ISSN 0269-0225 No.165 March/April Diagnostic Engineering · ing damage, gearbox faults, isolation,...

Diagnostic EngineeringISSN 0269-0225 No.165 March/April 2009

T H E J O U R N A L O F T H E I N S T I T U T I O N O F D I A G N O S T I C E N G I N E E R S

A Plant Condition Monitor

Developed for use with

Industrial Generators

See page 5

March/April Journal #4 12/3/09 7:55 am Page 2

Spherical rollerbearings cut costs

8

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, as permit-ted under the copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, no part of this publicationmay be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or byany means without prior permission in writing of the Institution. Single copiesmay be made for the purpose of research or private study. Multiple copying of thecontent of the publication without prior permission is illegal.

What a ship!The Emma Maersk

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14

Dangerous Archive

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Plant ConditionMonitors or generators

4 Objectives of the Institution

7 Ceramic coating eliminates air locks in fuel tanksTank capacity increases by 16 litres

9 Thermal imager pin points hot and cold temperaturesImages are captured on live screen

10 Science brought to life Atlas Copco at the London Science Museum

11 Bouncing Bobbin Type RegulatorDouglas Wragg FIDiagE

12 New Colour Scopemeter

13 Strain gauge displacement sensors

14 Things aren’t always as the appear

15 Gas engine inlet valve failure Research: Dr R A Kisch FIDiagE

16 Electronic Pressure Switch

16 Sensor protects industrial doors from wind

17 An engineering maths question

18 New Flowmeter for fire sprinklers

18 McLachlan Cartoon

19 Miniature linear guides

20 Locked or NotNigel R May A.M.I.M.I, MIDiagE, RFP

21 Angle of attack sensor for small planes

24 Domestic EngineersJohn Sayer FIDiagE and the Good Old Days

25 Apprenticeships have a role in industry

26 Leak testing at low flow rates

27 Andy Gaynor reveals a comedy of errors

28 Membership Grades

29 Membership Application Form

30 Corporate Membership Application

31 Corporate Members Gallery

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5

Looking for gas leaksat Bayanoil Refinery

Low cost laseralignment system

ContentsMarch/April 2009

INSTITUTION OFDIAGNOSTIC ENGINEERS

President: Dr.David Adams PhD., MIPM(SA), FIDiagE

Diagnostic Engineeringis published by

The Institution of Diagnostic Engineers

Registered Office:7 Weir Road, Kibworth,

Leicester LE8 0LQ.

Tel: 44 (0) 116279 6772Fax: 44 (0) 116279 6884

E-mail: [email protected]: www.diagnosticengineers.org

Chairman: Bill Parker,

MIDiagE.

Institution Officers

Treasurer: Ing.P.Eur, Ray EldersPEng., FIDiagE. MIIE., AFA.

Vice-Chairman: Steve Reed MIDGTE, MIDiagE.

Company Secretary: Andy Garnor MIDiagE.

Membership Selection Officer:Chris Gilbert MIDiagE., MIOA.

Council MembersArthur Kennedy BEng(H), CEng., MIET., FIDiagE

Office Manager/Administrator: Karen SeilesDesign & Print: Tony Kirby

Articles, photographs, manuscripts andother contributions for publication to:

The EditorDiagnostic Engineering7 Weir Road, Kibworth,

Leicester LE8 0LQ.or by e-mail:

[email protected]

Advertising RatesAvailable upon request from Head Office.

ISSN 0269-0225Diagnostic Engineering is free of charge to members

of the Institution of Diagnostic Engineers.

It is also available on subscription.For details contact Head Office.

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The views expressed by contributors are their own and are notnecessarily those of the publishers, the editor or the Council ofManagement of the Institution of Diagnostic Engineers. Whilstevery care is taken to ensure that the contents of the Journalare accurate, we can accept no responsibility for these, or forthe effect of errors or omission. Likewise, while every care istaken when accepting advertisements, we cannot acceptresponsibility for the contents of these or for unsatisfactorytransactions. We will however investigate any complaints.

�

March/April Journal #4 12/3/09 5:34 pm Page 4

4 Diagnostic Engineering

Institution of Diagnostic Engineers • www.diagnosticengineers.org

1. To promote the education and training of persons whether resident in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in all matters relating to diagnostic engineering and allied technologies.

2. To establish and maintain contacts with persons and/or organisation concerned with the employmentof diagnostic engineers and consultants.

3. To arrange consortia of specialist diagnostic engineers to perform specific advisory/consultancy projects as required.

4. To develop the science, practice and business of diagnostic engineering and allied technologies.

5. To encourage and improve the technical, financial, business, managerial and general knowledge of all persons engaged in the practice of fault andfailure diagnosis, condition monitoring, post-mortemexamination,accident investigation and allied activities.

6. To compile and classify information and particulars relating to the expert services rendered by members of the Institution.

7. To disseminate information and particulars relating to the expert services rendered by members of the Institution.

8. To stimulate efficiency in diagnosis and to elevate the position of those connected therewith in skilled practical employment.

9. To foster intelligent appreciation of the facilities existing for the provision of education and research.

10. To facilitate the exchange of information, ideas and practice by the publishing of such information as shall be of interest to diagnostic engineers.

11. To render advice and aid in the exploitation of inventions and to make known their nature and merits.

12. To assist in obtaining employment and to help engineers and others to find competent staff.

Definition

A ‘Diagnostic Engineer’ shall be any person capableof contribution to the art or science of determining theexistence of a problem in a machine, plant,system or structure and/or appraising the cause(s) ofa failure which may have taken place and/or assessingthe condition or vulnerability of such machine, plant,system or structure either during use or while underdevelopment.

Interpretation

It is accepted that through a diagnostic capability ora special knowledge of a failure and deteriorationmodes, reliabilities and hazards a person will be ableto contribute to a satisfactory assessment of thecauses of a defect and able to contribute to theidentification of remedial action to cure the defectand prevent failure.

Motivation

Employers are invited to recognise that persons whohave joined have shown distinguished interest indeveloping and extending their technical skill.

Rewards

Prizes up to £500 in value are offered annually for thebest brief accounts of interesting diagnostic cases.

Activities

The Institution shall arrange and subsidise:

� Regular Newsletters to members� Regular notices of services available from members

will be (distributed free of charge to members) to interested parties. These notices will also be displayed at times on the Institution’s web page.

CertificateA Membership Certificate is issued to all members.

The Objectives of the Institution

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Artesis, a leading supplier of intelli-gent predictive maintenance solu-tions, showcased its new and

unique Plant Condition Monitor (PCM)solution at Maintec 2009. Building on theproven success of the Artesis MotorCondition Monitoring (MCM) system forelectric motors, PCM has been specificallydeveloped to work with generators and isideal for a wide range of applicationsincluding turbo alternators, diesel genera-tors, and wind turbines.

By accurately monitoring the condition ofgenerators and their prime movers, effec-tively using the generator itself as asophisticated transducer, PCM is simplerto use and more cost effective than otherconventional systems. It uses advancedNASA-developed technology to provideautomated set-up and fault diagnosiswith minimal user intervention, making itperfect for equipment in inaccessible orhazardous environments.“From our experience, it was clear thatthe industry required a reliable and cost

effective condition monitor solutionspecifically designed for applications withgenerators,” said Andy Bates, director atArtesis. “Our MCM solution has been verywell received in a number of sectors suchas the water, oil and gas, transportationand manufacturing industries, and hasmade a big impact in the condition moni-toring market that we are now offeringthe PCM as a total predictive mainte-nance system for plants with generators.We have already had a great responsefrom customers using the PCM systemfrom small auxiliary diesel generatorsright up to 95 mega watt turbo alterna-tors.”PCM provides an unparalleled moni-toring and assessment solution formachinery by continuously taking meas-urements and comparing them with itsreference condition, in order to assess theseverity and type of any developing fault.When PCM detects a fault, it presents theresults of its sophisticated analysis to theuser in a simple traffic light display. Thisprovides local staff with an immediateindication that a problem is developing.

Detailed diagnostic information is provid-ed by means of its standard networkingfacilities, and covers a vast range ofmechanical and electrical problemsincluding imbalance, misalignment, bear-ing damage, gearbox faults, isolation, andmany others.

Artesis is a leading supplier of intelligentpredictive maintenance solutions and hasbeen offering its reliable and efficientrange of products since 1999. Its technol-ogy has helped many customers aroundthe world increase productivity andreduce maintenance costs. The Artesisteam combines extensive experience inadvanced product development with thesuccessful application of advanced tech-nology to the requirements of operationsand maintenance professionals.

Artesis manufactures a range of intelli-gent condition monitoring productsincluding the Motor Condition Monitor(MCM), and Plant Condition Monitor(PCM) instruments, and the MCMSCADAsoftware package. These products areused for plant monitoring, predictivemaintenance, and process optimizationacross multiple industries including thechemical and petrochemical, metal pro-cessing, power generation, pulp andpaper, water, utilities, cement, food andbeverage, automotive, textile, and mar-itime sectors. Artesis has a robust intel-lectual property portfolio of issued andpending patents internationally.

For further information visit te web sitewww.artesis.com

Diagnostic Engineering 5


A new Plant Condition MonitorSpecifically developed to work with

generators across industryDesigned for plant monitoring, predictive maintenance andprocess optimization of generators across multiple industries

including the chemical and petrochemical.


The Bayernoil refinery complex islocated in southern Germany and hasthree refinery, production and

storage sites in Ingolstadt, Neustadt andVohburg (between Munich, Nurembergand Regensburg). It is owned by oil cor-porations OMV, Agip, BP and Ruhr Oel.Over 800 employees process annually12m tonnes of crude oil that is refinedinto oil products. Safety and environ-mental considerations are firmly integrat-ed in the company’s quality and produc-tion management. Moreover, Bayernoilhas a stringent zero-accident policy,hence the importance of preventivemaintenance at the three sites.

Looking for fugitive emissions refineryplants are subjected to a generalturnover, a huge inspection and mainte-nance operation during which units aretaken out of operation, partially disman-tled, cleaned, maintained and tested. At

the Vohburg plant, some 1,500 additionalworkers are involved in this processwhich usually takes several weeks.

“Our main reason to procure the FLIRGasFindIR is to minimise hydrocarbon gasdischarges from our piping systems, inparticular, leaks near flange gaskets” saysJohn Stapleford, HSE (Health, Security,Environment) Manager of the Bayernoilplants. The start-up of the servicedVohburg units provided an excellentopportunity to inspect the installationsfor leaks that might have remained afterthe turnaround.

