dst-2022

A Comparison of DST''s PdM vs. Traditional PM Approach

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:37:34 GMT

A Comparison of DST's PdM vs. Traditional PM Approach

With DST’s ultrasound predictive technology, HVAC/R technicians of any skill level can

Perform a Predictive Maintenance (PdM) service in up to half the usual time
Identify early-stage mechanical and electrical failures
Report and repair issues for customers before they become expensive, surprise failures

A 25-50% time savings is created by the information the technician captures using DST

to identify areas that are running normally and do not require further inspection, thus

eliminating many steps required in a traditional PM.

Following is a step-by-step comparison of a traditional roof top unit

(RTU) PM and the DST PdM, which demonstrates how a more insightful

preventive maintenance service can be completed faster.

Check system data tag to ensure correct documentation. Using DST’s OCR nameplate feature to capture the information on the data plate ensures the correct data is entered; an image of the data plate is easily accessed in the DST platform for visual verification.
Visually inspect and listen for unusual sounds coming from the unit. Ensure unit is intact with no open or missing panels.
Turn off service disconnect for unit. If a disconnect box is provided, open the box and inspect for debris and electrical connections.
Remove filters and inspect blower belt and replace them if necessary. During this step the technician will check the condition of the evaporator coil and check the blower system’s pulleys for wear.
Check blower wheel(s) for obstructions. Visually check blower wheel to make sure it is intact and there is no debris inside blower housing.
Clear condensate drain line and treat the drain pan if necessary.
Check electrical panel for any exposed wiring or tripped breakers.
Check condenser fan blades for cracks or damage of any kind.
Check condenser coils for dirt, debris, or oil spots.
Clean condenser coils if necessary.
Turn on service disconnect.
Force individual components on via test sequence, BAS, or jumper wires.
Take DST readings on compressors, condenser fans and blower assembly.

The DST ultrasound readings can eliminate 17 steps of a traditional PM

When the ultrasound readings are taken on the compressors, condenser fan motors, blower motors, and bearings associated with the blower housing, the DST analysis will provide the technician and customer with comprehensive real time diagnostics on equipment condition and life expectancy.

In a matter of minutes, DST can call out many of the issues that take 17 additional steps to collect using traditional tools such as amp meters, refrigerant gauges, meggers, and capacitor testers.

Eliminate checking and recording amp draws

DST inspections taken on motor windings, compressors and condenser fan motors are compared to the Sound Signature™ database when the recording is analyzed by DST’s patented machine learning platform.
The tech will be notified by an “ELECTRICAL” Sound Signature™ when there is a phase imbalance, or the windings are breaking down due to wear over time.
The technician will only need to take amp draws and meg the motor when flagged by DST.
It is not necessary for the technician to use an amp meter or record the amp draws of each individual leg of power to a motor to identify any phase imbalance due to loose connections, improper wiring sizes, voltage drop across a contactor, resistance in the motor itself, or a faulty capacitor, as DST readings capture and analyze this data.

Eliminate checking for bearing issues

By taking DST readings on the bearings of the blower motor and blower shaft bearings, the technician can see their current condition.
The technician does not need to be highly skilled at determining the sounds made by damaged, scratched, dry, or loose bearings in motors and blower housing.
The unit does not need to be shut down for this procedure, which eliminates a step in the process. The technician can determine alignment and belt tension issues by reading the results of the DST inspection and following recommendations.
It is not necessary for the technician to remove any belts and hand-turn pulleys.
The technician receives a DST analysis of the individual bearings with Sound Signatures™ alerting them of issues like BEARING (indicating early-stage wear), SCRATCHED, DAMAGED, LOOSE, ROTATING and/or DRY.
If any of these issues are called out in the DST analysis of the single inspection point for a bearing, Recommended Actions will appear advising the technician that further review is required.
Most importantly, the technician will know when to grease the bearings and when not to, and avoid over-greasing the bearings and damaging the seals.
If DST’s analysis shows nothing unusual in the Sound Signature™ recording and flags the bearing Green, then the Technician can move on to the next task, assured that the bearing is in a normal condition.
The DST report confirming that the bearings are in good health can be presented to the customer.

