Aviation Purchasing Platform Blog

Hydraulic systems are commonly used in aircraft to move and articulate landing gear, flaps, and brakes. Larger aircraft will also use them to handle flight controls such as ailerons and flaps, spoilers, thrust reversers, and more. Hydraulics are popular because they transmit high amounts of pressure and force with a small volume of liquid, which is very useful in the aviation industry, where space and weight aboard an aircraft are at a premium.

Hydraulics use principles of hydrodynamics, the study of how fluids can be used to move mechanical components. One of these principles is Pascal’s Law, which states that pressure exerted on a confined incompressible fluid is transmitted equally in all directions throughout the fluid such that the pressure ratio remains the same. This means that small amounts of force applied to hydraulic fluid can translate to high amounts of pressure elsewhere, creating a highly efficient method for actuating components.

Hydraulic fluids must be able to transmit pressure, lubricate moving parts of the hydraulic system, and act as a coolant at the same time. Oil with these qualities will have a low viscosity for easier filling of all lines and aluminum pipes, but must retain these properties over a wide temperature range. The three types of hydraulic fluid currently used are vegetable-based, mineral-based, and synthetic-based.    

• Vegetable-based is colored blue, and made from castor oil and alcohol. It is mostly used in older aircraft where natural rubber seals are used, until they are replaced with synthetic types. The problem with vegetable-based hydraulic fluid is that it can cause sludge and corrosion build-up.
• Mineral-based hydraulic fluid is colored red and made from kerosene petrochemical products. This type has good lubrication properties, and additives that prevent corrosion and foaming. While it is very stable and has a low viscosity change with temperature change, it cannot be used with natural rubber and is flammable.
• Synthetic hydraulic fluids are colored purple, green, or amber, and are not flammable. Based on man-made phosphate esters, synthetic fluid must be carefully stored and managed, as it can degrade plastics, paints, and aircraft wiring by damaging the insulation.

At Aviation Purchasing Platform, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find all the hydraulic systems and parts for the aerospace, civil aviation, and defense industries. We’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7-365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@aviationpurchasingplatform.com or call us at 1-763-401-8616.

Many of an aircraft’s important functions, such as operating wheel brakes, landing gear, and deploying flaps, all rely on linear hydraulic actuators. More and more systems are able to find functionality that can be improved with hydraulics. With these many increased utilizations and benefits, actuators have become almost an essential part of any aircraft vehicle.

In basic terms, an actuator is a “mover”, and works to translate mechanical motion into a linear one. With liquids being virtually incompressible, they can be used as a great source of power to help actuators function. Linear hydraulic actuators have seen increased popularity as they can be fitted into tight spaces of aircraft and are lightweight, proving useful for providing mechanical functionality without costing high amounts of energy. Their input lag for system demands are low, and safety is high due to having no electricity and they hold very low fire hazard risk. Maintenance of hydraulic actuators is fairly simple as they either function or don’t, letting crews quickly know when to fix the problem. Their uses are almost limitless as well with such great amounts of force that hydraulics are able to exert.

Aircraft hydraulic systems operate on the principle of Pascal’s Law. Simply put, Pascal’s law is that a change in pressure in an enclosed liquid will have that same pressure evenly reflected in the rest of the liquid as well. This helps create immense power when hydraulics are used to transfer pressure and create useful mechanical functionality. With selector valves, fluid direction can be controlled, allowing for important processes such as landing gear to be deployed or retracted.

To deploy landing gear, hydraulic systems and actuators are utilized in that they help unlock the hook for gear, and hydraulic pressure is applied to rotate the landing gear downward for use. With retraction, the gear is simply hydraulically rotated back up into the hook before bay doors are closed. Beyond just landing gear, hydraulic actuators serve many uses that are impeccable to the performance and functionality of an aircraft. With their many uses, safety, and easy maintenance, linear hydraulic actuators prove to be an invaluable asset to aircraft.

At Aviation Purchasing Platform, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find actuators you need, new or obsolete. As a premier supplier of parts for the aerospace, civil aviation, and defense industries, we're always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7x365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@aviationpurchasingplatform.com or call us at +1-763-401-8616.

