Installing and maintaining aircraft line assemblies

Ours is a team of specialists offering their talents to those who require very specific tubes. To create these products, we use a collection of manipulation techniques. Tube drilling is just one of them. Its purpose is to offer a precise, clean hole on your tubing. We drill with great care to ensure it does not damage the shape of the tube.

Aircraft line assembliesA lot of work goes into the installation and inspection of rigid tubing. For example, prior to installing a line assembly in an aircraft, you should carefully examine the line. Take care of any dents or scratches. Furthermore, see to it that all the sleeves and nuts are secure and snugly mated by correct flaring of the tubing. The line assembly must also be free of foreign matter. It is a good idea to clean it after alterations like tube drilling.

Don’t apply compound

What you should not ever do is apply compound to the flare or fitting faces. Doing so shall eradicate the metal-to-metal contact between them. This contact is vital for generating the seal. Ensure that the line assembly is aligned correctly prior to tightening the fittings. Avoid pulling the installation into position with torque on the nut.

Tightening fittings

Tube drillingMake it a point to always tighten fittings to the right torque value while installing your assembly. Should you over-tighten a fitting, you can cut the tube flare off completely or leave it with severe damage. Alternatively, you could ruin the fitting nut or sleeve.

Neglecting to tighten everything properly can be a huge mistake too. Such a condition can permit the line to blow out of your assembly. It may even leak due to system pressure. The use of the right torque values and wrenches prevents under-tightening and over-tightening.

With the nut, tighten it by hand until you encounter an increase in resistance to turning. It might prove impossible for you to run this nut down using fingers alone. If this is the case, then use a wrench.

You must be careful and watch out for the initial signs of bottoming. It is vital for the last tightening to start at the point where this nut starts to bottom. Using a wrench, you should turn the nut one-sixth turn. Next, turn your attention to the connector to stop it from turning while you are tightening the nut.

Pressure testing

When you finish installing the tube assembly, you should pressure test the system. It is allowable to tighten the nut an extra one-sixth turn if a connection leaks. If there is a leakage after this turn, remove your assembly. From there, look for over-tightening damage, foreign materials, cracks, and scores.

Come to us for tube drilling

At Multiform Tubes, we use our service to prevent clients from wasting too much time and money. With our techniques, you will also have solutions for all sorts of products such as pre-formed furniture.

If you would like to use our tube drilling services, feel free to contact us. We have a wealth of experience and can offer products suitable for a range of applications. We can even provide assembly in many cases.