Eliminate checking for loose electrical connections

Traditionally, every electrical connection to a motor is checked during a PM for voltage drop and phase imbalances, as these loose connections can cause the motor windings to overheat, shortening the life of the motor.
This step can be very time consuming since the technician must check every lug, screw, bolt, and spade connector for looseness, plus take voltage readings across every leg of a contactor to ensure there is no voltage drop going to the motors or compressors.
With DST, this assessment can be done in a matter of minutes.
The technician will only need to check for loose electrical connections if the “ARCING” Sound Signature™ appears in the analysis, which indicates a zapping or popping sound was detected when DST readings were taken.
The technician then puts the MSi150 into discovery mode and slowly traces the circuits while wearing the headset to listen for any loose connections.
The technician will hear the arcing (zapping or popping) sound most intensely at the loose connection.
If no loose connection is found, then the arcing is taking place inside the windings of the motor. This is due to the protective coating on the windings themselves breaking down and slowly burning away, which will over time destroy the motor. If this is the case, then DST has this documented on the analysis and the motor needs to be monitored or replaced before the motor shorts to ground. When a short to ground or a “burnout” happens inside a compressor, the long-lasting effects of acid and oil that is compromised can damage a refrigeration circuit even after a repair has been completed.

Eliminate taking and recording refrigerant pressures

By taking DST readings on A/C compressors, the technician can determine that the refrigerant pressures are correct in a refrigeration circuit without even connecting to their gauges. Along with a Delta T reading, this indicates that the compressor in that circuit is running and there is no need to document the low side and high side pressures to assure the customer that the system is running. All inspections are date and time stamped.
The DST analysis will call out any issues with a compressor and the refrigeration circuit with the ELECTRICAL, ARCING, SCROLL DAMAGED, FLOODBACK, and HIGH SUPER HEAT Sound Signatures™.
Flagged inspection points will trigger “Recommended Actions,” advising the technician of possible causes for the condition
If DST’s analysis shows nothing in the Sound SignatureTM recording and DST flags the compressor Green, then the technician can move on to the next task, assured that the compressor is in a normal operating condition.

Eliminate inspecting condenser fan motors

With DST, the technician only needs to take one 7-second ultrasound recording to inspect a condenser fan motor. The DST analysis will call out any Sound Signatures™ associated with phase imbalance or arcing due to loose connections or weak/faulty capacitors.
The Sound Signature™ of ELECTRICAL will appear in the analysis if an issue is identified.
If the bracket or the shaft of the motor is loose, the Sound Signature™ LOOSE will appear in the analysis.
If the bearings are damaged, the Sound Signature™ BEARING or DAMAGED will be displayed in the analysis.
All these issues can be detected with a single recording using DST without shutting down the system and inspecting the motor by hand and testing the capacitors.
DST can also call out any issues with the bearings inside the motor before they are even perceptible to the human ear.
If the DST Analysis shows no Sound Signature™ issues, then the technician can move on to the next task assured that the motor is in good condition.
With DST, it is not necessary to perform these traditional steps:
Listen to and observe the fan motor while it is running to ensure there are no bearing or capacitor deficiencies (for a single-phase motor).
Shut down the system to test the capacitors and check for any loose brackets that hold the motor in place.
Remove the fan guards and inspect the motor by hand, provided the technician has the experience to know what to look and listen for when the motor is operating.

To complete the DST roof top unit predictive maintenance inspection, the technician performs these final two steps:

Take and record Delta T. The technician should measure the temperature difference across the evaporator coil. This can be done with all stages running or for each stage individually.
Use DST in Discovery Mode to inspect for leaks or electrical issues. If low refrigerant charge is identified during the PdM, the MSi150 is an excellent leak detection tool. The technician can also perform one final sweep of the electrical panel to ensure there are no loose electrical connections.

With DST's ultrasound predictive technology, HVAC/R technicians of any skill level can perform a PdM service in half the usual time.

Using DST and the MSi150 in Discovery Mode as the primary tool in performing a PdM on a roof top unit can eliminate 17 time-consuming steps of a traditional PM. The technician will not need to perform unnecessary steps. If the DST analysis does not call out any issues, the technician can move on to the next task.

