What is an engine turning tool?
• Tool required to perform engine borescope inspection
– Aircraft turbines are subject to:
- Foreign object damage (FOD)
- Corrosion
- Thermal deterioration
- Cracking/distortion
• Borescope inspections allow engine mechanics to evaluate engine damage during scheduled/unscheduled intervals
– Areas of borescope inspection:
- Compressor
- Combustor
- Turbine Section
• Engine must be rotated at low RPM to view all blades in each engine stage for suspected damage
– Two options: manual or automated rotation
• Manual engine rotation
– Socket wrench used to rotate engine to conduct borescope inspection
– Requires minimum two personnel:
- One tech turns gearbox with wrench
- One tech observes/reports borescope results
– Problem
- Inefficient use of labor
- Inaccurate turning
•How can we automate this process?
What is the FutureDrive?
• Automates engine rotation for borescope inspections
– A fully programmable electronic turning tool that automates N2 rotor shaft positioning for borescope inspections of gas turbine engines
Features & Benefits
• The FutureDriveNG will:
– Reduce inspection labor costs
- One technician required; man-hours required for borescope operations can be reduced by 50%
– Increase inspection accuracy
- Drive Motor and electronics provide accuracy far superior to air drive units or manual engine turning
– Maximize process flexibility and repeatability
- Engine blades in any stage can be viewed individually, from root to tip
• Exceptional portability
– Complete system contained and operated out of ruggedized container
• Total fleet support
– One unit can service many engines
• Ease of operation
– Easy to set up
– Damaged blades can be flagged and stored in memory for easy retrieval
FutureDriveNG System
How do the components connect to an engine?
• Engine-specific adapter connects to AGB
• Drive motor connects FD system adapter
• Adapter connection locations/designs vary based on:
– EMM/AMM requirements
– Interference fits
– User preference
One Unit – Many Engines
