To be able to truly evaluate the effectiveness of an infrared predictive maintenance program there must be an understanding of the relationship between the equipment that is to be inspected and the problems that are found and repaired. Too often the focus is on only the infrared images that the camera produces while the solutions that the data produced from the program can provide get lost. It all boils down to a simple but fundamental law that is expressed by the equation E = IR8 which focuses on measuring the effectiveness of the overall infrared program as well as on each of the individual components that contribute to its success.

Misalignment is probably the most common cause of machinery malfunction. Considering the importance of alignment, the vibration spectra of alignment is not well documented. Various authors have reported different spectra. The goal of this research was to determine the unique vibration signature for misalignment at varying operating and design conditions such as speed, type and level of misalignment, coupling types and machinery dynamic stiffness.

Why Balance? All rotating components experience significant quality and performance improvements if balanced. Balancing is the process of minimizing vibration, noise and bearing wear of rotating bodies. It is accomplished by reducing the centrifugal forces by aligning the principal inertia axis with the geometric axis of rotation through the adding or removing of material. In order to understand the basics of balancing it is necessary to define the following fundamental terms.

Ultrasonic leak detection has been used for a variety of applications ranging from energy reduction by locating compressed air leaks to quality assurance inspections such as locating wind noise and water leaks in automobiles. The secret to success is to understand the nature of what type of leak produces a detectible ultrasound and what does not, along with the techniques that can be used for effective leak identification.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce condition monitoring and reliability engineers to the principles of using ultrasound for the assessment of machine condition. Ultrasound can be a complimentary technology to vibration, thermography and lubrication monitoring. It must be emphasized that it is rarely successful as a stand alone technology for effective machine condition assessment and subsequent required maintenance planning. This paper concentrates on the use of airborne ultrasound as a complementary technique particularly for machinery that may be inaccessible due to guards or hazardous locations.

During Academy of Infrared Training courses, we see many students who have purchased an infrared camera that is not suited for their intended use. These students have put their trust in a camera salesperson, and, many times, that salesperson was solely interested making a sale. Later, these students are disappointed to find out that the camera is not truly suited for their application. This article aims to help the camera buyer understand what basic camera specifications mean, and also help them determine what type of camera and options are suitable for their application. If you note your answers to questions throughout this article, by the end you should have a custom list of applicable specifications and options.

As the infrared industry continues to develop, documentation will become more important and required. Infrared video recording and data logging creates a database, making the thermographer and the end user accountable for all items surveyed, thereby reducing the liability and improving the quality for both the end user and infrared thermographer.

In its simplest form, vibration can be considered to be the oscillation or repetitive motion of an object around an equilibrium position. The equilibrium position is the position the object will attain when the force acting on it is zero. This type of vibration is called “whole body motion”, meaning that all parts of the body are moving together in the same direction at any point in time.

The paper deals with the method of gearbox diagnostics fault detection, and shows that using: design, production technology, operational, change of condition (DPTOCC) factors analysis leads to the inference of gearbox diagnostic information. In the paper is a review of the current possibilities for using mathematical modeling and computer simulation for investigating the dynamic properties of gearbox systems. Computer simulation of dynamic behavior of gearboxes is a powerful tool for supporting gearbox diagnostic inference.