HVAC/R contractors, facility managers, and building owners using DST gain these competitive advantages:

Provide their technicians and customers with accurate, fact-based data for their HVAC/R equipment, including chillers, water pumps, boilers, compressors, air handlers and cooling towers
Ability to perform a PdM up to 50% faster
Enjoy significant labor cost savings
Eliminate surprise mechanical and electrical failures
Be more efficient and perform more work with the same number of technicians

Electrical Fault Detection with Discovery Sound Technology

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 14:36:20 GMT

Electrical Fault Detection with Discovery Sound Technology (DST)

The world of HVAC/R equipment maintenance is full of diverse testing methods, each with its own ideal applications and drawbacks. If you have electrical equipment to maintain and you’re not using DST, the fact of the matter is that you’re missing out!

Infrared testing is commonly used in electrical maintenance, detecting the heat put off by faults and malfunctions. However, by using DST’s ultrasound technology, you can begin to detect and repair faults before they even begin to put off heat, turning your maintenance schedule from a guessing game and a catch-up race into a true prevention strategy. Here’s how Discovery Sound Technology can help make it happen!

Types of Detectable Electrical Faults

DST’s MSi150 Ultrasound Diagnostic tool can pick up the most minute changes, fluctuations, and qualities in sound. This easy to use, sophisticated technology can detect not only mechanical faults but electrical ones, often in their earliest stages before they begin to cause dangerous problems or put off any detectable heat. Using DST is an especially helpful method for detecting coronas, tracking, and arcing, allowing you to repair them early and prevent major problems, system shutdowns, or injury from occurring.

Precise Preventative Maintenance

A preventative maintenance plan is a powerful thing for any equipment manager to have, but only if it’s a plan of a certain quality and precision based on accurate readings from a powerful testing method. Otherwise, your carefully planned maintenance schedule is little more than targeted guessing based on what you think the machinery might need, rather than what you know it requires. With DST giving you a crystal-clear picture of what’s happening within the electrical system and what it needs to prevent problems from arising, you’re no longer guessing! Instead, you can make targeted decisions to maximize the effectiveness of your maintenance efforts, reduce costs, and increase efficiency and safety all around!

Using Ultrasound for Electrical Equipment

The power of Discovery Sound Technology doesn’t only come from the incredible precision of ultrasound, but from its versatility! DST is flexible in a way that sets it apart from its peers, allowing you to get accurate results and valuable insights on many different types of HVAC/R equipment. Both open and closed electrical equipment can be inspected by DST across a wide range of voltages, and what’s more, anomalies and phase imbalance can be detected in many different types of electrical components, including contactors, fan motors, VFD’s, switchgears, transformers, insulators or disconnects and splices. With DST, you can take control of the equipment and your maintenance schedule!

If you’re ready to experience what Discovery Sound Technology can do for you, then we’re ready to help you! Contac t DST today for more information, and one of our team members will answer your questions and help guide you in the right direction.

Phase Imbalance in Motors & Compressors

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 12:34:55 GMT

Phase Imbalance in Motors & Compressors

Voltage phases are extremely important for the maintenance and operation of equipment like motors and compressors. In an ideal world, these phases would always be balanced and equal, but issues or inconsistencies in the electrical source that powers such pieces of equipment can result in unbalanced voltage, which does more than just affect the way a machine is operating in the moment.

“Voltage imbalance is a motor killer,” explained Bryan Orr, hvacrschool.com. “It causes poor motor performance and increases winding heat, which leads to premature failure. In HVAC/R blowers and compressors, this additional heat ends up in either the refrigerant or the air, which must then be removed, further decreasing efficiency.”

Whether you work in Refrigeration, HVAC, industrial production, or a completely different industry, phase imbalance is something you’ll need to understand and be aware of to maximize your efficiency and protect your equipment!

What causes Phase Imbalance?

Loose Electrical Connections
Pitted Contactors
Poor Disconnect Fuse Contact
Melted Wires
Undersized Wiring Size
Faulty Capacitors (Single Phase Only)

The traditional way to investigate and detect phase Imbalance in a motor is by using a voltmeter and amp meter (or ammeter). The technician measures for voltage at the source and at the motor terminals, then measures for voltage drop across the contactors and relays. If a drop is identified, the technician must further investigate if it is caused by a loose connection, a pitted contactor, or one of the other causes listed above.