Bayernoil is integrating the FLIRGasfindIR into its Leak Detection andRepair programs. Although environmentaland safety prescriptions are stringent,there is currently no specific EuropeanLDAR program that stipulates how oftenand complete companies must find, repairand report leaks of volatile organic com-pounds. Bayernoil wants to exchangetheir experiences with other FLIRGasFindIR users within the Bayernoilowner companies to determine the opti-mum inspection intervals.

“The FLIR GasFindIR contributes to reas-suring process safety”, concludes MrStapleford. “It is particularly interestingto inspect high-pressure systems as theyare the most susceptible to leaks”.

Looking For GasBayernoil Refinery uses FLIR GasFindlR todetect leaks and reassure process safety






ADIPS Amusement Device Inspection Procedures Scheme

ADIPS is the fairground and amusement park industry’s self regulated safety inspection scheme which registers competent ride inspectors and the rides they inspect.

Qualified and competent groups or individuals can register with the scheme to be able to inspect amusement devices in various engineering disciplines, for pre-use inspection and in-service annual inspection, on behalf of the members of the industry trade associations.

For more information contact ADIPS Tel. 0191 516 6381 Email [email protected]

Visit www.adips.co.uk

ADIPS is seeking to encourage individuals and organisations specialising in the provision of mechanical engineering inspection services to register with the scheme and to offer these services to owners and operators of amusement riding devices throughout the UK.

(quote DiagEng March 09)

If you are interested in pursuing this opportunity, we would be pleased to provide full details on request.

Athermal barrier ceramic coatingused on a Honda Civic race car hasallowed its team to realise the true

capacity of its petrol tank, helping itachieve a best ever 6th place in theBritcar 24 hour race. Using Zircotec’sexhaust coating permitted the team tofill the car with an extra 16 litres of fuelper stop. This in turn, allowed the car torun for an incredible three hours betweenstints, resulting in a class win and be thefirst front wheel drive car home.

“In the past we have struggled to getmore than 94 litres of fuel into the cardue to air locks in the warm fuel tank,”says team manager Simon Mason. “Thisyear we could fill it right up to our 110litre allowance.” The team originally

approached Zircotec to coat the Honda’sexhaust to reduce cockpit temperatures.Endurance racing requires drivers to stayfocussed and comfortable for up to threehour stints including the challengingnight time driving. Zircotec’s coatingshave been proven to inhibit the transferof heat from exhausts to reduce surfacetemperatures by 170ºC and further test-ing has shown cabin temperatures can becomfortably lowered. Whilst developingan effective solution for the Honda’scabin, Zircotec suggested it could alsokeep the fuel tank cooler too.

“Zircotec’s coating has a thermal effi-ciency of less than 1.7 W/m K (com-pared with 4 W/m K for alumina) and isused by race engineers to make drivers

more comfortable and safe,” says motor-sport manager Stuart Clarke. “Customersuse our proven coating to prevent fuelvaporisation in the engine bay, but whenthe team explained the issue with thefuel capacity, we felt coating the exhaustclose to the fuel tank could solve theirproblems,” Zircotec can create a separateheat shield but in this case all that wasrequired was to plasma spray the Honda’sexhaust around the fuel tank area, a fitand forget solution that is more durableand takes up less space than wrap(increasing airflow to further cool theexhaust).

The team was also delighted withZircotec’s rapid turnaround, the firmoffering an express service when time istight. “The team is so pleased with theresults, for both reduced cabin tempera-ture and solving the fuel tank fill prob-lem, that it is sending a Porsche CarreraCup exhaust to Zircotec to be coated,”concludes Clarke.

Cool ceramic coating eliminatesair locks in fuel tanks

Cooling effect of Zircotec’s thermal barrier preventsair locks to increase tank capacity by 16 litres


Anew range of spherical roller bear-ings is now available that offers upto 60 per cent longer service life,

higher limiting speeds, increased loadratings and lower energy consumption,resulting in reduced operating costs.Schaeffler Group’s FAG E1 spherical rollerbearings with outside diameters largerthan 320mm are now available in X-lifepremium quality versions, providing sig-nificantly improved bearing performance.

By converting the standard FAG E1spherical roller bearings to X-life quality,customers benefit from a 15 per centincrease in load ratings; 50 per centhigher limiting running speeds; and up to60 per cent longer service life comparedto their predecessors.

This means that in applications wherebearing performance specificationsremain unchanged, customers can reducecosts by downsizing and installing smaller,more cost effective bearing solutions.

These improvements in quality, perform-ance and running accuracy were achievedby developing new cages and rollers withnew dimensions and crowned faces.

Schaeffler’s FAG range of spherical rollerbearings is ideal for demanding operatingenvironments, particularly for applica-tions in which very high load carryingcapacity and reliability are key design cri-teria.

Spherical roller bearings are double-row,self-containing units that comprise solidouter rings with a concave raceway, solidinner rings and barrel rollers with cages.The inner rings have cylindrical or taperedbores.

The symmetrical barrel rollers positionthemselves freely on the concave outerring raceway, which compensates for anyshaft misalignment or flexing. Sphericalroller bearings support axial forces inboth directions and high radial forces.

The bearings are designed for very highload carrying capacity and, because theyare designed with the optimum numberof large barrel rollers, are also suitable forheavy loads. Also, due to the close con-tact between the rollers and raceways,uniform stress distribution is achieved inthe bearing.

Many bearing sizes within Schaeffler’sspherical roller bearing range can now beconverted to X-life quality. These bearingshave no central rib on the inner ring andare therefore able to use longer barrelrollers. In addition, the bearings benefitfrom improved kinematics, optimised sur-faces and are made from higher perform-ance materials. As a result, the basicdynamic load rating and basic rating life(under identical operating conditions) issignificantly improved. Of course thismeans that in certain applications, asmaller bearing solution can be designed.

For the customer, these benefits translateinto higher machine availability, newdesign possibilities, more economicalbearing supports due to downsizing; andlower operating costs due to reducedenergy consumption.

The most up-to-date kinematics technol-ogy and software is used to develop thesebearings, which are made from superiorquality materials. Performance improve-ments were made possible by modifyingand improving the bearing contact geom-etry and bearing kinematics. This includedadding longer rollers with larger diame-ters, which results in higher load ratings.

Surface improvements on the rolling ele-ments also enable a lubrication film thatis capable of supporting even higherloads. Improved osculation conditions and additional profiles further optimise therolling contact. Modified osculation andprecise rib geometry increase the loadcarrying capacity of the rib contact. Anew sheet metal cage with improvedroller guidance and lubrication support,reduce wear and extend the life of thebearing.

Further information on Schaeffler’s FAGE1 spherical roller bearings, can be foundon www.schaeffler.co.uk. Telephone for catalogue WL43170.

Schaeffler (UK) Ltd, Forge Lane,Minworth, Sutton Coldfield,West Midlands B76 1APTel: 0121 351 3833 Fax: 0121 351 7686e-mail: [email protected]

Spherical roller bearingsdesigned to cut operating costs

and give up to 60% longer service life





An affordable thermography solutionfor the predictive maintenance ofelectrical and mechanical systems

is being introduced with IDEAL’s newHeatSeeker™ Thermal Imager. Less cum-bersome to use than traditional thermalimagers, the handheld HeatSeeker wasdesigned to meet the stringent standardsfor performance set by professional elec-tricians, engineers and building inspec-tors.

“Whether you’re troubleshooting anindustrial pump or checking air distribu-tion in a duct, you want a thermal imageryou can depend on to work quickly andaccurately,” explained Tony Kumeta,General European Manager of IDEALINDUSTRIES (U.K.) Ltd. “We engineeredthe HeatSeeker to ensure a precise, highlyfunctional diagnostic tool that was sim-ple to use for detection and post-analy-sis.”

Auto Hot/Cold Tracker

The IDEAL HeatSeeker incorporates anAuto Hot/Cold Tracker, a new technologythat automatically pinpoints the hottestand coldest temperatures within a singlescreen by highlighting both with dual

cursors. Just a quick scan of the AutoHot/Cold Tracker immediately identifiescurrent or potential problems, such asoverloaded circuits, inefficient heat trans-fer, moisture leakage, or fluid distributionfor a stuck valve. By locating potentialmalfunctions before they become criticalthe HeatSeeker lowers maintenance costs.

Digital/Thermal Blending

For superior accuracy in the field,HeatSeeker captures a “real” digital photoof the subject that is then blended with afull infrared picture to provide addeddetail to the image under review.Depending on the complexity of theimage, the technician can choose toblend the digital photo with 25%, 50% or75% infrared to better identify suspectedcomponents. The digital image and thethermal can also be shown simultaneous-ly in the display. The combination of theAuto Hot/Cold Tracker and digital/thermalblending qualifies the HeatSeeker for awide variety of applications, improving itsversatility and value.

Simple Operation

Operating the HeatSeeker does notrequire specialist training. Once an imageis captured, technicians simply move tog-gles to navigate the tracking cursorsacross the LCD screen to measure surfacetemperature variations ranging from-10°C to +350°. A full 2,209 temperaturemeasurements can be viewed live on theLCD with an accuracy of ± 2°C or ±2% ofreading in °C, whichever is the greater.Images can be saved to evaluate all tem-perature points, as well as marked withtext and live voice recordings. The provid-ed ThermalVision™ software makes it easyto view, edit or analyze images on a PC,as well as to generate detailed inspectionreports.

Other market-proven features of theHeatSeeker are a Class II laser, a built-inLED illuminator for use in poorly lit areas,a removable handle, and adjustable emis-sivity to improve accuracy.

The IDEAL HeatSeeker Thermal Imager(Part # 61-844) is available from Marchwith a RRP of £2,350.00 +VAT. The kitincludes: USB cable, camera handle, car-rying case, power supply, rechargeableLithium-ion battery, and ThermalVisionsoftware. An optional car charger acces-sory is also available.

For more information on the IDEALHeatSeeker™ Thermal Imager, visitthe “What’s New” section onwww.idealindustries.co.uk.


Thermal Imager instantly pinpoints hottest & coldest temperaturesIDEAL HeatSeeker™ captures digital image on live screen


From model engines to flight simula-tors paint spraying to patterns ofnature, compressed air has a vast

assortment of applications around theScience Museum in London. An AtlasCopco variable speed drive compressorsupplies the air needed to bring scienceto life for its 200,000 monthly visitors.

