Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008 - (Page 65)

tive and preventative maintenance? Where is my super duper ultrasound instrument that can give me a decibel, lock it in and when I come back 30, 60 or 90 days later, gives me a good and reliable number or a condition that makes some sense? Where is the instrument that can display waveform or FFT analysis on the display screen? Where is the unit that can record wave files internally without “clipping or distorting” the signal? How about repeatability? In the ultrasound industry, it is still hard to find. Currently, even with the most expensive instruments in the marketplace ($4k-$10k) repeatability is an issue. I don’t know why. Either, the motor, gearbox, bearings or gears are making more and more noise heading for low-frequency as it degrades, or they are not. We know that a bearing needing grease has an increase in friction. Friction means a rise in decibels and temperature. On the other hand, we know that an over-greased or over-lubricated bearing will also show an increase in temperature. Either way, if the instruments of the future are to be worth their weight in salt, they had better get on the stick! This industry cannot survive as it is now. That is, an industry where the technicians are second guessing the technology. Or, looking for answers in owners manuals as to what a particular setting really means? Far too many technicians are looking for answers as to why their instrument cannot give them a simple rise in decibels or a drop in decibel reading that can be used to evaluate a motor’s condition. I am not asking for an instrument that can immediately tell me, “This bearing is a good bearing”. No, I just want an instrument that can repeatedly show me an increase or decrease, a rise or drop in decibels that relates to a condition of pre-failure, failure or catastrophic failure without a lot of “hoopla” to get there. Forget all the special features and fancy acronyms. Give the industry an instrument that can detect a rise or fall in decibels within a range that can be determined to be in a failure mode. In our complicated world, shouldn’t that be simple. We look forward to seeing you December 8-11, 2008 at The 23rd International Maintenance Conference (IMC-2008) in Bonita Springs, FL. Jim Hall is the president of Ultra-Sound www.uptimemagazine.com Technologies, a vendor-neutral company providing on-site predictive maintenance consultation and training. UST provides an Associate Level, Level I & II Airborne Ultrasound Certification. Jim is a contributing editor for Uptime Magazine and authors a free bi-monthly newsletter called “Ultrasonic War Stories”. He has provided airborne ultrasound training to many Fortune 500 Companies in electrical generation, pulp & paper, petro-chemical, manufacturing and transportation. A 17 year civil service veteran, Jim served as an aerospace engineering technician for Naval Aviation Engineering Service Unit (NAESU) and with the Naval Aviation Depot Jacksonville Florida (NADEP). He is also president of All Leak Detection, LLC an underground leak detection company. Jim can be reached at 770-672-0680 or at jim. hall@ultra-soundtech.com Two Barriers to Using Vibration Analysis: Cost. Know-How. Datastick Breaks Both Barriers. Datastick Breaks the Cost Barrier: We could say, “Datastick breaks the price barrier,” and with handheld systems from around $6,000 that’s true. But what about your total cost of ownership? Datastick keeps it low because there’s no mandatory annual fee. If you want an optional service or support agreement, you’ll ﬁnd they’re designed and priced to help you, not scare you away. Datastick Breaks the Know-How Barrier: You can learn to use the handheld device in a couple of hours. If you’re short on in-house vibration expertise, don’t worry. The included Datastick Reporting System™ software for your PC is based on Microsoft Excel. That means that you can share your data, graphs, and reports with any in-house vibration analyst or outside consultant. And with our new smartphonebased SiteConnex™ VSA™-2215, you can even email vibration data directly from the ﬁeld. FREE White Paper: Breaking the Barriers to Affordable Vibration Analysis www.datastick.com/nobarriers See us at IMC 2008 Dec. 9–10 Bonita Springs, Florida Web: www.datastick.com/ut Email: ﬁndout@datastick.com Talk to an actual human being: Toll-free in USA 888 277 5153 or call 408 987 3400 © 2008 Datastick Systems Inc. Patents pending. Datastick is a registered trademark and SiteConnex and VSA are trademarks of Datastick Systems, Inc. 65 http://www.datastick.com/nobarriers http://www.datastick.com/ut http://www.datastick.com/ut http://www.uptimemagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008

Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008 Contents Upfront Upclose: An Asset Management Oasis in the Desert Information Technology: Streamlining Through Simplicity Lubrication: Phases for Framing a Solid Foundation Infrared: Do Your Homework Before You Buy Maintenance Management: Get It Together by Getting Together Motor Testing: Key Elements in Motor Decision Making Precision Maintenance: Shedding Some Light on Tolerances Reliability: RCM & the Mortgage Meltdown Ultrasound: A Multidimensional Tool Vibration: The Whirling Pump Mystery, Solved with ODS Upgrade: Are You Looking in the Right Place for Your Wear Debris?

Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008

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