Ultrasonic Inspection Benefits

Ultrasonic detection elevates 'listening with a screwdriver to your ear' to an art and science. You can pinpoint leaks and identify friction problems at the earliest stages saving you money by reducing energy costs, increasing equipment reliability, minimizing downtime and lost production.

Ultrasonic is defined as high frequency that is inaudible to humans. An ultrasonic detector converts ultrasound to an audible sound that can be listened to in headphones and measured quantitatively for trending.

Ultrasonic waves are high frequency, short wave signals. They attenuate very quickly and are very directional in nature. These properties make it is possible to filter out stray, confusing background noises and focus in on the specific item to be inspected. In addition, testing is best done under actual operating conditions. These properties make them ideal for use in high ambient noise, production critical environments found in the typical laundry.

High levels of ultrasound are produced by: " Friction in moving equipment (mechanical wear in bearings and gears) " Turbulence in the flow of gasses (pressurized leaks in pneumatic air lines, steam lines, and vacuum leaks) " Turbulence in the flow of fluids (internal leaks in water valves, steam traps, and hydraulic systems) " Discharges from electric arcs (corona, arcing, tracking and partial discharges)

Four key application areas for using ultrasound acoustic detectors are:
Compressed Air System Leaks - Recommended by the US Dept of Energy as the best way to detect leaks and recognize the associated high frequency hissing sounds.
Steam trap inspection - Ultrasound is the preferred method for monitoring flow-noflow conditions of steam traps.
Bearings - Condition monitoring for early problem warning and "need" instead of "time" based lubrication intervals for increased equipment reliability.
Electrical Inspections - Electric arcs sound like the sizzling of frying bacon in the ultrasonic range and can be localized.

US Department of Energy studies show that leaks often waste 30% or more of a compressor's output. For many plants, compressed air represents the second or third highest utility cost in their facility. Proactive and preventive maintenance efforts with a minimal investment can see the leak rates reduced to a more reasonable 5-10%. Fewer leaks mean less demand on your compressor motors and a reduction in electricity consumption.

Another proven contributor to energy loss is faulty steam traps. Steam traps can fail for a variety of reasons allowing steam to escape. Since the system is closed, it is not possible to know if the trap is operating correctly without the proper tools.

Research into bearings by NASA reveals that ultrasonic monitoring provides early warning of bearing failure. Various stages of bearing failure have been established. An 8 dB gain over baseline indicates pre-failure or lack of lubrication. A 12 dB increase establishes the very beginning of the failure mode. A 16 dB gain indicates advanced failure condition while a 35-50 dB gain warns of catastrophic failure.

One of the largest causes of bearing failure is over lubrication. The excess stress of lubricant often breaks bearing seals or causes a buildup of heat which can create stress and deformity. Ultrasound can be used to determine the proper lubrication intervals on a 'need' instead of 'time' basis and can be used on high as well as low speed bearings.

Electrical arcing problems give early warning and can be 'heard' as sizzling and popping sounds before enough heat is generated to be 'seen' with thermal imaging.

Ultrasonic acoustic detectors work well as a complimentary technology to thermal imaging and vibration analysis. Ultrasonic testing can be used on more equipment in less time, thus allowing preventive maintenance to be done on less critical equipment which otherwise would go untested.

Locating and repairing leaks from going up in thin air, and water from running down the drain, as well as faulty steam traps, costs that can be directly tied to lost profit, ultrasonic inspection technology services are quickly cost justified.

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