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Diagnostic EngineeringT 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

ISSN 0269-0225 No. 177 May/June 2011

T H E O F F I C I A L M E D I A P A R T N E R O F T H E I D EPlant&Works

Engineeringwww.pwemag.co.uk

There’ll always bean England!

See page 15 for more…

Diagnostic FC_Layout 1 25/05/2011 09:42

A�new�

mark�of�assurance

For more information:

Membership:

Bill Parker (IDE) 01924 821000

Commercial:�

Roberto Tondina 01732 370348

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Diagnostic Engineeringis published by DFA Media Limited onbehalf of The Institution of DiagnosticEngineers

Registered Office16 Thistlewood RoadOutwood, WakefieldWest Yorkshire, WF1 3HHTel: 44 (0) 1924 821000Fax: 44 (0) 1924 821200E-mail: [email protected]: www.diagnosticengineers.org

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

Chairman:Steve Reed MIDiagE

INSTITUTION OFFICERSCompany Secretary/Treasurer:Andy Garnor MIDiagE

Vice-Chairman:Chris Gilbert MIDiagE., MIOA

Executive Officer:Bill Parker MIDiagE

Membership Selection Officer:Chris Gilbert MIDiagE, MIOA

Council Members:Jeff Casciani-Wood FIDiagEMalcolm Hedley-Saw MIDiagERob Gardiner MIDiagEJeremy Frances Delvarr MIDiagE

Articles, photographs, manuscripts andother contributions for publication to:The EditorDiagnostic EngineeringDFA Media LtdCape House, 60a Priory Road Tonbridge TN9 2BLor by e-mail:[email protected]

ISSN 0269-0225

Diagnostic Engineering is free ofcharge to members of the Institutionof Diagnostic Engineers. It is also available on subscription.For details contact Head Office.

The views expressed by contributors are their ownand are not necessarily those of the publishers, theeditor or the Council of Management of theInstitution of Diagnostic Engineers. Whilst everycare is taken to ensure that the contents of theJournal are accurate, we can accept noresponsibility for these, or for the effect of errorsor omission. Likewise, while every care is takenwhen accepting advertisements, we cannot acceptresponsibility for the contents of these or forunsatisfactory transactions. We will howeverinvestigate any complaints.

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

www.diagnosticengineers.org 00Diagnostic Engineering May/June 2011 1 0

Editor’s commentIn this month’s issue of Diagnostic Engineering John Matthews F.I.Diag.E, writesabout how he was called in to investigate problems being experienced with oneof two 500 KVA generators installed at a British Government establishment inAfghanistan.He had previously installed them and they were configured as a mutual baseload system whereby one set would run the site for twelve hours. After this timethe load would be manually transferred to the second set and the first setallowed to rest.The generators were built by an established UK manufacturer and used thelatest type of Perkins “electronic” engines as the prime movers. The system hadworked fine for several months then suddenly there were reports of largequantities of black exhaust smoke coming from one of the generators. To find outmore turn to page 14.While Stewart Robinson, consultant engineer at Pilz Automation Technology,explains how in the current economic climate, many industries no longer havethe budgets available to invest in new plant and machinery. This means that formany end users the only practical alternative left is to upgrade or optimiseexisting plant. However, it’s important to remember that modifications to existingmachinery carried out after 29th December 2009 might fall under the scope ofthe new Machinery Directive. Many end users are unaware that an existingdeclaration of conformity is rendered invalid if machinery undergoes a “significantchange”.That’s why it’s important to exercise caution when linking old and newmachinery. The key question here is whether it represents a ‘significant change’,because if it does, the conformity assessment procedure will need to berepeated. Generally, this will always be the case when a machine’s performancedata is changed: if it is fitted with a second feed device, for example. Ultimately,it’s important to check every change in detail - ideally before the change is made.This is the only way to assess the processes and measures that will be involved. DE also takes a look at Harsh environments, which come in many forms, buttheir common feature is that they place heavy demands on control equipment.The failure of position or speed sensors in the field can have a massive technicalor commercial impact. If you are the engineer that specified the sensors in thefirst place, sensor failure might also have an impact on your career. So how doyou make sure your sensors won’t let you down when the going gets tough? Turn to page 10.

Aaron Blutstein MIDiagE Editor Diagnostic Engineering

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Editor: Aaron Blutstein BA (Hons) MIDiagETel: (01732) 370340e-mail: [email protected]

Advertisement Manager: Roberto TondinaTel: (01732) 370348e-mail: [email protected]

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Published by: DFA Media Limited, Cape House 60a Priory Road Tonbridge Kent TN9 2BLTel: (01732) 370340Fax: (01732) [email protected]

Printer: Garnett Dickinson, UK

PAGE 1

Editor’s comment

PAGE 4

Institution of DiagnosticEngineers Code

PAGE 5

News

PAGE 8

Industry comment

Machinery Directive: When upgrading machinery,don’t gamble with CE Marking

Harsh Environments: Measuring position or speed inharsh environments

PAGE 12

Member contributions

Hair today and more tomorrow by Douglas Wragg FIDiagE

Generator problem in Afghanistan by John Matthews FIDiagE

There’ll always be an England by Douglas Wragg FIDiagE

PAGE 17

Directory

Inside this issue: May/June 2011

PAGE 5

PAGE 8

PAGE 12

COVER STORY PAGE 15

CONTENTS


Diagnostic Contents_Layout 1 25/05/2011 15:40 Page 3

11. To promote the education and training of personswhether resident in the United Kingdom orelsewhere in all matters relating to diagnosticengineering and allied technologies.

