Purchasing Efficiency Blog

 In aerospace and military missions, many important functions rely on printed circuit boards (PCBs) to provide electricity. A malfunctioning PCB can jeopardize an entire flight, so it is important to make sure the PCB can withstand harsh situations. Environmental exposure can lead to issues such as corrosion, so PCBs are manufactured with a conformal coating to protect the exposed components on the surface of the board. A conformal coating is a thin, clear polymeric film that coats the board’s surface and ultimately ensures a longer working lifespan. Conformal coatings are used across many fields, but different environments demand different forms of protection. For this reason, it is important to make sure the correct material is chosen for the coating.

While all fasteners are prone to wear and deterioration throughout their operational lifespan, several preventative measures can be implemented to delay this occurrence. Installing components slowly, avoiding dirty threads, and using lubricants are all essential steps in combating early attrition. Another technological development that has significantly contributed to increased fastener lifespans is anti-seize, which is a compound that targets several of the hallmarks associated with fastener wear. In this blog, you will find a definitive guide to anti-seize, in which we will discuss its function and how to apply it to your application.

Agitators are an essential element in a wide variety of industrial applications. While agitators are diverse in their design and size, they all work to stir or shake an object or substance in order to achieve homogeneity or promote some other goal that can only be achieved through motion. In this blog, we will discuss everything you need to know about agitators and their use in different industries.

When a system requires efficient cooling for its optimal performance and protection, there are various solutions that may be used. For many assemblies, the heat exchanger is a perfect option, coming in the form of a device which transfers heat between mediums with high speed and efficiency. The way in which heat exchangers work is through the basic flow of heat and thermodynamics, allowing heat to move from a hot medium to a cooler one without the need for any physical contact or intermixing for the process to be done. Heat exchangers can be found in various applications, often being placed within refrigeration equipment, aircraft air systems, radiators, chemical processing assemblies, and much more. In this blog, we will provide a brief overview of the most common heat exchanger types, allowing you to have a better understanding of your options and how they function.

While piston engines served as the primary internal combustion engines of early aviation, they have since been superseded by powerful turbine engines that surpass their capabilities in various ways. Often referred to as a gas turbine or combustion turbine, such apparatuses ignite fuel that is carefully mixed with an oxidizer for the means of achieving the propulsive force necessary for maintaining heavier-than-air flight. In this blog, we will discuss the functionality and benefits of turbine engines, allowing you to better understand their importance and how they compare to piston engines.

Oleo-pneumatic shock struts, also referred to as oleo struts, are aircraft shock absorbers that assist in landings and ground maneuvers. As a type of oil/gas shock strut, such equipment is a crucial aspect of aircraft landing gear, ensuring that large forces are optimally relayed from the ground and into the airframe. As kinetic energy is transformed into heat by the strut, landing forces are absorbed and dissipated to dampen recoil and reduce bounce, relieving stress from the airframe and ensuring a smoother ride for passengers. In this blog, we will discuss the functionality of oleo struts, allowing you to better understand the role that they play in standard flight operations.

The aircraft lavatory and wastewater system is quite interesting, making it possible to have a functioning restroom for passengers while traveling at extreme altitudes. While there are rumors that waste is simply dumped out of the aircraft during flight, this is simply not true. Rather, the wastewater system relies on a transfer chain and various assemblies to effectively and cleanly function. In this blog, we will discuss how the airplane water and wastewater system functions, allowing you to better understand how lavatory service is provided while in flight.

Aircraft are regularly subject to countless stressors during flight operations, requiring robust construction and advanced systems capable of monitoring health and operational conditions. Vibration is often a major stressor faced by aircraft, stemming from various sources. If left unchecked, vibration has the potential to cause cracking, avionic failure, or even a loss of engine performance. As metal structures continuously become fatigued from vibration, engines may reach a point where they risk failure. As a result, it is critical that all pilots understand the importance of monitoring aircraft vibrations and how such procedures may be carried out.

Designed to record various electronic instructions sent between an aircraft and its parts, flight data recorders (FDR), commonly referred to as ‘black boxes,’ are capable of retaining data received from various areas of an aircraft. Typically coupled with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR), flight data recorders and their combined components are vital tools for investigating any incidents or accidents that have occured to or on a particular aircraft. Painted a vibrant orange color for ease of identification, flight data recorders and their implementation in aircraft are necessary for obtaining valuable insight on how an aviation accident or incident occurred.

A flywheel is a common machine component, capable of storing rotational energy for later use. When the machine reaches a point where the supply power is inefficient for operations, the flywheel will release its stored energy. Within a standard internal combustion engine, for example, the fluctuating torque produced by the crankshaft during a complete cycle will cause the shaft to have a change in its angular velocity. Through the implementation of a flywheel, inertia mass is provided at the end of the shaft so that the torque will become more balanced.