FLIR has announced that ES Gallagher and its Ontario sales force has joined the FLIR Canada sales team. The ES Gallagher sales team will be working as FLIR sales agents with all of the thermography manufacturer's industrial and MRO distributors in Ontario.

ES Gallagher will be conducting the traditional expected FLIR sales services, including counter mornings, lunch-and-learn seminars, joint sales calls and demos, providing clients with the expected FLIR support. All ES Gallagher sales reps are Level I Thermographers, with more than four years of experience in selling both FLIR and Extech products.

ES Gallagher, established in 1933 as a manufacturer of oil-heat products in Toronto, has evolved into a leading Canadian distributor of high quality HVAC/R and plumbing components from around the world. In 2008, ES Gallagher became Canada’s No. 1 distributor of Extech test and measurement products for the HVAC/R market with continual growth. Now ES Gallagher will be focused on developing and expanding your FLIR IR and Extech T&M business.
www.flir.ca
www.esgallagher.com

FLIR has unveiled the new FLIR T420 and T440 thermal imagers. These high-performance infrared cameras launch innovative new imaging capabilities that help professionals find and capture problems more easily and with dramatically more vivid thermal images.

The T420 and T440 infrared cameras arm users with infrared imaging resolution that works harder to reveal trouble spots. In addition to sharp thermal resolution at 76,800 pixels (320x240) for accurate diagnostics even from a distance, the new T440 features MSX Multi-Spectral Dynamic Imaging, a FLIR exclusive. MSX adds the detail of real-time visible spectrum images captured by the built-in digital camera to thermal spectrum images, providing extraordinary sharpness, contrast and clarity previously unavailable in thermal imaging. MSX instantly highlights where the problem area is for easier orientation to help customers and co-workers see what needs repairing.

Other versatile imaging capabilities include scalable picture-in-picture and thermal fusion for easier image identification and added context. To drive home findings, thermographers can also add voice and text comments to images or sketch circles and arrows right on the touchscreen (T440). The T-series’ ergonomic rotating optical block swivels vertically up to 120° making it easy to properly aim at targets without compromising your view of the large 3.5” (89mm) color touchscreen.

Powerful diagnostic tools simplify on-site analysis right from the screen. Analytics include Delta T, 5 measurement and box modes, isotherm and more. The new FLIR Tools Mobile app streams video and connects FLIR imagers to Apple® and Android™ devices for improved client communication. For building-industry professionals, “bx” versions quickly alert users to moisture intrusion and insulation problems with humidity and insulation alarms. The T440 bx also improves documentation with compass heading to improve location information.

Whether a high-powered thermal camera is needed for predictive maintenance, electrical diagnostics, building and home inspections, or energy audits, FLIR’s new T-Series infrared cameras offer unrivaled capabilities backed by industry-leading innovation.

The FLIR T-Series is available now through distributors and retailers.
www.flir.ca

A plant engineer’s ability to diagnose, detect and monitor equipment condition issues is advancing all the time, thanks to ongoing developments with vibration, thermography (infrared), oil analysis and ultrasound tools, just to name a few.

So once you have all the fancy new tools, do you know how best to take advantage of them?

We’re here to help. Along with the sophistication of the tools available, ways to synthesize and integrate data so that maintenance teams can make immediate use of it and also monitor trend issues over a period of time are also progressing. PEM asked leading technology providers to share the latest in their condition monitoring tech developments, how best to integrate them, and where the future is headed.

Infrared
Over the last few years, infrared cameras have improved significantly in terms of resolution and now come with more options as well, says Paul Frisk, manager of the Infrared Training Center in Burlington, Ont. (the training arm of infrared camera-maker FLIR Canada Ltd.). “Infrared cameras now have the ability to incorporate wireless data from digital clamp meters and other instruments and make that all available at one glance,” he explains. “Some cameras now available immediately generate a single-page report. This summary can be transferred for printing and archiving by download to an office computer or through wifi to a plant’s CMMS system.”

Frisk says the primary value of an infrared camera is in its ability to initially determine whether a device is working properly or not while it’s running. “With some other diagnostic tools, you have to shut down the device, which obviously impacts production,” he notes. However, as with many types of detection and monitoring technology, there are misconceptions about what infrared cameras can provide.

“From watching movies and TV, people think infrared cameras can allow you to see through walls, water, etc., but they only measure released infrared energy,” he explains. “A properly trained thermographer can determine temperatures from infrared readings using conversion factors, knowing the material and so on, but infrared cameras cannot overcome the physics of all materials under all conditions.” He also stresses that infrared images can easily be misinterpreted, and proper training is absolutely necessary.