12. To establish and maintain contacts with personsand/or organisation concerned with theemployment of diagnostic engineers andconsultants.

13. To arrange consortia of specialist diagnosticengineers to perform specificadvisory/consultancy projects as required.

14. To develop the science, practice and business ofdiagnostic engineering and allied technologies.

15. To encourage and improve the technical,financial, business, managerial and generalknowledge of all persons engaged in the practiceof fault and failure diagnosis, conditionmonitoring, post-mortem examination,accidentinvestigation and allied activities.

16. To compile and classify information andparticulars relating to the expert servicesrendered by members of the Institution.

17. To disseminate information and particularsrelating to the expert services rendered bymembers of the Institution.

18. To stimulate efficiency in diagnosis and to elevatethe position of those connected therewith inskilled practical employment.

1 9. To foster intelligent appreciation of the facilitiesexisting for the provision of education andresearch.

10. To facilitate the exchange of information, ideasand practice by the publishing of suchinformation as shall be of interest to diagnosticengineers.

11. To render advice and aid in the exploitation ofinventions and to make known their nature andmerits.

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

Definition

A ‘Diagnostic Engineer’ shall be any person capableof contribution to the art or science of determiningthe existence of a problem in a machine, plant,system or structure and/or appraising the cause(s) ofa failure which may have taken place and/orassessing the condition or vulnerability of suchmachine, plant, system or structure either during useor while under development.

Interpretation

It is accepted that through a diagnostic capability or aspecial 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 forthe best brief accounts of interesting diagnosticcases.

Activities

The Institution shall arrange and subsidise:

� Regular Newsletters to members

� Regular notices of services available from memberswill be (distributed free of charge to members) tointerested parties. These notices will also bedisplayed at times on the Institution’s web page.

Certificate

A Membership Certificate is issued to all members.

01 4 Diagnostic Engineering May/June 2011 www.diagnosticengineers.org

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE INSTITUTION

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CELEBRATING

30�YEARS

1981�-2011

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NEWS

www.diagnosticengineers.org Diagnostic Engineering May/June 2011 5

IMPORTANT NOTICEImportant resources and expense are being incurred following the failure of Members to informtheir bank of the correct amount of annual subscription that is due in 2011.

Numerous standing orders have been received with insufficient funds to fulfil the due amount.

The time spent chasing individual Members for the shortfall has become excessive andexpensive. If YOU currently pay by standing order PLEASE check you have paid or will be payingthe correct amount.

FELLOW £70 MEMBER £50 ASSOCIATE £40

Jo Mullins Young Engineer AwardMany of our readers will remember theyears Josephine Mullins served ourInstitution.In recognition of those years Council,

in consultation with her family, isintroducing a new award. The Jo MullinsYoung Engineer Award. This award is tohelp support and encourage theyounger generation to further theireducation and training in engineeringdisciplines.It is hoped the first recipient of this

award will be announced and presentedat our AGM later this year. To be eligible a candidate has to be

nominated by a Member. So who doyou know?Open to:� Male or Female� 18 to 25 years olds� Engineering Student� Scope of Engineering Course - NVQ orsimilar to formal University Degree.

If you would like to nominate acandidate to receive this award in 2011simply write to the Award SelectionOfficer at our registered address. Theletter should briefly describe thecandidate’s career to date and why you

think he or she is a suitable recipient.Please also describe what form ofsupport will best be of benefit to yourcandidate. (Books, equipment,Educational financial support).

The closing date for receipt ofsponsored nominations is 1st ofSeptember 2011.

A bit of light reliefUnderstanding engineers

Three engineering students were gathered together discussing who must have designed thehuman body.

One said: “It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints.” Another said: “No, it was anelectrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections.” The lastone said: “No, actually it had to have been a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic wastepipeline through a recreational area?”

JosephineMullins

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NEWS

1 6 Diagnostic Engineering May/June 2011 www.diagnosticengineers.org

IDiagE Fishing Challenge 2011Competing for the Stuart Reed Challenge Trophy Decoy Lakes CoarseFishery, Near Peterborough – Date: 10th June 2011

The excellent Decoy complex has built a reputation as one of the top competitioncarp waters in the country and deservedly so. For sheer consistent sport on watersideal for club and open matches, and the sport at this complex is so goodthroughout the year that Angling Times often choose to use the lakes to test newmatch, pole, feeder and waggler fishing tackle.The lake we will be fishing is ‘Elm’, where meat and hemp down the edge of long

pole and banded pellet shallow. Absolutely full of fish, take plenty of bait. Onefisherman (therefore may not be 100% true!) said: “I fed 6 tins of meat and 3 ofhemp down the edge alone and only fished it for 3 hours.”There are large catches to be had in all lakes, and the facilities are pretty good too.

Location address: Decoy Lakes, Decoy Farm, 351 Drybread Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE7 2ADTelephone: 01733 202230

RULES: Barbless hooks only; Anyone caught using barbed hooks will be asked toleave; Size 12 hooks maximum; Keep nets and landing nets supplied by the lakes;Only one rod to be used at any one time; All day tickets landing nets only; All fish tobe netted with landing nets; No silk Braid or Dacron; Men’s toilets provided inbuilding, Ladies near house. No litter. No cans or tins. No animals.

BAITS: Due to increased demand, fresh maggots will be available at Decoy (if pre-ordered). No boilies, blood worm or joker, nuts, sticky magg. Ground bait to be usedin feeders only, no frame feeders. Floating baits on hook only.

