|
|
HOME |
ABOUT |
CONTACT US |
|
Predictive Testing
|
Predictive Testing |
Infrared Testing |
Vibration Testing |
Ultrasonic Testing |
|
What is Predictive Testing?
Electrical and rotating equipment will fail.
Different maintenance methods have been developed to deal with the inevitable.
Breakdown maintenance is a technique that is often practiced to find and
correct deficiencies in electrical and rotating equipment. When a bearing fails, it is
replaced. When a switch shorts, damage is repaired and a new unit installed.
Unfortunately, expensive equipment is destroyed and valuable production time is often
lost by this approach.
Shutdown maintenance has been
adopted in many facilities as an alternative to breakdown maintenance. With shutdown
maintenance, operations are halted and scheduled maintenance is performed. Unfortunately,
extensive servicing of all equipment is required because this technique does not identify which
equipment actually *requires* service.
Predictive Testing is a new approach.
Failing equipment provides many early signs of distress. Unfortunately, our senses often cannot
detect these signs. Predictive testing uses sophisticated instruments to extend our senses
so that we may recognize early signs of equipment failure.
Mid Atlantic Infrared Services uses a variety of instruments to determine when and where a
fault is developing. This is accomplished while all equipment is still in operation.
Our Predictive Testing Service will pinpoint specific faults long before the failure occurs.
Our service will permit orderly, planned repairs, avoid the cost of unnecessary repairs and virtually
eliminate the extreme costs of catastrophic equipment failure and unplanned production losses.
Why Predictive Testing will work for you.
Predictive Testing offers several important benefits over breakdown or shutdown maintenance.
These include:
- Rapid payback of survey costs. Discovery of just one deficiency often pays back the lower costs
of our Predictive Testing Service.
- Dramatically reduced maintenance costs. Cost savings of 80% or more may be realized
through predictive testing.
- Substantially improved fault detection. Predictive testing will identify far more developing
faults than will be remedied by a shutdown maintenance program. For example, fewer than 20% of the
problems found by a typical infrared survey of electrical equipment would have been corrected by
an electrical tighten-up.
- Complete "on-line" testing.Facility operations and plant production are never
interrupted.
Predictive testing is a convenient and economical way to achieve levels of equipment reliability and
safety unattainable with other maintenance approaches.
All-In-One: Infrared,vibration, ultrasound
and notebook computer on field cart.
|
What our Predictive Testing Service Provides
Mid Atlantic Infrared's unique Predictive Testing Service combines all major predictive
maintenance tests in a single survey, including:
- Infrared testing of electrical switch gear, motor control centers, transformers,
panel boards, UPS equipment, and others.
- Vibration testing of all rotating equipment including pumps, fans, chillers, compressors,
cooling towers and others.
- Ultrasonic testing of high voltage electrical equipment, rotating equipment, steam traps, and
others.
|
Our clear, concise reports describe all survey findings. Reports are sent to the client within 24
hours of survey completion.
|
|
|
HOME |
ABOUT |
CONTACT US |
|
Infrared Testing
|
Predictive Testing |
Infrared Testing |
Vibration Testing |
Ultrasonic Testing |
What is Infrared Thermography?
Many types of electrical and mechanical problems result in excessive heat. The infrared imager
produces a television picture of heat. When viewed through the infrared imager, the electrical
and mechanical problem can be readily identified.
What types of problems may be identified by Infrared testing?
An infrared survey of operating electrical equipment will reveal loose connections, overloaded
circuits, unbalanced loads, winding failures in motors, sludged transformers, poor contact
inside breakers, contactors and switches and many more.
A typical infrared survey will test switch gear, panels, motor control centers, transformers
and more. Often, testing of a commercial or industrial facility can be completed in a single day.
How does Mid Atlantic Infrared Services provide superior testing services?
- Years of experience -- We know the equipment we're testing inside and out and instantly
recognize the problems.
- State of the art instruments -- If you can't see it, you can't find it. Our instruments
provide the best images available, permitting fast, accurate surveys.
- Problem verification -- Different types of problems produce similar infrared images.
Many problems cannot be diagnosed by simply viewing the infrared image. We have developed on line
verification techniques that pinpoint the problem cause. Remember: Faulty problem diagnosis
will cost you money -- repairs will either be unnecessary or simply wrong. The cost of
incorrect repairs can easily exceed the cost of a day of infrared testing!
- Custom made reporting software -- We developed custom software for creating inspection
inventories and problem reports. This software speeds the inspection process.
- Lightning fast surveys -- We often complete inspections in half the time of our competitors.
Fast survey speed is a direct result of experience, high quality instruments and efficient reporting
software. Our high speed saves you money and frees your staff for other projects.
- User friendly reports -- Our reports are attractive, simple and easy to understand.
These features
|
|
Color Infrared vividly shows problem at B phase, line side of contactor. Based on
the infrared image, this problem might be judged to be a loose connection. However, without inter-
rupting equipment operation,our verification test revealed that the problem was caused by
a loose connection inside the contactor. We immediately deenergized the circuit,
removed the contactor cover and corrected the problem.
|
insure that problems will be corrected properly. Most important, our reports are
timely-they are expressed to you within 24 hours of service completion.
