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ORBIGate, the New Standard for Turbomachinery Vibration Testing

OROS now offers a dedicated software solution for users, manufacturers and third party service contractors dealing with turbomachinery testing. This new solution for vibration acceptance tests, signatures, diagnostics and other troubleshooting operation has been developed entirely by users for users. 

ORBIGate is for technicians and engineers dealing with turbines, compressors, pumps, gear boxes or other turbomachines who have issues with their rotor and bearing vibrations. It is also of interest to people working in a power plant, a chemical site or a turbomachinery service center. Now, orbits, shaft centre lines, Bode diagrams and many other displays are brought to the finger tips in the most user-friendly software environment!

OROS offers the latest technology for turbomachinery testing and can be combined with acoustic and structural solutions to offer a complete Noise & Vibe analysis package.

OROS has a long history of portable and rugged Noise and Vibration analyzers (3-Series, Mobi-Pack), and a wide range of Noise and Vibration testing solutions (Balancing, Modal 2). OROS now offers a dedicated software solution for turbomachinery vibration testing.

www.orosinc.com

Wilcoxon gains manufacturer’s representative

Germantown, MD –– Wilcoxon Research, a Meggitt group company and a leading supplier of quality vibration sensors and sensor networks, has fortified sales channels in the US with the addition of a new partner, Technical Representatives, Inc. TRI is now a manufacturer’s representative for Wilcoxon, responsible for the Mid-Atlantic states Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and East Pennsylvania, as well as the District of Columbia.

TRI has been in business for over 30 years and customers will benefit from their cummulative 120 years of expertise in instrumentation and data acquisition.  For the last 15 years, TRI has focused on vibration analysis and machinery health monitoring, making them an ideal partner for Wilcoxon Research, who specializes in industrial vibration monitoring.  Wilcoxon Research also manufactures accelerometers for Test & Measurement and research, applications with which TRI has extensive experience.

Government purchasers are common in the Mid-Atlantic States in which TRI will represent Wilcoxon Research.  TRI‘s long history of serving government and DOD customers, and the experience and security clearance they bring, will facilitate seamless customer service to government purchasers and contractors.

“We are excited about our new partnership with TRI because the company is customer-centric, like Wilcoxon.  They have a support staff and infrastructure which will translate to greater value and service to customers,” commented Ron Sullivan, North American Sales Manager.  “We look forward to working with TRI to exceed the expectations of vibration monitoring and Predictive Maintenance professionals.”

For more information about Technical Representatives, Inc., go to www.trirep.com, call 703-904-1860.  To learn more about Wilcoxon Research, Inc., or the pledge of Total Lower Cost of Ownership, visit www.wilcoxon.com, call 800-WILCOXON

Timken Set-Right Heavy-Duty Hub Rebuild Kits Offer Convenience and Reliability

Proprietary Design Helps Lengthen Maintenance Intervals and Optimize Bearing Performance

CANTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) is launching a new series of heavy-duty hub rebuild kits to help simplify wheel-end rebuilds for heavy truck maintenance professionals while improving uptime for fleet owners and operators.

Timken Set-Right Heavy-Duty Hub Rebuild Kits are engineered exclusively for pre-adjusted wheel hubs and feature two Timken Milemate sets – the original matched wheel bearing sets produced in North America – and a precision original equipment spacer.

“The Milemate bearings used in these kits are what we call half-stand bearings, which means they have half the stand or measurement tolerance of that used in standard bearings,” said J. Barry Harris, global manager of products and marketing for the automotive aftermarket. “This precise half-stand tolerancing provides for a highly accurate and repeatable setting, which facilitates faster and more reliable wheel-end rebuilds.”

The Milemate bearings are also Timken “NP” part numbers, which feature a proprietary design, enhanced surface finishes and more precise internal bearing geometry compared to standard bearings. NP part numbers also exceed industry standards and ensure that fleets get all the advantages that were engineered into their original heavy-duty, pre-adjusted hub systems.

In addition, Timken Set-Right kits include a precision-machined cone spacer that is specifically designed for the rigorous demands of the heavy truck market. These cone spacers are made with high-strength alloy steel and manufactured to precise tolerances. When combined with Timken half-stand bearings and a special toleranced hub, the cone spacer eliminates the need for manual adjustment, which is one of the leading causes of wheel-end problems.

