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[coantec]

A delegation of experts from the China Institute of Strength and Engineering and Xidian University visited COANTEC for an exchange meeting.

On December 3, under the warm winter sun, COANTEC welcomed distinguished guests: General Manager Feng and Professor He from the China Institute of Strength and Engineering, and Professor Shi from Xidian University. General Manager Zheng and his team extended a warm welcome to the visiting experts. The parties engaged in discussions on cutting-edge technologies in industrial non-destructive testing and aerospace structural inspection, as well as on potential project cooperation.

The China Institute of Strength and Engineering has extensive experience in aerospace structural strength analysis, fatigue, and fracture monitoring, while Xidian University excels in signal processing, intelligent imaging, and sensor technology. Both institutions are key contributors to China's aerospace inspection and structural safety assessment sectors. This meeting aimed to explore collaborative innovation, drive technological upgrades in the industry, and advance industrial applications by leveraging the respective expertise and resources of all three parties in non-destructive testing technologies and equipment.

During the discussions, the three sides held in-depth exchanges on project cooperation, technology integration, and future development, reaching a consensus on accelerating the implementation of joint projects. Subsequently, the expert team toured COANTEC’s product and manufacturing center, speaking highly of the company’s high-performance testing equipment and advanced imaging systems for the aerospace sector. They also conducted constructive discussions on technology adaptation and optimization in real-world application scenarios.

This exchange not only enhanced mutual understanding of technical approaches and industry needs among the three parties but also laid a solid foundation for future in-depth cooperation in areas such as aerospace structural inspection and intelligent non-destructive testing. COANTEC looks forward to collaborating with all partners to jointly promote the innovative development and industrial upgrading of non-destructive testing technology in China, contributing professional expertise to ensure the safe operation of major equipment and elevate the testing standards of the aerospace industry.

[coantec]

Breakthrough in Domestic Industrial borescope Technology: How Does the Coantec Industrial Borescope Achieve 360° Precise Rotation?

The flexibility and reliability of borescope probe rotation are core elements ensuring the ability to detect critical corners and uncover potential problems. In the field of modern industrial inspection, accurate and reliable inspection tools are crucial for ensuring the safe and stable operation of equipment. Coantec's industrial borescope, with its superior rotation performance and high reliability, stands out among many similar products, becoming a benchmark in the industry.

Today, we will delve into the precision manufacturing process and technical principles behind 360° blind-spot-free inspection, revealing how this industrial borescope achieves comprehensive, high-precision inspection through advanced rotation technology.

Precision Materials and Manufacturing Processes The core of the Coantec industrial borescope lies in its snake-bone structure made of super-elastic nickel-titanium alloy. This material not only possesses high resilience and fatigue resistance but also ensures micron-level precision with each micro-joint only 0.5-1mm thick. Through five-axis linkage precision milling, the contour accuracy can reach ±0.02mm, and the surface roughness is controlled within Ra 0.2μm. This meticulous manufacturing process ensures high bending freedom and a low coefficient of friction after assembly, providing the probe with unparalleled flexibility.

During production, each joint undergoes meticulous inspection using a high-magnification microscope to ensure its quality meets the highest standards. These measures work together to enable the probe to operate flexibly in complex environments while maintaining extremely high durability.

High-Efficiency Guide Wire System

To achieve precise steering, Coantec uses 304-grade austenitic stainless steel wire with a diameter of 0.1-0.5mm as the guide wire. These wires have a tensile strength exceeding 2000MPa and are evenly distributed around the circumference of the conduit, effectively reducing stress concentration and improving overall fatigue life. Each wire undergoes rigorous quality control to ensure it can withstand the demands of working under extreme conditions.

The wire is precisely passed through pre-set guide channels in the snake-like structure, with both ends anchored to the distal guide joint and the proximal operating mechanism, respectively. This design not only improves operational convenience but also significantly enhances detection efficiency.

Application of Differential Traction Principle

The probe's steering is based on the differential traction principle. When the right-side steel wire tightens, the left-side steel wire loosens, causing the probe to bend to the left; conversely, the left-side wire bends to the right. A single joint supports ±160° bidirectional deflection, and when connected in series, it achieves ≥360° full-range coverage. The coaxiality error of each hinge point does not exceed φ0.05mm, ensuring the accuracy of the steering vector. This design not only improves operational convenience but also greatly enhances inspection efficiency.

Strict Quality Control and Testing Standards

Coantec understands that quality is the lifeline of a product. Therefore, Coantec conducts tens of thousands of cycle durability tests based on reliability testing standards, simulating extreme working conditions to ensure stable steering accuracy. From microscopic quality inspection to macroscopic overall performance evaluation, no detail is overlooked in any step, striving for excellence.