Compressed air is used in the Museum’smechanical workshops and for cleaningand paint spraying. It also powersexhibits, interactive displays and sculp-tures – activating them at the press of abutton.

Furthermore, the Wellcome Wing, whichcontains contemporary science and tech-nology of the future, uses compressed airin the ‘kinetic art’ display. These danglingexhibits move up and down and blow jetsof air onto the heads of people passingunderneath. Air also powers the PatternPod, a hands-on gallery created for 5-8year olds, forming shapes that representpatterns occurring in nature.

Compressed air provides the motivepower also for the interactive EnergyGallery’s thought-provoking games andexhibits, including the braking system forgiant spinning drums. It is also essentialfor the state-of-the-art SimEx simulatorride, driving immersive air, water andseat vibration effects, and the feel of adinosaur’s breath on visitors’ necks.

The Atlas Copco compressor is visible tothe Museum’s visitors through a speciallyconstructed door. They can see both thecompressed air installation and associat-ed heat recovery system that provides‘green’ hot water (at 60ºC) for theWellcome Wing basement toilets and theDeep Blue restaurant - heat is naturallygenerated as air is compressed by thescrew element of the unit. The heatexchanger, located on the compressor,then takes the heat out of the com-pressed air system but, instead of send-ing it to atmosphere, re-uses it as hotwater for the selected locations, thussaving energy for the Museum.

The GA50 W VSD (water-cooled variablespeed drive compressor) was installed byAtlas Copco’s distributor, Air SolutionsLtd, who also carried out the pipeworkfitting. The VSD, together with AtlasCopco GA 22 standard screw compres-sors, supplies all the compressed air forthe museum. It is distributed to thepoints of use in a network of steel pipesmore than one kilometre long. The sys-tem also includes an Atlas Copco FD170

refrigerant dryer and an air receiver. Adry air supply is important in order toprotect the valves in the interactiveexhibits from moisture. Because it blowsair onto people’s heads, the kinetic artdisplay is particularly sensitive to con-tamination, so an oil filter has beeninstalled at point of use.

A VSD is an environment-friendly solu-tion as it uses up to 35% less energythan an standard air compressor byrunning at different speeds to matchdemand. The VSD compressor operatesseven days a week throughout the year,catering for frequent evening events aswell as daytime demand. Between 10 and2 bar air pressure is needed, dependingon the application.

Commenting on the importance of thecompressor installation to the efficientoperation of the exhibits, Gary Edgerton,Mechanical Services Manager, said, “I amvery satisfied with the way the AtlasCopco VSD is running. Its energy-savingcapacity and heat recovery features fitwell with our environmental activities.”

For further company information contactJohn Forman on 01442 222235.

Science brought to lifewith compressed air!

Atlas Copco at the London Science Museum



InstitutionQuality Ties

in blue or maroonOnly £9.99

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This regulator was developed by theelectronics firm the KnockabollakovPlc of Grotty formerly part of the

USSR. The company started in the earlypart of the 20th Century, and in the earlydays made parts for agricultural machin-ery. Later, they diversified into the fieldof electrical components for commercialand domestic use. Very few of theirproducts remain in existence as a resultof the turmoil following the Revolutionof 1917.

In about 1915, the company startedmaking electrical parts for the growingRussian automobile industry. Amongsttheir innovative and quite original ideaswas the “bouncing bobbin” regulator.

It was specifically designed to be usedwith both a.c. and d.c. generators andwas originally for industrial use. Laterit was used quite widely on passengervehicle application for the vehicles thenin production in the Eastern bloc.

Knockabollockov Plc was well known fortheir pioneering and far-sighted work inthe field of industrial electrical and elec-tronic innovation. Although little wasknown about the company or its prod-ucts in Western Europe until the end ofthe division between East and West

Germany, in the East, the company washeld in high esteem. It is thought, butnot confirmed, that they produced com-ponents for the Russian SpaceProgramme, including their legendarythermo-vacuum thyristor pump. InRussia, they were one of the main suppli-ers of electrical components to the WonkTractor Factory.

Had history taken a different turn, itwould interesting to speculate on whatproducts would have been developed bythe company – had they remained inexistence.

With onset of Glasnost and the move-ment of Western European manufactur-ing ideas, techniques and design intoRussia, this regulator became obsolete inthe face of existing alternator designsalready in use throughout Britain andmainland Europe incorporating built inrectification in the alternator casing.

Operation – See Schematic DiagramA feed from the “D” terminal of thedynamo energises the shunt winding andcloses the points “A” against spring pres-sure and the tension imparted by theadjusting screw. The feed then passes tothe “F” terminal to energise the dynamofield.

The output to the battery passes throughthe series winding, and the magneticfield overcomes the shunt-winding fieldwith a reversed polarity and lifts thebobbin, closing the air gap and openingthe points “A”. This in turn closes thepoints “B”.

The polarity to the field reverses, causinga reverse polarity to the series winding,which in turn pulls the bobbin down andopens the point “A”. The cycle is thenrepeated.

NOTES A “Swamp” resistance is fitted tothe earth side of the shunt winding. As aresult, the regulator becomes a rectifierdue to the change in polarity of thepoints “A” relative to the points “B”which is then fed to the alternator.

This is timed to match the cycles/secondalternations of the output and thus can-cel out the negative part of the phase,which rectifies the current to d.c.

The value of the swamp resistance is crit-ical, as any error will adversely affect thesynchronisation of the polarity changes. No cutout is required as the bobbin restsin the centre with both sets of pointsopen.

It is thought that this may well be theonly regulating relay to employ “repulsiveinduction” as a method for regulatingvoltage and charging a vehicle battery.

The Bouncing Bobbin Type RegulatorDouglas Wragg FIDiagE



RESISTANCE

POINTS ‘B’

Bouncing Bobbin Voltage Regulator

BOBBIN. BI-METALFOR TEMPERATURECOMPENSATION

SHUNT WINDINGCLOSES POINTS

POINTS ‘A’

INSULATOR

INSULATORD

F

ADJUSTING SCREW

SERIES WINDINGLIFTS BOBBIN AND OPENS THEPOINTS

TO BATTERY




Fluke, the world’s leading supplier oftest and measurement equipment,has added two new models to its

range of Colour ScopeMeter®s. As well asan Industrial Bus Health Test capability,the Fluke 225C (200 MHz, 2.5 GS/s) andFluke 215C (100 MHz, 1 GS/s) include allthe features of Fluke’s market-leading199C and 199C Colour ScopeMeters, mak-ing these instruments the signal analysistool of choice for engineers working onelectronic and electrical systems.

The handheld Fluke 225C and 215CScopeMeters are aimed at maintenancespecialists who deal with industrial buses,networks and general electronics. Theyverify electrical signal quality on industrialbuses including Profibus, Foundation,Modbus, CAN-bus, RS-485 and more. Thenew instruments feature easy signal vali-dation of all the signal parameters, andfloating and fully isolated inputs for truedifferential signal measurements.They allow users to verify the electricalintegrity of bus and network, performing‘physical layer tests’ and getting answersquickly and easily.

Like the Fluke 190C Colour ScopeMeterSeries, the 225C and 215C offer a widerange of test capabilities including FFTanalysis for identifying individual frequen-cy components contained in a signal. TheTrendPlot paperless recording functionhelps uncover long-term trends and showschanges in any of the measurable parame-ters (like the rise-time of a signal); theScopeRecord function allows long recordsof waveform recordings to be made, overa period up to 48 hours; a ‘Replay’ func-tion enables the user to take a closer lookat any anomaly seen flashing by on thescreen, by re-playing the last sequence of100 screen images.

Bus Health Test Bus Health Test analyses the electrical sig-nals on the industrial bus or network andgives a clear ‘Good’, ‘Weak’ or ‘Bad’ vali-dation mark for each relevant parameter,next to the actual measured value.Measured values are compared to stan-dard values based on the bus type select-

ed, or personal reference values if usersneed different tolerances.

The Fluke 225C and 215C can validate thesignal quality as soon as electrical signalsare passed along the network, withoutlooking at data content. They help in find-ing errors like improper cable connections,bad contacts, incorrect grounding and

missing or superfluous terminators.

Floating independently isolated inputchannels

The independently isolated input channelsand the floating inputs mean that theScopeMeters can take truly floating differ-ential measurements from balanced 2-wire systems like RS-485 and CAN. Oneinput channel can measure the voltagebetween the two signal wires, and the

other can measure the common modevoltage over ground at the same time,independently.

The large colour screen of the 225C and215C shows the individual parameterswith validation, the actual measuredvalue, the minimum and maximum valuesrecorded over time, and the reference val-ues used for the validation. The choice ofparameters differs with the bus type andmay include bias voltage, signal high- andlow-levels, rise- and fall-times, in-bandand out-band noise levels, jitter, pulsewidth, baud-rate, and more.

Activity indicators tell users that the dataflow is ongoing, and stop flashing themoment communications come to a halt.In the eye-pattern mode, a waveform dis-play is built over successive signal passesto give a visual indication of overall signalquality, noise levels and signal jitter.

Top-of-the-range ScopeMetersAll Fluke ScopeMeters allow users to per-form the basic electrical tests like copperresistance and isolation tests on an elec-trical system or a cable. On top, the 225Cand 215C give extensive network signalanalysis capabilities. The isolated channelstructure gives excellent immunity tocommon mode noise and disturbances,and can measure common mode voltagesseparately.

Fluke’s mission is to be the world leaderin compact, professional electronic testtools. The company’s products are usedby technicians and engineers in service,installation, maintenance, manufacturingtest, and quality functions in a variety ofindustries throughout the world. Fluke,founded in 1948, currently has offices in13 European countries and distributes itsproducts to over 100 countries interna-tionally. The company’s European rev-enues contribute approximately 40 per-cent of worldwide sales. Fluke’s head-quarters are located in Everett,Washington State and the companyemploys over 2,500 people international-ly. Its European sales and service head-quarters are located in Eindhoven, TheNetherlands.

More details about these and otherproducts can be found on the web site athttp://www.fluke.co.uk

Two new Colour ScopeMeter® modelsFeaturing Industrial Bus Health Test

The Fluke 200 series ScopeMeter




Arange of strain gauge displace-ment transducers is now available,which offer expanded stroke

lengths from as low as 0-5mm up to 0-100mm. The transducers are fully inter-changeable with alternative strain gaugedisplacement transducer models currentlyon the market and offer long service lifeand excellent mechanical reliability.

