Stay competitive through preventative maintenance

September 2006 Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration

Every manufacturing plant needs to be serviced and maintained in order to prevent expensive repair costs and downtime of machines. UniTemp recommends testo's range of instruments for the maintenance technician's toolbox.

For temperature measurements, testo supplies infrared thermometers. These range from the basic thermometer with fast accurate laser sightings of temperature (testo 830-T2), to a multifunctional non-contact tool (testo 845) with surface temperature, humidity and dewpoint parameters. These are measured by means of switchable optics which allows the user to measure a point as small as 1 mm at a distance of 7 cm, or can be adjusted for far field focus with a distance to spot-size ratio of 75:1.

These infrared measuring tools are ideal for inspection of moving parts, determination of thermal problems, temperature monitoring and examining of temperature distribution and differences.

In order to measure the speed of conveyor belts and rotating machinery, testo has the tachometers for a variety of applications. From the basic stroboscope to the testo 470, which measures both speed and length, easy and accurate measurements are possible.

With all of testo's rpm measuring instruments, there is a favourable price-performance ratio, they are user-friendly, and have a memory function.

testo supplies a fibrescope for use in the inspection of hard-to-access places such as intricate machines and motors. Detecting problems before actual breakdown of machinery can prevent costly repairs and extensive downtime.

For more information contact Patrick Dolz, UniTemp, +27 (0) 21 762 8995 or Marcel Kelly, UniTemp, +27 (0) 11 392 5989.

Further reading:

Infrared thermometers for electrical, industrial and HVAC applications
Comtest Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
: Comtest, distributor of Fluke test and measurement equipment, explains how handheld infrared thermometers are transforming maintenance in electrical, industrial and HVAC environments, with three measurement strategies and a wide range of practical applications.

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Reverse-engineering legacy industrial gearbox parts
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
WEG Africa’s turbine workshop uses 3D scanning technology to reverse-engineer components for legacy gearboxes, turbines and compressors, enabling equipment to run for decades after OEM support and spare parts have dried up.

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Unlocking ICCP remote monitoring
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Cathodic protection keeps buried and submerged pipelines safe from corrosion, but verifying it traditionally means costly, hazardous manual site visits. Omniflex explains how a retrofit module brings remote monitoring to ageing transformer rectifiers without replacing functional infrastructure.

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Microdieseling – the explosions you never hear
Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Microdieseling is a pressure-induced thermal degradation mechanism in which entrained air bubbles are compressed so rapidly that the surrounding oil ignites, producing soot, varnish and sludge. WearCheck explains how it happens, why the damage varies, and how oil analysis detects it.

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Electrostatic spark discharge – when static strikes back
Wearcheck Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
WearCheck technical manager, Steven Lumley explains how static electricity accumulates in modern low-conductivity lubricants, why compact system designs and fine filtration make ESD more likely, and how to recognise the degradation it leaves behind.

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High-speed cameras for crash testing
Horne Technologies Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Vision Research has expanded its Phantom C-series with two cameras optimised for crash and safety testing, offering 4 and 8 megapixel sensors rated to 170G, up to 1180 frames per second, and Phantom Academy application training planned for South Africa next year.

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SKF extends remanufacturing expertise to bearing clearance modification
SKF South Africa Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Using its clearance modification expertise, SKF helped a mining equipment OEM salvage spherical roller bearing inventory that would otherwise have been scrapped, confirming a new capability within its remanufacturing services and avoiding redundant procurement.

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When maintenance-system compliance starts replacing plant reliability
Wearcheck Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
WearCheck ARC division manager, Annemie Willer argues that the greatest threat to effective maintenance is no longer a lack of technology, but the gradual replacement of technical judgement by CMMS compliance, leaving no one owning the machine.

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Automatic lubrication systems drive mobile mine machine reliability and uptime
SKF South Africa Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
SKF’s Lincoln P203 progressive lubrication systems are improving reliability and uptime on mobile machines at a Zambian gold mine, with installation of 45 units completing by October 2026.

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Nitration: the acid you didn’t see coming
Wearcheck Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Nitration is as destructive as oxidation in many engines but far less understood. WearCheck technical manager, Steven Lumley explains how nitrogen oxide gases degrade lubricants, why the process is difficult to detect, and what oil analysis can reveal before damage occurs.

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