Coantec's industrial borescopes are not merely simple inspection tools; they are the product of a perfect combination of materials science, precision machining, structural design, and rigorous quality control. Superelastic nickel-titanium alloy, micron-level tolerances, differential traction, microscopic inspection, and standard verification together constitute this systematic engineering achievement. In the future, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to technological innovation and provide our users with more advanced and reliable testing equipment.

[coantec]

Safeguarding Low-Altitude Safety: The "Eagle Eyes" of Gu'antai Industrial borescopes

The low-altitude economy, as a national strategic emerging industry, is experiencing rapid development, with the commercialization of aircraft such as drones and eVTOL systems accelerating. Against this backdrop, the demand for aircraft safety assurance is increasingly prominent. Industrial borescopes, as a core tool of non-destructive testing (NDT), provide crucial technical support for the early identification of safety hazards due to their ability to perform precise inspections of internal structures.

Non-destructive testing has permeated the entire low-altitude economy industrial chain:In the R&D stage, it assists in product design and process optimization;In the production stage, it undertakes quality control of components and the entire aircraft;In the operation and maintenance stage, it enables regular inspections and preventative maintenance.From R&D to operation and maintenance, industrial borescopes have always been an indispensable and important technical means to ensure the safe development of the low-altitude economy.Technical Challenges: Three Major Bottlenecks in Low-Altitude Inspection1. Spatial Accessibility Limitations: Low-altitude aircraft adopt highly compact designs, with numerous millimeter-level cavities in critical areas such as engine pipes and composite material interlayers. Traditional inspection equipment, due to size limitations, cannot penetrate these narrow spaces, creating blind spots. 2. High Defect Identification Accuracy Requirements: Typical defects in aerospace aluminum alloy components, such as microcracks and composite material delamination, typically range in size from 0.1 to 0.5 mm. This necessitates micron-level resolution in the inspection equipment, placing extremely high demands on the imaging system's analytical capabilities.3. Lack of Inspection Efficiency and Standards: Existing inspection processes heavily rely on operator experience, with a single comprehensive inspection taking 2-4 hours. Furthermore, the industry lacks unified defect judgment standards, leading to significant differences in inspection results between different institutions and impacting assessment consistency.Coantec Industrial borescope Technological Breakthroughs1. Replaceable Pipeline Technology: Coantec's replaceable pipeline technology overcomes traditional limitations, supporting rapid interchange of various pipeline specifications. When equipped with an ultra-fine probe, it can penetrate millimeter-level confined spaces such as engine fuel nozzles, addressing a wider range of inspection scenarios. This flexible configuration ensures both the ability to detect special structures and practicality for daily inspections, truly achieving multi-functionality.2. High-Definition Imaging System: Coantec industrial borescopes are equipped with ultra-high-definition cameras and high-sensitivity sensors, delivering detailed images and rich details in various lighting conditions. Even in the confined spaces of a drone inspection environment, it can clearly display the internal structure of equipment and accurately capture minute defects.3. Equipped with a high-precision 3D measurement system, significantly improving inspection efficiency. The Gu'antai Industrial borescope integrates a high-precision 3D measurement system, achieving rapid defect identification and accurate measurement through real-time point cloud data acquisition and AI intelligent processing. With a measurement accuracy of 0.01mm and an error control of ≤5%, it significantly reduces manual interpretation time, shortening the single-machine inspection cycle by 30%, effectively improving the overall efficiency of low-altitude aircraft inspection operations. From December 12-14, 2025, Gu'antai Industrial borescope will showcase its new low-altitude economic non-destructive testing solution at the 8th Global Unmanned Systems Conference & 2025 Guangzhou International Low-Altitude Economy and Trade Expo. We cordially invite you to visit our booth B47-3 in Area A of the Guangzhou Pazhou Canton Fair Complex to explore the innovative applications and practical achievements of industrial borescopes in ensuring low-altitude safety!

[coantec]

Industrial Explosion-Proof borescope Types and Explosion-Proof Markings

In industries involving flammable and explosive gases, such as the petroleum, chemical, natural gas, and pharmaceutical industries, non-destructive testing of internal equipment (such as inspecting containers, pipes, and valves for corrosion, cracks, or residue) is a crucial maintenance step. As a primary inspection tool, industrial borescopes must incorporate strict explosion-proof measures to prevent them from becoming ignition sources during operation and potentially causing catastrophic accidents. This article explains the types of explosion-proof borescopes and their key technical specifications.