Book your place now phone: 01924 821000

Introducing CouncilMembers – Rob GardinerRob Gardiner joined the Institute in 1984 while working in SaudiArabia as a consultant to Saudi Telecom. He was awarded aFellowship in 1986.Rob is a director of Networks by Wireless, and a visiting lecturer atvarious Universities.He currently lectures in Telecommunications at Masters Level;

delivering courses to ex-forces who want to work within thetelecoms sector on exiting the MoD.A self-confessed frustrated golfer, he enjoys designing and

developing cutting edge technology courses.The golf bug bit while on a two and a half year posting to the

Island of Mauritius and has since travelled across the worlddelivering courses in the U.S, Russia, West Indies, China, Canadaand extensively throughout Europe.

RIGHT: Rob Gardiner

News_Layout 1 25/05/2011 15:51 Page 4

Call to speak to a sensor expert +44 (0) 151 355 6070or visit www.micro-epsilon.co.uk

Sensors for OEM, In-Process controland R&D applications

Miniature eddy current sensors for runout and gap monitoring in pumps and Motors Vibration Monitoring

High Pressure units up to 2500bar

Sub-micron resolution, up to 100kHz response

Wire Sensors for Lifting platfoms, long stroke cylinders Easy retrofit and external mounting

Huge range from stock

Analogue, Encoder and Digital outputs

IR Temperature sensors for condition monitoring Thermal imagers for quality control

Low cost sensors from stock

In cylinder sensors up to 450 bar Catalogue sensors from stock

OEM desigs, custom electronics available

07_IDE_0611_07_IDE_0611 24/05/2011 16:49 Page 1

INDUSTRY COMMENT - MACHINERY DIRECTIVE

In the current economic climate, manyindustries no longer have the budgetsavailable to invest in new plant andmachinery. This means that for many endusers the only practical alternative left is toupgrade or optimise existing plant.However, it’s important to remember thatmodifications to existing machinery carriedout after 29th December 2009 might fallunder the scope of the new MachineryDirective. Many end users are unawarethat an existing declaration of conformityis rendered invalid if machineryundergoes a “significant change”.That’s why it’s important to exercise

caution when linking old and newmachinery. The key question here iswhether it represents a ‘significantchange’, because if it does, the conformityassessment procedure will need to berepeated. Generally, this will always be thecase when a machine’s performance datais changed: if it is fitted with a secondfeed device, for example. Ultimately, it’simportant to check every change in detail- ideally before the change is made. Thisis the only way to assess the processesand measures that will be involved.

Mandatory Marking for InterlinkedMachinery Extending the presumption of conformityfor EN 954-1 has not necessarily helpedto simplify application of the standards.Even if EN 954-1 and EN ISO 13849-1can be applied in parallel until the end of2011, there are still some issues to bearin mind. Many of the C standards listedunder the current Machinery Directivealready refer to EN ISO 13849-1 and EN62061. In these cases, application of EN954-1 would no longer enablepresumption of conformity directly, somachine manufacturers who wish toadhere strictly to the C standards would

have to apply EN ISO 13849-1 or EN60261.In the case of interlinked machinery,

the position of the standards requiresparticular attention. For example, on twostand-alone presses built in 1998,manual loading is to be replaced by arobot and the two presses are to beinterlinked. While the functional safety ofthe presses is based on EN 954-1, therobot must be designed in accordancewith EN ISO 13849-1 to comply with itsC standard. As a result, the interfacesbetween the individual machines arebased on different standards, so cannot

be assessed.To represent the current state-of-the-art,

the end user would have to design theentire plant in accordance with the newstandard. In practice this can provedifficult, partly because the safety-relatedcharacteristic data is unlikely to beavailable for the components on the oldpresses and partly because the cost ofexchanging all the safety-relatedcomponents would be prohibitive. In thiscase, the robot will have a declaration ofincorporation in accordance with theMachinery Directive 2006/42/EC,probably with reference to EN ISO

8 Diagnostic Engineering May/June 2011 www.diagnosticengineers.org

When upgrading machinery,don’t gamble with CE Marking The new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC came into force on the 29th December 2009.

While machine builders must deal primarily with the sections on ‘scope’ and ‘conformity

assessment’, the main challenge for end users lies in the issue of upgrading or interlinking

machinery. Here, it is vital to ensure that the upgraded machine complies with the current

legislation, i.e. that the relevant conformity assessment procedures have been carried out,

says Stewart Robinson, consultant engineer at Pilz Automation Technology.

The high heat range

o

The oven bakes flux for an adjustable time(

The stationaryH

Industry Contributions 2_Layout 1 25/05/2011 15:43 Page 8

INDUSTRY COMMENT - MACHINERY DIRECTIVE

13849-1, while the presses will have adeclaration of conformity in accordancewith the Machinery Directive 98/37/EC,with reference to EN 954-1.

The interfaces and additional protectiveequipment will require a risk assessment.Functional safety must be categorisedusing EN 954-1 and EN ISO 13849-1. Bycategorising functional safety inaccordance with both standards, EN 954-1 can be applied for the interface to thepresses, while EN ISO 13849-1 can beapplied for the interface to the robot. Inthis case, the requirements of all thesubassemblies can be met. As a result,the requirements of the C standard wouldbe fulfilled on the robot, and the end userwould have established compliance forthe entire plant.

From Risk Analysis to ConformityAssessmentThe CE marking process is carried out inclearly defined steps. The first thing toestablish is whether the planned upgradeconstitutes a significant change andwhether stand-alone machines areinterlinked to form one complete system.This is a given when two presses areinterlinked using a robot, so a declarationof conformity must be produced for the

complete system in line with the newMachinery Directive.