MAIS test image is at left. Note the high level of details. Competitor's
test image is at
right. Note lack of detail and high image noise.
A survey with our equipment will obviously
be faster and more accurate.
|
|
|
HOME |
ABOUT |
CONTACT US |
|
Vibration Testing
|
Predictive Testing |
Infrared Testing |
Vibration Testing |
Ultrasonic Testing |
|
What is vibration testing?
As mechanical or electrical problems develop in rotating equipment, vibration levels increase.
These increases occur at specific frequencies that relate to the type of developing fault.
A vibration analyzer measures both vibration severity and frequency. By combining these
measurements, Mid Atlantic Infrared Services can determine the cause and severity of problems
developing in your rotating equipment.
Mid Atlantic Infrared Services uses the latest generation of vibration analyzers. All analyzers are
multichannel, with the latest analytical features. The newest instruments greatly reduce the time
required to acquire and analyze vibration data. As a result, large numbers of machines may be
analyzed rapidly and at dramatically reduced costs.
Now vibration analysis of all your rotating equipment is just as cost effective as infrared
testing of your electrical equipment!
What types of problems may be identified by vibration testing?
Our vibration test will identify many types of mechanical problems including: bearing faults,
misalignment, imbalance, motor stator or rotor faults, worn belts or sheaves, mechanical
looseness or rubs, flow deficiencies in pumps and fans, and more. Vibration analysis can
also be used to identify sources of objectionable mechanical or HVAC noise at your facility.
How is vibration testing conducted?
For many clients, vibration testing of rotating equipment is conducted in conjunction with infrared
and ultrasonic surveys of the entire facility. All data is retained in a computer data base
for trending future inspection results.
Where large numbers of machines are to be tested (typically between 25-100 machines per day), we
develop a customized computer data base of all machines. This facilitates rapid testing and analysis.
The computer data base will be retained to trend future inspection results.
Many clients opt for periodic monitoring. Test intervals range from monthly to annually. Periodic
monitoring permits changes in critical machines to be detected before a failure condition can develop.
Finally, in-depth studies of specific machines may be conducted to resolve recurring problems, verify
proper operation or obtain base-line data for acceptance of new installations. Where required, we utilize
advanced techniques such as modal and operating deflection shape analysis.
|
Two plane balance of fan results in smooth operation.
|
We can correct problems by performing in-place balancing, precision alignment and assist in
developing structural modifications.
Comparative spectra show a bearing fault
in the outboard pump bearing.
|
|
|
HOME |
ABOUT |
CONTACT US |
|
Ultrasonic Testing
|
Predictive Testing |
Infrared Testing |
Vibration Testing |
Ultrasonic Testing |
|
What is Ultrasonic Testing?
Many electrical and mechanical problems produce sound and vibration at ultrasonic frequencies
(greater than 20kHz). Unfortunately, these sounds cannot be detected by the human ear.
These sounds can be detected by ultrasonic listening instruments. These instruments have been
integrated into our Predictive Testing Service.
Ultrasonic testing is used in two ways in our Predictive Testing Service. First, it permits
us to identify faults that cannot be detected by either infrared or vibration tests.
Second, it permits an independent verification of problems that can be detected by the infrared
or vibration tests.
What problems may be identified by ultrasonic testing?
Ultrasound spectral analysis of compressor bearing. Here, ultrasound output
is fed into the vibration analyzer to provide a quantitative evaluation of the ultrasound source.
|
Any type of impacting mechanical fault will generate ultrasound. Such faults include bearing and gear
defects as well as mechanical looseness. Ultrasonic testing generally provides earlier warning of
these types of faults than vibration or infrared tests.
Other mechanical faults that are found by ultrasound include: defective steam traps; leaks in pipes or
vessels due to faulty welds, holes, gasket failures, etc.; leaky valves in liquid or gas lines; and
leaks in compressed air systems. Compressed air leak surveys can be a particularly valuable process
that can easily reduce compressed air demand and electrical usage.
|
Ultrasound is extremely valuable for inspections of high voltage electrical systems (above 2,000V).
These systems require properly functioning insulation systems. Failure of high voltage insulation
systems can result in catastrophic faults. Deterioration of high voltage insulation produces an
electrical leakage known as corona, tracking or partial discharge. This condition causes ionization
of the surrounding air. The ionization process produces ultrasound which is readily detected by the
ultrasound instrument.
Mid Atlantic Infrared has innovated and expanded the use of ultrasound by developing spectral analysis
of ultrasound signatures. This technique permits quantified analysis of both electrical and mechanical
ultrasound sources. Analysis of the resulting spectral patterns reveals the source of high ultrasound.
For example, ultrasound signatures readily reveal specific bearing fault frequencies. Also, ultrasound
signatures can distinguish faulty high voltage insulation and arcing from other background ultrasound
sources.
|
Ultrasonic survey of high voltage power lines. The sensitivity of the instrument
is greatly enhanced for this application by the use of a parabolic signal concentrator.
The ultrasound signal may be fed into the spectrum analyzer to distinguish between insulation
faults and mechanically produced ultra-sound.
|
|