Aircraft hydraulic systems play a pivotal role in the operation of aircraft components. Landing gear, flaps, flight control surfaces, and brakes operate through hydraulics. Hydraulic systems have lots of advantages over other power sources; they are lightweight, easy to install, simple to maintain and inspect, and have very few maintenance requirements. This blog will explain hydraulic systems and tell a little more about their function.

Hydraulics are used in virtually all aircraft. In smaller planes, it may only be used to provide pressure to activate the brakes, but in more complex airplanes, hydraulics power a wide array of components including brakes, landing gear, flaps & slats, thrust reversers, flight control surfaces, windshield wipers, and propellor pitch control. The three main parts of a hydraulic system are the pump, the motor, and the plumbing. 

Hydraulic systems work by pumping liquid to create energy. In theory, any fluid can power a hydraulic system as long as it is viscous enough and has lubricant properties. The most commonly found pump on large aircraft is the variable displacement piston pump. The design allows the pump to react to changes in system demand by increasing or decreasing the output of fluid. This helps maintain a constant pressure.

The hydraulic motor is the piece that converts hydraulic pressure into torque. Hydraulic motors are used on aircraft to move jackscrews powering flaps, stabilizers and some types of landing gear applications.

The system’s plumbing component is responsible for drawing the fluid in, pressurizing it, and releasing it to be used for by a variety of components. It consists of many parts such as:

• Reservoir: the source of fluid to be pumped
• Filter: ensures cleanliness of the fluid
• Shut Off Valve: stops the flow of liquid in the event of a fire
• Control Valve: dictate the flow of hydraulic fluids
• Accumulators: pressure storage reservoir, enables the system to cope with extreme pressure and adjust to temporary demands

The simplicity and effectiveness of hydraulic systems have kept them in use for a long time. For your aircraft hydraulic system and fitting needs, we urge you to contact us at Aviation Purchasing Platform, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor. We can help you find all the unique parts for the aerospace, civil aviation, and defense industries. We’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7-365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@aviationpurchasingplatform.com or call us at 1-763-401-8616.

Water and electricity obviously do not mix. So putting devices that run off  electricity in an environment dominated and defined by water the outcome can be disastrous. When you’re installing new electronics in your marine vessel, here are some essential tips, tricks, and things to keep in mind.

1. Do not install electronic units directly to the boat’s electrical power. Devices designed to accept 12 volts will malfunction if you run 24 volts from the power supply directly to them. Always check the power requirements listed in the owner’s manual, and double-check your wirings to make sure your devices only get as much juice as they need.
2. Keep your wires in order.. Some connect to power, others are for NMEA ports to share information with other devices, and others are for transducers, alarms, and external speakers. Try to keep these wires separate from each other and remember which is which
3. Batteries- keep them stocked, sorted, and install them properly. It’s embarrassing, but everyone has accidentally put a battery in upside down and wondered afterwards why their device doesn’t work. Devices will often have images or labels that show you the correct orientation of the battery. Also, stay on watch for corrosion in your batteries. You’ll know it’s happening when mold-like material starts to build up between batteries and devices. To prevent this from happening, remove the batteries from portable devices whenever you store them for long periods of time.
4. Try to avoid cutting and splicing cables and wires. Cable Manufacturers will often give you more cable than you seem to need, but there’s often a reason why. GPS cables require the impedance provided by a long cable, for instance. Additionally, whenever a cable is cut, you expose the inner wiring to the elements, salt, moisture, and particles, all of which can damage the wiring. You can also short the wires in the cable when you put it back together.
5. Keep antennas properly spaced out. A radio antenna can interfere with the reception of your radar and GPS equipment, for example. If two products operate at or near the same frequency, they need to be spaced apart from each other.
6. Take it easy when connecting cables. Forcing connectors together can bend the pins inside them, which means the cable connectors will have a harder time mating. Bent pins can also touch and short out the device, or cause the wrong connections to be made.
7. Don’t make unnecessary connections. Don’t turn on a portable GPS, activate your plotter to bring up a local chart, then connect the two while they’re both on, as you can end up damaging both components. Components should be switched off before being connected.
8. Don’t test “waterproof” claims too much. Battery contacts can easily corrode in water, and even a tiny amount of water seeping in can easily ruin a circuit board. It is better to be safe than sorry, and if something does get wet, let it dry first before trying to use it.
9. As always, read your owner’s manual and user guides, and follow the instructions.

