Most maintenance related problems encountered at your plant can be discovered at a very early stage through the implementation of our plant efficiency improvement program. Traditionally excessive vibration and thermal increases were sure indicators of a mechanical failure on the not-to-distant horizon. But we also know that microscopic changes in friction forces, detectable with our testing techniques long before a machine enters critical failure, provide a bigger window of opportunity for scheduled maintenance. By hearing problems at an earlier stage, damage is minimal and the required maintenance is completed with less impact to the overall operation of the process.
Condition monitoring with ultrasound provides overall data that is indicative of friction levels, random impacting, rubbing, and energy produced by the machine at the sensor pickup point.
Application Techniques
1. Steam Traps
There are many different styles of steam traps but they all serve the same basic purpose; to automatically allow condensed and non-condensable gases like air to escape while maintaining an efficient thermal transfer process. Most traps function while remaining closed to live steam but some use simple control valves to pass steam at a regulated rate.
With a fuller understanding of steam traps basics maintenance personnel are better equipped to inspect traps throughout the facility using predictive maintenance method.
2. Leak Detection
( a.)Compressed Air Leakages.
Compressed air is one of the three highest cost utilities in use at your plant. Finding and fixing leaks is an easy way to reduce energy costs but finding them is not easy because of background noise.
( b.)VacuumLeakages.
Like compressed air leaks, vacuum leaks can cause grief for manufacturers who rely on negative pressure for their processes. Vacuum leaks represent energy waste, but they also affect product quality.
( c.)Other Leaks
Any gas under pressure will produce turbulent flow at the leak site making it detectable with airborne ultrasound inspection.
3. Leak Detection
Monitoring bearing condition with Acoustic Techniques shows us evolving trends in friction levels, random impacting, rubbing, sapling, and other defects at the earliest stage of failure.
4.Bearing Lubrication
An inspector can be completely in tune with the sound of his bearings and over time can tell by sound quality, decibel levels, and time wave form analysis that the bearing needs lubrication and may be entering early failure.
5.Electrical Inspection
Corona discharge, arcing, tracking, damaged line bushings, and other potentially dangerous and wasteful conditions in high voltage systems produce ultrasound as a warning of future failure.
6.Tightness Testing
Verifying the tightness of any volume can be a challenge. Learn more about the many areas where ultrasound inspection is employed to check for and pinpoint leaks in.
- Vehicles - Wind Noise/Water Leaks
- Ships - Hatch Cover Testing and General Surveying
- Building - Envelope including Doors, Windows, and Ventilation
- Tanks - Underground Fuel Storage Tanks