The AML/SGD Series of strain gauge dis-placement transducers from AppliedMeasurements Ltd produces a linearlyproportional voltage output relative tothe movement of a captive and guidedspindle arrangement.

Compared to LVDTs, measuring displace-ment using strain gauges is generallymore consistent and accurate. The uniqueinternal construction of the AML/SGDtransducer ensures a smooth, frictionlessmovement of the inner core, resulting inminimal resistance and providing consis-tent, high overall accuracy of <±0.1%.

Due to its virtually frictionless movement,the AML/SGD displacement transducer isless intrusive to the application, particu-larly if the customer is trying to measurethe displacement of soft, pliable materi-als. Also, being strain gauge-based, theAML/SGD Series utilises simple DC elec-tronics and so is compatible with a verybroad range of standard analogue and

digital instrumentation. With LVDT dis-placement sensors, often the instrumen-tation tends to be more specialised.

The design of the AML/SGD series isbased on a four-arm active WheatstoneBridge, with a nominal impedance of350ohms. This design ensures excellentnon-linearity, low current consumptionand good temperature stability.

The AML/SGD is compact, rugged andeasy-to-install and offers a high outputsignal. The transducers are used by a vari-ety of industry sectors, including R&D,industrial, aerospace, civil engineering,automotive and marine/shipbuildingapplications.

Peter Lewis, Managing Director at AppliedMeasurements Limited comments:“Several of our customers asked us toextend our SGD range of transducersbecause they were receiving a poor serv-ice from their existing suppliers. With theexpanded SGD range, we can now meetthese companies’ delivery and qualityexpectations. Similarly, companies cur-rently using LVDT sensors to measure dis-placement may consider using straingauge based versions in the future.”

Applied Measurements Limited offers acomprehensive selection of transducersbased on strain gauge technology. Thecompany’s product range includes sensors

to measure load, pressure, torque and dis-placement. In addition, a custom transducerdesign service and strain gauge bondingfacilities are available.

To support the transducer range, a varietyof analogue and digital instrumentationis available, including high resolution,high speed and RS232/485 equipped sig-nal conditioners and indicators, as well asportable battery powered indicators withintegral data logging, enabling the com-pany to offer complete systems with cali-bration traceable to UKAS standards.

In addition to the standard transducerrange, the company also has the capabili-ty to design, develop and manufacturecustom devices to meet specific needs.Expertise is based on bonded strain gaugetechnology, which is carried across thecompany’s complete line of transducers.Involvement in customer projects can beat any stage, from development anddesign, through prototyping,testing and into full production.

For more information visit the web sitewww.appmeas.co.uk

Strain Gauge Displacement Sensorswith long service and excellent mechanical reliability




The new Stealth shaft and couplingalignment system offers very highaccuracy, a patented and unique

Bluetooth link, easy operator guidance forset up and a much lower cost entry point.

Whitelegg Machines are UK distributorsfor the Stealth Shaft and Coupling align-ment systems. These incorporate apatented and unique super-linear Dual-Beam™ Position Sensing Detector (PSD)which gives exceptional accuracy andease of use, with the top of the rangemodel offering 10 times higher PSD

accuracy than competitors, equating tothe most accurate measurement on themarket.

The dual beam allows the measurementof offset and angle simultaneously withone PSD. This avoids the potential meas-urement errors which often result fromthe competitive method of using twoPSDs and also makes for remarkably easyalignment.

The new Stealth Series incorporateintuitive programming to allow eveninexperienced operatives to easily walkthrough the alignment process, ensuringeach step is accounted for. The unique-to-market, internal Bluetooth transmitterlinks the laser and target to a hand heldpda at up to 10m distant, or to a PCplatform. All alignment methods are pos-sible including 360˚sweep.

Dynamic on-screen graphics showsexactly how much the motor has movedas adjustments are made.

Importantly the Stealth uses the latestlong life lithium polymer batteries givingover 12 hours of wireless use.

For further information visit the web sitewww.whitelegg.com

Things aren’t alwaysas they appear

A woman was flying from Seatle to SanFrancisco. Unexpectedly, the plane wasdiverted to Sacramento along the way.The flight attendant explained that therewould be a delay, and if the passengerswanted to get off the aircraft the planewould re-board in 50 minutes.

Everybody got off the plane except onelady who was blind. The man had noticedher as he walked by and could tell thelady was blind because her Seeing Eyedog lay quietly underneath the seats infront of her throughout the entire flight.

He could also tell she had flown this veryflight before because the pilot approachedher, and calling her by name, said, 'Kathy,we are in Sacramento for almost an hour.Would you like to get off and stretchyour legs?' The blind lady replied, 'Nothanks, but maybe Buddy would like tostretch his legs.'

All the people in the gate area came to acomplete standstill when they looked upand saw the pilot walk off the plane witha Seeing Eye dog!

The pilot was even wearing sunglasses.People scattered. They not only tried to

change planes, but they were trying tochange airlines!

This is a true story.Remember. Things are not always as theyappear!

Low cost Laser Alignment systemHigh accuracy with lower cost entry point




Layout.The Maier two cylinder Vee two-stroke

gas engine has a conventional cross-headconnecting rod-crankshaft layout foreach cylinder. The reciprocating cross-head obviates piston side thrust andoperates a bobbin inlet valve by a rodwith increasing end taper.

Valve control.The inlet valve comprises a T assembly,

the vertical channel forming the inletvalve controlling gas inlet through thecylinder head. The horizontal channel hasthe gas pressure inlet pipe connectingunion at one end: this gas pressure movesthe bobbin to seal against a reduceddiameter seating. In this position, no gascan pass to the vertical channel. Thebobbin is extended through the reduceddiameter horizontal arm of the T to proj-ect into a vertical slot through which thereciprocating tapered rod projects. Thebobbin terminates in a hardened steelball.

Valve adjustment.This rod with (hardened) taper displaces

the bobbin as the cross-head approachesBottom Dead Centre (BDC), allowing agas pressure passage to the vertical chan-nel with its fixed gas jet and air entrain-ment system prior to the cylinder inletvalve. The degree of bobbin opening iscontrolled by the taper and is determinedby a horizontal adjustment screw in theend of the arm. This screw also has ahardened steel ball in contact with verti-cal rod taper. The bobbin adjustmentscrew is intended to enable the twocylinders to be balanced for the set speedof operation required.

The problem.The gas control bobbin valve is fittedwith two “O” rings which seal against thehorizontal arm bore to act as described.Cold weather conditions in particularcause these to become sticky so the gaspressure is not sufficient to move thebobbin to seal against the reduced diam-eter part of the arm. In these conditions,gas passes unhindered to the vertical gasjet. During the compression and firingstroke gas is then lost to atmosphere viathe air entrainment holes. This is not

only wasteful but can form a hazard inthe engine room.

Diagnosis.This was clouded by the continued work-

ing of both cylinders but with excessivegas consumption. The continuing gasflow appeared to affect one cylinder morethan the other, despite exchanging bob-bins. Careful cleaning made no differ-ence and on site no suitable burnishingtool was available to ease the bore. Toincrease the gas pressure in this applica-tion was not possible so a light springwas found to just fit between the gasinlet union inner face and the bobbinface. This worked satisfactorily butincreases the pressure on the taper andcontact balls. However, within the inter-mittent operation of the unit, this isregarded as acceptable.

To maintain the unchanged specificationconditions between the two cylinders, asimilar spring arrangement was fitted tothe second cylinder. A further improve-ment with an even lighter bobbin closurespring will be made in due course as timepermits.

The diagram below may be helpful.

Gas engine inlet valve failure Research: Dr R A Kisch DSc, FIDiagE

MAIER V2 GAS INLET CONTROL

Not to scaleRef :V2060109 DE/9

ADJUSTMENT

CROSSHEAD ROD

AIR INLET

HELP SPRING ‘O’ RING BOBBIN

GAS JET

GAS IN

The innovative PE5 pressure and vacu-um switch from Rexroth offersnumerous pneumatic connection

options and a compact design. Clear anddistinct the display output can be tailoredto to suit the environment

Flexible in design, Bosch Rexroth’s com-pact PE5 electronic pressure and vacuumswitch is easy to operate and install, withthree ergonomically-arranged buttonsand numerous pneumatic connectionoptions. The fully IP65-protected switchfeatures a large, four-digit LCD displaythat is easy to read, and the pressureunits shown can be tailored to suit theenvironment.

The PE5 electronic pressure and vacuumswitches are available from Rexroth intwo electrical versions, either with two

digital switch outputs, or with one digitalswitch output and one analogue output.Versions with PNP or NPN outputs areavailable. The analogue output signal canbe switched between voltage (0 - 10V)and current (4 - 20mA).

Rexroth’s PE5 electronic pressure switchmeasures the relative pressure via apiezoresistive pressure sensor and has

pressure range options from -14.5 to 145psi (-1 to 10 bar). The pressure is shownon the illuminated LCD display in bright,large characters (0.43” in height), whichchange colour for rapid fault detection.Suitable for a wide variety of applica-tions, the pressure units can be displayedas psi, inHG, bar and KPa.

With compact exterior dimensions of1.4”W x 2.6”H x 1.3”D, Rexroth’s PE5electronic pressure switch can be mount-ed easily using an optionally availablebracket or on a DIN rail. Additionally, tohelp reduce downtime and maintenancecosts, the PE5 switch can be combinedwith Rexroth’s AS and NL Series mainte-nance units via a double nipple.

“Rexroth’s PE5 is a cost-effective andversatile unit, offering simple yet flexibleoperation combined with a compact androbust design,” said Trevor Osborne,Automation Manager at Bosch Rexroth.“Suitable for a wide variety of industrialapplications – from a simple pressureswitch through to an analogue transducer– the switch’s display output can be tai-lored to suit the environment.”

Depending on the version, the pneumaticsconnection is established either with a4mm push-in fitting or a G1/4” internalthread on the underside. A female G1/4thread is available on the reverse of allversions for connection to regulators anddistributor blocks. The electrical connec-tion is established with a four-pin M12x1plug.

