Aerospace Purchasing Blog

Fasteners are a widely used component type for assembly and construction, used to join two or more objects together with a permanent or semi-permanent joint. Relied on for countless applications ranging from the assembly of a chair to the construction of an aircraft, fasteners can be found all around us in countless situations and spaces. When working with fasteners and their assemblies yourself, it is highly beneficial to have a basic familiarity with the most common variations, allowing you to best discern what component is best for a given situation. In this blog, we will provide a brief overview of the most popularly used fasteners, allowing you to understand their design and functionalities.

If you spend enough time in or around the world of aviation, you will eventually hear the term TSO used. In an industry with so many highly-specialized parts and practices, the many acronyms and abbreviations can become hard to remember. This blog will cover the TSO in general, as well as the specific TSO-C173.

Airplane lighting frameworks provide illumination to both outside and inside of an aircraft. Lights on the outside give light during such activities as arriving around evening time, examination of icing conditions, and security from midair impact. Interior lighting provides illumination to instruments, cockpits, lodges, and different areas involved by crewmembers and travelers. Certain unique lighting, for example, markers and cautioning lights, provide the aircraft status of gear. For more information on the aircraft lighting system, read here.

The Integrated Drive Generator system, or IDG, is a key power system found on aircraft that controls all of the engine hydraulic systems. An IDG consists of a Constant Speed Drive (CSD) and AC generator mounted side by side in a single housing assembly. The CSD uses controlled differential action to maintain the constant output speed necessary to power the generator. Because the IDG has such an important role in powering key components of the aircraft, its reliability is paramount. This blog will explain Integrated Drive Generator systems, how they work, and how to service them properly.

When designing, manufacturing, and procuring commercial aviation parts, it is helpful to have a referencing standard and cataloguing system to help establish order and ease of learning. The ATA 100 is a numbering system that has established itself as such a commercial aircraft documentation standard, allowing for pilots, maintenance technicians, and engineers to quickly and easily understand various aircraft systems and components.

A main bonding jumper is a conductor that acts as the link between the equipment grounding conductor and the grounded service conductor. The purpose of the main bonding jumper is to fasten the EGC (equipment grounding conductors) to the neutral conductor of the electrical service. In other words, it carries the ground-fault current from the service enclosure as well as from the equipment grounding system that is returning to the source. You can read more about the main-bonding jumper and its uses below. 

O-rings are in use throughout many aircraft and operate as an important sealer whenever they are applied. However, while acting as a sealant, o-rings are susceptible to extrusion and failure. To prevent this, many o-rings in are coupled with an anti-extrusion ring. Anti-extrusion rings are designed and manufactured to act as supplemental support and guarantee the seal performance of an o-ring. Sometimes called back-up rings, an anti-extrusion ring is an inflexible ring that holds an elastomeric seal in its correct shape and place. Anti-extrusion are necessary in a variety of situations. Some of their applications include:

Airspeed Indicators (ASI) are flight instruments used to measure the airspeed of an aircraft. They function either electronically or via a pitot-static system and are crucial to the safe operation of an aircraft. Because of this, pilots must be able to ensure their ASI is accurate and functioning properly. Electronic ASIs provide the peace of mind that readings will be accurate, but typically only newer, more sophisticated aircraft will feature an electronic ASI. For all other aircraft, a pitot-static system will be in use. In this case, to ensure reliability, the ASI must be calibrated and maintained regularly.

An aircraft adheres to similar principles of flight that birds do — it must overcome gravitational forces to achieve lift. In its simplest definition, the wings of an airplane curve the flow of air around them in order to generate lift.

Aviation parts are strictly regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), whom are involved in all parts of manufacturing and distribution. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or manufacturers with a Parts Manufacturing Approval (PMA) may produce aircraft parts.