PreDiCon

SUPPLYING
AFFORDABLE
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
PDC
Engineering
23-25 Windermere Road
Blackpool FY4 2BX
Tel (01253) 400541 Fax: (01253) 400552
email: info@predicon.net

SUPPLYING AFFORDABLE COMPLETE SOLUTIONS

AWARD
WINNING
SYSTEMS

TRAINING

NEEDS
ANALYSIS

SYSTEM
SETUP

SYSTEM
AUDITS

ON LINE &
OFF-LINE
MONITORING

REMOTE
ANALYSIS
VIA
MODEM

AIR LEAK
SURVEYS FOR
CLIMATE
CHANGE LEVY
DISCOUNT
SCHEME

TRAINING IN
VIBRATION
ANALYSIS,
THERMOGRAPHY
& OTHER
TECHNIQUES

CONSULTANCY &
TROUBLE
SHOOTING

CONTRACT
MEASUREMENT,
ANALYSIS
&
REPORTING

PDC Engineering
SUPPLYING AFFORDABLE COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
PDC Engineering.

Contract services for Predictive Maintenance

PDC Engineering has implemented PdM solutions for many industries encompassing many PdM vendor solutions. We
have installed and operated systems of all sizes with PDC Engineering installed systems winning joint first and first
runner up in the last independent PdM awards. All PdM services are performed by engineers with experience in
implementing multiple vendor and technology solutions. PDC Engineering is not tied to any particular vendor and can
give completely independent advice.
Outside of the vendors themselves we have setup more off-line vibration, on-line vibration and thermographic systems
from many different vendors in a variety of applications than anyone we know. This has provided us with a sound grasp
of what makes PdM work in industry

PdM feasibility studies

On-Line Remote Vibration Analysis

Our engineers have the expertise to identify whether PdM will

work effectively for your plant, focused on your particular
equipment and program goals. We will recommend the best fit
solution for your needs and help you and train you in how to best
implement it.

If your capital expenditure will not allow you to purchase an online monitoring system, let us install a system and we will
interrogate the system remotely on a daily basis. All data is
transferred via internet and we report back to you immediately
we find an exception condition. We also provide a full report
every month giving you an overview of all monitored equipment.

Existing system audits

Thermographic Surveys

If you are an existing system user and are not achieving the goals
intended there may be a reason. We have the experience to find
the causes and get you back on track.

Our qualified technicians and engineers can carry out a

thermographic survey of your plant. The survey is carried out
on equipment that you nominate and we will tell you the
condition as determined by the infra-red signature.

On Site Vibration Analysis Surveys

Air Leak Detection Surveys

If you are an existing PdM user but lack the experience for
detailed data analysis, let us do it for you. Either you collect the
data and modem it to PDC Engineering for analysis or we will
send in one of our engineers to take the readings for you. We do
the analysis and send you results.

The Climate Change Levy is charging businesses an extra 15%

on top of their energy bills. Reduce your energy bill significantly
by reducing the amount of compressed air being wasted through
leaks. Air leaking through a hole 1/8 on a 75psi system that is
in use throughout the year will cost over 1000. Reduce the
waste get an air leak detection survey.

PDC Engineering
SUPPLYING AFFORDABLE COMPLETE SOLUTIONS

PDC Engineering.

Data Collection & Reporting

Vibration analysis can be very difficult to analyze. Why not get the experts to carry out all
of the work for you and present you with a simple set of results and recommendations after
every visit? Our engineers are the best in the business and we will ensure that the reports
give you good, practical advice.
After each visit for off-line or every day for on-line remote, you will receive a verbal report
immediately if anything is dangerously close to failure. For off line systems you will then get
a fax or e-mail report within 2 working days and a complete written report mailed to you
within one week. On-line remote monitoring systems will provide a same day verbal and email report and a full condition analysis every month.

Vibration Analysis

Thermography

The written reports for vibration analysis include not only a

copy of the plot but also, more importantly, recommendations
for repair. Reports are stored in a database for easy data
retrieval and custom report generation. A cost analysis module
is available if required.

The thermographic reports include the thermal image as well as

a digitally stored visual image. A further report may be
generated if required after the repair work is carried out.
Reports may be custom designed at no extra charge.

Typical Vibration Analysis Report

Typical Thermographic Report

Phone: (01253) 400541 Fax (01253) 400552 UK

E-Mail: info@predicon.net

PDC Engineering
SUPPLYING AFFORDABLE COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
PDC Engineering.

