wheel mounted on a fixed axis and a rope that settles within the wheel’s groove. With the use of a pulley, cables can be guided for the means of adjusting flight surfaces and other components.

While aircraft primarily operate in the sky through the use of their engines and airfoil structures, there are still various instances in which they will traverse the ground, such as when taxiing on a runway, lifting off, and touching down. When on the ground, aircraft rely on their brake systems to slow down their speed and come to a stop. Such assemblies are also expertly designed as they will need to enable a vehicle of such massive weight to come to a safe stop when landing at high speeds.

Anybody reading this has likely heard of the term radar before, but how does this technology work? Most people have been exposed to radar technology in movies where it finds use in aircraft and submarines, but radar is also used in a wide variety of other applications. In this blog, we will discuss the function and applications of radar and radio-detection technology.