Due to repeated flight cycles, all metal components of an aircraft experience normal wear and tear. Consequently, you need to conduct regular inspections, maintenance, and repair.
You should hire a certified aviation welding technician if you need good service, repairs, or high-quality exhaust parts.
Before every flight, it is your responsibility to check if all parts of the aircraft are in good working condition. If you spot even the tiniest sign of aircraft metal fatigue, call a certified aviation welding technician and get it checked.
Also Read: Why Is Regular Aircraft Maintenance So Important?
In this blog post, we will talk in detail about aircraft metal fatigue and how you can prevent it.
What Causes Aircraft Metal Fatigue?
Metal components may develop cracks that appear microscopic at first due to extensive use. But over time, they become larger and more visible to the naked eye.
In general, older aircraft will show more visible signs of fatigue as they have been exposed to higher atmospheric pressure, turbulence, and other harsh elements for a longer period of time than newer planes.
As a result, manufacturers decommission them after a certain number of flight cycles in order to promote safety and avoid catastrophic failures.
Still, as the owner of an airplane, you can make it last longer by having licensed technicians and manufacturers, do routine maintenance, inspections, and repairs.
How Can Fatigue Failure In An Aircraft Be Avoided Or Minimized?
To reiterate, regular inspections are one of the keys that can help prolong your aircraft's life. Remember that identifying "small" issues early on makes maintenance repairs much easier than waiting for them to become larger problems.
To detect cracks on the surface and "subsurface," licensed technicians employ an ultrasonic probe that emits pulses of high-frequency sound energy.
Meanwhile, they manually move this device over a metal component to detect even the smallest and almost imperceptible (to the naked eye) flaws.
Ultrasonic probes can detect corrosion, abrasions, pitting, and cracking.
Once the technicians have found the small flaws, they will start grinding and polishing the surface.
The goal is to get rid of micro-defects like scratches and gouges as soon as possible, because even small flaws can lead to corrosion from things like turbulence, flight pressure, and other similar things.
In addition to the inspections, metal fatigue failure can be prevented by routine maintenance done by the aircraft owner or pilot. This is why it is important to check the brakes, wheels, oil, and hydraulic fluid levels before taking off.
In general, aging planes (those with a lot of flight time) require more frequent inspections and "heavier" monitoring and maintenance.
Where Do Fatigue Cracks In Aircrafts Begin?
Fatigue cracks are most common in three places:
- Fastener holes, such as bolts, screws, and rivets, are subjected to a high level of stress
- External areas—that is, the aircrafts skin, which is constantly subjected to structural load pressure.
- Internal areas or load-bearing structural components
Most aircraft metal fatigue happens in the places above as they are most likely to have high pressure, cracks, and other signs of wear and tear.
Also, big parts that move a lot during flight, like the engine and the exhaust system, are more likely to crack.
Conclusion
Metal fatigue can happen on the outside of your plane, as well as on its moving parts, engine, and exhaust systems. Because of this, regular maintenance and inspections are needed to make immediate repairs, to keep small problems from getting worse.
With the aforementioned tips and the help of a certified aviation welding technician, you can prevent aircraft metal fatigue and increase the lifespan of your aircraft.
About Acorn Welding
Acorn Welding is a well-established aviation company that provides comprehensive repair and maintenance services for all types of aircraft, including low- and high-winged planes. We have been in the aviation sector for a long time and are driven by our commitment to providing our clients with the finest quality services and goods.
If you are looking for the best aviation welding technicians or want a high-quality component for your aircraft, you can contact us today.