In addition to using handheld infrared cameras and connecting them with your plant’s CMMS, standalone infrared cameras can send data to the process PLC (programmable logic controller). “Based on the camera’s readings, things like process speed, fans or heat can automatically be adjusted if the material needs to be kept at a certain temperature,” Frisk notes.

With regard to the future of infrared condition monitoring technology, he foresees more improvement in resolution and smaller camera size, along with a continued drop in cost.

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Ultrasound
Ultrasound instruments have changed a great deal over the past decade, according to Alan Bandes, vice president of marketing at UE Systems. Analog detectors, which required manual entry of test results for basic trouble-shooting, have been replaced by software-driven digital systems capable of analyzing trends and reporting on a wide range of operating conditions. Newer models offer things like sound analysis, cameras, non-contact infrared thermometers, and even touch screen controls. “There are a lot of professionals that haven’t looked at ultrasound technology closely and view the instruments as basically leak detectors,” Bandes says. “Others feel, incorrectly, that ultrasound is too subjective, which is often due to experience only with older analog units.”

Bandes says it’s very easy to integrate ultrasound technology into plant processes. “Due to the sophistication of on-board software and external supportive software, users can create routes, establish baseline information and upload and download route data,” he explains. With baselines set, the software can notify personnel with low-level alarms (for example, lubrication starvation) or high alarms (failure) through headphones or other means.

Some instruments provide inspectors with the option of opening up a spectral analysis screen to analyze bearing faults, gear mesh issues and electric emissions while in the field. Recorded sound samples can be played in real-time and viewed with an image of the spectral screen. “This feature is very useful for electrical emissions as well as mechanical operations,” he notes.

Software associated with ultrasound instruments can provide specialized reporting for things like steam traps, valves and bearings. “Regarding leak surveys, downloaded test results can be converted into reports that provide important information for cost analysis and greenhouse gas emissions,” Bandes says. Regarding the future of machine monitoring by ultrasound, he believes “we are only limited by the software we can develop.”

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Oil analysis
More vendors now supply in-plant oil analysis sensors and the means to communicate with those sensors. “It's no longer necessary to rely solely on a lab for analyzing oil samples to determine fluid condition,” says Darren German, Bosch Rexroth national service manager. “In the plant, we can now get real-time results on of oil cleanliness (particle count), water content and temperature when sensors are coupled with a data acquisition device.” These devices can record and track trend parameters in real time for any given time period, but German cautions maintenance teams that monitoring equipment should be considered as a compliment to a bottle sampling program; reports from an oil analysis lab still provide the most oil condition information. The role of monitoring equipment is to provide additional protection between bottle sampling periods, he says. “If, for example, a heat exchanger ruptures and releases water into the oil the day after a bottle sample was taken,” he notes, “this will likely go unnoticed until production stops if there is no oil analysis sensors in place.”

The many oil-monitoring systems on the market range in complexity and price. “Some of the data acquisition systems also provide the ability to add a threshold or alarm which will signal the moment the results vary from a ‘baseline normal,’ ” he says. “We suggest that before investing, you should understand what it is that you want to accomplish — what parameters are important to monitor.” He recommends that maintenance groups consult with their engineering groups prior to purchasing a system, as the ability for a machine to communicate with a sensor often already exists within the machine HMI.

German predicts that down the road, the capacity to measure reliable viscosity and TAN (total acid number) will be developed, along with a sensor that can measure the amount of air in hydraulic fluid. “ ‘Smart’ sensors and wireless sensors are often mentioned as coming down the pipe as well,” he says.

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Vibration
Advances over the last few years in sensor, recording, and analysis technology have put vibration analysis within the reach of even small companies, says John Bernet, product and application specialist at Fluke Corp. “Easier measurement procedures (triaxial sensors), combined with vibration diagnosis programs (expert systems) now enable maintenance teams with minimal training and experience to use vibration to evaluate machine health and determine required maintenance,” he notes.

Bernet says vibration can identify problems before other symptoms, such as heat, sound, electrical consumption and lubricant impurities, are detected. “Measuring the vibration of motors, pumps, and other common machines can reveal valuable information about machine health or impending failures,” he notes. “However, instead of focusing on the patterns of the hundreds of faults that vibration analysis can reveal, we should focus on the four most common mechanical faults: imbalance, misalignment, wear, and looseness.” He adds that studies have found that many vibration analysis programs don’t collect all the data needed to make an accurate diagnosis — to diagnose machine condition correctly, vibration data is needed from all three axes of a rotating shaft.

The key to automating vibration analysis, he notes, is to compare new data with data from a similar machine known to be functioning properly. Automated diagnostic programs perform a sophisticated analysis, comparing hundreds of data points with the fault patterns of similar machines to give easy-to-understand results.