The switches’ options, including the dis-played unit of pressure, switching modes,and others can be programmed quicklyand easily using the three large, user-friendly push buttons. After the switchhas been programmed, it returns to dis-play mode and shows the current pres-sure. The unit of the displayed pressurecan be seen in the lower section of thedisplay and the switch output states areshown at the top.

For further information visit the web site www.boschrexroth.co.uk

CASE STUDY

Sensor protectsindustrial doors

from wind damage

Engineers from Stanair Industrial DoorServices have created a bespoke but lowcost solution for a client with an unusualproblem.

Abbey Board in Northamptonshirehas two rapid action doors that havesustained repeated damage by highwinds.

The doors were supplied by anothercompany many years before!

In moderate to high wind conditions thedoor curtains were blowing out of thedoor tracks causing expensive damage.

The problem occurred frequently duringthe recent extreme weather.

Stanair's engineers examined what washappening and why, then built andinstalled a bespoke solution.

They repaired the doors with re-engi-neered wind bars.

And the doors were fitted with windsensors wired into the original doorcontrollers.

If wind gusts reach a certain level, thedoor curtain automatically rolls up andremains in the open position until windlevels fall to an acceptable level.A manual override controlled by akeyswitch allows supervised operationof the doors at any time.

Kettering depot manager MikeEtherington said: “Stanair is all aboutcustomer service guarantees, and wepromised the client we would find a wayto fix this unusual problem.

“It’s always a challenge to create abespoke solution, but very satisfying toknow you have fixed a problem and theclient is delighted.”

Stanair was formed in 1974, and was oneof the first specialist industrial doorrepair service companies.



New Electronic Pressure Switchwith a display output tailored to suit the environment




An Engineering Maths Question

The situationAn excavator weighing 22 tons is ontop of a low trailer and heading easton route I-70 near Hays, Kansas.

The extended shovel arm is made ofhardened refined steel and theapproaching overpass is made ofcommercial-grade concrete, rein-forced with 11/2 inch steel rein-forced bar, spaced at 6 inch intervalsin a criss-cross pattern layered at12 inch vertical spacing.

The questionWhen the shovel arm hits the over-pass, how fast do you have to begoing to slice the bridge in half ?(Assume no effect for headwind andno braking by the driver...)

Calculate the time for the entire rigto come to a complete stop afterhitting the overpass at the speedcalculated above.Yes, you can ignore friction.

And just why did this happen?

See page 25 for the answer




A New flowmeterdesigned for

Fire Sprinkler Installation

Cache Instrumentation Ltd arepleased to introduce the additionalNEW Firesure X Flowmeter offering

innovative design to help improve healthand safety in industry.

The LPCB approved Firesure flowmeterdistributed by Cache Instrumentation hasbeen a market leader for many yearsbeing renowned for delivering optimumperformance. The firesure flowmeter isthe preferred option for fire systems andintelligent building management. It hasbeen designed specifically to meet therequirements for a direct readingflowmeter for the use in automatic firesprinkler systems, water spray and delugesystems.

Cache is delighted to introduce an addi-tional new range; the Firesure XFlowmeter which has evolved as a resultof feedback from both the fire sprinklerindustry and our customers who are con-

stantly striving for improved perform-ance.

This innovative design provides a greaterflexibility for installation with optimumviewing and operation, necessary to meetthe CDM regulations. Thus providing and

improving health and safety in industryand assisting with effective planning andrisk management.

The firesure X flowmeter offers;

� Direct and Remote Indicator Options

� Superior Performance

� Most Extensive Flow Range

� Simple and Speedier Installation

� Flange and Groove style connection options

� Horizontal or Vertical pipelines providing universal Installation

� Remote Indicator which can be Retrofitted to the existing Firesure range

� Increased Pressure Rating i.e. 16barg (with x 2.5 safety factor)

� LPCB Certification to LPS 1045

The New Firesure X is available directfrom Cache Instrumentation.

For further details visit the website;www.cacheuk.com

These newly redundant bankemployees have got a lot tolearn.


Schaeffler Group’s INA LinearTechnology Division has developed arange of miniature linear guidance

sets that offer machine builders a num-ber of technical advantages, includinghigh performance, high rigidity and com-pact size.

The latest machinery and industrialautomation systems are becoming small-er and more compact, while alsodemanding increased performance.Machine builders and designers aretherefore under pressure to sourcemachine components that offer a com-pact size and high performance.Unfortunately, these two characteristicsoften do not go hand-in-hand.

This issue is particularly important inbearings for miniature machine compo-nents, where it is often very difficult tosatisfy the dual requirements of com-pactness, coupled with high rigidity andhigh load carrying capacities.

However, Schaeffler’s new range ofminiature linear guidance systems satis-fies these often-complex requirements.The miniature guidance sets with cylin-drical roller flat cages, for example, areready-to-mount units that are designedfor use as linear locating bearings. Theguides are available in numerous guide-way lengths, offering very cost effectivesystem designs. A special corrosion-resistant version is also available.

Numerous applications

The guidance systems are ideally suitedto applications with short stroke lengths;low-friction motion; oscillating move-ments; high loads, where high rigidity isalso required; and for very high accuracyrequirements.

Compared to linear guidance systemsthat use ball elements, the roller unitsoffer significantly higher load carrying

capacities. This is because the balls are inpoint contact with the raceways, where-as cylindrical rollers are in line contact.

Guidance systems with cylindrical rollerflat cages are therefore preferred in

applications where the units require veryhigh load carrying capacity and rigidity,while operating over limited short strokelengths. Due to their smooth running andhigh precision, the guides are also suit-able for applications with very demand-ing accuracy/positioning requirements.

Design & Construction

A unit comprises at least one inner andone outer guideway pair of equal orunequal length, cylindrical roller flatcages and end pieces. The sets can sup-port forces from all directions, apart fromthe direction of motion, and momentsabout all axes. Due to the arrangementof the rolling elements, they can transmitloads at a contact angle of 45 degree

In RWS1808 miniature linear guidancesets, two rows of rolling elements are inline contact with the raceways. This line

contact means the units offer very highload carrying capacity and rigidity.

Cylindrical rollers are available in an ‘O’or ‘X’ arrangement. The ‘O’ type offershigher rigidity and is better suited tosupporting tilting moments. The arrange-ment can be altered by transposing thecages.

The linear guideways are made fromthrough-hardened steel and are ground

on all sides. The raceways for the rollingelements are precision ground.The guideways are screw mounted fromabove to the adjacent construction.They have fixing holes with counter boresfor the screw heads.

The cages are of a two-row design.The strip used in the manufacture of thecylindrical roller flat cages is made fromcorrosion-resistant steel. Steel end pieceson the end faces of the carriages limitthe travel of the cage and protect theraceways against contamination.

For more information on SchaefflerGroup’s range of miniature linearguidance sets, please visit the web sitewww.schaeffler.co.uk

A new range of miniature linear guides for thenew generation of industrial machinery


Institution of Diagnostic Engineers . www.diagnosticengineers.org

New miniature linear guidance sets has beenspecially developed to suit the latest generation of industrial

machinery, which requires machine components that arecompact and provide high performance and rigidity.


Contrary to what some people maythink, Police Forces in this countrydo not set out to prosecute every

person driving a motor vehicle on ourroads full stop! A lot of the Forces use asimilar system to the Constabulary that Iam employed by, Vehicle Examiners whohave considerable experience with allsorts of motorised vehicles over a span ofseveral decades and not just a basicunderstanding of motor vehicles coveredby a 12 week course in a classroom.

Police Officers who were authorised to beVehicle Examiners used to be the “norm”however, as motor vehicles becameincreasingly more sophisticated electron-ically as well as mechanically they strug-gled to fully understand all of the chang-ing technicalities, appraise themselveswith the ever evolving vehicle technologyand carry out their duties as a TrafficPatrol Officer, something had to giveeventually.

Several years before I became one of theVehicle Examiners within theConstabulary that employs me, I havebeen told that a passing remark betweenour then Transport Manager and theChief Constable of the day, set the “ballin motion” for the use of “civilian” per-sonnel to take over one of the roles of aTraffic Patrol Officer, examining motorvehicles involved in fatal, serious anddamage only collisions along withConstruction and Use examinations forunroadworthy motor vehicles.

Two of my colleagues started with theConstabulary in I believe 1987 and Ijoined in 1992 when the third VehicleExaminer appointed in 1987 took earlyretirement due to a family illness.

When I started, I was “shown the ropes”by the senior examiner (age wise that is)and we used to complete our VehicleExamination Notes, compile a statementand photocopy our notes all of whichwas sent to the CPS via the InvestigatingOfficer.

Since then, our Examination Notes areever changing as new technology comesto light, we take our own photographswhich we include in our “bound” Reportsand the only statement we now do is ourintroductory statement for the completeReport.

By the way of a short introduction, weare now called Forensic VehicleExaminer’s for the Police who, as the titlesuggests, examine vehicles for a living onbehalf of the Constabulary. We are not,have not and will not be Police Officer’sand we currently enjoy the second titleof being a member of Police Staff andNOT just “civvies”.

I have carried out this role along withthree other colleagues for the past 16years having spent the majority of myprevious working life servicing andrepairing all sorts of motor vehicles in alltypes of environments.

Over the last 16 year period, I haveencountered heartache, misery, death anddestruction along with, believe it or not,enormous helpings of joy, laughter andtears, even during an Inquest into thedeath of a loved one! As well as examin-ing vehicles were tragedy has occurred, Ialso examine vehicles that have beeninvolved in lesser collisions where allega-tions of defects or failures are claimedsuch as the “brakes failed”, the “steeringfailed” or the other “old chestnut”, thetyre “blew out” etc. Over the years I havecome across numerous cases whereby theallegations of a mechanical failure havejust been that. A mechanical failure fullstop! They do not happen very often butwhen they do, there are occasions thatnot only do my diagnostic skills play asignificant part but also 4 out of my 5senses also leap to the fore! My sense oftaste being the only one I try not to use!

I was rummaging through some of myvery old statements and handwrittennotes the other day and found this par-ticular piece of mechanical puzzle that

took me about a week to convince theInvestigating Police Officer was purely amechanical failure that the driver wouldnot necessarily have been aware of untilheavy braking would have needed tohave been applied.

I was requested to examine a long-wheelbased Landrover that was owned by oneof our Armed Services Divisions here inthe South of England that had collidedwith the rear of a stationary 7.5tonnetruck that was fitted with a tail lift. Ithappened in the middle of summer, thesun was shining and the road surface,which was in good condition, was dryand free of any contributory defects.