A risk assessment must be carried outfor the robots and interfaces, in order towork out the relevant safety measures.This will be used as the basis fordeveloping a safety concept, which willdescribe all the mechanical, electrical andother measures necessary for plant safety.Regular function tests are also required onthe presses (i.e. the existing machineswhich are already CE-certified).

The next step is to specify the safetyrequirements via the safety design.Initially, the decision as to whichcomponents to use in which type ofsafety-related design is product-neutral. Ifnecessary, other risk reduction measuresmay be defined, such as safety guards.This is followed by systemimplementation, from the selection andpurchase of the required components,through to training for operating andmaintenance staff.

The process is completed by verifyingthe safety functions in order todemonstrate that the safety measures thathave been implemented meet all therequirements. This includes checking theoperating manual, as well as carrying outsafety checks on all safety-related

components. Next are the noise levelmeasurements and tests on theprotective earth conductor and insulation.If everything is in order and is workingperfectly, the final report can be producedand nothing else stands in the way of thedeclaration of conformity.

ConclusionResponsibility for machinery safety lieswith the end user. Responsibility formachinery safety cannot be abdicated tothe manufacturer. The end user is alsoresponsible if he has commissioned asystems integrator to upgrade a machine.He must ensure that the machineupgrade complies with current legislation.If the end user doesn’t have this expertise,a third party should be commissioned.Experts in safe automation of plant andmachinery can assist with these upgrades,and can assess the results in terms ofsafety and, if necessary, repeat the CE-marking process.

Compliance with the new MachineryDirective requires relevant experience,which is normally only available fromthose who are constantly working in thisfield.

For further information please visit:www.pilz.co.uk


ENG

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For automation, communications or powersupply technology, RITTAL says it offers thecorrect enclosures and cabinets to suit virtuallyall requirement profiles in modern industry. For more demanding applications wherehygiene is essential such as the food andbeverage sector and pharmaceuticals or inmore aggressive environments such aspetrochemical plants and offshore situations,Rittal’s stainless steel range of enclosuresand cabinets will provide high cleanlinessstandards and corrosion resistance.Cleverly thought-out system platforms, inconjunction with an extensive selection ofsystem accessories, provide the basis for theoutstanding solution diversity of the Rittalstainless steel range. Delivered to your doorwithin seven working days using theRittalXpress service atwww.rittalxpress.co.uk.t| 01709 704000e| [email protected]| www.rittal.co.uk

STAINLESS STEELENCLOSURES

LASER LINES has supplied a prototypingFortus 3D production system fromStratasys to an automotive designer,enabling it to reduce costs and lead timeson the production of prototype parts.Gordon Murray Design is involved inautomotive design, prototyping anddevelopment. The company’s inauguralvehicle, a prototype codenamed T.25 is saidto represent a major breakthrough in citycar design. Prototyping and manufacturingusing the Stratasys Fortus 400mc - from Laser Lines Ltd played a significant part in reducingdevelopment costs. It was in use on the design of the T.25 every single day - outperforming itsoriginal expectations. The T.25 made its first public appearance in June 2010.t| 01295 872500e| [email protected]| www.laserlines.co.uk

PROTOTYPING TIMES REDUCED

APPLIED WEIGHING, the UK manufacturer ofload cells and supplier of industrial weighingsystems, has undertaken a major installationproject for a company specialising in thesupply of Aqualubrication technology.Spanning two continents, Applied Weighingwere asked to provide loading assembliesand digital weight controllers for thecompany’s UK and Indian basedmanufacturing sites. Following an inspection of the steelwork thatsupported the blending vessels, it wasdiscovered that the standard of performancerequired was being compromised bydeflections in the steel. A new steelframework was introduced and thecompany’s loading assemblies weresubsequently integrated into the newsteelwork, enabling the Aqualubricationspecialists to reaffirm their commitmenttowards satisfying the demand for productionand quality.t| 0118 946 1900e| [email protected]| www.appliedweighing.co.uk

COST SAVINGS FORSPECIALISTS

WELD ENGINEERING CO., INC, manufacturers of submerged arc flux handling equipmentthroughout the world, has just released the HTS-700-850° Programmable 850°F HighTemperature Submerged Arc Flux Oven fordrying and storing of flux. The high heat rangeof this Super Oven bakes H2O out of the flux,preventing hydrogen assisted cracking of theweld. The oven bakes flux for an adjustable time(3min to 5hr) at an adjustable temperature[200°F (93°C) to 850°F (454°C)] beforeresuming to an adjustable storage temperature[175°F (79°C) to 550°F (288°C)]. The stationaryHTS-700-850° holds approximately 700 poundsof flux (317 Kg).t| +1 508 842-2224 e| [email protected]| www.WeldEngineering.com

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUBMERGED ARC FLUX OVEN


INDUSTRY COMMENT - HARSH ENVIRONMENTS

Harsh environments come in manyforms and are more common thanmight be expected. They are the normin many sectors such as aerospace,defence, heavy industrial, utility, oil andgas. There is no hard and fast rule as towhat constitutes a ‘harsh environment’but, for the purposes of this article, wemay define a harsh environment as onecontaining one or more of the followingfactors: high temperatures (>85Celsius), low temperatures (< -20Celsius), thermal cycling, high vacuum,high pressure (>10bar), vibration, shock,AC/DC noise, radiation, water, dirt,aggressive chemicals, long termimmersion, extended life (>10 years),explosive dust & gas (ATEX ratedenvironments).

