Today Remote Visual Inspection (RVI) is becoming more popular and necessary in various industries. But sometimes professionals as well as beginners are hesitant to use borescope cameras because they are not sure if they need any special training or skills to work with a borescope camera. However, most inspections (with the exception of aviation borescope camera inspections or those that require Confined Space Training or Lock-Out Tag-Out training) do not require any special knowledge or skills. Here are some care and precautions for your borescope camera usage:
Determine the required length and diameter of insertion probe for your borescope camera. A point to make here is that you need not purchase the longest length borescope camera you can find. In many cases a long borescope camera probe can be more work than necessary.
The insertion probe of your borescope camera should be handled as a delicate instrument. Damage to the borescope camera probe at any point can compromise the borescope camera communication to the screen. In addition, articulating borescope cameras have cable guides in them that allow you to articulate the borescope camera tip and these can be damaged as well. It is better to avoid excessive bending or forcing the borescope camera probe. The borescope camera should not be used to push out FOD or other materials. The borescope camera is a visual inspection device, not a cleaning tool.
In most cases a borescope camera is lightweight and compact, you can take this video bore scope with you wherever inspections need to be performed. The portable borescope camera may have a neck carry strap or a borescope camera holding arm to help facilitate travel with the device. Most borescope cameras are tested to withstand a drop from 30 inches, although we would not recommend testing this drop data. All the borescope camera probes are water-, oil- and dust-resistant, which offers users greater flexibility expanding the scope of the borescope camera’s applications. However, many borescope cameras are not designed to be submerged into liquids for long periods of time.
Extreme hot or cold temperatures are an area of concern for your borescope camera. Some borescope cameras will be equipped with a temperature sensor that will alarm to let you know the inspection area is too hot and that the borescope camera probe should be removed immediately. Most borescope cameras do not provide these features and it’s best to cool your inspection area to the touch before inserting the borescope camera probe.
There are specially designed borescope cameras for hazardous inspection areas such as explosive environments, electrical environments and high pressure. Do not assume that your borescope camera can be used in these environments without reading the user’s manual first. A good rule of thumb is, if you would not expose your finger into the inspection area; do not expose your borescope camera to the inspection area.
Borescope cameras are refereed by various names: Borescopes, bore scopes, videoscope, borescopes, video borescopes and fiberscopes. Whatever you call it, take care of your specialty tool. Your borescope camera will prove not only to be an inspection device but also a great time and money saver.