Infra Red Thermography

As an object gets hotter, it emits more radiation in the infrared part of the
electromagnetic spectrum. With a device that could measure infrared radiation you
could indirectly measure the temperature of an object. We call this device an infrared
camera and we call the science of its use Infrared Thermography. PDC Engineering
has the best cameras available with a reporting system second to none. Thermographic
techniques can be used to detect a host of different problems. Our engineers are all
qualified in the use of thermographic cameras and have extensive experience in the
various applications.
Electrical Defects

*>60.5C
60.0
55.0
50.0
45.0
40.0
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0

Switch room and bus surveys are quick and extremely effective. One section of blown bus can
put your factory out of operation for a full day. Compare that cost to a single day for one of our
engineers with an infra red camera at a cost of 300 (or 55 p.h. for smaller jobs) including a
comprehensive written report.

Area4
Min Mean Max
31.0 51.2 73.7

Mechanical Defects

*>49.7C
Spot 1
45.2
Area1
Min Mean Max
24.8 39.7 49.3

45.0
40.0

Bearings with lubrication problems, dry push rods or screws, slipping belts, bad compressor
valves, insulation defects, bad steam traps - the list goes on and on. If the defect causes a
temperature change, we can see it and tell you about it.

35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0

Spot 2
45.4

Spot 3
45.6

Spot Welding Problems

We have a wealth of experience in detecting problems in secondary weld cables, transformers,
and weld guns. This image shows a weld tip with a cooling water connection that is too short
causing overheating of the weld tip - resulting in bad welds.

Building Structural Surveys

Concrete structures are vulnerable to internal delamination and debonding of render coatings or
other surface finishes. This may be a result of corrosion of the internal reinforcing bars or may
have been a result of the original pour due to poor compaction. Thermography can detect the
areas of delamination or debonding by measuring the heat transfer.

Wall Insulation & Flat Roof Surveys

Use thermography to detect excessive heat loss or external draughts. Avoid the huge expense
of a complete roof repair by using thermography to pinpoint the areas where repairs are
necessary.

Underground Pipe Leak Detection

The traditional method for locating leaks is to isolate one section of the system at a time until the
general area of the leak is identified and then dig several trial holes on a hit and miss basis.
Using thermography, any leak or defective insulation will cause a slight increase in the
temperature of the ground above the leak enabling quick accurate location..

Phone: (01253) 400541 Fax (01253) 400552 UK

E-Mail: info@predicon.net

PDC Engineering
SUPPLYING AFFORDABLE COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
PDC Engineering.
Predictive Maintenance Consultancy & Trouble- Shooting
In many cases it is difficult for the maintenance or production engineer to identify the cause
of a fault. Very often the cause can be traced back to a structural natural frequency
coinciding with a machine operating speed or other forcing function. Using advanced
techniques and equipment, our engineers have the knowledge and experience to help
identify the causes of such problems and recommend realistic solutions. We have
identified several case histories from our files and include these as examples.

Vibration Analysis

Machine Operator Vibration Induced Sickness

Vibration influence on a load cell

We were called in to investigate a
problem that a client of ours was
having with a load cell on a copper
smelter. The problem was variations
in the poured weight of the copper
and the engineer in charge had a suspicion that environmental
vibration could be playing a role. There is a load cell under each
spoon, which accurately measures the weight of the copper
during the pour process so that the finished product is at an exact
weight. Variations in the weight appeared to occur randomly so
our engineer set out to determine any causal link between
vibration and load cell output.
The time trace showed that vibration was measurable at the load
cell. The surprise was that this vibration was caused not only by
the pour process but also by exterior influences such as the
movement of the overhead cranes and fork-lift trucks. The time
trace below shows the filter-out vibration over one full operating
cycle.
The next stage
was to identify the
vibration source.
An FFT spectrum
of
the
floor
showed
a
dominant frequency at about 7 Hz. This was shown to be the
natural frequency of the floor and was excited by all of the
external forces named above.
The spectrum analyzer was then connected to the voltage output
of the load cell. Interestingly, the load cell output also showed a
frequency at about 7 Hz. It
was now obvious that the
vibration in the floor was
directly affecting the load cell
output. The intermittent nature
of the problem was due to the
random
impacting
from
external influences and the fact
that the controller samples
twice during each process pour.
The answer was to first put a
notch filter in the load cell output to remove the problem
frequency and secondly to install vibration isolators under the
load cell feet. The long term solution is to grout under the floor
to remove the vibration completely.