For more information about Timken heavy-duty hub rebuild kits or other automotive aftermarket products, please visit www.timken.com/automotive

About The Timken Company

The Timken Company keeps the world turning, with innovative friction management and power transmission products and services, enabling our customers to perform faster and more efficiently. With sales of $5.2 billion in 2007, operations in 27 countries and approximately 25,000 employees, Timken is Where You Turn for better performance.

Flir revenue, profits up in Q3

Infrared systems maker Flir Systems Inc. reported a 45-percent increase in third-quarter revenue on a 60-percent increase in profits, compared with the same quarter last year.

With nine-month revenue at $774.6 million, Wilsonville-based Flir (NASDAQ: FLIR) is on track to exceed $1 billion in revenue this year, pushing it into rare territory for an Oregon company.

Flir reported third-quarter revenue of $276.7 million, up from $191.1 million in last year’s third quarter.

Income was $55.6 million, or 35 cents per share, up from last year’s third-quarter net income of $34.8 million, or 22 cents per share.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 32 cents per share.

For the first nine months of this year, revenue increased 44 percent from $536.8 million last year. Income for the year to date is $138.4 million or 87 cents per share, up from $90.1 million, or 59 cents per share, in last year’s first nine months.

Flir said it expects to close the year with revenue of $1.075 billion to $1.1 billion, and net earnings of $1.21 to $1.25 per share.

For the third quarter, Flir’s 45-percent revenue growth was driven by the company’s government systems business, which sells to the U.S. military and other national military services. Revenue for the division was $151.7 million, nearly 55 percent of Flir’s total revenue for the quarter, and up 57 percent compared to last year’s third quarter.

That growth outpaced Flir’s other divisions, even its fast-growing commercial vision systems business. Commercial systems grew 34 percent during the third quarter, compared to a year earlier, to $45.8 million.

Thermography, a business that yields high profits, increased 32 percent over last year’s third quarter, to $79.2 million. This division was bolstered by two acquisitions made during the year: Extech Instruments and Cedip Infrared Systems. Without those acquisitions, thermography’s revenue would have grown 7 percent during the third quarter.

Orders increased almost 14 percent, to $650 million by the end of September compared to the end of June. Order growth, like revenue growth, was driven by government systems. Orders for that division increased almost 18 percent during the quarter, to $547 million.

Flir added more than $29 million in cash and equivalents to its balance sheet during the quarter, despite spending $22.9 million on stock repurchases and $5 million on purchasing property, plant and equipment.

The company’s stock has been one of Oregon’s strongest performers over the past two years. Shares of Flir were trading at $28.40 around the middle of the trading day Thursday, following its earnings announcement, up from a close of $27.47 on Wednesday.

Shares of Flir have traded between $23.68 and $45.49 over the past year.

Infrared Industry-First 3D Capability

EVERETT, WA, Oct 16, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX)—Fluke Corporation, the global leader in handheld electronic test and measurement technology, today released a new 2.0 version of its SmartView(TM) software for Fluke thermal imagers featuring the first 3D imaging capability in the industry. The enhanced software gives users new options for optimizing and organizing thermal images and creating professional reports, and is easier to use.

Fluke SmartView 2.0 software is a modular suite of tools for viewing, annotating, editing and analyzing infrared images and creating illustrated, customized reports. It comes standard with all Fluke thermal imagers, and regular upgrades are provided free of charge for the life of the product.

“This software has significantly simplified analysis,” said Al Hobbs, owner of Thermaview consulting in London, Ontario. Hobbs uses a Fluke thermal imager to perform thermographic building energy surveys and electrical system inspections. Producing quality illustrated reports is key to his success. “This SmartView 2.0 software has made report generation easier,” he said. “The images, data and analysis go directly into a .pdf or MS Word document.”

With SmartView 2.0, users can download images captured with any Fluke thermal imager equipped with IR Fusion(R), the patent pending process whereby visible light images can be merged with infrared images, making identification and diagnosis of problems simpler. Once downloaded, users can analyze, optimize and organize those images, add notes and comments and create professional-quality reports in a few steps.