At Aviation Purchasing Platform, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find all the electronics for the aerospace, civil aviation, and marine industries. We’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7-365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@aviationpurchasingplatform.com or call us at 1-763-401-8616.

Pressure transducers are sensors that convert pressure variations in a fluid into an electrical signal. Signals delivered by pressure transducers can be continuous, and therefore feed constant readouts to control systems. This means that smart control systems where falling pressure levels triggers alarms can be installed, which can be customizable and cause a system shutdown in the most serious cases. Because pressure transducers can operate with liquid interfaces and at high temperatures and pressures, they find use in marine applications like propulsion units, gearboxes, and oil systems. Three technologies are central in how useful modern transducers are: chemical vapor deposition (CVD), sputtered thin-film, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) electronic packaging.

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a manufacturing technique for producing pressure transducers. CVD takes place in a batch process and involves the deposition of polysilicon on a stainless-steel surface, and then chemically milling strain gauge patterns. Once the milling is done, the water is cut into individual sensor beams that are then mounted onto a stainless-steel summing diaphragm and pressure port through laser welding. The wafers are then linked to electronics to perform signal amplification and conditioning. CVD allows manufacturers to make robust and accurate pressure sensors that are both cheap and effective.

Measuring pressure is done by having a thin sealed sensing diaphragm in contact with the media being measured. When the diaphragm is moved, the strain gauge is flexed (either by compression or tension) producing an electrical signal proportional to the displacement. The sensor’s output is transmitted through on-board electronics, with the whole system compactly contained within steel housing. Sputtered thin-film technology is behind those on-board electronics; a solid material is bombarded with energized particles, leading to the sputtering of atoms. These sputtered atoms are then deposited onto a sensing substrate in a controlled electronic pattern. This produces a strong and accurate sensor capable of operating in direct contact with most fluids, including oils and gases.

Application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) are circuits customized for a specific use, rather than general purpose. This allows the performance and function of individual transducers to be fine-tuned to various applications. Benefitting from the advances in complexity and power that has revolutionized computing in general, ASICs are cheaper and more effective than ever before, directly benefiting pressure transducers as well.

At Aviation Purchasing Platform, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find all the marine engine parts for the aerospace, marine, and defense industries. We’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7-365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@aviationpurchasingplatform.com or call us at 1-763-401-8616.

The debate between marine diesel versus gasoline engines is a hot topic - literally. Both engines turn chemical energy into mechanical energy using an internal combustion process. The marine industry argues for the pros and cons of each engine type, with neither coming up on top. There is a lot of information surrounding the topic, however it is often misleading.

The key difference between gasoline and diesel engines is that the air comes first in the combustion process. Air is funneled into the combustion chamber from either an air cleaner unit or a turbocharging system.  A compressor squeezes the air to a high pressure. A fine spray of fuel is then injected into the engine via the fuel pumps. The engine control unit determines when, how long, and the pressure of the spray. Due to the compressed air, the fuel ignites without the need of a spark plug. The combustion makes the piston push back out of the cylinder, producing the power that drives the marine craft in which the engine is mounted. When the piston goes back into the cylinder, the exhaust gases are pushed out through an exhaust valve and the process repeats.

Due to the combustion process, it is said that diesel engines are safer than gasoline engines. Diesel fuel vapors are not explosive, whereas gasoline fuel vapors are, hence why there is no smoking at a gas station. While this is a valid characteristic, it isn’t the main factor to consider as it is not often that an engine will burst into blames. The comparison of the levels of carbon monoxide, however, should be assessed.

A common belief about diesel engines is that they can run for hours without requiring much maintenance. While diesel engines may be sturdier and more consistent in their power output, that does not mean that they are not sensitive to certain working conditions. Typically, diesel engines are installed in heavy duty marine craft that run for hours, in which case, the diesel engine is consistent. If you were to choose a diesel-powered motorboat however, chances are the engine is repeatedly turned on and off. Diesel engines can be worn down by the shorter running times, therefore requiring additional maintenance. This is simply a case of assessing the scope of your marine craft’s journeys.

