You are asked to remove the engine mount of your customer’s aircraft for scheduled, regular maintenance, or you could be an aircraft owner who is being suggested to get your engine mount repaired by an aviation expert. An engine mount is a foundation that connects the engine with the main body or frame of the aircraft.
The following blog post digs deeper into the details of an engine mount and explain the top aspects of its inspection and repair.
What Is An Engine Mount?
An aircraft engine mount assembly is a welded construction made of Chromolly tabular 4130 steel. Charmoly tabular is an alloy with the strength and other physical properties to hold the weight of an aircraft’s engine and other associated components and the stress an aircraft encounters during a flight. Although Charmoly is a very durable and dependable material, careful inspection and regular maintenance are required to ensure the structural integrity of the aircraft’s engine mount.
An Integral Part Of The Airframe
The aircraft engine mount is integral to the aircraft’s overall structure and performance. Although the assembly is attached to the plane with only a few bolts, the engine mount serves various purposes, like connecting the engine with the fuselage, suppressing the vibrations of the engine and distributing them safely to the whole aircraft structure for a smooth flight.
So, not ensuring that your engine mount has been properly inspected and maintained is a recipe for disaster.
Ensure Proper Inspection
To the untrained eye, just looking at your engine mount to check for repairs can be and is usually deceiving. Thus, more than a cursory glance from the mechanic may be required to detect any problems under the paint or carbon build-up of your engine mount. The engine mount is exposed to one of the harshest operational environments. It is continuously subjected to extreme temperatures, heat, load-bearing stresses, and corrosive substances.
Therefore, it is only natural for the reliability and structural integrity of an engine mount to degrade over time.
The Inspection Process
The first step in the inspection process is to remove the engine mount from the aircraft body. This is done by removing the bolts at the attaching point of the engine mount. Before any meaningful inspection, it is recommended that the engine mount undergo a sandblasting operation. Sandblasting serves two critical functions;
First, it removes all the buildup of paint carbon, discoloration, and other chemicals, exposing all the potential defects to detection. Second, it helps remove the Chromalloy 4130 so that the welds will have a good and neat result.
Performing A Fixture Check
It is essential to run a fixture check to determine any alignment or interference problems. The use of this method is an integral part of the whole process. This ensures that all the tube replacements and alignments follow the designs. Thus decreasing any chances of potential misalignment.
Suppose your mechanics are not using the specific fixtures designed for the particular aircraft. In that case, they are potentially playing with fire, as nothing guarantees that the mount will attach to the engine correctly and allow for the proper clearance and fit when the engine mount is reattached to the aircraft.
Weld Repairs
The most common method used for performing weld repairs on an aircraft engine mount is the TIG welding technique. The weldments in engine mounts require clean and precise welding. The TIG welding technique provides the best, finest, and most precise weld seam to the tabular joints of the engine mounts.
However, due to the precise nature of the welding process, TIG welding is not for everyone; it requires special attention, skills, and experience to master and provide the expected results from the welding process. Thus, it is vital that you use the TIG welding services of reliable aviation welding experts like Acorn welding - which proudly provides unrivaled services across borders.
About Acorn Welding
We are an experienced group of engineers passionate about technology and innovation. Our expertise in aviation welding allows us to provide a wide range of top-quality services, including component replacement, regular maintenance, and inspections. Whether working on vintage aircraft or the latest models, we are dedicated to being the best aviation welding specialists in the industry, serving clients worldwide. Learn more about Acorn Welding and our services and products.
For aircraft parts and expert welding procedures, Contact us now.