Among the key new features in SmartView 2.0:

-- Thermal imaging in three dimensions, an industry first, is included
with SmartView 2.0.  Patent-pending Fluke 3D-IR(TM) can make hot spots
appear to pop out of the background, so users can easily identify
additional problem areas, examine the image from different perspectives,
and eliminate false positives.  In addition, users can draw a line across
an image and automatically create a graph showing temperatures along that
line.

-- An updated user interface makes the software easier to use.
Frequently used tools are easier to access and image-optimization tools are
enhanced.  For instance, users can now click on just one tab and accomplish
what used to require four clicks.  And users can now view the Fluke IR-
Fusion visible light reference image side-by-side with the infrared image.

-- New and enhanced reporting capabilities enable users to output reports
directly in Microsoft Word or PDF formats.  They can now use familiar MS
Word tools to modify and add details to the report or check spelling.  And
users can now customize or create and save report templates to meet their
specific job requirements.

Users who already own Fluke thermal imagers can upgrade to Fluke SmartView 2.0 by visiting the download page.

Fluke thermal imagers have many applications in a multitude of industries. New thermal imagers from Fluke, including the Fluke Ti25, Fluke Ti10, Fluke TiR1 and Fluke TiR Thermal Imagers, deliver more durability and performance at a lower price than ever before, bringing the benefits of thermography to the toolboxes of everyday technicians, contractors and building inspectors.
Fluke IR-Fusion Technology

IR-Fusion technology facilitates real time pixel-for-pixel merging of infrared and visual (visible light) images together on a single display. IR-Fusion captures infrared and visual (visible light) images and simultaneously displays the images fused together, adding a new dimension of detail that saves time and money and best conveys infrared information of each specific application and environment.

IR-Fusion makes it easier to identify details and potential problems by managing and analyzing images with complete control over both the infrared and visual spectrums. The ability to fuse and optimize images improves primary target identification, makes it easier and quicker to locate problems and offers a tremendous advantage in reporting clarity.

Fluke Corporation

For more information on the full range of Fluke thermal imaging products, or to find the location of the nearest distributor, visit www.fluke.com/thermography

Timken StatusCheck System Pays Off for Toyota

CANTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) announced today that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky is among a growing number of users that have documented cost savings and a reduction in downtime with the Timken StatusCheck condition monitoring system.

The StatusCheck system is a wireless system designed to monitor bearing operating conditions and issue alerts when it detects excessive levels of temperature and vibration. This system is a cost-effective method that reports potential faults immediately, providing users with an opportunity to identify potential problems and avert costly repairs.

Maintenance personnel in the Toyota plastics shop in Georgetown, Ky., use StatusCheck equipment to complement their existing predictive vibration analysis program. In one incident, “project team members conducted our standard checks and identified a defect in the outer race of a fan bearing,” said Rick Heifner, oil and vibration analyst in the plant’s plastics department. “We placed a StatusCheck unit on the equipment. The StatusCheck data alerted us to a significant change in the bearing’s condition. We replaced the bearing and averted a serious problem that could have caused 16 hours of downtime. Because we acted quickly, the bearing did not damage the shaft and we saved the expense of replacing it.”

Timken developed StatusCheck as part of its complete predictive maintenance program, which focuses on increasing efficiency in plant operations. Customers in the mining, power generation, metal rolling and general manufacturing industries have reported cost savings ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dollars and increased efficiency in their operations.

“The StatusCheck system’s advanced technology offers plant and maintenance personnel another tool to help prevent costly, unplanned downtime,” said Daniel Szoch, Timken manager – sales and marketing – reliability solutions. “Many customers have realized a rapid return on their initial investment and have expanded their systems to include numerous StatusCheck units. The cost savings for one major manufacturer exceeded $2 million.”

StatusCheck can be mounted via an internal magnet or by a threaded adaptor. Its rugged construction makes it ideally suited for use in harsh environments. Its integrated software allows for notification of alarms via computer or cell phone text messages.

About The Timken Company

The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR, http://www.timken.com) keeps the world turning, with innovative friction management and power transmission products and services, enabling our customers to perform faster and more efficiently. With sales of $5.2 billion in 2007, operations in 27 countries and approximately 25,000 employees, Timken is Where You Turn™ for better performance.