The truck was stationary at a set of traf-fic lights when the Landrover approachedits rear and struck the truck at approxi-mately 20 to 25mph. Our local TrafficUnit (now called Roads Policing Unit)attended noted all of the relevant detailsfrom both of the driver’s and several wit-nesses to the incident, arranged therecovery of the vehicles and on talking tothe driver of the Landrover, theInvestigating Officer was informed thatthe brakes on the Landrover had com-pletely failed! The officer thought thiswas very odd as there were two very dis-tinct black lines along the surface of theroad leading up to the Landrover. Thissuggested to her that the wheels on theLandrover had “locked”, indicating thatthe brakes had worked. No matter, shesaid, I will get the vehicle examined.

The following day I received a formalrequest to examine the Landrover, withparticular emphasis on the condition ofthe brakes and their operation. TheInvestigating Officer had informed me ofthe “lock-up” marks on the road thatindicated that the Landrover had brakedheavily. I loaded the paperwork into myvan and trundled over to the RecoveryAgent to commence my examination.

The vehicle had received a very compre-hensive frontal impact pushing the radia-tor into the front of the engine, severelyreshaping the front bumper and destroy-ing the entire front mounted lightingunits. I recorded the vehicle details,forced the bonnet open and looked intothe brake fluid reservoir mounted to thebrake master cylinder/servo assembly.Empty!

Locked or NotA real event following allegations of

a brake failure on a long wheel based Landrover.Nigel R. May. A.M.I.M.I., MIDiagE., RFP.




I opened the driver’s door and gentlyapplied the footbrake pedal which trav-elled a lot further than I recalled thatthey usually did. Therefore, I did notapply the footbrake pedal to its maxi-mum extremity at this stage. Out camethe trolley jack and the axle stand andoff came the O/S/F road wheel and tyre.On looking at the inner tyre wall and theinner rim of the road wheel, surprise, sur-prise! Fluid deposits covered both ofthese areas with further copious amountsof fluid also attached to the O/S of thefront axle casing and to the inner wheelarch.

Using an inspection lamp, I visuallyinspected the inner surfaces of the otherthree road wheels and I also inspected allof the brake lines attached to the under-side of this vehicle. There was no visibleevidence of any other areas of fluid losspresent so back to the O/S/F.

On closer inspection of the O/S/F brakeassembly, I found that the lower of thetwo securing bolts holding the brakecaliper to the hub assembly was notpresent and the upper mounting bolt wasonly “finger tight”. In addition, the brakefluid appeared to be emanating from themetal brake pipe at its union attachmentpoint to the caliper. The brake caliperitself moved freely around its “pivot”

point, the upper mounting bolt, usingonly hand pressure. Each time I movedthe caliper, further brake fluid droplets“exited” from the metal brake pipe, run-ning down the surface of the calipercasting.

The Landrover had a recorded mileage ofonly 5,600 miles and was approximately18months old and therefore had not cov-ered a significant mileage over that peri-od of time. I was informed that it was a“pool” vehicle and the driver had trav-elled down from Cumbria the previousday, stopping overnight in our area,intending to continue his journey thenext day when he struck the rear of thetruck. He had not noticed anythingunusual with the brakes throughout hisentire journey from Cumbria.

I contacted the Military Police who verykindly furnished me with the details ofall of the mechanical work that had beencarried out since their Service hadacquired the vehicle. In all of that time,the vehicle had suffered a puncture inthe N/S/R tyre, an indicator bulb failureand benefited from a small service.

As a result of my examination, I informedthe Investigating Officer that in factthe brakes had failed as the driver hadclaimed and therefore I could only

corroborate his allegation. As for thelock-up marks on the road surface, to theuninitiated, Landrover’s of this specifica-tion are not fitted with a “conventional”type of handbrake. They are fitted with atransmission brake attached to the rearof the gearbox at the front mountingpoint for the rear mounted propellershaft. To those of you that know, if youapply this type of transmission brakewhen travelling at say 25 to 30mph, asthe driver claimed, both of the rear roadwheels and tyres will “lock”. This is whathe did as the footbrake pedal travelled toits maximum extremity, did not retardthe vehicle even a fraction and his onlyhope of trying to prevent a collision wasto apply the “handbrake”. Unfortunately itwas too late but at least he had thepresence of mind to think of this and tryto retard the vehicle.

Needless to say, the charges that couldhave been raised had I found no defectswith the brakes were not forthcomingand I was able to retain and file myhandwritten notes without having toventure to a Magistrates Court at somefuture date.

Nigel R. May.

A.M.I.M.I., MIDiagE., RFP.



Small and mid-size aircraft can nowbenefit from lower power require-ments and smaller size of the 4239-

01 angle of attack (AOA) sensors fromSpaceAge Control.

Designed specifically to meet the needsof commuter, business, and general avia-tion aircraft the 4239-01 AOA sensorsprovide: 100 W maximum power require-ment (in-flight, continuous), 1lb. (454g)weight maximum, de-icing capability per

TSO-C16A AND BSI 2G-135 (Section8.7.2), electrical angle of -30 to +45degrees, user-specified electrical anglesoptionally available and heated vane andsensor case.

The products are a direct off-shoot of theSpaceAge Control's 30+ year heritage inproducing angle of attack sensors forflight test aircraft.

"Customers asked us to supply an airflowsensor designed with smaller size, lowerweight and - most critically - lowerpower draw", stated Tom Anderson III,CEO. "To date, the 4239-01 product hasexceeded the design requirements toinclude a brutal de-icing test."

Established in 1968, SpaceAge Control isan ISO9001:2000/AS9100B-compliantcompany, leading the air data and dis-placement sensing industries with stockand engineered-to-order products.

For more information aboutSpaceAge and its products, pleasecontact: [email protected]

Angle of Attack Sensor

For Small and Mid-Sized Aircraft


Dangerous Archive.

A wake up call fromJohn Sayer FIDiagE

If like me you have ever had to dealwith large volumes of digital datayou’ll soon come to realise that the

archiving of back-up’s becomes a veryimport process!

*Okay, I appreciate that this is alreadystarting to sound boring, but please bearwith me...

I have personally always approachedthis using the three generation hierarchy

system where the oldest generation isthe most precious cosseted, locked awaylooked after ‘never to see the light ofday’ media; (well except that is in the

event of the ultimate disastrous loss ofthe newer generations). The middle gen-eration forms the ‘oh dear lost somedata’ get me back to start ofday/week/month version, whilst the mostrecent generation is the daily back-up in

use medium; say a partitioned area onthe hard drive for example.[Affectionately known as theGrandfather, father, son system]

One would therefore expect that the old-est generation, formed from earlier back-ups would be on the most secure mediapossible; these days this seems to be inthe form of a CD-Rom or DVD-R disc asthis is a cheaper alternative (and oftenmore convenient) than say magnetic tapesystems which are supposed to be theultimate even to this day, although good-ness knows what will happen to thismagnetic media when the Earth’s mag-netic poles eventually flip? Anyhow, Idigress, so there you are sound in theknowledge that that all your preciousdata is stored away safely in your digitalvault on non-magnetic, read-only discsnever to see the light of day except inthe event of that one exceptionalultimately disastrous day!

Well, sorry to be a wet blanket, but don’t

be so sure!I’ve heard of many so called horror sto-ries where such disc media has failed,many of which I admittedly took with apinch of salt as they sounded quite far

fetched... that was until one day I wentto listen to a branded music CD andfound it refused to play? On examiningthe disc I noticed the silver recordingsurface had broken apart? I then decidedto check my valuable archives and lowand behold noticed that some of thesediscs had suffered a similar fate! You canimagine my reaction, but I was pleased ina way that I’d discovered this before Ihad personally suffered a data disaster.On closer inspection I discovered that thelayers that made up these discs hadeffectively de-laminated with the record-ing surface distorted (showing stress likepatterning) or worse had actually frac-tured; at this point all data becomeseffectively irretrievable!

Now this isn’t just another horror story,but in truth a wake up call to all thosesmug people out there that are goingabout their daily life in total ignorance ofthe impending disaster sitting in theirarchives where that all important “if allelse fails” back-up disc has already suc-cumb and will now never repair yoursoon to be failing computer system.

So, please don’t be complacent andignore this simple observation as if youhave valuable data stored in this waythen you do so at your peril. Oh, and bythe way I should point out that thisproblem isn’t confined to cheaperunbranded discs as I found signs of suchfailures on quality branded and in somecase yet to be used ‘brand new’ discs(specifically DVD’s)!

As in the example picture: Look out forstrange stress like coloured patterns oneither side of the recording surface. Alsolook out for what may look like bubblesin the plastic layers, or a very ominouscreaking feeling when the disc is handledas all are indications that this disc hasfailed!

Finally: Magnetic media magneticallydecays over time and secure memorysticks can likewise decay electronicallyall losing their valuable data, this cantake years to happen, but it will eventu-ally leave you with useless backups sorefresh that old and valuable data asoften as you can.

John Sayer FIDiagE





What a ship....no wonder 'Made inChina' is displacing North Americangoods big time with this floating conti-nent transporting goods across thePacific in 4 days no less!!!

This is how Wal-Mart gets all it's stufffrom China . Just look at this ship!15,000 containers and a 207' beam! Andlook at the crew-size: 13 people for aship longer than a US aircraft carrierwhich has a crew of 5,000 men and offi-cers.

Think it's big enough? Notice that 207'beam means it cannot fit through thePanama or Suez Canals . It is strictlytranspacific... Check out the cruise speed:31 knots means the goods arrive 4 daysbefore the typical container ship (18-20knots) on a China-to-California run.This is hugely competitive when carryingperishable goods.

This ship was built in five sections.The sections floated together and thenwelded. The command bridge is higherthan a 10-story building and has 11cargo crane rigs that can operatesimultaneously.

Additional information:Built in Denmark, Length - 1,302 ftBeam - 207 ft, Net cargo - 123,200 tonsEngine - 14 in-line cylinders dieselengine (110,000 BHP)Cruising Speed - 31 knotsCargo capacity - 15,000 TEU (1 TEU = 20 ft3)

Crew - 13 peopleFirst Trip - Sept. 08, 2006Construction cost - US $145,000,000+

Silicone painting applied to the shipbottom reduces water resistance andsaves an astonishing 317,000 gallons ofdiesel per year.

