Aircraft are large and complex vehicles, and the fact that they can perform so optimally and safely while traversing the globe by air is a testament to their engineering. The various capabilities of aircraft are made possible through very careful design processes, those of which serve to balance numerous competing and demanding requirements to ensure that an aircraft meets all objectives related to strength, weight, cost, and more. While the design process of an airplane or helicopter may vary by type or model, we will discuss the basic process that most aircraft follow for your better understanding.

Having adopted a multitude of alterations to improve their overall efficiency and power, aircraft have come a long way since the first stable flight by the Wright Brothers in 1903. Whereas early airplanes could support only a couple people, modern commercial airliners are substantial enough to carry hundreds. As such, you may have wondered at some point “how many parts are there in an aircraft?” For most of today’s commercial planes, the answer is in the millions. With safety and efficiency as a topmost priority in aircraft construction, each airplane is painstakingly assembled through various levels, such as wire and cable shop, paneling, wing assembly, and paint application. Though there are far too many parts to list individually, many of them can be categorized into five major areas, those of which are the fuselage, wings, engine, landing gear, and stabilizers.

Across aerospace, electronic, pharmaceutical, and countless other industries, linear actuators are employed to convert the rotational motion generated by an electric motor into linear motion. As terminology and applications for different types of linear actuators can become convoluted on the Internet, these parts are complex and versatile, so this blog will provide a simple overview of this popular part.

Every moving vehicle needs to be able to brake safely and efficiently. However, when you are on slippery surfaces like water or ice, your brakes can lock up, making them less effective at stopping. This can cause the vehicle to skid, and such instances can potentially lead to a fatal accident. Therefore, the Anti-Lock System (ABS) was introduced to avoid such situations and promote safety during ground operations.

Butterfly valves belong to the family of quarter-turn rotational motion valves that are found in pipelines to shut-off flow. In some cases, butterfly valves are utilized to regulate flow, though it is not recommended because it can damage the valve disk and have a negative effect on their sealing properties. Nonetheless, they are used for a variety of process media and industries, especially in water supply, collection, and distribution. Other uses include pumping stations and for flow isolation in the marine industry.

Winches are a common aspect of the marine industry and various industrial processes, coming in the form of simplistic mechanical devices that allow for the tension of a rope, wire rope, or cable to be governed. To do this, the winch consists of a spool or drum with a hand crank attached, and they pull in and let out the rope or cable during operation.