Azima Acquires DLI Engineering

Combined Companies Will Lead the Predictive Machine Maintenance Market, Delivering Best-in-Class Products and Services to Increase Industrial Equipment Reliability and Deliver Related Cost Savings

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Azima Holdings, Inc., the innovation leader in the delivery of condition monitoring services, today announced it has acquired Washington state-based DLI Engineering, a pioneer in vibration-based condition analysis. The combined entity, Azima DLI, becomes the market leader in predictive machine maintenance (PdM) measured by geographic and industry reach, customer base and concentration of experienced vibration analysts. Azima DLI provides services to two of the industry’s largest customers, Air Liquide and the U.S. Navy. The acquisition was completed on September 30, 2008. 

The combined strengths of Azima DLI will benefit its customers with “one stop shopping” for all their condition monitoring needs. World-class experts, advanced remote monitoring capabilities and proven solutions make Azima DLI the partner of choice for companies seeking better equipment reliability, increased operational efficiencies and decreased costs associated with maintenance and unscheduled down-time.

“The acquisition of DLI Engineering allows us to deliver a revolutionary value proposition to our customers,” said Jonathan Hakim, president and CEO, Azima DLI. “By joining Azima’s continuous remote monitoring, data analysis and advanced diagnostic capabilities with DLI’s sophisticated technologies, global reach and excellent brand recognition we have created the most innovative and technologically-advanced company in the predictive maintenance market.”

DLI Engineering has 42 years of expertise developing automated machine diagnostics that extend Azima’s sophisticated remote monitoring, wireless and web-based portal software and services. It also brings global expertise in markets such as aerospace, automotive, food, military and maritime, pharmaceutical, and wind power that complement Azima’s footprint in the industrial gases, oil and gas, paper, power, and steel industries.

About DLI Engineering

DLI Engineering has been a pioneer of many of the methods of predictive maintenance and machinery vibration analysis used today. For 42 years, the company has implemented the largest and most successful condition monitoring programs in the world. DLI is the developer of the industry’s most effective, automated vibration diagnostic system for machinery condition assessment, available in its portable data collectors and online monitoring systems. DLI engineers travel the world solving machinery and structural problems for top industrial and commercial firms, government agencies and utilities. The company is headquartered in Washington state.

About Azima

Azima is the innovation leader in the delivery of condition monitoring services. The company utilizes industry experts and its unique ADVANTAGE™ web portal to deliver timely information and advice about equipment condition, either in a single plant or across the enterprise. Azima lowers production risk, reduces maintenance costs and increases reliability. Azima provides a complete service offering that includes on-site and remote vibration monitoring, thermography, lube oil analysis, motor and battery testing, reciprocating compressor monitoring, and advanced diagnostic services. Azima is a reliability partner for many Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 industrial companies. The company is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts with offices across the country. For more information, visit http://www.azimainc.com

FAA faulted for laxness on maintenance outsourcing

From DOT Office of Inspector General

On September 30, 2008, we issued our audit of air carriers’ outsourcing of aircraft maintenance. We conducted this audit at the request of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Air carriers are increasingly outsourcing maintenance to repair stations to reduce operating costs. When an air carrier uses a repair station that is certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to repair its aircraft or parts, the repair station’s organization becomes an extension of the air carrier’s maintenance organization. Our audit objectives were to (1) identify the type and quantity of maintenance performed by external repair stations and (2) determine whether FAA is effectively monitoring air carriers’ oversight of external repair stations’ work and verifying that safety requirements are met.

We found that while FAA has begun moving its safety oversight toward a risk–based system, it still relies too heavily on air carriers’ oversight procedures, which are not always sufficient. Specifically, we determined that FAA did not (1) have an adequate system for determining how much and where the most critical maintenance occurs, (2) have a specific policy governing when certificate management inspectors should visit repair stations performing substantial maintenance, (3) require inspectors to validate that repair stations have corrected deficiencies identified in air carrier audits, and (4) have adequate controls to ensure that inspectors document inspection findings in the national database and review related findings by other inspectors. As a result, FAA could not effectively target its inspection resources to those repair stations providing the highest volume of repairs, which caused deficiencies at repair stations to go undetected or reoccur and prevented inspectors from obtaining sufficient data to perform comprehensive risk assessments.

