Friday, August 6, 2010

Vibration Testing and Thermal Imaging Technology

Here's an article about vibration testing technology and thermal imaging technology. I find it really amazing hearing some companies using it and living through it, keeping it as part of their predictive maintenance technology in their manufacturing and operation.

Vibration Testing Technology

To the savvy maintenance professional, industrial machinery almost "talks" to reveal its condition. The key to success is in understanding what the machine is saying. To detect problems, the professional "listens" in many ways: With eyes and ears, to see and hear conditions that may indicate problems and...

  • With thermometers and thermal imagers, to detect overheating, poor electrical connections or failing bearings
  • With digital multimeters and power analyzers, to diagnose electrical problems
  • Using techniques like lubricant analysis, to gauge machine condition over time

And now new vibration testing tools provide the maintenance professional with a valuable new way not just to listen, but to find mechanical problems and fixes: these new troubleshooting tools are engineered to detect and evaluate machine vibration immediately and recommend any needed repairs.

A new kind of troubleshooting tool

Many industrial maintenance teams today work under severe restrictions on money and time. They may not have the resources to train for and implement the typical long-term vibration analysis program. Further, many professionals may think there are only two options for vibration testing; high-end vibration analyzers that are expensive and difficult to use, and low-end vibration pens, which aren't particularly accurate.

Fortunately, a new breed of vibration-testing tool fills the middle of the category, combining the diagnostic capability of a trained vibration analyzer with the speed and convenience of lower-end testers, at a reasonable price. This type of tool is designed to be not merely a vibration detector, but a complete diagnostic and problem-solving solution, and targeted specifically for maintenance professionals who need to troubleshoot mechanical problems and quickly understand the root cause of equipment condition.

These tools are designed and programmed to diagnose the most common mechanical problems of unbalance, looseness, misalignment and bearing failures in a wide variety of mechanical equipment, including motors, fans, blowers, belts and chain drives, gearboxes, couplings, pumps, compressors, closed coupled machines and spindles.

Not just data, but actionable results

When these new testers detect a fault, they identify the problem, its location and severity on a multi-level scale to help the maintenance professional prioritize maintenance tasks. They may also recommend repairs.

Mechanical diagnosis can begin with the user placing the device's accelerometer on the machine under test. The accelerometer may have a magnetic mount or can be installed using adhesive. As the machine under test operates, the accelerometer detects its vibration along three planes of movement (vertical, horizontal and axial) and transmits that information to the tester. Using a set of advanced algorithms, the tester then provides a plain-text diagnosis of the machine with a recommended solution.

No training? No problem

Mechanical equipment is typically evaluated by comparing its condition over time to an established baseline condition. Vibration analyzers used in condition-based monitoring programs rely upon these baseline conditions to evaluate machine condition and estimate remaining operating life. System operators must have considerable training and experience before they can determine the meaning and significance of the vibration spectra they detect.

But what about the maintenance pro who isn't trained in vibration analysis? How do you tell the difference between acceptable vibration, and the kind of vibration that demands immediate attention to service or replace troubled equipment?

Fortunately, extensive experience with mechanical vibration, what it means and how to fix it is built into the advanced algorithms of today's testers. Now the maintenance professional can quickly and reliably determine the cause of the machine vibration, learn the severity and location of the problem and receive recommendations for repair. It's all done with the intelligence built into the tester, without the extensive training, monitoring and recording required for typical vibration monitoring programs.


Now Lets talk about things about thermal imaging technolgy.



About the Thermal Image Camera


Having a thermal image camera can be quite beneficial. There are a lot of individuals who are opting for thermal imaging nowadays. Thermal imaging is quite great for analysis and problem solving. The great thing about thermal image camera is that it is quite easy to carry with you and it gives great performance. This can be attributed to the fact that it produces great thermal pictures due to its high resolution thermal detectors. It can be like having a normal digital camera but with more benefits.

When you are planning to purchase your own camera that has thermal imaging one has to consider some pointers in finding a quality one. One has to look a camera that has a high resolution. It is also wise to note the pixels output of the camera. This feature is very important for the temperature ability of the camera.

Secondly, accuracy should be an important feature of your choice of camera. An accuracy of 3% to 5% is what you should look for. Another feature that should consider is its temperature range. You have to take into account the weather conditions in your area. Whether you a hot or cold climate, this can really create a problem with the pictures it will produce.

A camera that has thermal imaging is being widely used by law enforcers. It helps them detect things that are quite seen by the human eye and this is a valuable asset for the law enforcement departments. Even plumbing and pest control areas have a great use for this type of camera. It helps them detect problems where they can not quite see or is obstructed from view.

Of course, the price of a thermal imaging camera is an important factor in buying it. You can usually buy a camera that has thermal imaging at around $3000. This is the model that is being used by a lot of professionals. The more features it has would mean that it would be more expensive. The best thing to do is to do a little bit of research and do price comparisons. You can great deals and bargains if you know where to look.

Source: Zara Jones and Steve Glad

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