Dennis Swanepoel of WearCheck’s reliability solutions division in Johannesburg was invited to present two papers to delegates in Antwerp, Belgium, who were attending the latest IMVAC (International Machine Vibration Analysis and Condition Monitoring Conference) this month.
WearCheck MD Neil Robinson says the company is proud of Dennis. ‘When our technicians gain international recognition in professional circles, it reinforces our position as global leaders in the condition monitoring arena. It is a real honour for Dennis to have been invited to present at IMVAC – well done Dennis!’
Dennis’s first paper, titled ‘Tried and Tested Tube Mill Monitoring’, focused on tube mills used for coal milling in the power generation industry.
In a mill, the drive train typically consists of a motor (>2MW), a gearbox (>8ton) and a girth gear(>7meter), all driving a tube mill with a >70ton ball load. Power generation losses typically amount to 135MW if the mill is shut down unexpectedly.
With more than 10 years of experience in the field of tube milling applications, Dennis was able to discuss various special methods in the fields of oil analysis, vibration analysis, advanced signal processing, operational deflection shape analysis, thermal analysis and operational visual inspections.
Paper two was called ‘Is Video Amplification Real?’ The analysis of two case studies was discussed, where video amplification was used, and this data was then compared to traditional operational deflection shape analysis.
Examining the two cases, a correlation between the two technologies was evident, and the different merits of each technology was discussed.
Dennis elaborates, ‘I shared all my experience obtained during the data collection processes, to help other aspiring condition monitoring technicians know what to expect, and how to make an informed choice of technology to address specific condition monitoring problems. ‘
Caption: Dennis Swanepoel of WearCheck’s reliability solutions division was invited to present two papers to delegates at IMVAC in Belgium last week.