Allow me to give a sample of shop floor brouhahaha and then I will rest my case and disappear. Case: A technician in a Local Aerospace high precision machine shop, using ISO quality procedures for process and specification control proudly submits his work for final inspection. (Its a valuable...
"Engineering production drawings must not under any circumstances be prepared to accommodate a particular method of manufacture except as described above. ("for reference purposes only, unless such data are vital to end definition and engineering control of the product.")" Isn't that sort of a...
Our machine shop prefers the dimensions to cascade from the upper left hand corner in the base 2d view of the part. But this does not appear to a basic standard.
In working with a number of defense contractors that have extensive documentation and procedures on drawing standards, I was surprised...
Those referenced standards are confusing and have to be purchased. Y14.100-2000 is only a small pamphlet, gives numerous references to OTHER documents that you also have to buy, and is of little real help except to make you aware that SAE is grossly overcharging for what is little more than a...
NR doesn't give much of a hierarchy reference. IR initial release tells one where the drawing belows in the revision stack. Use Alpha Letters for the revision tracking. A, B, C, and so on.
The .pdf version on the FAA netsite still appears to have a bug in it and repeatedly hangs up during downloading. While updating such documents is a neccessity, I sure wish the FAA would bring its netsite under control and make these documents "findable."
Also a "heads up" If you're in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, putting paint in fastener holes is a trick used by marginal technicians to disguise a discrepancy condition.
As a non-degreed engineer, and therefore a technician, and perhaps even a fool, I agree strongly with the need for certification and registration. As for myself, I NEVER engage in activities of presenting myself as an Engineer and NEVER engage in engineering practices without traceable checks...
For starters, I am a non-degreed engineer, with extensive Aircraft experience. When I announce this fact, others, with no knowledge of my abilities, automatically downgraded me to a technician. While I have an excellent resume, certificates and all, it lacks that 4-year college degree-my career...
With "large fan cowl doors" I sense some confusion. Most large jets don't have cowl doors in the fan section, but maybe right behind it, and some are quite complicated, also acting as reversers. In many cases repairs to these locations are very limited in the SRM and you must contact...
Aircraft Doors are assembled from sub-components in precise holding fixtures. Usually such fixtures are held to close tolerances and are subject to continuous inspections to ensure that the tolerances are maintained.
I remember having a DC-9 in a heavy check with inspection writeups on "dents" in the elevator skins. When I requested tolerances from "Boeing Long Beach" they sent me the factory smoothness standards for these parts. They were so "tight" that more than likely, they...
This is a good article. Too bad that this type of data has such a hard time surviving at the shop floor/maintenance level. Most inspectors and technicians lack the training to understand this data, and hence do not understand why it is so important that a hole be drilled or reamed correctly.
Please note that you can only use approved data that can be shown as being effective for the specific part, assembly or component that you are working on. "Standard Industry Practices" certainly cannot be used to sign off on work, and is really a non-usable term. Even AC43.13 cannot be...
I have seen 1 incident of "zippering" in a pressure bulkhead of a large aircraft where it was struck by a pallet that had come adrift on takeoff. The bulkhead "ripped" from fastener to fastener, actually looking like an open zipper. (Was repaired by replacing everything)...
