|
In This Newsletter
Level 1 Ultrasound Course - 2009 date confirmed
Ultratrend DMS software update
Contribution from Corus
News & Future Events
Contact Us
Level 1 Ultrasound Course - 2009 date confirmed
It seems like only yesterday that we were busy preparing for last April's Level 1 course, and here we are again, looking ahead to next year's. We're pleased to confirm that 2009's course will be held from the 30th of March to the 3rd of April at The National Fluid Power Centre in Worksop.
While the course is still a good six months away, we're taking bookings as from today. As always, places tend to fill up pretty quickly, so we recommend reserving your place as soon as possible. Please e-mail me if you'd like to attend, and we'll forward on booking information.
 Level 1 Ultrasound Course
Back to the top
Ultratrend DMS software update
Some of you may already know that we introduced a new version of our Ultratrend DMS software back in June, which is available for Ultraprobe 3000, 9000 and 10000 users. We rather like it - and for good reason! Here's why:
- Compressed air and gas spreadsheet: report the leaks you've found, and cost the potential savings - it only takes about 15 seconds!
- Filters: create and save filters to find records that match specific criteria - you can use a simple wizard, or write your own using SQL.
- Everything but the kitchen sink: drag and drop support, bug fixes, faster performance, an improved interface and much more.
As with previous releases, we're not charging anything to upgrade, and we'd be happy to run through the installation or any of these new features over the phone.
Download Ultratrend DMS 3
Back to the top
Contribution from Corus
We really enjoy receiving case studies from our customers, and I have to say, this one in particular brought a smile to our faces. Neil Williams, who works at the Concast Plant at a Corus site in Wales, very kindly put pen to paper and shared his experiences of the All-Test IV Pro 2000 motor tester.
"I am writing to sing the praises of the All-Test IV Pro 2000 motor circuit analysis unit we bought from you recently - it has proven an invaluable aid not just to the diagnosis of motor problems, but also in proving to others that a motor is not the root cause of a plant issue.
These are just two examples of the tremendous insight that this unit can give into the condition of motors of virtually any size.
Within the last few days on our No.1 Caster a 225kW 3.3kV 3 phase squirrel cage motor on a mould water cooling supply system tripped on I1/I2 protection in the substation, leaving a vital system without a standby pump. Simple electrical checks with a megger and a digital multimeter were performed on the nightshift but revealed no problems because of the motor size. However, winding resistance readings with a simple multimeter were totally meaningless, so confidence in the motor tests was low.
As a result, all and sundry declared that the motor was 'burned out / shorted' etc. and would have to be changed. Although we had a spare, the logistics of the swap of a motor of this size would have meant significant plant downtime (and expense).
MCA very quickly determined for us that the motor was not at fault and a problem with the 3.3kV starter was soon found and rectified. The pump was put back into service shortly thereafter.
A recent problem with a winch system used to withdraw a dummy bar chain from the No.2 Strand on Caster 1 was blamed, as always, on the motor - a G.E.C. 35kW wound rotor unit.
Using the All-Test IV Pro 2000 instrument, we benchmarked the motor characteristics by withdrawing a recently refurbished spare from the stores and saving the results. Further checks on the motor in service revealed that there were no issues despite 26 years of service, and subsequent investigative work (made possible because we had proven the motor was good) revealed that the bushes on the ramp rollers were ineffective and acting as brakes, significantly loading the winch motor and causing problems.
This instrument has quickly become a formidable weapon in our electrical arsenal and one which even my mechanical colleagues are beginning to respect, despite the fact that sometimes the results it gives us means more work for them.
I am currently building the motor inspection route for the Caster into the EMCAT software, knowing that going forward I have better visibility than ever before."
As always, we'd be pleased to "open the floor" to others who wish to write in with their stories for inclusion in a future newsletter. Please do get in touch.
Back to the top
News & Future Events
With the school holidays, we've had a quieter time over the summer when it comes to exhibitions. We did, however, attend the Energy Event 2008 early last month in Birmingham, which reaffirmed our belief that the cost of energy continues to be a concern for many of our customers.
We also had a stand in conjunction with UE Systems at the Post Expo 2008 event last week, which ran for three days at ExCeL in London.
Back to the top
Contact Us
It is always good to receive feedback on any products that we have sold or rented. If you have a success story that you would like to share with others in a future newsletter, then please get in touch using the contact details below...
|
