Problem
anticipation - with the
"Ultrasonic SPY 101"
you can "hear the grass grow".
Anticipate
wear, assure quality, prevent breakdown
The
first task of every maintenance manager is to keeping the
works free of breakdown - and this, if you please, at the
lowest possible cost. Since NASA placed the new "Ultrasonic
SPY 101" on the International Space Station in July
2001, it is beyond dispute that this new device offers by
far the best early warning and diagnostic system available
- also down here on Earth !
Fault
conditions in mechanical, fluid or gas systems and also
in electrical units generate ultrasonic vibrations in the
40 KHz region - long before a problem could be discovered
by other methods, as for example with the usual (and much
more expensive) vibration measuring devices or IR cameras.
The SPY converts these signals into audible sound. Thus
it is possible, even before any damage has occurred, to
take preventative action. What an advantage, compared with
a system which only can tell you that damage has already
occurred. (In units which of themselves generate strong
vibrations, not even this is possible !)
The
principle of ultrasonic fault-finding has been known for
many years and is not questioned. But there have been till
now problems with its application, with devices with inadequately
sensitive and selective microphones and unable to electronically
filter out the disturbances which are always present in
a working factory. The Ultrasonic SPY 101 normally exceeds
the clarity required to make a rapid, unequivocal diagnosis.
We can with justification talk of a technical break-through.
The
SPY is only 23.4 cm long and weighs 320 grams. To adjust
for the required sensitivity, only one switch and one knob
are required. It is hardly possible to think of simpler
operation. According to the application, there is a selection
of probes to be added, which receive signals out of the
air or by direct contact.
Is time
money ? Users report that, by introducing the SPY, they
have reduced their search and diagnosis times by 80% to
90%.
With
the SPY, it has become possible to walk through the works
and "sweep" for the earliest signs of wear, allowing
timely defensive action. For example, to change the lubrication,
or to plan a repair without interrupting production. Mechanical
wear can be identified long before it could be detected
by any other method. The maintenance team now has the ability
to identify problems long before they impact operation,
and so to order spare parts and plan repairs without costly
interruption of production. Thanks to the SPY, you will
not be surprised by machine break-downs. Hectic, unplanned
repairs are replaced by controlled situations, good for
the company's costs, and for the nerves of maintenance and
production staff. Some examples
while we have been demonstrating
The
maintenance mechanic who knows his machines instantly recognises
the meaning of what the SPY allows him to hear. So it is
often possible to take preventative action, before damage
has even occurred. What an advantage, compared with a system
which can only tell him that damage has occurred ! (With
machines, which of themselves produce heavy vibration, is
not even this always possible).
The
"Ultrasonic SPY 101" opens up new possibilities:
It really can "hear the grass growing". A few
examples: From a distance of 5 meters, check that the bearings
of a roof-mounted fan are working properly; or check that
a compressed air system has no leaks; or that the bearings
(or gears) of a CNC machine are still as new; nothing remains
hidden. Minimal electrical short-circuits and lazy solenoids
can be spotted, as can malfunctions in fluid and gas systems,
previously requiring the whole system to be stripped to
find the one defective valve.
In July
2001 came recognition for the wide-ranging capabilities
of the SPY from "on high". NASA sent a SPY up
to work in the International Space Station, where it monitors
the condition of many systems. This decision followed an
evaluation of all known devices on the world market, and
of a development of NASA itself ($5 million), all of which
were judged to be much inferior to the SPY. Up in the ISS,
"early warning" is of particular significance,
as spare parts deliveries can take 10 weeks. So far, UPS
has not offered express delivery.
Rapid
tests have also substituted for lengthy procedures as quality
control in production situations. In this way, defects which
would have got through to the customer are detected instantly.
Manufacturers of electrical and electronic components, for
example, identify inadequate insulation before their components
are built into production units.
The
list of applications is endless, and grows daily. And all
are possible without dismantling units or shutting production
down. Even the background noises in the works - however
loud - makes no difference. Just a few examples.
Learning
to use the Ultrasonic SPY 101, to be able not only to detect
defects from afar, but also to gauge the condition of a
bearing by close inspection, and also to develop new applications
particularly relevant to one's own working environment,
takes only about an hour's training.
The
power costs saved by making the compressed air system of
even a small factory leak-free will recover the costs of
the device inside a year. ( To give 1 kW of power tool performance,
8 kW of electrical energy are needed to compress the air.
Every leak in the system makes a nonsense of even this extremely
high cost factor.) While doing demonstrations, without exception
we find leaks in numbers which were previously not even
suspected. Where leak-seeking professionals have been through
the works before us, we rapidly find a further 50% to 70%
more leaks than they had identified.
While
the SPY is not intended to be used as a measuring instrument,
it is possible to capture the signals and process these
in computers. But in practice users find that with the early
warning they get, such additional complication (and the
implied highly qualified staff) is not necessary. The SPY
has redefined the term "early warning system"
and produces a radically new way of working.
The
kit as delivered comprises a foam-lined case with the Ultrasonic
SPY 101 and several probes (some insulated). There is also
an ultrasonic wave generator for investigating non-moving
objects such as tanks, aircraft hulls and sealed spaces
of virtually unlimited volume. United Airlines save lots
of time and big money checking the integrity of the hull
sealing, with no need to compress the interior and use messy
soap-and-water techniques Car makers confirm while building
up the car body (and not after delivery to the customer)
that the windscreens are totally watertight. Manufacturers
of pressure vessels no longer need pressure testing to be
sure that their tanks are sealed.
With
the "PowerBeam 300", an accessory introduced at
the end of 2001, the working range of the SPY can be effectively
trebled, to around 100 metres. This device, which pin-points
the defective unit with a laser beam, allows inspection
and diagnosis in previously inaccessible parts of, for example,
chemical plants and power stations. Also, the insulators
on high tension pylons can be checked, often from the road,
a much more cost-efficient method than those used at present.
There
is also an intrinsically safe version fully certified for
use in chemical and petrochemical plants.
The
SPY creates new job possibilities.
For
further information please contact:
J:D:Tools
Limited
Newtownmountkennedy
Co. Wicklow, Ireland
FON: xx353-(0)1-281 0276
FAX: xx353-(0)1-281 0095
qmi@circom.net
or
Richard
Chambers GmbH
Dahlienweg 14
D - 85551 Heimstetten
FON: xx49-(0)89-903 5638
FAX: xx49-(0)89-904 4541
chambers@qmi.de
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