Bernet foresees that the benefits of vibration analysis will be expanded to the entire plant in future. “A plant’s reliability team can use high-end analysis programs on the few complex machines, while the maintenance team can use simple diagnostic tools on the basic machines,” he says.  p

Treena Hein is a freelance writer based in Pembroke, Ont.

Bearings are critical components of machines and with proper performance monitoring, imminent failures can be identified and corrected. However, without a monitoring program in place, and subsequent corrective actions taken, a single bearing failure can result in full machine shutdown and countless hours of lost production.

Bearing monitoring is guided by three main senses: sight, sound and touch. Basic monitoring is conducted through elemental observations. However, many highly sensitive tools are available that amplify these observations so they are more noticeable, recordable, and include basic logic to assist with warning identification.

Visual Monitoring
Monitoring bearings visually through classical methods include observing lubricant condition, corrosion, and deterioration. Mounted bearings that are lubricated properly will purge grease from their seals. The condition of the grease upon purging can indicate improper relubrication intervals and/or contamination. Dark, cakey or milky grease are visual signs that relubrication intervals and procedures may be improved.

Evidence of corrosion is a valuable monitoring tool as well. High levels of corrosion can degrade material strength and performance. Deterioration of the surface, seals, or obvious physical dimensional characteristics should also warrant further investigation. These observations are often signals of wear, heat and other abnormal performance prior to total bearing failure.

Several monitoring tools commonly available to leverage visual observations include site gauges for oil lubricated bearings, and thermal imaging guns. Bearings that are lubricated by oil rather than grease are often fitted with site gauges, which will give an indication of the presence of oil and the quantity of oil available to the bearing. These gauges are practical and inexpensive.

Audible Monitoring
Traditionally, audible monitoring is one of the most common methods of monitoring machinery because odd noises are obvious indicators of improper operation, even to the untrained user. It is conducted quickly through an operator’s daily routines. After all, if a bearing within the machine doesn’t sound well it usually isn’t well.

The main problems with bystander audible observations is that (1) it usually identifies the later stages of bearing failure, when planning downtime for bearing replacement is impractical and (2) when audible feedback of a single bearing is masked by the overall noise of its environment. That’s when instruments such as stethoscopes (with amplification) and decibel level meters are advantageous. Both tools are available with a wide range of features that include quantified readings and recording features so bearing performance can be trended. These tools are also more useful at identifying improper operation at a less threatening stage of failure.

Bearings should run quiet and smooth; anything different will likely reflect a flaw or a problem with the bearing itself. Noises such as grinding or banging should be investigated quickly. These noises may indicate complete bearing failure and continued use may lead to catastrophic failure and/or damage to neighboring equipment. Bearing noises such as light clicking and squealing may indicate looseness, faults or skidding and should be inspected for cause and remedy.

Audible evaluation is not as sensitive as other monitoring techniques. It is primarily a method of identifying a failure more so than identifying poor performance. Additionally, audible monitoring in the early stages of failure is more noticeable at higher operating speeds than lower speeds.

Physical (Touch) Monitoring
Monitoring bearings by touch, and then trending the observations against historical performance is by far the most useful and accurate means for assessing bearing condition and predicting bearing failure. The touch method can be used to monitor temperature, vibration, and lubrication. 

Operating temperature is the most practical and beneficial monitoring method for bearings because expensive tools are not required and is appropriate to all types of applications; slow to high speeds, light to heavy loads. For example, the average threshold of pain for humans is approximately 130°F. If it is difficult to maintain hand-to-bearing contact for several seconds then the temperature is likely above 130°F. Furthermore, water droplets placed on a bearing housing that quickly boil will indicate that the bearing temperature will have easily exceeded 212°F.

There are also many useful tools available to measure and monitor bearing temperatures. The most common include thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), both of which can be permanently mounted to locations on the bearing housing for continuous real-time monitoring. Temperature switches are also available that can be utilized for warning and/or shutdown at dangerous operating temperatures. Many bearing manufacturers offer various permanently mounted sensors pre-installed in bearing housings in areas that will most accurately reflect the true bearing temperature, rather than the housing skin temperature.

Portable thermal imaging tools are also a quick and efficient means to monitor bearing performance. These tools use infrared thermography to visually identify variations in temperature over a broad area.  However, the most common portable temperature measurement tool is the infrared thermometer. Although it does not measure temperatures over a broad area, they are inexpensive and easy to use.

Monitoring and trending bearing temperature is important because as a bearing fails, the temperature will continually increase. Trending temperature over time will help identify a failing bearing in the early stages of failure.

Vibration analysis is the most information-rich method available for bearing analysis, and touch can help identify smooth versus rough operation. As safety permits, feel the housing during operation. Rough operation, jostling, or grinding may indicate a bearing problem.