We recommended that FAA develop and implement an effective system to determine how much and where critical maintenance is performed. In addition, FAA must ensure that inspectors conduct initial and follow–up inspections at substantial maintenance providers, perform detailed reviews of air carrier and repair station audits and corrective actions, document inspection findings in the national database, and review related findings by other inspectors. In addition, since many air carriers do not differentiate between in–house and outsourced maintenance, FAA must ensure air carriers provide repair stations with clearer guidance on how to perform maintenance and inspections at repair stations. FAA is working to address this issue through a rulemaking change but needs to pursue interim actions to establish agreements between air carriers and repair stations on maintenance procedures.

Full document:  PDF document

Multi-Million Contract for Reliability Information Analysis Center to perform RCM

Wyle Laboratories, Inc. of Huntsville has been awarded two defense contracts this week, as has an Anniston branch of BAE.

The first is a cost plus fixed fee contract for $48,312,309. 

The Reliability Information Analysis Center will research, test develop, and deliver data analysis, evaluation, and standardization assessments; systems and training interoperability and evaluation; reliability centered maintenance; reliability and maintenance engineering and testing; logistic management and planning tools; data and management analysis; systems engineering; acquisition systems and planning; and financial life cycle cost analysis for DoD, DHS, and affiliated DoD laboratories and programs.

At this time $9,076,599 has been obligated.

The second is a cost plus fixed fee contract for an estimated $5,796,638.

This contract action is for the Reliability Information Analysis Center and will perform Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) program for support equipment and vehicles.

Oniqua Pty Ltd. Receives 2008 Emerging Company of the Year Award

Brisbane — Australian-based Oniqua Pty Ltd. (Oniqua) has received Frost & Sullivan’s 2008 Emerging Company of the Year Award for Global Enterprise Asset Management in Mining. This award is in recognition of Oniqua’s ability to provide an enterprise-level integrated analytical solution for procurement, inventory, maintenance, and reliability management. Oniqua’s solution provides customers with unparalleled visibility into total asset management of their organizations and allows them to make real improvements for operational excellence. 

Oniqua has emerged as a leader in providing analytical software that empowers customers to optimize their assets with greater cross-functional and regional visibility and collaboration. The Oniqua Analytcis Suite (OAS) helps customers improve asset management by making better use of the data captured by transactional systems already present in an organization. Based on proprietary statistical tools and closed loop optimization techniques, OAS helps customers better manage their assets and continuously improve data quality through automated feedback systems, allowing them to reduce waste and improve process efficiencies. OAS also helps to reduce an organization’s production costs and maximize asset availability, positively affecting the profitability of the organization. Andy Hill, Oniqua’s CEO, states, “The release of the Oniqua Analytics Suite has met with a strong uptake from the market, with eight out of the top ten mining companies now using Oniqua solutions. We are delighted and honoured to see this success recognized through the Frost & Sullivan 2008 Global Enterprise Asset Management in Mining Emerging Company of the Year Award.”

Oniqua has been able to effectively serve mining majors to optimize their assets and improve the total productivity of the organization. “The fact that even a 1 percent increase in asset utilization can help the global mining majors deliver more than a billion dollars in shareholder value is driving global mining companies to adopt Oniqua solutions,” states Frost and Sullivan analyst Sivakali Prasad.

The Frost & Sullivan Award for Emerging Company of the Year is presented each year to the company that has emerged as a significant participant within its industry. Recipients of this award are perceived to have exhibited outstanding management skills, superior market growth, exceptional customer services and the ability to combine technology and successful strategic initiatives.

Oniqua is recognized as having the exceptional know-how to take advantage of market changes through the execution of innovative strategies within the existing competitive landscape. “The ingenuity of Oniqua to help its customers analyze raw data, understand inefficiencies, and identify opportunities for improvement of the utilization of assets makes it a worthy recipient of the 2008 Emerging Company of the Year Award in Enterprise Asset Management,” says industry analyst Sivakali Prasad.

About Oniqua
Oniqua Pty Ltd. is a world leader in the field of Enterprise Analytics, cataloging and content improvement with headquarters in Brisbane Australia, and offices and partners located in North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Oniqua provides solutions and services for asset intensive organizations in Mining, Processing, Energy & Utilities, and Oil & Gas industries. Through the implementation and use of the Oniqua Analytics Suite, organizations will standardize, analyze and optimize their maintenance, inventory and procurement content to drive asset performance. Oniqua’s mining clients include: BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Vale, Freeport, Anglo American and Newmont Mining

http://www.oniqua.com/