Despite their wide variety, suchenvironments invariably make theselection of appropriate equipment bothdifficult and critical because performanceand reliability will surely be tested.Nowhere is this more true than in theselection of electrical control equipment.Failures in the electrical systems ofmodern machinery typically account formore than 80% of all failures. Take yourown motorcar as an example - of all thebreakdowns you’ve ever had, how manyhave been related to the ‘electrics’compared to main mechanicalcomponents? Around 80% right? Otherthan cables and connectors, position andspeed sensors are the most commonelements in electrical control systems.That means selecting the right positionsensor - one that will operate accuratelyand reliably - in your own particularharsh environment - is key.One option is to always specify ultra

‘high-reliability’, fully qualified, redundantsensors with military style connectors,

heavy-duty housings and cables. It iscertainly one way to ensure highreliability, but unless you’re making civilaircraft or jet engines, it is seldom aneconomically viable approach. Thesmart approach is to specify a sensorthat’s not going to let you down but - atthe same time - one that’s not going toblow your budget.

Across all sectors, potentiometers arethe most ubiquitous position sensor.There is a good reason: they are simple,compact, lightweight and offerremarkable value for money. In harshenvironments, however, they have apoor reputation and are seldom chosenbecause they are susceptible to wear.Wear rates accelerate rapidly withvibration or the ingress of foreign mattersuch as sand or grit. The basic materialsof most potentiometers are generallynot well suited to extreme temperatures.

Similarly, across all sectors, opticalposition sensors are a common choicebut are seldom chosen for harshenvironments. The reason isstraightforward - their optical path issusceptible to obscuration by foreignmatter, especially in higher resolutiondevices (>8 bits) where optical featuresizes compare with dust particles, fibresor hair. A further limiting factor is thatsilicon-based electronics is required atthe sensing point, effectively limiting theoperating temperatures.There are a wide variety of magnetic

sensors - ranging from simple switchdevices to high accuracy, long lengthmagnetostrictive sensors. Although theyall operate using a magnet, a variety oftechniques are used. Whereas, simpledevices typically use the Hall effect,others use the time of flight principle -measuring the time taken for an


Measuring position or speed in harsh environmentsHarsh environments come in many forms but their common feature is that they place heavy

demands on control equipment. The failure of position or speed sensors in the field can

have a massive technical or commercial impact. If you are the engineer that specified the

sensors in the first place, sensor failure might also have an impact on your career. So how

do you make sure your sensors won’t let you down when the going gets tough? Mark

Howard from Zettlex Ltd. examines the options.


INDUSTRY COMMENT - HARSH ENVIRONMENTS

ultrasonic pulse to travel and returnalong a magnetostrictive strip. As themagnet moves along the strip, the flight-time increases and vice versa.Magnetostrictive devices are best suitedto long linear displacements of morethan100mm, whereas Hall effectdevices are more suited to rotaryarrangements. Hall effect devices arewidely used - especially in automotive -but require fine tolerance mechanicalengineering for accurate measurement. At first glance, magnetic devices offer

a good solution to sensing position inharsh environments but, as with manythings, the devil is in the detail. Practicalexperience shows there are significantissues limiting their use. Firstly, as withoptical devices, their performance inextreme temperatures is limitedbecause they require silicon-basedelectronics at the sensing point. Second,magnetic hysteresis - inherent in anymagnetic measurement - limitsmeasurement performance to relativelycrude applications. Third, there aresignificant temperature coefficients andall magnets are limited by their Curiepoint where their magnetic fields distort.There is also the issue of batch-to-

batch variability - since the fieldgenerated by one magnet is never thesame as that of a second due to smalldifferences in composition. Shock andimpact must be strictly limited sincemagnets are notoriously brittle. One,particularly nasty failure mode is thegradual build up of magneticparticulates at the magnet (e.g. ferrousswarf, dust or particulates in engine oil),which effectively destroys measurementperformance by distorting the magneticfield. All magnetic devices aresusceptible to the effect of straymagnetic fields and even DC magneticdevices will also pick up lower frequencyAC effects. These will be exhibited asnoise on the sensor readings - e.g. anearby mains cable is likely to induce50Hz AC noise source.Capacitive position sensors are not

widely used in extreme environments.Although they are resilient to wear,shock and vibration, generally, theysuffer from drift due to variation intemperature or humidity and aresusceptible to foreign matter. This isbecause the capacitive sensing principleis fundamentally unable to differentiatebetween the capacitive target object andforeign material such as a grease smear,ice or water condensation.Inductive devices such as resolvers

and linearly variable differentialtransformers (LVDTs) are the traditionalchoice for the ‘high integrity’ applications

in the aerospace, defence, oil and gassectors. Such devices have a well-deserved reputation for reliability andsafety and have been in widespread usesince World War II. In some cases, theuse of inductive devices is mandated byregulations relating to safety-critical orsafety-related applications. The textbookapplication is aerospace actuators forailerons - a harsh environment withextreme temperatures and vibration,where reliable and accurate operation isessential.Inductive position and speed sensors

work on the same fundamentalprinciples as a transformer, whichmeans that no silicon-based electronicsis necessary at the sensing point.Importantly, this means that anyassociated electronics can be displacedsome distance away from the sensingpoint - typically, a more benignenvironment where temperatureextremes are unlikely to exceed the -40to 125 deg C limits for most commercialelectronic components. Nevertheless,the transformer windings of traditionalinductive devices will tend to makethem bulky and heavy. High accuracydevices require precision wound spoolsand these are notoriously difficult andexpensive to manufacture.One inductive product - the