One client called us in to identify the cause of excessive vibration

at the operator station. The vibration was causing the operator
to feel nauseous at particular machine speeds.
The subject machine was an extruder used in the manufacture of
insulation for electrical cables. Noise and vibration frequency
domain readings showed that the main frequency of concern was
at 300 Hz. The amplitude at this frequency was extremely
severe at specific speeds of the extruder but became innocuous
(although always measurable) at other speeds.
Operating the machine over a wide speed range, our engineer
saw two main frequencies of vibration caused by the DC motor
electrical drive (constant at 300 Hz) and the frequency of the
main drive gears which changed with the speed. When the
speed was such that the gear meshing vibration coincided with
the DC drive vibration, amplitudes were measured in excess of
75 mm/s RMS.
The cause of the problem was two-fold. There was an SCR
fault on the motor drive and one gear wheel had been incorrectly
machined to give an inaccurate tooth profile. The SCR was
repaired and the gear wheel renewed. The machine now
operates satisfactorily and
at low noise and vibration
levels.

Thermography
Induction heating of a
weld robot wrist
This data was captured
during a routine check of
the secondary circuit weld cables on a spot welding robot at an
automotive fabricating plant. High temperatures were noted at
the robot wrist at 28C (50F) above ambient. PDC Engineering
was asked to find the cause of the over-heating. The initial
avenue of research was to look for a mechanical source of heat
at the wrist. The advanced analytical capabilities of the thermal
imaging software indicated that the source was internal rather
than external. The wrist bearings were ruled out as a source as
the bearings were not in the same place as the source. It was
then noticed that that the weld secondary circuit jumper cables
were unusually routed on either side of the wrist. It became
apparent that the very high currents (>15kA) in the secondary
circuit were developing high magnetic fields resulting in induction
heating of the wrist. The jumper cables were re-routed and the
problem disappeared.

Phone: (01253) 400541 Fax (01253) 400552 UK

E-Mail: info@predicon.net

PDC Engineering
SUPPLYING AFFORDABLE COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
PDC Engineering.
Predictive Maintenance Training for Industry
PDC Engineering. has developed a modular approach to training PdM technology
users, aimed at developing an effective PdM program. We focus not only on the
technology and how to interpret data, but we also provide help in program set up and
tracking your PdM goals.
Courses can be tailor made to suit your individual requirements and are held either at
our comprehensive training facility or at your plant.
Training courses start from as little as 140 per student.

Modules
I.

PdM Management
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

II.

III.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

VI.

IX.

X.

1 day

XI.

2 days

Infra red theory

Qualitative thermography
Radiometric thermography
Fault analysis
PdM integration

XII.

Ultra sound theory

Detecting leaks
Electrical applications
Mechanical applications
Integration into spectrum analyzers

Potential Failure Analysis

a.
b.
c.

1 day

Centrifugal pumps - theory of operation

Centrifugal pump construction
Positive displacement pumps construction
Failure modes
Vibration examples of common defects
Performance analysis

PdM on Fans
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

1 day

AC motor construction
Failure modes
Generation of electrical frequencies
Vibration examples of common defects
Motor current analysis
DC motor construction
Failure modes
DC drives
Vibration examples of common defects
Thermography

PdM on Pumps
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

File capture of vibration data

Variable speed machines
Triggering
Measurement parameters
Capture and display options
Two-channel functions
Impact testing

Bearing construction
Elastohydrodynamic lubrication
stages of bearing failure
Failure modes
Fault frequency generation
Vibration examples of common defects
Tribology

PdM on AC & DC Motor

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

Passive Ultra Sound in PdM 1 day

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

VII.

2 day

Resonance
Dynamic range
Frequency calculations
Effects of windowing
Amplitude demodulation
Phase
Fault analysis
Single plane balancing
ODS

Industrial Thermography

PdM on Rolling Element Bearings 1 day

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

Frequency -v- time domain

How the FFT works
Examples of basic defects
Transducers
Accelerometer mounting
Measurement parameters

Two Channel Analysis

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

V.

IIX.

Advanced Vibration Analysis 2 day

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.

IV.

Maintenance strategies
Project management
Choosing the right technologies
Integration into maintenance
Procedures
Reporting

Basic Vibration Analysis

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Specialized training courses

1 day

1 day

Theory of operation
Failure modes
Vibration examples of common defects
Performance analysis
Adjusting bedplate resonance

PdM on Large Stamping Presses 2 day

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

1 day

Identifying potential failures

Determination of applicable technologies
Definition of suitable measurement parameters

Phone: (01253) 400541 Fax (01253) 400552 UK

E-Mail: info@predicon.net

Press construction
Failure modes
Specific monitoring problems
Sensors & installation
Defining vibration measurements
Using advanced vibration techniques