非破壊検査（NDT）装置の調達判断はめったにニュースにはなりませんが、MROオペレーターのコスト構造の中心にあります。検査のために航空機が地上待機している1時間は、その間に収益を生まない1時間でもあります。アバディーンに拠点を置くInspectahireは、その計算に基づく事業を40年以上にわたり築いており、今月のFarnborough Airshowへの出展は、同社がその市場でどのように位置づけられているかを示す有益な洞察を提供します。

Videray PX Range

The central component of Inspectahire’s exhibit this week is the Videray PX range, developed in partnership with Videray, which directly targets the high operational cost of conventional radiographic inspection. In the past, this film-based process has required dedicated darkroom processing and, in many cases, partial disassembly of the aircraft to gain access to the area being inspected. Both of these criteria carry both explicit and implicit labor and downtime costs.

The PX Range consists of two devices addressing distinct inspection scenarios. The PX1 is a single-sided, 140keV handheld backscatter imager intended for on-aircraft use, which is capable of producing high-definition digital images within seconds via its Infinity Detector, along with a 7-inch, 700-nit touchscreen interface. Supporting features include a 4K camera, line lasers, a dedicated focus mode, and image-stitching functionality for composite imaging of larger inspection areas.

The second device, the PXT, is described by the company as the first handheld transmission X-ray unit brought to market. Operated in conjunction with the wireless MTP+ detector panel, the PXT produces full through-thickness radiographs of components up to 30mm of steel in thickness, making it usable for removed parts, castings, welded assemblies, and other dense structures that can be accessed from both sides.

From a fleet-management standpoint, the intended applications span several inspection categories relevant to sustained airworthiness: sub-surface corrosion and water ingress detection on airframe structures, internal assessment of turbine and engine components for cracking or blockage, evaluation of composite assemblies for disbond and delamination, and detection of foreign object debris within enclosed structures such as wing cavities and control surfaces.

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Cailean Forrester, Managing Director at Inspectahire, characterized the value proposition in terms of operational throughput, “X-ray inspection used to mean film, darkrooms and taking aircraft apart. With the Videray PX range you get real-time digital images in seconds, from a device you can carry to the flightline.” She added, “For maintenance teams that means defects found sooner, less disassembly and aircraft back in service faster.”

In addition to the Videray PX Range, Inspectahire’s stand will present the company’s wider aviation NDT offering, including remote visual inspection borescopes and videoscopes, ultrasonic testing systems, and pulsed eddy current equipment. Attendees can meet with Inspectahire throughout the show at Hall 4, Stand 4238C, or by visiting www.inpsectahire.com.

Inspectahireについて

1981年に設立されたInspectahireは、遠隔目視検査とNDTのサービスおよび機器の英国を代表するサプライヤーの一つへと発展しました。 同社のビジネスモデルは、機器の販売・レンタルサービスと社内の研究開発（R&D）機能、専任の技術者チームを組み合わせたものです。 この体制は、顧客が社内でその専門知識を構築する必要を減らすことを目的としています。

この構成により、Inspectahireは単なる機器販売業者にとどまらず、複数の航空MRO企業にとっての長期的な技術パートナーとして位置づけられています。