Whether you are interested in a gasoline or diesel engine, you will be spending money filling up the tank. Gas prices are often used to sway a buyer one way or another. It used to be that marine diesel fuel prices were significantly higher than gasoline. This has since changed, with diesel prices levelling out to those of gasoline. A better point of comparison is the fuel efficiency. Generally, diesel engines have a better fuel economy than gasoline powered engines however, if you were to assess all economic factors, diesel engine powered marine craft tend to cost more to purchase. It will cost you more to maintain a diesel engine compared to a gasoline engine. Gasoline powered engines may experience more problems; however, they are routine and easy to get fixed. In comparison, diesel engines may not occur problems so often, but when they do, the cost of repairs is far greater.

At Aviation Purchasing Platform , owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find Marine engine parts for the marine and defense industries. We’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7-365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@aviationpurchasingplatform.com or call us at +1 763-401-8616.

Some of the most exciting components of an aircraft are highly visible, such as the fuselage, the engines, and the aircraft instruments. These are intense displays of innovations in aviation. However, sometimes we don’t realize that there are millions of other aircraft parts that are integral parts of an aircraft, or that some of the simplest components can also be exciting and impressive. For example, the nuts and bolts utilized on an aircraft are not your everyday kind of material. For example, aircraft bolts are composed of corrosion resistant steel and exceed a tensile strength of 125,000 psi. They don’t bend easily like an average bolt. Aircraft fasteners may be made from aluminum, super alloys, titanium, or steel and include screws, rivets, bolts, pins, collars, and many more.

The type of fastener chosen will be based on the load that it’s exposed to in its application (shear or tension) and it must be capable of transferring loads and withstanding the stress. A shear load produces a sliding motion that can cause failure of a component. Tension stress occurs when objects are pulled away from each other: it could make the material stretch and will break at a certain point that is individual to the type of material. The type of stress or load that a fastener will face depends on the location within the aircraft and the environment in which the aircraft will be operating. Various loads produced during flight can be the result of towing, flight operations, wind-gusts, pressurization, etc.

Fastener names, or codes, may be determined by the fastener manufacturer, an industry standard, or the airframe manufacturer. Their descriptions can be found in fastener books, repair drawings, and production blueprints. Blueprints and repair drawings will include the proper way to attach a fastener. It’s critical to follow all proper procedures when applying or repairing fasteners because they quite literally hold the aircraft together.

At Aviation Purchasing Platform, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find all of the aircraft fasteners you need, new or obsolete. As a premier supplier of parts for the aerospace, civil aviation, and defense industries, we’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7x365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@aviationpurchasingplatform.com or call us at 1-763-401-8616.

Aircraft engine mounts are weldment structures that fasten an engine to the airframe, while simultaneously holding all the associated power plant parts and accessories in place. They are an integral part of aircraft hardware and are the only fixture that attaches the engine and its accessory parts to an aircraft. As you can imagine, proper inspection of an engine mount is critical to safe operation of an aircraft.

The engine mount is regularly exposed to volatile temperature changes, with temperatures around the engine system reaching upwards of 400 degrees Celsius in every flight cycle. In addition, an engine mount is exposed to corrosive vapors, load bearing stressors, corrosion due to vibration, and chafing along its surface caused by cables and parts touching the engine mount.  

In order to ensure the longevity of an engine mount (which is designed to last the lifetime of an aircraft, 20 to 30 years), the FAA has specified minimums for design criteria concerning g loads and flight condition loads. Since the average engine mount weighs 14.5 kg, and carries an engine amounting around to 2.5 tons, adherence to design specifications set by the FAA, and inspection protocols set by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is necessary.

Standard inspection of an engine mount involves the following 7 steps— sandblasting, chafing and misalignment, fixture checks, necessary hardware repairs, weld repairs, dye penetrant, and a final sandblast. Sandblasting ensures that all metal defects are visible and cleans the engine mount surface so that any repairs deemed necessary can be conducted with precision. Any carbon or chemical buildup can hide defects in the tubular structure components.

Fixture checks are done preventatively to discover any pits or voids greater than 10% in relation to overall tube density. This inspection will also act as a redundancy to identify weld cracks and defects. Chafing checks on the entirety of the structure are essential to detect corrosion or misalignment from vibration encountered during flight. Hardware repairs and welding repairs are conducted after these preliminary inspections.

A dye penetrant inspection is then applied to any weldment repairs. This redundancy can identify hairline cracks and pinholes that might not be apparent to the human eye otherwise.