You may also consider vibration measurement instruments to not only identify stages of bearing failure, but also identify overall machine performance and problems. Sensors mounted to the bearing may include permanently mounted or portable magnetic base accelerometers, displacement probes, or velocity pickups. Sensor selection is dependent upon the bearing speed, sensitivity requirements and the application. Although vibration feedback is highly beneficial, proper training is important due to the complexity in data collection and interpretation. 

Simple tests can also be conducted on purged grease to detect hard particle contaminants. Upon relubrication, rub some of the freshly purged grease between fingertips. Gritty grease may indicate a need to lubricate more often or wear from a failing bearing.

Many traditional and advanced options are available to monitor and evaluate bearing performance. Leveraging instrumentation to support traditional observations is a valuable practice in support of a predictive maintenance program.

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Galen Burdeshaw is Baldor’s customer order engineering manager for DODGE bearings and power transmission components. For more information, visit www.baldor.com.

Extech announces the BRD10 Wireless USB Video Receiver which enables Extech borescopes to behave like a wireless webcam for real-time inspection video streaming over the web with major web-based services like Skype, WebEx, and UStream. The receiver makes it easy to integrate borescope video in inspections and training at manufacturers with multiple sites, virtual technical training, continuing education programs, HVAC and refrigeration, electrical, automotive, energy auditing, pest control, virtual/online universities, and more.
www.extech.com/instruments

Designed for use in practically any environment, Extech's durable HDV600 high-definition borescope camera series features a 5.7-inch (145 mm) colour display for bright outdoor sites or poorly lit facilities. Optics include 4 to 6-mm LED-illuminated camera probes and SD memory stores 15,000 JPEGs or video — plus audio annotations. Glove-friendly controller handsets with 320˚ articulated probes and wireless connectivity (10-metre range) simplify inspections. HDV600 videoscopes are designed for ruggedness, upgradeable versatility and high-definition clarity.
www.flir.ca / www.extech.com

Planet Extech, the social networking web site for users and fans of Extech Instruments, announced the winners of its “Switch Story” contest. The two grand-prize winners received an Apple iPad, and the company announced the contest would continue.

The two winners of the Apple iPads are Eric German of Ontario and Curt Murray of Michigan.

German uses several Extech meters and testers along with a FLIR i7 thermal imaging camera for wind turbine maintenance. In his switch story, he explains how Extech plays a key role in the upkeep of green energy infrastructure: “We are now using several products successfully to maintain millions of dollars worth of wind power generation equipment!”

He also uses Extech and FLIR for performing building, equipment and electrical system inspections in his own business. He commends Extech’s durability: “After some serious use, all my gear is still performing and more importantly, still accurate and reliable.”

Murray, the second top-prize winner, uses an Extech clamp meter, multimeter and dual input thermometer on the job for HVAC commercial service. After making the switch, other technicians tried his Extech meters and liked them so much, they switched to Extech as well.

Arpineh Mullaney, vice president for Extech Instruments, announced the winners on Planet Extech: “Our customers’ stories, told in their own words, resonate with test equipment users who now face a dizzying array of brands and products. Their stories also help to strengthen and unify our fast-growing community of users and fans on Planet Extech. We look forward to selecting more winning switch stories in December and invite you to share your switch story.”

The Switch Story Contest continues: Extech customers can share their switch story — and possibly win! — by visiting www.extech.com/switch2extech.

The PEM Maintenance Awards, sponsored again this year by FLIR, were first introduced in 1999. Through this program, PEM gives maintenance and facilities managers the opportunity to tell their own success stories. Enter your nomination now to be considered for the PEM 2010 Maintenance Awards.

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The mandate of the PEM 2010 Maintenance Awards is to acknowledge and reward maintenance excellence and asset management professionalism. Throughout the year, PEM promotes the awards program to industry and calls for award submissions.

Past award winners include the CN Tower, EnCana Corp., Grant Forest Products Inc., Canadian Tire, City of Mississauga, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, City of Toronto (Toronto Wastewater), Purolator Courier Ltd. and Gennum Corp.

We are proud to have FLIR as the sponsor of the awards again this year. FLIR is a leading manufacturer of innovative imaging systems that include infrared cameras, aerial broadcast cameras and machine vision systems. From predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, non-destructive testing, R&D, medical science, temperature measurement and thermal testing to law enforcement, surveillance, security and manufacturing process control, FLIR offers the widest selection of infrared cameras for beginners to pros.

This year's winner will receive one free pass to MainTrain, a special plaque and a new infrared camera from FLIR Systems worth over $7,000. The winning story will be profiled in PEM's February 2011 issue. Submission deadline is September 15, 2010. Please email your submission to PEM editor André Voshart and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .