Securing Industrial Success: Embrace the Leak Free Approach
Waiting for a part to fail or a leak to spring just isn’t acceptable in today’s industrial world. It’s too expensive, too time-consuming, and too dangerous. But how is it possible to stop these problems before they happen?
What if you could see the future by pointing a ray gun at a pipe and viewing a report about developing issues? It may seem like something out of a science fiction film, but it’s real. Today’s engineering technology is just as exciting as anything on the silver screen, and it delivers precise information to help companies strategically manage maintenance tasks.
“Having a leak free environment isn’t just important to Innovator Industrial Services,” says Jason Gulliver, Innovator Industrial Services’ Quality Coordinator. “It’s central to the successful operations of all of our customers, too.”
Sounds reveal what you can’t see– With Ultraprobe Digital Inspection Systems from UE Sytems, Inc., hand-held ultrasonic sensors allow Innovator inspectors to detect leaks during routine maintenance checkups. The devices let technicians locate inaudible ultrasonic vibrations that can indicate bad or worn bearings, improperly operating valves, and other parts that can’t be seen without dismantling a piping system. The same ultrasonic hand-held sensor can perform inspections on multiple systems including gas, liquid, and electrical.
“It’s a fast way for us to identify problems,” says Innovator Industrial Services’ Field Technician Jason Mandujano. “The unit works by converting ultrasonic waves to audible sounds, which provide highly specific and accurate data to our trained technicians.”
This data is uploaded to a central computer for customized reporting. With these capabilities, Innovator technicians can create reports with the specific information they need to help clients identify which services to perform right away and which to plan ahead for future maintenance needs. In addition, the system can actually measure the amount of product or gas being lost should a leak occur, so Innovator clients can determine the cost of the problem.
“The Ultraprobe tools allow ongoing preventive maintenance, so IIS clients have a better idea of when things may fail in the future,” explains Gulliver, “With this knowledge, we can actually work with our customers to repair or replace parts before they fail.”
Prevention is the priority– The ultrasonic sensors are easy to use for technicians who have completed the required technical training for Ultraprobe solutions. The deceptively simple ultrasonic scan is much less labor-intensive than any manual inspection techniques, so it’s highly cost-effective for customers.
Preventive maintenance is important for many different reasons:
- Equipment reliability
- Prevents costly downtime
- Decreases safety risks
- Reduces the risk of environmental hazards
Avoiding problems has a big effect on any company’s bottom line. Innovator Industrial Services is constantly looking for new tools and techniques to help our customers predict the future and prevent problems. Our number one goal is to keep our clients running without any leaks, while helping them make their systems more environmentally friendly.
Today, the same tools that NASA used to improve the safety of the space shuttle and that airlines use to test pressurized cabins can now be used to check pipelines for leaks and failing parts.