The final finishing inspection measure is a second sandblasting. This eliminates excess material and prepares the engine mount for a new coat of paint. Engine mount paint is usually white or a light color to make it easier to spot cracks and corrosion.

At Aviation Purchasing Platform, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find all the aircraft engine mount parts and aircraft hydraulic fittings you need, new or obsolete. As a premier supplier of parts for the aerospace, civil aviation, and defense industries, we’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7x365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@aviationpurchasingplatform.com or call us at +1-763-401-8616.

Ships come in many shapes and sizes according to what their purpose is and how they are propelled or which engine design they use. Someone might wonder what the difference between a boat and a ship is. Well, the distinction is based on size, shape, load capacity, and tradition— but, there is no universally accepted distinction.

There are freshwater, merchant ships, special purpose vessels, and naval vessels.  They can be used to carry passengers, for defense, research, or fishing. A ship can be powered by reciprocating steam engines, steam turbines, reciprocating diesel engines, LNG engines, gas turbines, sterling engines, and electric propulsion systems. However, the most common engine used on modern marine vessels are reciprocating diesel engines.

Reciprocating diesel engines offer operating simplicity, robustness, and better fuel economy compared to other power sources. They can be categorized into a four-stroke engines or two-stroke engines. Four-stroke engines are generally used in smaller vessels and are used to produce electrical power and propulsion. Two-stroke engines are used for propulsion and are larger.

Four-stroke engines operate by repeating a cycle of four strokes where the piston moves up and down twice. During intake, air is drawn into the cylinder through an air inlet valve as the piston moves down; when the inlet valve closes, the piston moves up and compresses the air mixture which heats it up. Fuel is injected into the hot gas and ignites. Once ignited, the piston is pushed down, and this drives the crankshaft that sends power to the wheels. The returning piston pushes a valve open and lets the exhaust gases out.

Two-stroke engines operate by repeating a cycle of two strokes where the piston moves up and down once. There are three stages. Fresh air is blown into the side of the cylinder and old exhaust is pushed out through valves located at the top. The piston will then move up, compress the air, and heat it up. Fuel is injected and ignites once the piston reaches the top of the cylinder. Once ignited, the piston moves down and drives the crankshaft which then sends power to the wheels. Two-stroke engines are smaller and lighter, but they tend to suffer higher wear and tear.

At Aviation Purchasing Platform, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find all the ship and boat propulsion components you need. As a premier supplier of parts for the aerospace, civil aviation, and marine industries, we’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7x365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@aviationpurchasingplatform.com or call us at 1-763-401-8616.

Thrust bearings are a common feature in the automotive and aerospace industries. Thrust bearings are low friction bearings with a rotating shaft— they help with rotation between parts while simultaneously resisting thrust. The main purpose of a thrust bearing is to handle the axial load. Thrust bearings can also be used in an application where the support shafts are out of alignment. These bearings are mainly used in applications that operate at higher speeds and require oil lubrication.

Thrust bearings come in two varieties: ball thrust bearings and roller thrust bearings. Ball thrust bearings are composed of ball bearings and are mainly used in applications that require a small amount of radial load. The washer for this bearing is either flat or grooved and supported in a ring. Roller thrust bearings are composed of cylindrical rolling elements and can handle a higher load. The washers for this bearing are typically only flat.

Miniature thrust bearings are a smaller version of the original thrust bearing. Ranging in size with bores from 2.0mm with flat washers or to 3.0mm with 6.00-8.00MM grooved washers, they also permit rotation between parts. But unlike full-size thrust bearings, miniature bearings are designed to withstand thrust or axial loads only. All miniature thrust bearings must be kept in matching sets for proper performance.

Bearings are typically made from chrome steel or stainless steel. This type of material is necessary as it is the only type of material that will allow for the necessary load carrying. Bearings also endure massive amounts of mechanical stress, so it is important to choose a material that withstands pressure.

Aviation Purchasing Platform, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, should always be your first and only stop for all your ball bearing needs. Aviation Purchasing Platform is a premier supplier of full-sized and miniature thrust ball bearings, whether new, old, or hard-to-find. Aviation Purchasing Platform has a wide selection of parts to choose from and we can always find what you’re looking for, 24/7x365. If you’re interested in a quick and competitive quote, email the sales department at sales@aviationpurchasingplatform.com or call us at +1-763-401-8616 to get started.