Computer diagnostics have limited the use of borescopes in modern automotive repairs.
Borescopes are rigid or flexible tubes that provide visual access to hard-to-see areas. A borescope has a viewing lens at the top of the tube and an eyepiece lens, which reflects light and instantly sends it back to the eyepiece. Borescopes can be equipped with cameras to capture visual data for review.
Automobile and aircraft mechanics often use borescopes to look at small auto or aircraft parts that might not otherwise be visible without disassembly. Since disassembling a part from an aircraft or automobile can create more problems, using a borescope eliminates this step and diagnoses problems or determines the soundness of a specific part. The use of borescopes is particularly important to aircraft mechanics, because there are many safety and soundness rules and requirements that must be met before an aircraft can take off.
Automotive mechanics often use borescopes.
Camera-equipped borescopes are used in search and rescue operations. Without having to enter a dangerous area, such as a collapsed mine or a shaft of unknown depth, rescuers can use a borescope to obtain information about survivors as well as data that determines how a rescue operation should proceed. The oscilloscope provides accurate measurements and can identify any potential hazards when entering an area to retrieve someone or something.
In an unfamiliar environment, borescope hoses are useful for avoiding turns or changes of direction. The flexibility of the tubes can sometimes reduce the quality of the images obtained. In familiar areas, like the inside of an engine, mechanics prefer rigid tubes because the images are better and they make diagnosis easier.
When choosing a borescope, size and pixelation are important considerations. Nothing below 10,000 pixels should be considered. The norm for flexible borescopes is 15,000 to 24,000 pixels.
Size is a special consideration when selecting rigid borescopes. Objective lenses are classified by type. There are three types: achromatic doublets, Hopkins rods, and gradient index lenses. If a borescope needs to have an especially small circumference, gradient index lenses are the best option. Hopkins temples work well for medium spaces and achromatic lenses are generally chosen for larger spaces.
Small, medium and large are relative terms. A large gap, for example, would be more than 0.18 inches (4 mm) in diameter, so it’s easy to see that borescopes are actually quite small. Flexible search and rescue borescopes can have a diameter of approximately 1 inch.
Borescopes in their various applications can provide us with mundane or all-important information. When borescopes detect a problem with a car or plane, they are critical to saving lives. Used in search and rescue operations, borescopes can significantly improve the chance of helping trapped and possibly injured people. This little invention, then, exponentially increases the quality of our lives.