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Mark Your
Calendar!
International Ultrasound User Group Meeting
December 4, 2004
IMC-2004
December 5 - 8, 2004
Bonita Springs Florida
Hyatt Regency
Coconut Point |
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We asked ultrasound
users to give us their feedback on this question:
"As a user of airborne ultrasound what
have you discovered, using that technology, that led to a change in
the way things are done?"
Terry Richardson, AECI Thomas Hill Energy Center,
Clifton Hill, Missouri, gave us this reply:
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How Ultrasound Improved our Facility, Terry
Richardson, AECI Thomas Hill Energy Center |
New compressed air systems( If you have compressors).
Develop a management program.
1. Supply management (compressor, receivers, dryers & piping).
2. Demand management (know where your air consumption is going and
how much, set guidelines on any additional demand that will be added
in the years to follow). Flow meters established in strategic
locations are a valuable troubleshooting tool and monitoring device.
3. Waste management (establish a leak detection program, control the
use of air movers that require compressed for an air source).
4. These above statements were from Air Power USA Company, they came
to our sight and did a air audit. Recommend this be done in the
early stage of completion, will give you a base line to evaluate
your system in the future.
Conveyor pulley bearing ultrasound program. (If you have a coal
system to maintain)
1. Develop a lubrication program that fits the type of bearing in
your conveyor system.
2. Identify and tag each bearing so that ultrasound readings taken
will be logged to the correct bearing.
3. Develop a route program to monitor bearings, general rule is
problems occur early on new systems then reduce after break in
period.
4. Use more than one technology to make a call on a defect, thermal
and vibration.
5. Know what bearings are being used and where, then find their
fault frequencies.
6. CONTROL the lubrication program. This will be your biggest
challenge. If accomplished it will have the greatest impact on
maintenance cost.
Monitoring electrical motors and electrical switching.
1. We monitor coal feeder motor bearings using ultrasound and have
found defects before they affected MW output.
2. Starting a program to monitor auxiliary equipment.
3. We scan large and small breakers along with thermal Imaging.
Ultrasound is safer, does not require opening doors to detect
problems (corona and arcing).
Training/equipment for ultrasound
1. Several good companies available to assist in training and
equipment.
2. This is the least expensive and has the highest
return on investment of any of the other technologies.
3. It needs to be supplemented with the other technologies.
Good luck, you have an unique opportunity to develop a maintenance
program that could save your company a boat load of money. Hope
upper management is committed and supportive. I would appreciate any
communication about your program as you develop it. We maybe also
building a new plant in the near future and I could learn from your
experiences.
Terry Richardson,
Predictive Maintenance Specialist
You can contact Terry by email:
trichardson@aeci.org
SDT thanks Terry for his contribution. |
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