Glossary

Motor-Driven Articulation

moh-ter – driv-uh n ahr-tik-yuh-ley-shuh n

noun

Definition

Motor-Driven Articulation is a feature on modern-day Borescopes that is usually required when Insertion Tube lengths exceed roughly 10 feet. As the length of Insertion Tubes (also known as Insertion Probes) exceed a rough length of 10 feet, the Insertion Tube of an inspection device becomes increasingly harder to provide sufficient Articulation. Great strain is put onto the cables or wires that control the articulating head (Bending Section) of the unit as kinetic friction increases over longer Insertion Tube lengths. Videoscopes with Motor-Driven Articulation are less responsive to the users’ touch, and are easier to damage. Motors that drive some articulating units won’t always know when articulation is causing too much resistance against the cables, making them easier to snap, sever, or strip. Some Motor-Driven articulating units require a “lock” function for the insertion tube, which is only another part built into an inspection system that can fail and can be costly to repair. In summary, Motor-Driven Articulation is less responsive to the user’s touch, while Manual Articulation is extremely responsive but usually grants less range in inspection distance.

Related terms: predictive maintenance