Why PlantScan?
- Proven Track Record (since 1989) with over 34 years of innovation- 15 US Patents
- High Quality and Reliability of Products
- Scientific Approach to Maintenance Technology Applications
- In-House R&D
- USA Based
What can PlantScan do for me?
Today’s Plants are very complex interconnected & interdependent systems which require multiple types of measurements to assess their condition to diagnose problems and to predict their future state. It used to be adequate to trouble shoot an electrical panel with a simple multimeter, until inverters, TRIAC, PLC controlled and networked devices became part of it. It used to be adequate to troubleshoot an air compressor with a screw driver until screw types (Roots) appeared turning at much higher speeds. Similarly old mechanics would “diagnose” faulty steam traps with a rubber hose or use bubbles to find air and gas leaks.
Old Tricks though cannot provide management with numbers and processes that cannot be measured cannot be managed or controlled. Today management needs to know not only the current condition of a plant or a key machine, but its future condition also. Reputations and brands depend on the ability to deliver quality products on time and on budget. Accepting a large order from a key account when you do not know the condition of your plant is simply a gamble. It is like going on a long road trip with a car that has not been serviced for some time and whose mechanical condition is unknown. But just like cars that only a few years ago the only high tech device in them was the radio, (now most have computer networks) plants became extremely complex requiring diverse technologies to ascertain their condition. Maintenance used to be a nuisance and an afterthought to plant operators; it was a cost, a problem, a headache and never a profit center.
We at PlantScan think that maintenance should be viewed as a profit center because money invested in a smart predictable way will save thousands more in unplanned downtime. Downtime costs a lot more than the cost of parts and man-hours. It costs in lost production, in ruined raw materials, in lost profits and in customer dissatisfaction. These concepts may be known to some degree but surprisingly many people ignore them. Years ago fabric manufacturers would buy very sophisticated machines that could measure the thread tension and adjust the weaving parameters with servo systems. They were very happy with the output of the machines, but would ruin them by over greasing their bearings. Then the new bearing would fail prematurely because the maintenance person (who had to know and fix everything) was never told how to extract the old and how to insert the new bearing correctly. And even if a specialist would come in and service the machine its true condition was unknown after many failed attempts. The health condition of machines is like a puzzle picture. Each piece of the puzzle is as important as any other and all are needed to make up the picture. This is the approach we take at PlantScan. Teach people to collect and sort the puzzle pieces of their machines and help them see the big picture. Ultrasound is one of these very important pieces. Ultrasound will give an early warning of bearing failures especially in low speed applications. But it is just one piece of the puzzle. Machine temperature is another piece of the same puzzle and so is the surrounding temperature and its spatial distribution. Another piece of the puzzle is Lubricant and Fluid Analysis which is like a blood test for a machine. The distribution of wear elements in the oil or coolant together with the data from the other measurements will provide valuable information on its condition. Although we do not yet offer vibration analyzers or thermographic cameras (to be added in the future) the addition of these two puzzle pieces will make the picture a lot clearer and provide an assessment condition that can be relied upon. Key to seeing this picture is the understanding that each data piece has its own shape, size and place. Each one will provide you with some information which by itself may be an indication of a changing condition but unless the change is extreme may not be enough to predict a future state.
At PlantScan can help you collect the puzzle pieces, analyze them and find where they fit so you can see the whole picture.