March 27, 2014
LUDECAwind was recently hired to perform an alignment on a wind turbine. Although the turbine was quite modern in size, capability, and throughput, its design and functionality for wind service technicians to perform their tasks are outdated. The technicians are barely able to stand straight or get around the turbine without compromising their safety. With […]
March 25, 2014
You’ve got it, so why not use it? What am I talking about? Besides your VibXpert® vibration analyzer, you probably have other tools that can be utilized to deliver additional reliability information to your management and facility. 1. Visual inspections can be logged into your vibration routes to help your facility keep on top of […]
March 20, 2014
A few weeks ago, I was doing training at an engine overhaul shop in the Midwest. They had just purchased a CENTRALIGN® ULTRA STANDARD system to perform bore alignment checks, before reassembly of each engine (see Figure 1.) After showing the mechanics how to set up the laser and take measurements on the first bore […]
March 18, 2014
Maintenance departments are often expected to collect data on critical equipment in a consistent manner in order to monitor the efficiency and maximize the life of such equipment. Doing this manually can pose safety or health hazards to those responsible for collecting the data. The solution is to install permanently mounted sensors with wiring directed […]
March 13, 2014
While aligning a Flowserve Booster Pump in Arkansas, the attempted alignment corrections proved unrepeatable and inconsistent. The centerline of the pump shifted from too high to too low and from too far to the right to too far left. I thought this might be a symptom of pipe stress and suggested to the customer that […]
March 11, 2014
It is surprising that most users of Condition Monitoring (CM) technologies do not keep their software and/or device firmware updated. Many reasons such as having to pay for updates and support may explain why this happens. Some of the disadvantages of not keeping your software and firmware updated are: You will not receive critical bug […]
March 6, 2014
I recently visited a power plant in the Caribbean to perform vibration analysis services. As I discussed the agenda with my point of contact, I asked for a walk-through of his facility. I was a bit surprised to see the amount of rotating equipment present in such a small area. But in particular, I was […]
March 4, 2014
Some of the best engineers start out as technicians, operators, and mechanics. The reasons should be obvious but are not always understood. These individuals know how to install, operate and maintain equipment. A good manager, engineer, or Condition Monitoring (CM) Analyst should always seek the advice of equipment operators and maintenance employees. The value obtained […]