What Tools Do Aircraft Mechanics Need?

Aircraft maintenance can be considered one of the most important aspects of the aviation industry, such processes ensuring that all parts of a vehicle remain airworthy with high integrity and performance. To efficiently carry out operations while guaranteeing a quality job, mechanics and technicians utilize advanced tools and equipment to carry out repairs and maintenance. While the tools used by a mechanic or technician may vary based on the job at hand, there are several tools that are a staple to maintenance work. In this blog, we will provide a brief overview of the common maintenance tools that various personnel use, allowing you to have a better understanding of their applications.

Torque Wrench

The torque wrench is one of the most popular tools used by mechanics, and they are used on countless fasteners that are present across an aircraft. With a torque wrench, one can quickly install and remove screws and fasteners while guaranteeing that the correct tightness or torque is applied. As spanners and other such tools lack the effectiveness required for aviation maintenance, a calibrated torque wrench is always the best option.

Speed Handle

As technicians and maintenance workers are always moving from one task to another in rapid succession, they must be able to complete a large amount of work in a small amount of time. With a speed handle, technicians can remove screw heads with a single hand, enhancing their efficiency as they can free their other hand for other processes. Generally, speed handles are simply a long screw that mates with screw heads.

Vibration Meter

Vibration is a factor that is detrimental to the performance of aircraft, often causing increased wear to assemblies and furthering integrity loss over time. With a vibration meter, personnel can accurately measure vibration levels in terms of kilograms, ensuring that areas are not facing levels that surpass the maximum amount for safety. As vibration plays a key role in determining whether a particular aircraft is safe to operate or not, having a vibration meter for maintenance is a must.

Pliers

Pliers are commonly used for numerous operations, and they may range from clamp plier tools to safety wire pliers. Safety wire pliers are important for securing nuts and bolts that may possibly loosen over time, and they allow for a length of aluminum wire to be held and tied together in braids. As the tool ensures ample toughness, the installed safety wires can be relied on with ease.

Rivet Gun

Rivets are a common fastener type found on aircraft, often serving to secure skin sections to the fuselage. To install a rivet, it must have its tail-end passed through a preformed hole before upsetting the tail to create a second head. Most often, this deformation is made possible through the use of rivet guns. While other various tools may be used in lieu of a rivet gun for installation, rivet guns in particular make rivet deformation quick and easy for the benefit of the maintenance technician.

Metal Working Tools

Modern aircraft are primarily constructed of metal, and metal working tools are necessary to conduct maintenance for various frames and structures. Generally, metal working tools allow personnel to fasten, bend, and cut metals as necessary, and they may come in the form of drills and other various tools.

Mirrors

While seemingly unimportant, having handheld mirrors is actually quite useful for many repair jobs. In some instances, technicians may lack the ability to establish a direct line of sight with critical parts they need to inspect or work on, and mirrors may be used to establish visuals. Otherwise, the only other option would be to disassemble certain structures, which can be time consuming and inefficient.

Magnet

With various metal components that are under constant stress or in contact with other assemblies, various areas of an aircraft can begin to face a build-up of small magnetic parts. These materials can pose danger to various systems if they enter moving equipment during flight, so it is important to prevent build-ups as much as possible. Typically, the magnets used by technicians are long and extendable, allowing for them to be inserted into deep areas of the engine and other structures with ease.

Conclusion

No matter the tools that you require for carrying out your aircraft maintenance operations, Fulfillment 3Sixty is here to fulfill all your needs with time and cost savings. Owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, Fulfillment 3Sixty offers customers access to an inventory containing over 2 billion new, used, obsolete, and hard-to-find products that have been sourced from leading global manufacturers that we trust. To receive quotes on part numbers for your comparisons, simply fill out and submit an RFQ form through our website at any time, and a dedicated account manager will reach out to you in just 15 minutes or less to provide a personalized quote for your comparisons.