I used CSI Equipment since the days of the 2110 and really like their products, but the price has upper management looking for alternatives. We are looking at starting a new program with the bare minimum in route based data collection. The new push is to arm process people with vibration pens and hope for the best. I am still trying to push for some form of data collection. What are some alternatives that would at least give me route based data collection, FFT, waveform, trending capabilities and PC based analytical software. A tach input for phase and triggering would be a real plus, but not necessary. I have done a little reading on the MircoLog, DataStick, VB1000 and a few others in this price range, but have no experience with these units.

wmaroney at mortonsalt dot com

Waylon,
You might try using screwdrivers or broom handles. We are thinking about going to that.

Vendor Warning!

Waylon

The idea of using process or lubrication staff to collect vibration data isn't new, but given a variety of factors (cost of equipment, cost of training, lack of available reliability staff for data collection, etc.) we are starting to see more organizations look at operator data collection as (positively) a supplement to the existing vibration data collection program or (not so positively) as a alternative.

There are a lot of issues raised by the use of non-reliability staff to collect condition monitoring data , especially in the areas of data collection training, data quality, types of instrumentation they can be provided with, and (probably most importantly) how to actually motivate operators and lube techs to carry out the task (i.e. whats in it for them?)

I think everybody with any vibration experience would agree that the best program involves vibration readings being collected and analyzed by the same experienced reliability person certified in vibration, but given that this is not always a possibility, it doesn't hurt to look at the pros and cons of other methods of acquiring vibration and inspection data.

I'm including a PDF of a PowerPoint presentation that I did on the issues that can arise from extending vibration data collection programs to operators and lubrication techs - this includes a look at some of the technology choices available to companies if they want to investigate this type of program. I hope it is of some value to you.

If you have further questions you can contact me at ( stever at desmaint dot com )

Steve Reilly

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Steve Reilly,

DistributedDataCollectionForVibration.pdf (755 Kb, 34 downloads)

Waylon,
Check out Commtest. I had a rep come in for a demonstration right before I left my former place of employment. Price was not bad at all and it seemed to be a pretty good box. I never got a chance to take it to the field, but we did take readings on a training rig we had (I was giving 3 techs a 5 week crash course in vibe, thermography and airborne ultrasound when the commtest rep came to the plant).