A documentary on the History Channel,noted that most of these containers areshipped back to China , EMPTY … yes youheard it right. We send nothing back onmost of these ships!

What a ship!The Emma Maersk





Domestic Engineers

“Can you pop over to domestics John?”

I’d been working in the radio and televi-sion technicians workshop for a fewweeks and had often noticed the buildingopposite located at the rear of the highstreet shop (that was the front to ourparticular branch of Stanwood Radio) butto be honest I’d never thought of it asbeing anything other than the storeroomthat served the shop?

“Sorry what? Do you want me to get amop or something?” Pompous guffawswere my reply!

“You’d better not let them hear you saythat!” Rolf, my manager chirped up, inbetween scoffing.

It turned out that the building in ques-tion was known as the domestics basical-ly because this was where all of thedomestic repairs were carried out on thelikes of vacuum cleaners, washingmachines and food mixers etc. The tech-nicians from my workshops saw thosethat worked here as some sort of under-class; although at that stage I had noidea why?

As I entered the building I noticed thetemperament of the work force wascompletely different to that of the tech-nical workshop as here music played inthe background, there was laughter,swearing, an atmosphere of tobaccosmoke and someone whistled ‘actually intune with the music!’

“Watch out we’ve got a whitey in ourmidst!” The commenter was obviouslyreferring to my white technicians coat;they all wore light brown smock coats...“You’ll want the gaffer; he’s over here!” Astout friendly looking chap emerged frombehind a washing machine that had beenturned upside down; presumably for bet-ter access to its works!

The gaffer was indeed a nice chap, com-pletely unassuming and welcoming...

“Hello lad, not often we see your kindover here in darkest domestic land” camehis initial greeting.

I’d actually been sent over to collectsome parts that had been delivered tothe wrong workshops in error, but ‘oldJeffers’ (the name he seemed to knownby), was keen to show me around thisbackwater of Stanwood Radio; so Iexpect I spent far longer there than Iactually should have done!

The thing I remember most about myvisit, and those subsequent, was that acertain air of snobbery existed in thetechnicians area that in truth had noright to be there; as it turned out I learnta whole lot more about real hands onrepair work in those few short encoun-ters with ‘the domestics’ than all my timein schools and colleges. The chaps indomestics were keen to show their skillsand not show off about it ‘or their quali-fications’ (as it turned out few had anyreal qualifications and working here wasto be their fate!). But importantly onechap, who took me under his wing andoffered to show me ‘domestic repairs’ inmy spare-time, was in fact one of thebest teachers I’d ever had. He taught me‘not to take things fore granted’ and notto just treat the failure itself but lookdeeper into discovering the reasons for itand treating both as the same repair.

Just because a fuse had blown ‘not tojust replace the fuse’ and chuck it backat the customer and treat them as adummy (as the technicians often would)but ask the customer what happenedbefore the fuse blew? Often it’d turn outthat a water leak, in say a washingmachine, was the true cause and aswater and electricity are not particularlygood bed fellows, so then the leak alsoneeded to be addressed urgently and notignored.

This then was most likely my first trueencounter with ‘real life diagnostic engi-neering’ to not only repair a fault but tounderstand it and treat it in an holisticway.

I carried this ‘philosophy’ with methroughout my working life and it hasserved me well.

So it came as a bit of an eye openerwhen recently I had need to call a

domestic appliance repairman to fix ourwashing machine at home, it was cov-ered by a complete care plan so for onceI had no need to get my hands dirty(metaphorically speaking you under-stand). The first chap (yes more than onehad to be called) fixed the door, whichhad broken hinges, but before leaving hewas supposed to check the condition ofthe machines workings; needless to sayhe didn’t and as a result 30 days laterthe machine suffered a catastrophic fail-ure of just about everything electricaland mechanical. I did my own quickdiagnostic check and wrote out a list ofeverything I suspected had failed, thisthen, a list of around eight items wasreported to the repair company. Alongcomes engineer number two! No not torepair the machine but to confirm myfindings... which I’m pleased to say heconcurred. So engineer three... deliversthe parts; followed by the return of thesecond engineer to actually do therequired repairs.

This was a major repair in no uncertainterms so it took best part of a day to sortout! I wasn’t there to see the chap runhis final check list, but my wife had beenassured all was now well and she effec-tively had a new washing machine So, itcame as a bit of a surprise that the firsttime we used it a cascade of greensparks could be seen emanating fromunder the machine! My initial reactionwas maybe he’d fitted new motor brush-es (as this was one thing that neededattention that I’d pointed out) and theywere just bedding themselves into theshape of the commutator but no, thesparks got worse and the machinestopped working!

So, the second engineer is summonedback.

This time I stay and I ask him if he’dchanged the motor’s brushes during theprevious repair?

‘No’ was the reply?

‘Why not?’ I ask

The reply was worrying...It seems that in the good old days it wascost effective to do preventive mainte-nance, but now since the cost police arein charge so the engineers are not

John Sayer reminiscesabout the Good Old Days


Apprenticeships have a central role toplay helping land-based engineeringfirms maintain and improve busi-

ness productivity during the economicdownturn, said Lantra in the run up toApprenticeship Week 2009 held in earlyFebruary

Lantra - the Sector Skills Council responsi-ble for ensuring that people working inenvironmental and land based industrieshave the right skills to work effectively –said apprenticeships can lead to improvedproductivity and performance for busi-nesses where they work. Recent researchhas shown that 77per cent of employersbelieve that apprenticeships help makethem more competitive.

Ben Blanchard from East Yorkshire hasbeen studying land-based engineering andlast year won the Institute of MotorIndustry Award as the region’s top appren-tice.

He works at Ripon Farm Services inOttringham and is part of the teamserving and maintaining tractors and otherfarm machinery.

The twenty-year-old said he would recom-mend an apprenticeship to school leavers.

He said: I really enjoy engineering and my

own interest has been backed up by thecourse at college which gave me thetheory to support the practical hands-onwork I do every day.”

His manager Rob Willingham said takingon an apprentice has huge business bene-fits.

He said:” The great thing about getting ayoung apprentice is we can mould themand train them up to the standards weexpect. And it isn’t just about the techni-cal aspect of the work. It’s also about theattitude.

“We have customers who come back to usagain and again over the years. They arefarmers who, if they could mend theequipment themselves they would do, sowe need apprentices who are good at cus-tomer service too.”

Liz Pridgeon, Standards and QualificationsDevelopment Manager at Lantra said:

“Apprenticeships give businesses a practi-cal and effective way to develop staffwithout the need for expensive trainingcourses or taking time away from thework place. There is clear evidence thatemployers find that apprenticeships leadto a more motivated and satisfied work-force. This in turn helps to reduce staff

turn over, boost productivity and leads tohigher profitability.

“Employers find that apprenticeships givethem the edge over their competitors andthat can make a massive difference in thecurrent economic climate. DuringApprenticeship Week 2009 Lantra runsnumber of events around the country foremployers to find out more about howthey could benefit. For more informationlog on to the Lantra website at:www.lantra.co.uk/apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships are available to all agesand provide employers with on-the-jobtraining so that employees can contributeto a business whilst gaining skills andexperience. There is no set period to com-plete an apprenticeship and they can bedelivered entirely in the workplace orthrough a combination of workplace andoff the job training.

Government work-based learning fundingis available for providers of training forApprenticeships. In all cases funding isprioritised for 16-18 year olds and may beavailable for older people depending onlocal resources and local priorities

Lantra is the Sector Skills Council forenvironmental and land-based industries,licensed by the UK government to driveforward the new skills, training and busi-ness development agenda for the sector.

For information visit Lantra website:www.lantra.co.uk/apprenticeships.

Apprenticeshipshave a role in helping to improve productivity



failing! ‘Ah,’ but if on testing themachine ran (without a load) and theengineer thought that it might work foranother 30 days without his needing tobe recalled then the fault should beignored!!!

“So where’s the logic in that?” I ask.

The answer:-‘Because that way it becomes a new job,chargeable to the insurers irrespective ofthe inconvenience to the customer!’

My goodness, how things have changed...so now even something basically danger-ous is ignored if potentially it’ll not fail

and continue to work (even if onlypoorly) for 30 more days ‘...let’s face itthe sparks from the failing motor alonecould have set fire to our house!’

So, I decide to ask the chap what jobtitle the company gives washing machinerepairmen these days?

His rather haughty reply,

“Oh, why we’re Domestic ApplianceTECHNICIANS of course!”

I rest my case; ...bring back the old days Isay.

John Sayer FIDiag E.

Domestic Engineers continued The driver was onhis mobile phone!




InterTech DevelopmentCompany Receives ISO17025 Accreditation

InterTech Development Company,world leader in optimized turnkeysolutions for leak testing, functional

testing, and assembly & test, announcesthat it has received ISO 17025 accredi-tation for leak test ing at very lowf low rates .This ISO 17025 standard documents thatthe InterTech Development CompanyApplications Laboratory’s quality man-agement system adheres to the higheststandards.

Jacques Hoffmann, President andFounder of InterTech DevelopmentCompany comments, “InterTech servesleading manufacturers around the globeand has long ensured that the automat-ed systems, instrumentation, and appli-cations engineering for leak testing andfunctional testing and assembly and testis ISO 9001-compliant as our clientsrequire. The ISO 17025 accreditation ofthe InterTech Calibration andApplications Laboratory’s quality man-agement system is a complement to theother processes and certificationsInterTech receives to be full partnerswith ISO 9001 compliant companies.”

ISO/IEC 17025 is the main standard usedby testing and calibration laboratories to

document ability to consistently producevalid results. InterTech’s documentedquality management system and relatedISO 17025 accreditation is for leak test-ing at low flow rates (1 sccm).

InterTech Development Company is aworld leader in test-centric assemblyand test specializing in automated leakand functional testing with 7 patentedmass flow and hydraulic technologies, aswell as, helium mass spectrometry (ISO-9001-2000 International Standards forQuality Management). InterTechDevelopment Company-engineered solu-tions are used by hundreds of manufac-turers worldwide. InterTechDevelopment Company’s worldwide sup-port organization maintains offices inNorth America, Asia, and Europe.

For more information on InterTechinstruments, Applications Lab, and con-sulting services, please contact GeraldSim at [email protected]

Leak testing at low flow rates

.

The Snow Plough

One winter morning Norman and hisblonde wife were listening to the radioduring breakfast.