Inductosyn, from Farrand Controls in theUSA - has an almost cult following in theaerospace and defence sectors for itsfantastic levels of accuracy (<1 arc-second accuracy per rev), stability andphenomenal reliability even in thetoughest environments such as thosefound on spacecraft. Instead of thetraditional wire windings, InductosynsTMuse a laminar winding arrangement.Although measurement performanceand resilience is legendary, the price ofsuch devices is well out of the range for

most mainstream applications.A budget form of the laminar,

inductive position and speed sensor hasemerged in recent years in a newgeneration of inductive devices such asthose made by Zettlex. These devicesuse compact, lightweight printed circuitboards rather than the traditional bulkytransformer windings. This approach hasled to a wide variety of shapes and sizesof sensor ranging from <1mm to>1000mm and covering linear, rotary,curvi-linear, 2D & 3D forms.The approach is unusual in that high

levels of accuracy can be achievedwithout finely toleranced mechanicalinstallation. The fundamental operatingprinciples are similar to the traditionalinductive devices and, similarly, anyassociated electronics can be locatedaway from the harsh conditionssurrounding the sensing point. Theperformance of the new generation ofdevice is at least as good in harshenvironments as the traditional inductivedevices, offering up to 24-bit resolutionand accuracies of <20 arc-seconds over360 degrees. Encapsulation of the mainprinted components makes the sensorsextremely robust and ideally suited tointrinsically safe (ATEX) applications.Since there are no electrical contactsand the main components arelightweight, they offer remarkableperformance in extreme vibration andshock environments. The aerospace anddefence sectors have been quick tocapitalise on this new technology andZettlex devices are used for flightcontrols on several unmanned aerialvehicles, as well as equipment platformsin active service with UK, US and AlliedArmed Forces.

For further information please visit:www.zettlex.com

www.diagnosticengineers.org 00Diagnostic Engineering May/June 2011 11

Fig. 1 - Comparisontable of sensor typesversus environmentalfactor.


MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS

One of the great bonuses of my workis that you meet a lot of interestingand quite charming people. True,there are those, who in retrospect,you wish you had never met, but onthe whole, it is a very positiveexperience.One such person was a doctor,

whom we shall address as Dr. ForsythAnderson-Browne. It makes a changefor me to diagnose a problem for adoctor, therefore, meticulous a ttentionto detail, ask all sorts of searchingquestions, hum and nod at the rightmoment etc. etc. The situation was that some weeks

previously, the doctor had beentravelling (for “travelling” read“motoring”) through Lancaster Gate inLondon in his “Rover motor car”(what else?) looking for a parkingspace. He had found a space and wasin the process of manoeuvring into it,when, without warning, the car hadlaunched itself forward and crashedinto another parked car. I should addat this point - without stating theobvious - that this vehicle was fittedwith automatic transmission. Dr. Anderson-Browne engaged

reverse gear and gingerly edged thecar backwards away from the scene ofthe impact. When he again engaged“drive”, the vehicle shot forwardheading for the junction withBayswater Road. It did not reach thejunction, mercifully, but embeddeditself in some convenient railingswhere it came to rest.The good doctor, as you may

imagine, was somewhat shaken bywhat had transpired. All the usualservices were summoned, and thevehicle was removed and taken awayto secure storage pending furtherinvestigation. The Police breathalysedDr. Anderson-Browne, but found anegative reading.That was the situation as outlined

by the doctor. When he came toconsult me on this matter, one wasimmediately impressed, not to say inawe, of him. He was a gentleman of

the old school with a wonderfulbedside manner, not overly tall, butwith an enormous presence, and inhis early sixties. I suspect that hespecialised in diseases of the rich (toborrow a phrase from Tom Lehrer).Whatever, anyone that addresses meas “dear boy” has my undividedattention. I can endure that sort oftreatment for hours, if not indefinitely. “What I need from you, dear boy”

he said “is a complete investigation todiscover what went wrong with mymotor car.” Two days later I went to look at this

vehicle. I should add that as the

damage caused was confined to third-party property only, the Police had notinspected the vehicle, and had not, asyet, charged Dr. A-B with any motoringoffence.The vehicle was stored in a lock up

garage, and when the doors wereopened the sight which greeted mewas quite a shock. The vehicle hadbeen severely damaged in the front.One look was enough to tell me thatthe vehicle would never be going backon the road.Such was the damage, that there

was no possibility of running theengine or moving the car. All the


Hair today and more tomorrowBy Douglas Wragg FIDiagE

T

The mounts

a

To attach the mounts to

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This enables a very

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Members Contributions 2_Layout 1 25/05/2011 15:46 Page 12



examination and investigation wouldhave to be performed statically.(“Bother” said Pooh!)

One thing, which caught my eyeimmediately was the cracked andcrazed windscreen with a large bulgein the centre of the damaged area.Could it have been that the gooddoctor had not been wearing his seatbelt? Viewed from the inside of thevehicle, attached to the shatteredglass was a sizeable amount ofhuman hair! Ouch! That must havehurt.

I set about examining the vehicle,but try as I might, I could not find anymechanical evidence to support thevehicle surging forward of its ownvolition. The list is not endless, butyou may imagine its contents - throttlehousing, throttle cable air leaks etc.etc. All of the examination washampered by not being able to runthe engine.

One further aspect was thequestion, why did the vehicle surgeforward and not backwards? Enginemountings - possibly. Engine stabiliserbar and mountings - maybe. Thetrouble was that the good doctor haddone a first rate job of demolishing

the front of the vehicle, and thus itwas not possible to check many of theitems which could have contributed tothe incident as described.

Had this been a serious incidentwhere injury or death to a third partyhad resulted there might have been acase for rebuilding the front of thevehicle so that it could have beentested dynamically to see if thesurging in forward drive could bereproduced and identified. This casejust did not justify that level ofexpense.

