Borescope inspection without teardown
A borescope puts a camera inside an engine, a gearbox, a casting or a pipe through an existing port, so you can see damage and decide on repair without taking the equipment apart. Tell us what you need to look inside and through what access, and we build the scope and send your request to providers who bring the right probe and know the equipment.
Remote visual inspection in plain terms
Borescope inspection is a form of remote visual testing. A thin probe carries light to the inspection area and brings an image back to the operator. Modern work is mostly done with videoscopes: a camera chip at the tip, an articulating section the operator steers in two or four directions, and a handset that records images and video. Rigid borescopes still give the sharpest image on straight access, and fiberscopes remain in use where flexibility matters more than resolution. What you get is an expert look at surfaces you could not otherwise see, recorded so others can review it.
- Videoscopes with articulating tips, typical diameters from about 4 mm to 8 mm and working lengths from 1 m to over 10 m
- Small diameter probes near 2 to 3 mm for tight ports and fuel nozzles
- Rigid borescopes for straight access with high optical quality
- Guide tubes, tip adapters and side view optics for reaching the right surface
Turbine engines, gearboxes, castings and pipes
- Aircraft and industrial gas turbines: compressor and turbine blades, combustors and fuel nozzles through dedicated borescope ports, against limits in the manufacturer's manual
- Steam turbines and generators during outages, to decide whether a full opening is needed
- Gearboxes, including wind turbine main gearboxes, through inspection covers: gear tooth pitting, micropitting, spalling, bearing raceway damage and debris
- Internal passages of castings and machined manifolds: leftover core material, burrs, chips, blocked holes and cracks at intersections
- Piping and vessels: weld root condition, internal corrosion, foreign objects after maintenance
- Engines, compressors and hydraulic components in fleets and heavy equipment
What borescope inspection finds
- Blade nicks, dents, tip curl, erosion, coating loss and burn damage
- Cracks visible on the surface, burn through and distortion in combustors
- Gear and bearing surface damage, wear patterns and debris
- Casting defects open to internal passages, leftover sand or core, machining debris
- Internal corrosion, deposits, weld root defects and foreign objects
What it does not find
- Defects below the surface; a borescope sees only what light reaches
- Fine cracks hidden by deposits or oil, unless the area is cleaned
- Wall thickness and internal porosity, which need ultrasonic testing or industrial CT scanning
- Areas without line of sight from any port
Inside complex castings where no port reaches every passage, CT shows all internal geometry and blockage at once.
Measuring what you see
Many videoscopes measure indications directly. Stereo measurement uses two images from a special tip; 3D phase measurement projects patterns onto the surface and builds a point cloud of the area; comparison measurement scales against a known dimension in the image. These let the inspector report crack length, dent depth, blade tip clearance or pit depth against serviceability limits. Accuracy depends on probe, tip, distance and viewing angle, so ask how the provider verifies measurements and what uncertainty to expect before the numbers drive a decision.
Steps of a borescope job
- You describe the equipment, model, access points and the reason for the inspection.
- The provider chooses probe diameter, length and tips, and confirms safety and isolation.
- Equipment is shut down, cooled, isolated and opened at the ports or covers.
- The inspector navigates, records images and video and measures indications.
- Findings are evaluated against the manual or your acceptance criteria.
- You receive a report with annotated images, video and recommendations.
Most inspections take a few hours on site. The written report usually follows within 1 to 3 business days, and urgent aviation work is often reported on the same day.
Qualifications to ask borescope inspection services for
- Visual testing qualification to SNT-TC-1A, CP-189 or NAS 410, at least Level II for evaluation
- For aircraft engines, training on the specific engine type and work under the operator's maintenance program and FAA rules for return to service by authorized personnel
- ASME Section V Article 9 for remote visual examination of pressure equipment
- Experience with the gearbox or turbine model, and familiarity with the manufacturer's damage terminology
- Equipment calibration records for measurement tips
Typical price bands for borescope inspection
Price depends on equipment type, access difficulty, probe size, measurement needs, travel, standby time during outages and the reporting format.
| Job | Typical range, not a quote |
|---|---|
| Half day on site, general equipment | $600 to $1,500 |
| Full day on site with report | $1,000 to $2,800 |
| Wind turbine gearbox, per turbine in a campaign | $500 to $1,500 |
| Gas turbine or aircraft engine inspection | $1,500 to $6,000 per engine |
| Casting passages, lab inspection per part | $50 to $300 per part |
More on how inspection prices are built is in NDT inspection cost.
What to include in your request
- 01Equipment type, make and model, and the ports or covers available
- 02Reason: scheduled check, event such as an overtemperature or bird strike, noise, vibration or oil debris
- 03What must be measured, and the limits or manual you work to
- 04Probe constraints you already know: port diameter, required length, articulation
- 05Site, isolation and outage window, and how fast you need the report
FAQ
What is the difference between a borescope and a videoscope?
A videoscope is a type of borescope with a camera at the tip and an articulating section, while classic borescopes carry the image optically through a rigid tube or fiber bundle.
Can a borescope measure cracks and dents?
Yes, measurement tips on modern videoscopes report length and depth, with accuracy that depends on probe, distance and angle.
Does the equipment have to be shut down?
Yes, the equipment must be stopped, isolated and usually cooled before a probe enters, following your site lockout procedures.
How small a port can a borescope go through?
Probes near 2 to 3 mm diameter exist for very tight access, but smaller probes give a narrower view and less light, so use the largest probe the port allows.
Can borescope inspection replace an engine teardown?
It often helps decide whether a teardown is needed, but it cannot see everything inside, so the manual and the findings decide the next step.
Get the right probe at the right port
The advisor reads your description and says whether borescope inspection answers the question or whether you need CT, ultrasonic or other methods alongside it, with reasons, limits, typical turnaround and a typical price band labeled as an estimate. It writes the RFQ. After you create your account and confirm your email, the request goes to providers matched by equipment type, region and stated qualification. Buyers never pay. Turbine and wind operators can also start from power plant inspection services or aerospace NDT inspection.
- 01What needs inspecting
- ...
- 02Material
- ...
- 04Concern
- ...
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