Predictive Maintenance for the Masses

Paul Klimuc, Technical and Customer Service Manager, SDT

Description

The popularity of ultrasound inspection for maintenance and reliability managers is attributed to ease of use, versatility, and low implementation cost. Once considered a companion to core predictive technologies like vibration analysis and infrared imaging, the emergence of standalone ultrasound inspection programs is more prevalent for reliability departments today. Ultrasound is now considered a front-line defense system in the everyday battle for manufacturing uptime. Airborne Ultrasound is Predictive Maintenance for the Masses.

The applications for which Ultrasonic technology can be used are nearly limitless, which lends to its mass appeal. Compressed air and exotic gas leak detection, condition-based monitoring of bearings, and acoustic lubrication of bearings, are popular applications. Some inspectors monitor thousands of steam traps and pinpoint in-leakage to boilers, condensers, and heat exchangers. Others marry ultrasonic inspection and infrared scanning together for added safety to MCC panel scans or surveys of high voltage substations and T&D lines.

In this presentation, these applications will be reviewed, and some demonstration will be used to help illustrate ultrasonic capabilities.

Bio

Paul Klimuc has been involved in Ultrasound technologies for over 35 years.  He attended Kean College in New Jersey and recently became a Certified Reliability Leader. Early in his career he spent thirteen years as a NDT technician, where he was Level 2 certified from ASNT (American Society for Non-Destructive Testing) in Radiography, Magnetic Particle Inspection, Dye Penetrate Inspection, Visual Inspection, Ultrasonic Thickness Testing and Ultrasonic Flaw detection. He was involved in many industries, including Nuclear Power generation, Petrochemical process, Pharmaceutical manufacturing, and Steel manufacturing, just to name a few.
Since 1994 he has been working exclusively with the Predictive Maintenance aspect of ultrasound dealing with the same industry’s he previously worked at and many new ones, including Aircraft, Auto, Food, Tobacco, and is currently involved in application solutions and support for the United States and the Pacific Rim Countries.