ADVANCED THERMAL CAMERA HIRE SAVES TIME & MONEY FOR AEROSPACE FIRM

LETCHWORTH - ENGLAND - JULY 2009 - A hired infrared camera from Ashtead Technology improved safety and efficiency during research trials on aircraft landing gear at Cambridge Airport. A FLIR P620 ThermaCAM on a short-term hire was used by Marshall Aerospace to assess landing gear brake disc and tyre temperatures. Without the deployment of hand-held thermal imaging equipment, thermal instrumentation would have had to be installed onto the under-carriage of the aircraft which would be both costly and time consuming. Alternative methods involving temperatures being taken by hand are too dangerous due to the risk of tyre explosion. The trial sessions involved the aircraft carrying out an abortive take-off on the runway having reached speeds of up to 100 knots. After each session, the P620 camera enabled engineers to take images showing pinpoint temperature levels from as far as 65 ft away, thereby improving both the safety and efficiency of the trial. Jon Gorman, Principal Flight Dynamics Engineer at Marshall Aerospace, said: "The trials in which we used the FLIR P620 ThermaCAM for thermal imaging of the aircraft's key components worked extremely well. The entire trial process went seamlessly, from assessing temperatures directly after the taxi run, through to easily identifying when the brakes and tyres were at a suitable temperature for trials to resume. These factors allowed for an efficient, safer and more cost-effective project." At the top-end of Ashtead's range of thermal camera equipment, the P620 uses the latest version of the ThermaCAM software, reports can be quickly created and integrated, whilst advanced features include thermal sensitivity of 0.06oC, a high resolution 640 x 480 infrared sensor and a large 14cm LCD display. It also features a standard temperature range of -400oC to +5000oC with flexible viewing and storage options and comes with FLIR's new FUSION function, allowing the user to overlay infrared images on the corresponding (non-infrared) image in real-time. Ashtead Technology offers customers an extensive fleet of thermographic equipment from simple, lightweight entry level cameras to high-end imaging instrumentation. Ashtead Technology's General Manager James Carlyle says: "Our comprehensive selection of FLIR cameras means that we can provide the perfect choice for any thermal imaging inspection and meet the customerrs precise requirement. The FLIR P620 is a perfect example of the versatile, high-end imaging equipment we have on offer. It is suitable for a number of applications ranging from predictive maintenance on machinery through to energy efficiency audits on commercial properties. The P620 is capable of recording temperatures of up to 500 degrees C in its standard setting, but this can be increased to 2,000 degrees C which provides the flexibility required in an application such as the monitoring of landing gear. "Renting also enables customers to avoid the capital cost of buying outright whilst having access to the very latest and widest ranging selection of thermal imaging equipment on the UK market today." For further details of Ashteadds thermal camera fleet and accessories please log onto www.ashtead-technology.com ENDS Words: 506 Ashtead Technology specialise in technically advanced equipment for Environmental Monitoring, Underwater Positioning and Surveying, Remote Visual Inspection and Non-Destructive Testing. Fully equipped workshops are located in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and South East Asia. For further information, contact: James Carlyle General Manager Ashtead Technology Tel: +44 (0) 845 270 2707

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