DST: The Easiest Way to Inspect For Phase Imbalance

Discovery Sound Technology (DST) can be the savvy technician’s secret weapon when it comes to fighting back against phase imbalance. Using DST’s patented Ultrasound Technology, a tech can determine if a motor or compressor has a phase imbalance (or arcing) caused by a loose connection in a matter of minutes. After taking and uploading a seven-second ultrasound recording on the motor windings, DSTAPP will alert the technician with a red stop sign icon if there is an abnormal condition in the motor windings. If the motor windings are operating in a normal condition, DST presents the technician with a green status icon.

When an issue is identified, DST’s patented diagnostic software provides recommended actions to point the technician in the correct direction on how to resolve the issue. DST eliminates the need to take amp draws, check contactors, and look for loose electrical connections on every motor or compressor during preventative maintenance and service repairs, saving time and effort and increasing safety on the job for technicians. This game changing technology is a great training tool for new technicians and can prevent technicians missing important steps during inspections.

You can learn more about this revolutionary technology or schedule a demonstration with us online, or by contacting us today . Our team is ready to help you!

Remote Monitoring

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 15:33:23 GMT

Remote Monitoring | Discovery Sound Technology

Managing and maintaining Cooling Towers systems is no small feat. With the amount of effort exerted by these tremendous machines, the need for maintenance and repairs is inevitable, but without proper testing methods, figuring out where and when those repairs are needed can feel like it requires a crystal ball to be anything more than targeted guessing.

However, the right diagnostic testing method can completely transform how you maintain your equipment, and for Cooling Towers, ultrasonic testing is the tool you need. Using the power of sound to produce precise information on faults and wear to allow you to plan your maintenance schedule, ultrasonic testing like the kind provided by Discovery Sound Technology can reduce your downtime, limit or eliminate unexpected failures, and save you money! Here are some of the common problems that DST can help to detect in Cooling Towers

Friction / Alignment

Unnecessary friction in Cooling Towers, due to misalignment is a common source of faults and malfunctions, causing wear and tear, excess heat, and other issues. The bearings in the motor and gearbox are a frequent culprit for friction in these systems. When there’s any misalignment between the motor, coupling, input/output shafts and the gearbox that condition will produce problems that wear out bearing, gearboxes, belts and/or pulleys. Ultrasonic testing, by picking up the sound of this increased friction even in early stages, can alert you to the need for adjustments and lubrication to help prevent failures down the line. With DST Remote Monitoring, you can detect this type of issue from ground level, while the Cooling Tower is under load without having to shut the unit down and climbing inside.

Impacting / Cavitation

Pump Cavitation can also be the cause of issues in a Cooling Towers and associated pumps. Cavitation and debris in the water/cooling loop can cause a premature failure of the bearings and couplings. This leads to the system either performing poorly with greatly reduced efficiency or breaking down entirely. However, these issues are easily detected by the remote sensors of DST’s ultrasonic testing systems, and you can be alerted to an impact / cavitation problem in your Cooling Tower or Pumps to allow you to plan for repairs and recalibrations at a convenient time verses when you have a major failure of a component & the Cooling Tower goes offline.

From alignment, input/output shaft bearing problems, and pump cavitation, the list of potential problems that your Cooling Tower and associated pump systems can run into might seem endless, but it doesn’t have to be a constant source of stress for you when you use Discovery Sound Technology’s ultrasonic testing to guide your preventive maintenance schedule. If you’re interested in learning more about this powerful tech, and how your own HVACR technicians can detect these issues without having to use a 3rd party vibration company, and the associated expense, we can help you! Contact us today with any questions you may have.

Reducing Downtime: How DST Helps Prevent Critical Failures

Thu, 23 May 2024 15:53:33 GMT

Reducing Downtime: How DST Helps Prevent Critical Failures

Malfunctions and failures in your HVACR equipment are a possibility that needs to be taken very seriously, regardless of your industry. A critical electrical failure can disrupt your customers business as well as your daily service operations and force you to deal with unplanned downtime, as well as creating a need for costly repairs. Issues like this shorten the lifespan of a piece of equipment, with the most serious electrical failures creating unacceptable risk for catastrophic failure that can include equipment fires, burns, and other injuries and damage that must be avoided.

Staying on top of your preventative maintenance and diagnostic testing is the best way to help prevent these faults and failures, but the type of testing method you choose matters almost as much as having a testing method in the first place! When it comes to preventive and predictive HVACR maintenance, including the electrical components, ultrasonic testing, like DST, is your friend. Here’s what sets it apart!