My examination completed, I wentaway to write my report. I was,understandably. disappointed that Icould not find a reason for thisinc ident other than possible “drivererror”. It is all too easy to blame adriver for what happens. If it weredriver error, then why did it happenonly when the vehicle went forwards,and not when it went backwards?

Dr. Anderson-Browne came to seeme shortly afterwards, and while wewere sitting and chatting, I casuallyraised the subject of the brokenwindscreen with hair attached. To mysurprise, he laughed out loud. “Bestthing that ever happened my boy!”

he said. “I was beginning to get a bit thin on

top, but ever since the accident, myhair has started to grow morevigorously - all my friends at the clubare terribly jealous, and want to knowthe secret.”

Could it be that he had discovereda way - if somewhat unorthodox andpainful - of promoting hair growth? Iam an engineer, not a trichologist, andso I w ill leave you to ponder thatconundrum.

He accepted with a dignifiedresignation that it was not possible toidentify a cause of the incident andthanked me for all that I had done.We parted with a “Well done my boy.”

I was greatly saddened to learn veryshortly afterwards that Dr. ForsythAnderson-Browne had moved on tothat great surgery to work with thecelestial medical team.

I have kept the bottle of rare maltwhisky which he gave me as areminder of one of the occasionswhen I had the opportunity to workfor a doctor and a gentleman.

Was it driver error or mechanicalmalfunction? This is one case wherewe shall never know the answer.

ENG

INEE

RING

FOC

US

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WHISKY HISTORY

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ONLINE DATABANK



A while ago I was called in to investigateproblems being experienced with one oftwo 500 KVA generators installed at aBritish Government establishment inAfghanistan.

I had previously installed them andthey were configured as a mutual baseload system whereby one set would runthe site for twelve hours. After this timethe load would be manually transferredto the second set and the first setallowed to rest.

The generators were built by anestablished UK manufacturer and usedthe latest type of Perkins “electronic”engines as the prime movers. Thesystem had worked fine for severalmonths then suddenly there werereports of large quantities of blackexhaust smoke coming from one of thegenerators.

I arrived at site with a very seniorGovernment engineer. We began ourinvestigation. Clearly, to see theproblem, it was necessary to run theengine. Off load the engine ranperfectly. The exhaust was almostcolourless as it should have been.

After a brief discussion we put the seton load to see if that made the situationany different. Again, everything wasperfect. We traced the local maintenanceperson and questioned him about it. Heassured us that when it runs there isheavy black smoke and as it looked“dangerous” he had taken the set out ofservice. He added that it had done itmore than once. We explained that wehad run the machine both off load andon load and everything was fine.

He then stated that it only happenedafter about fifteen hours of running. Wereplied with the obvious that the systemwas supposed to be changed over aftertwelve hour but his reasoning was tolessen the number of starts on thestarter motors, he would run them for24hrs on load, and let them rest for24hrs.

We continued to run the samemachine and looked around while it wason load. I suddenly noticed that thebattery voltage indicator was showing

less than usual but they are notparticularly accurate anyway. I checkedwith a good meter, and the batteryvoltage was indicating that the enginedriven charge alternator was notcharging the battery at all.

The whole picture then becameobvious. The battery could hold up thesystem for a period in excess of twelvehours but less than fifteen. In particularit supported the engine mounted fuelcontrol computer that controls theelectronic injectors and emission control.The problem might have been there,undetected, for some time as during therest period the static battery charger in

the panel would fully recharge thebattery.

The actual fault was traced to a shortcircuit, where the excitation feed cableinto the charge alternator had rubbedand gone to ground. This would havetaken out the diodes inside and resultedin total failure of the charging device.

I did report the exercise to themanufacturers but they have, so far,omitted to add it to theirtroubleshooting list, so I thought itworthy of a short letter to the Institutionmag. A good example of what looked tobe a major problem turning out to besomething relatively simple.


Generator problem inAfghanistanBy John Matthews FIDiagE



What is it about the English and theirattitude to engineers?They seem to have an absolute blind

spot when it comes to the world ofengineering. It is an attitude much likethat of Estelle Haversham to Pip inCharles Dickens’ Great Expectations -“coarse hands and thick boots”.

Actually, I have to confess to a terribleindiscretion in this context.

Years ago, I was at a party, whensomeone asked the hostess “What doesDouglas do for a living?” Almost withouta pause for thought, she replied“Something with his hands, I think.”

I was truly incensed when I heardthis, and before I could put my brain ingear, I heard myself reply “Actually, mineis the other profession which earns itsliving lying on its back, it is just that weare not so well paid.”

The temperature seemed to drop byabout 20C, and there was nothing but avery haughty sniff from the hostess. Forsome strange reason, I have never beeninvited back there.

Like many engineers, I spent seven

years studying to qualify, and I was (andstill am) very proud to call myself anengineer.

Contrast the English reception andperception of the engineer with that ofmainland Europe. There they treatengineers with the same courtesy thatwe reserve for High Court Judges andeminent brain surgeons, and the like.“What has all this fulmination to do

with the case you are supposed to betelling us about?” I hear you ask. Well,this case involves a doctor, not aneminent brain surgeon, but the doctor -or medical officer - of the local prison.

I perhaps should explain, a firm whereI worked for fifteen (very happy years)was not very far from the prison.

