Another day on the job

Mijn probleem

Yesterday, smoke rolled out of this aircraft cockpit printer as soon as the power came on. The power supply failed and the transformer belched smoke. The stench was incredible.

Mijn oplossing

The maintenance manual includes a service bulletin detailing the replacement of the old power supply with a newer, more reliable one. It was well written and very clear, requiring the replacement of two circuit board assemblies and some related wiring. But to do that, the whole unit had to be stripped down to the chassis.

Mijn advies

It's possible the initial failure resulted from a loose metal part. A small leaf spring, part of the door assembly, was inside the unit and may have caused a short circuit.