They hear the announcer say, "We aregoing to have 8 to 10 inches of snowtoday. You must park your car on theeven-numbered side of the street, sothat the snowploughs can getthrough."

Norman's wife goes and moves her car.

A week later while they are eatingbreakfast again, the radio announcersays, "We are expecting 10 to 12 inch-es of snow today. You must park yourcar on the odd-numbered side of thestreet, so that the snowploughs can getthrough."

Norman 's wife goes out and moves hercar again.

The next week they are again havingbreakfast, when the radio announcersays, "We are expecting 12 to 14 inch-es of snow today. You must park..."Then the power goes off.

Norman's wife is very upset and with aworried look on her face she says,"Honey, I don't know what to do.Which side of the street do I need topark on so that the snowploughs canget through?"

With the love and understanding in hisvoice that all men who are married toblondes exhibit, Norman says, "Whydon't you just leave it in the garagethis time?"

A Job at the FBIThe FBI had an opening

for an assassin.

After all the background checks, inter-views and tests were done, there were 3finalists;

Two men and a woman.

For the final test, the FBI agents took oneof the men to a large metal door andhanded him a gun.

We must know that you will follow yourInstructions no matter what the circum-stances. Inside the room you will findyour wife sitting In a chair .. . . Kill her!!'

The man said, 'You can't be serious. Icould never shoot my wife.'

The agent said, 'Then you're not the rightman for this job. Take your wife and gohome.'

The second man was given the sameinstructions.

He took the gun and went into the room.All was quiet for about 5 minutes.

The man came out with tears in his eyes,'I tried, but I can't kill my wife.'

The agent said, 'You don't have what ittakes. Take your wife and go home.'

Finally, it was the woman's turn. She wasgiven the same instructions, to kill herhusband. She took the gun and went intothe room. Shots were heard, one afteranother. They heard screaming, crash-ing, banging on the walls. After a fewminutes, all was quiet. The door openedslowly and there stood the woman,wiping the sweat from her brow.

'This gun is loaded with blanks' she said.'I had to beat him to death with thechair.'

Moral: Women are dangerous, don’t messwith them


� The patient has no previous history of suicides.

� Patient has left her white blood cells at another hospital.

�✎ Patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a

40 pound weight gain in the past three days.

� Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.

� On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it disappeared.

� The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.

� The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.

� Discharge status:- Alive, but without my permission.

� Healthy appearing decrepit 69-year old male, mentally alert, but forgetful.

� Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.

� She is numb from her toes down.

� While in ER, she was examined, x-rated and sent home.

� The skin was moist and dry.

�. Occasional, constant infrequent headaches.

� Patient was alert and unresponsive.

� Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.

� I saw your patient today, who is still under our care for physical therapy.

� Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.

� Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.

� The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.

� The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor.

� Large brown stool ambulating in the hall.

� Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities

� When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the room.

� The patient was in his usual state of good health until his air

� Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.

� She slipped on the ice and her legs went in separate directions in early December.

� Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Smith, who felt we should sit on

the abdomen and I agree.

� The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a

stock broker instead.

� When he was admitted his rapid heart had stopped, and he was feeling better.



Andy Gaynor MIDiagE

reveals a comedy of errorsat the NHSThese are sentences actually typed byMedical secretaries in NHS GreaterGlasgow

The Real Definition ofSome Tools...John Sayer FIDiag E.

Hydraulic floor jack Used for loweringan automobile to the ground after youhave installed your new brake shoes, trap-ping the jack handle firmly under thebumper.

Band saw A large stationary power sawprimarily used by most shops to cut goodaluminum sheet into smaller pieces thatmore easily fit into the trash can after youcut on the inside of the line instead of theoutside edge.

Two ton hoist A tool for testing themaximum tensile strength of everythingyou forgot to disconnect.

Phillips screwdriver Normally used tostab the vacuum seals under lids or foropening old-style paper-and-tin oil cansand splashing oil on your shirt; but canalso be used, as the name implies, to stripout Phillips screw heads.

Straight screwdriver A tool for open-ing paint cans. Sometimes used to convertcommon slotted screws into non-remov-able screws and butchering your palms.

Pry bar A tool used to crumple the metalsurrounding that clip or bracket youneeded to remove in order to replace a 50pence part.

Hose cutter A tool used to make hosestoo short.

Hammer Originally employed as aweapon of war, the hammer nowadays isused as a kind of divining rod to locatethe most expensive parts adjacent theobject we are trying to hit.

Utility knife Used to open and slicethrough the contents of cardboardcartons delivered to your front door;works particularly well on contents suchas seats, vinyl records, liquids in plasticbottles, collector magazines, refundchecks, and rubber or plastic parts.Especially useful for slicing work clothes,but only while being worn.

Damn-it tool Any handy tool that yougrab and throw across the garage whileyelling 'DAMN-IT' at the top of your lungs.It is also, most often, the next tool thatyou will need.




Student (SIDiagE)

1 Aged up to 20

2 is engaged in an appropriate occupation or is studying.

Associate member (AMIDiagE)

1 Aged 20 and above

2 is engaged in an appropriate occupation or is studying or is awaiting fresh employmentor is undertaking research

Member (MIDiagE)

1 aged 25 and above

2 is engaged in an appropriate occupation or is studying or is awaiting fresh employment or is undertaking research or is retired

3 occupies (or has occupied) a responsible position or has made a written contribution to advance the knowledge of diagnostics or has attended at least TWO acceptable post-experience courses

Fellow (FlDiagE)

1 has been a Member of the Institution (MlDiag E ) for two years

2 aged 30 and above

3 is engaged in an appropriate occupation or is studying or is awaiting fresh employment or is undertaking research or is retired.

4 occupies (or has occupied) a responsible position

or has made a written contribution to advance the knowledge of diagnostics

or has attended at least two acceptable post-experience courses.

5 has contributed to the activities of the Institution by obtaining at least 3 new members (of any grade)

or by participation as an active technical correspondent

or has made a significant contribution to the technology of diagnostic engineering

or has made a significant contribution to the objectives of the Institution.

6 submits a case study, meeting the requirements of the ‘Case Study Scheme’, withapplication to upgrade to Fellow.

Note:

“a responsible position” is one in which a person

is permitted to act with a minimum of direction but

is personally responsible for the outcome of his

activities. It may be related to technical complexity,

physical hazards or supervision of others.

Membership of the Institution shall be available to all persons on the basis of professionalcompetence or ability and not purely on the basis of academic attainment.

Membership Grades

INS

TIT

UT

ION

OF DIAGNOSTIC

EN

GIN

EE

RS


Institution of Diagnostic Engineers . www.diagnosticengineers.org

Membership ApplicationPrivate & Confidential

To: The Society of Diagnostic Engineers.7 Weir Road, Kibworth, Leicester LE8 OLQ. England.

I submit herewith my application for membership inthe following Grade:

Surname:

Form of address: Mr/Mrs etc.

Other Names:

Service No.HM Forces, Title or Rank)

Employer’s Name

❋❑ Address

Tel.No:

❋❑ Private Address.

❋❑ Please � to indicate address for communication.

Nationality:

Country of Birth:

Date of Birth:

Present Position:

Duties:

(Continue on extra sheet if necessary)

Previous Position and Duties:

(Submit curriculum vitae on separate sheet stating employers in chronological order)

Education:

( List all Schools/Colleges universities etc on a separate sheet)

Degrees, Certificates, Diplomas etc.,Enclose copies with this application

Membership of Other Bodies:

Other Relevant Information:

Submit any additional or supporting information on a separate sheet

Hobbies and other interests

Declaration: I declare that the information containedwithin this application is, to the best of my knowledge andbelief, true and correct in every particular. If admitted tomembership I agree to be governed by the Rules andRegulations as they now exist and as they may hereafterbe altered.

Signed

Date

Fees * The relevant total of Application Fee and first Annual Subscription must accompany this form.

Grade App Fee Annual Subs *Total

FlDiagE £35.00 £60.00 £95.00

MIDiagE £35.00 £45.00 £80.00

AMIDiagE £25.00 £35.00 £60.00

SIDiagE £15.00 £31.50 £46.50

Retired (all Grades) £18.50 £18.50

Please make cheques payable to:

SOCIETY OF DIAGNOSTIC ENGINEERS

Our Central Bank Account is held byNational Westminster Bank plc.5 The Parade, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5BB

(Account No. 00420476)

It would help us if you could advise us how you knew of us or who suggested us:

For office use: Seen - Secretary Checked Acknowledged Fees Membership Clerk Membership Certificate Sent❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏


29 Membership App.qxd 12/3/09 5:30 pm Page 1

Name

Home Address

Corporate Membership Application

Company Name

Address

Tel:

Fax:

E-mail

Web-site address

Post Code

Contact Name

Position

Address

Tel:

To: The Institution of Diagnostic Engineers.Society of Diagnostic Engineers · Registered Charity No.1082206

Registered Office: 7 Weir Road, Kibworth, Leicester LE8 OLQ. England.

Chairman: Bill Parker MIDiagE.

E-mail

Post Code

E-mail

Nominated Diagnostic Engineers (4 persons)

Name

Home Address

Name

Home Address

Name

Home Address

Signed

Date

Annual Subscription £500.00 payable on application

Payment of £ enclosed

Post Code

Post Code

Post Code

Post Code




SKF CONDITION MONITORING CENTRE(LIVINGSTON) LTD

AMEC GROUP LIMITED

FLIR SYSTEMS LIMITED

ACOUSTIC ASSOCIATES

WHITELEGG MACHINES LIMITED

SECURITY & SURVEILLANCE LIMITED

HARWELL MAINTENANCE AUTHORITY

HAWK IR INTERNATIONAL LTD

FLUKE®

FLUKE (UK) LIMITED

HEATHGATEKNOWLEDGE

ENGINEERING

ROCHE PRODUCTS LIMITED

Roche

PRUFTECHNIK LIMITEDTYCO ELECTRONICS UK LIMITED

PRUFTECHNIKII

®

Corporate Members

MFH GROUP

REWINDS & J WINDSOR& SONS (ENGINEERS) LTD


SCHAEFFLER (UK) LTD

COBAS UK LIMITED

RJWRJW

March/April Journal #4 12/3/09 5:32 pm Page 32

ISSN 0269-0225 No.165 March/April Diagnostic Engineering · ing damage, gearbox faults, isolation,...

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