This never caused me a moment’sthought, until the day I metDr.Hackingham-Smythe. To say that thegood doctor was an impressive characterwould be a complete understatement;something over six feet tall, with a veryexpensive ruddy complexion and a bigbushy moustache and a voice thatwould have carried 300 yards in dense

fog, he was possessed of a mostcommanding presence. I later learnt thatin the prison, when people heard hisvoice in the distance, everyone stoppedand almost held their breath.He also was never to be seen without

his pipe, or failing that, a cigar, and afterthat a copious supply of snuff. In thecourse of a thirty minute conversation -or interrogation - he would have runthrough the entire gamut of his smokingand snuff-taking habit - impressive inevery sense of the word.I like my pipe and the occasional

cigar, but I could never keep pace with“The Doctor”.

I cannot now remember how we firstcame to meet, but I think it may havebeen because somebodyrecommended us to him - we had quitea reputation for engine tuning.

I learned that he had a Volvo, which,despite all his efforts and ministrations -yes, he was a car doctor as well - failedto run correctly.

“It pinks under load, and runs onwhen you turn the ignition off.” He said.


There’ll always be an England!By Douglas Wragg FIDiagE



Actually, it was “orff.”“What do you think could be the

problem?”“Well” I replied, “It could be the

ignition timing.”“Nonsense” he replied, taking a large

dose of rather powerful looking snuff “Ihave already checked that, and it isperfectly correct.”“Did you check the timing with

stroboscope, or did you check itstatically?” I asked.“Do you think that I do not how to

check the timing on my own b*****car?” he thundered.Not for one moment was I suggesting

that - I had no wish to die so young! Ieventually persuaded him to let me runthrough the complete tuning of theengine, so that I might discover whatthe cause of the engine malfunction. The good doctor departed - I forgot to

say that he was accompanied by a verysilent and submissive prison officer,whose duty it was to take the doctorback to the prison where he had hisrounds and a surgery to do.I could imagine some of the hardest

and toughest of the inmates preferringserious illness and discomfort ratherthan a confrontation with the doctor,whose bedside manner must haveowed something to Genghis Khan orVlad the Impaler.It seemed to me to be the best idea if

I looked at the vehicle personally, ratherthan put anyone else’s life in jeopardy,so I started from the very beginning andworked my way through. There wasnothing unusual to behold until I cameto the ignition timing. I should explain that the company

had invested heavily in the latest tuningequipment, and that included astroboscope with a memory -commonplace now, but not then. As I increased the speed of the

engine, I could see that the ignition wasnot advancing correctly, in fact, to beprecise, the distributor was correct, butthe timing marks on the front cover ofthe engine were not. How curious. I re-checked the timing, and indeed that wasexactly what was happening.Knowing the doctor would, no doubt,

wish to check this information forhimself at a later date, I put the timingmarks in the correct place with whitecorrecting fluid, as using the originalmarks would only put the timing out ofadjustment again.When I finished tuning the engine, I

took it for a good test run - no pinkingunder load, and the engine did not runon when the ignition was “turned orff.”Job done, another notch carved on

the stick, time to telephone the gooddoctor.“Hackingham-Smythe” bellowed a

voice at the other end of the line - hadwe been a little nearer to the prison, atelephone would not have beennecessary.When I told him the car was all ready

for collection, the first question, quitenaturally, was what had I found wrongwith the car. I told him what I haddiscovered, and what I had done tocorrect the error. There was a slight pause at the other

end of the telephone - another dose ofsnuff, perhaps - and then he continued“Absolute stuff and b***** nonsense” heroared down the telephone “I havenever heard such a load of old bull****in all my days.” He went on in this veinfor a while, although he did eventuallyagree to come and collect his vehicleand see for himself. When he appeared, I showed him all

that I had discovered - I gained a vaguesuspicion that he did not fullycomprehend a stroboscope with amemory, however, that was not going tobe admitted.The acid test was the test drive; I have

always had a successful technique forthis - I drive out to the halfway point,and then hand over to the owner. Thebeauty of this is that the owner mayhave noticed something different in theperformance of the vehicle when as apassenger. However, when they takeover as driver, the difference isimmediately obvious. That was the casefor Dr. Hackingham-Smythe. When we arrived back at the

workshop, we went to the office where Iprovided him with a cup of coffee. Inbetween puffs of his cigar and a fewdoses of snuff he actually said that hewas pleased and impressed with whatwe had done. He paid his bill and

departed in a cloud cigar smoke back tominister to his delicate charges, andthat, thought I, is the end of that. I couldnot have been more wrong if I tried withall my might.Two days later, a breathless and

white-faced prison officer arrived in anobviously agitated condition.“Can I help you?” was the obvious

question.“Yes, I have been ordered to bring my

car to you by Dr. Hackingham-Smythe.”he said.When we had calmed the poor chap

down with a cup of sweetened tea heexplained what had happened.Apparently, upon his return to the

prison, Dr. Hackingham-Smythe wasvery well pleased with the manner inwhich his car was going, and announcedto the entire population that in future,anyone with a car problem was to takeit to our firm - not negotiable, noexceptions, no excuses, this was nowcast in stone and had been made law.In fairness, the good doctor became

one of those customers whom youregard more of a friend than merely anacquaintance, and he was like anunpaid ambassador for our company.Eventually he retired, and the life at

the prison became a bit more relaxed.We still used to see more than our fairshare of prison vehicles - it was widelybelieved in the workshop that if any ofus were to be sent there at HerMajesty’s Pleasure, we should beamongst friends. Mercifully, that wasnever put to the test.Looking back, the Dr. Hackingham-

Smythes of this world certainly make fora colourful existence, and sorting out aproblem such as his, albeit not a verycomplicated problem to solve, onlyreinforces my pride in being an engineer- even if we do not earn as much as the“other” profession.



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