Motion Control & Drives


Cumulus gets specialised training on vibration testing

April 2000 Motion Control & Drives

Spectral Dynamics recently held a successful training course on vibration testing at Cumulus, designer and manufacturer of products for the military, as well as various products for the commercial market such as inertial stabilised optical platforms and sighting systems. The training session concluded the successful sale of an SD2552B vibration control workstation from Spescom MeasureGraph to Cumulus.

Director Phil Bell from Spectral Dynamics visits South Africa on a regular basis for training purposes. 'Spescom normally hosts the Spectral Institute course which concentrates more on vibration testing in general than on our products and are attended by various customers. However, we also offer training onsite and that was what Cumulus requested. The company installed an SD2552B in December and wanted its operators to be trained on the unit in its environmental test screening department.'

The course was done over five days. 'Because vibration is such a technical subject and the field so enormous we felt it would be useful for other technicians to attend the theoretical part of the course. An average of 14 trainees attended the general lectures on vibration testing whilst only the operators got hands-on training on the SD2552B,' says Cumulus' Line Manager Colin Watt. 'Everybody agreed afterwards that they never realised until now how little they knew about vibration and how much more there is to be learned.'

Bell says although the SD2552B is user-friendly it is essential to know its features and capabilities. 'To get the best results from the unit it is imperative that the operator understands vibration and knows how to utilise the equipment.'

Spescom's Product Specialist Trevor Leong also attended the course. 'I am lucky to be part of all Bell's courses. Because the training varies according to each client's needs I learn something new every time. The biggest advantage of attending these courses is that I get up to speed with the latest technology and can be of more assistance to customers.'

Bell agrees. 'Although customers can access help and advice from Spectral Dynamics' website it is convenient to have a knowledgeable representative close by. Leong can assist customers up to a certain level.'





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