How Aircraft Operators Reduce Downtime While “Sweating the Assets”
In a recent article called “UPS Gives Old Jets New Life,” Bloomberg reports how United Parcel Service (UPS) is replacing the cockpit computers on its Airbus SE freighters in order to reduce downtime, increase productivity, and avoid large capital expenses. Known as “sweating the assets,” this business strategy is also benefitting the two aviation maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) organizations that are performing the computer upgrades. “Doing such work,” writes Bloomberg’s Thomas Black, “is a huge potential market.” As the article explains, UPS purchased flight computers for over 50 Airbus A300-600 jets some twenty years ago. However, the memory [...]
MTI Instruments’ PBS-4100+ Series Training Eligible for FAA Training Credit
MTI Instruments' PBS-4100+ Series Training Now Eligible for Credit Under William (Bill) O'Brien Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Awards Program ALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MTI Instruments, Inc. (MTI Instruments), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated (OTCQB:MKTY), today announced that its training course on the PBS-4100+ engine vibration measurement and balancing system is now credit-eligible under the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) William (Bill) O'Brien Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Awards Program. With the new credit designation, MTI Instrument's course, "Vibration Analysis and Engine Balancing Using the PBS-4100 System," can earn an eligible individual up to 16 hours of credit towards AMT Awards issued through the FAA [...]
MTI Instruments Fulfills Historic Order for the United States Air Force
ALBANY, N.Y., November 16, 2020 — MTI Instruments, Inc. (“MTI Instruments”), the operating subsidiary of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated (OTC Pink: MKTY), announces the completion of its historic order for the United States Air Force, a $3.3 million contract awarded publicly in May 2020 that includes 52 PBS-4100+ engine vibration measurement and balancing systems. This order was made pursuant to the multi-year contract entered into by MTI Instruments and the United States Air Force in July 2016 and marks the single largest order of PBS-4100+ Systems received by MTI Instruments to date. MTI fulfilled the order in its entirety with [...]
White Paper: Cable & Connector Test System Facilitates Multi-Point High Voltage/Current Testing
White Paper: Cable & Connector Test System Facilitates Multi-Point High Voltage/Current Testing Introduction Hipot testing is critical in assuring compliance with a host of electrical safety standards and in confirming the assembled product is free from electrical or mechanical defects. Hipot testers are used to measure leakage current and insulation resistance between all components and connections, confirm solid ground connections and test ground bonds. All of these tests require the sequential application of precise and controlled high voltages or currents between pairs of elements then accurately measuring and recording the results. Products like the Vitrek 95x and V7X series [...]
How Aviation MROs Can Maximize Labor Efficiency and Asset Uptime
MTI Instruments is supplying the aviation industry with solutions to the skilled labor shortage and reduced equipment availability. No, our Albany, New York company isn’t providing aviation MROs with more flight line personnel, engine mechanics, or Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Instead, we’re delivering precision measurement solutions that can help MROs to maximize labor productivity and asset uptime. Solving the Skilled Labor Shortage Aviation MROs have a choice. They can wait for training programs to provide new workers, poach workers from competitors, invest in robots, or look for ways to gain greater efficiency from existing labor assets. About 18 months [...]
Microsoft Windows 7 Security Advisory and Impact on MTI PBS-4100+ Users
Learn about this important security advisory and its impact on MTI-PBS-4100+ users. What is the Microsoft Windows 7 Security Advisory? Microsoft will no longer provide maintenance on Windows Version 7 in January of this year after 10-years of supporting the product. Microsoft does this across their product lines (not just Windows) in order to continue to evolve their products and invest their resources on the more recent versions. This means that Microsoft will no longer release any updates for that version of Windows, including bug fixes or security updates. For details on this activity by Microsoft, please visit their [...]
Position, Displacement, and Vibration Measurement with Precision, High Resolution, and Flexibility
The MTI-2100 Fotonic™ sensor uses advanced fiber optics and electronics to precisely measure position, displacement, and vibration. This high-resolution, non-contact metrology system supports a wide range of interchangeable fiber-optic probes and works with almost any surface, including metallic, composite, plastic, glass, ceramic, or liquid. Made in the USA by MTI Instruments, the MTI-2100 Fotonic™ features a modular design and supports application-specific requirements in R&D, quality, and process control. With its dual channel capabilities, the MTI-2100 Fotonic™ sensor allows users to make simultaneous measurements, such as for structure dynamics and modal analysis. All probe modules have two distinct operating ranges [...]
How the Aviation Industry Solves Vibration and Balancing Challenges
The aviation industry spends significant amounts of time and money on problems caused by engine vibration. Imbalance, the most common cause of engine vibration, happens because of bird strikes and other impacts, but also because of natural wear and corrosion that redistribute mass. In turn, out-of-balance parts can result in cabin noise, metal fatigue, and cracked turbine, fan, or compressor components. In the most extreme cases, catastrophic engine failure may result MTI Instruments, a worldwide supplier of precision measurement solutions, makes equipment for monitoring vibration levels and balancing rotors. For maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) crews who want to [...]
Measuring Brake Rotor Thickness Variation with Capacitive Sensing
Brake rotor thickness variation, or disc thickness variation (DTV), causes uneven wear to brake rotors, disc-shaped automotive parts that are squeezed between brake pads to slow or stop a vehicle’s wheels. When a brake rotor has areas of different thickness, the amount of clamping force that’s applied across the rotor’s surface varies. These differences in clamping force lead to difference in torque, and the results may include brake shuddering, pulsating, or vibration. Even under normal driving conditions, brake rotors are subjected to extreme conditions that can cause performance-related issues. To ensure that brake rotors can perform [...]
Aircraft Engine Test Cell is World’s Largest
The world’s largest aircraft engine test cell is in Atlanta, Georgia (USA), home of the upcoming MRO Americas 2019 show for the commercial air-transport maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry. Delta TechOps, a division of Delta Airlines and a full-service MRO, recently opened a $100 million test cell at its Atlanta facility that’s capable of running a jet engine at 150,000 lb. thrust. That’s more thrust than the GE Aviation GE90 engine, which powers Delta’s Boeing 777-200 LR fleet, can produce.“This test cell is a vote of confidence in Delta TechOps,” said Ed Bastian, Delta Airlines CEO, in an article [...]