I. Explosion-Proof Types

The type of protection provided by explosion-proof equipment directly determines its applicable safety zone and safety level. According to international IEC and national GB standards, the following explosion-proof types are primarily used:

Explosion-proof type

symbol

Core Principles

Typical application areas

Intrinsically safe

i

Energy Limitation (Fundamental Safety)

Zone0/1/2 (ia,ib,ic)

Flameproof type

d

Withstand and isolate internal explosions

Zone1,Zone2

Increased safety

e

Enhanced measures to prevent high temperatures and sparks

Zone1,Zone2

Pressurized

p

Positive internal pressure prevents gas from entering

Zone1,Zone2

Encapsulation

m

Resin encapsulation to isolate ignition sources

Zone0/1/2 (ma,mb,mc)

Non-sparking

n

No ignition source under normal operation

Zone2

Sand filling

q

Sand filler arc extinguishing

Zone1,Zone2

Oil-immersed type

o

Oil-immersed isolated ignition source

Zone1,Zone2

PS: Zone 0, Zone 1, Zone 2 represent different gas environments:

Zone 0: Explosive atmosphere persists continuously or for a long time

Zone Zone 1: An explosive atmosphere may occasionally exist during normal operation.

Zone 2: An explosive atmosphere is unlikely to exist during normal operation.

II. Explosion-Proof Marking Analysis

When selecting an explosion-proof borescope, in addition to the explosion-proof type, it is important to understand the key parameters in the explosion-proof marking. These parameters together define the environment in which the device is intended for use. Take the explosion-proof marking of the Coantec X3 industrial borescope, ExibIIBT4Gb, as an example.

1. Ex

Meaning: Abbreviation for "Explosion-proof."

Indicates that the device complies with European (and international IEC) explosion-proof standards. This is the starting mark for all explosion-proof equipment.

2. Ib

Meaning: Type of Protection - Intrinsically Safe, "ib" rating.

This indicates that the device utilizes "intrinsically safe" explosion-proof protection.

The "ib" rating indicates that the device maintains safety (will not generate sparks or surface temperatures sufficient to ignite explosive atmospheres) during normal operation and in the event of a fault. It is suitable for use in Zone 1 hazardous areas (locations where explosive gas atmospheres may occasionally occur under normal circumstances). In addition to the Ex IIC designation, the following are also available:

Category "Ib"—standard high safety level

Category "IC"—enhanced safety level (formerly part of the "n" designation)

3. Gas Group: IIB

Meaning: This indicates that the industrial borescope is certified for use in Category IIB explosive gas atmospheres. There are three categories of explosive gas atmospheres:

IIC: The most explosive gas group. Examples include hydrogen (H₂), acetylene (C₂H₂), and carbon disulfide (CS₂).

IIB: Examples include ethylene (C₂H₄) and dimethyl ether.

IIA: Examples include propane (C₃H₈), methanol, acetone, and gasoline.

Equipment marked Ex IIC has a higher safety level than IIB, thus covering environments with both Groups IIB and IIA gases and offering wider applicability. In the chemical industry, choosing IIC-rated equipment is a more reliable and versatile choice. 4. T4

Meaning: This indicates that the maximum surface temperature of the industrial borescope's surface or internal components during operation will not exceed 135°C. Temperature classes range from T1 to T6, with T4 or T6 being the most common.

T1: Maximum surface temperature ≤ 450°C.

T2: Maximum surface temperature ≤ 300°C.

T3: Maximum surface temperature ≤ 200°C.

T4: Maximum surface temperature ≤ 135°C.

T5: Maximum surface temperature ≤ 100°C.

T6: Maximum surface temperature ≤ 85°C.

The maximum surface temperature of the equipment must be below the minimum ignition temperature of the flammable gas in the area. From T1 to T6, safety levels increase in descending order.

5. Gb

Indicates that the equipment has a "high" level of protection and is suitable for use in Zone 1 (locations where explosive gas atmospheres may occasionally occur under normal circumstances) and may also be used in Zone 2. Below is a comparison of Gb with the other two levels:

Ga (very high): Suitable for use in Zones 0, 1, and 2. Gb (High): Suitable for Zones 1 and 2.

Gc (Enhanced): Suitable for Zone 2.

The explosion-proof mark ExibIIBT4Gb indicates that this is an explosion-proof device with intrinsically safe "ib" protection. This high level of protection (Gb) makes it suitable for use in Zone 1 hazardous areas where Class IIB explosive gases, such as ethylene (C₂H₄) and dimethyl ether, are present. Furthermore, the maximum surface temperature of this explosion-proof endoscope during operation will not exceed 135°C.