Case Study: Gearboxes

Integrated Packaging Facility
A maintenance expert suspected a bad gearbox while using the UL101 at a packaging plant. With little training, the maintenance expert and a technician both distinguished a significant difference in sound between two identical gearboxes. The UL101's sensitivity was adjusted low, so that the gearbox could barely be heard. But when a second gearbox was listened to using the same settings and under the same conditions for comparison, the UL101's analog meter spiked.

The gearbox was replaced and sent for further analysis. Results indicated a bad bearing. Projected savings included $3,000 per hour of downtime for two hours. The entire organization now uses the UL101 as part of their benchmarking and predictive maintenance program. An implementation program was developed and several maintenance personnel were trained to use the UL101, SoundCTRL, and the PowerBeam 300. More than sixty locations use ultrasound diagnostics on a regular basis to test gearboxes and bearings, perform air audits, and much more.

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