Shortcomings of Other Testing Methods

In the world of testing and maintenance, there are about as many methods as there are problems to be diagnosed, but many of them have limitations and shortcomings which can make them unsuitable for detecting certain types of faults, especially tricky and dangerous faults. Vibration monitoring, for instance, produces readings that are easily skewed by external factors such as environment. Infrared technology can detect the heat given off by some faults but will fail to identify those that produce no immediate heat. Relying only on one of these testing methods to prevent critical failures is sure to produce unreliable results at some point and the possibility of critical failure increases. You need a more complete assessment with a technology that will not only identify, but also predict potential future failure through comparative analytics.

Types of Electrical Faults Detected by Ultrasound

The major types of electrical failures that can be detected and addressed when you use ultrasound testing are partial discharge, partial arcing, and arcing discharge. All of these problems have the potential to be catastrophic for your equipment and dangerous for anyone who interacts with it, and DST’s ultrasound technology can identify them safely. Partial discharge, or corona, can often be detected in its very early stages by ultrasonic testing and resolved before it progresses into partial arcing, also called tracking, or full arcing. DST’s Discovery Platform provides incredibly accurate electrical testing that can eliminate many additional steps having to be performed.

Benefits of Ultrasound with DST

Unlike infrared or vibration testing, which rely on close contact with electrical components to detect faults and still might give off false readings, DST can be safely performed from a distance without triggering dangerous arc flashes, and it's more precise and accurate readings reduce the possibility of critical failures and faults being missed. Subtle problems are easy to detect, and the safety of the equipment, the system, and all the technicians and employees in contact with this can be ensured.

Don’t take unnecessary risks with the electrical components in HVACR equipment. Instead, choose to keep your eye on the state of your circuitry with the power of ultrasonic testing from Discovery Sound Technology! You can contact our team today for more information about how this testing method can be helpful to you.

Beyond Fault Detection: DST’s Role in Lifecycle Management of Industrial Equipment Remotely

Thu, 23 May 2024 13:19:02 GMT

Beyond Fault Detection: DST’s Role in Lifecycle Management of Industrial Equipment Remotely

When most people think of diagnostic testing, they think of fault detection– locating a problem within a piece of equipment and solving it. However, sophisticated methods such as ultrasonic testing can be so much more than just a way to find it and fix it! Every piece of equipment, mechanical and electrical has a full lifecycle that includes regular operations, maintenance, and end of life stages. Using the ultrasound technology of DST can help you to manage that entire lifecycle to your advantage! In many cases DST’s RMx (Remote Monitoring) system affords technicians to take remote readings while the unit is in full operation without having to remove any exterior panels, saving up to 75% of PM time. An RMx Console is mounted externally, with Ultrasound Sensors on the inside permanently mounted to various components & test points.

Equipment Repair and Replacement

Every piece of HVACR equipment in the world needs repairs from time to time, and using Discovery Sound Technology to help you identify the need for those repairs can revolutionize the way you take care of your clients’ equipment. Using ultrasonic testing is about being proactive with the equipment, learning of faults and malfunctions long before they present themselves by causing problems. By detecting the minute sounds that faults create in their early stages, DST allows you to be aware of everything that’s going on in your HVACR equipment and what it needs to be fixed, allowing you to stay on top of repairs and accurately decide when a unit is more expensive to maintain than to replace.

Optimized Maintenance Schedules

Interrupting a normal day of operations to repair equipment that could have been maintained with simple tasks, like lubricating bearings and changing filters, is a waste of time and money. But without a proper preventative maintenance method like ultrasonic testing, it can be harder to keep things running smoothly. Using DST to guide your maintenance schedule, however, takes interruptions and guesswork out of the equation entirely. When you know exactly what tasks need to be performed and when they will become critical, you can plan ahead to get these important chores done at convenient times that won’t disrupt any routines. DST has completely customizable digital “Tasking Sheets” that work both with, and without, Tasking Sheets while using its Remote Monitoring system (RMx).

Improved Asset Management

Knowing exactly what’s going on inside a piece of equipment is a gift to harried business owners who must worry about allocating time, money, and manpower across an entire company, especially when operations are at scale. The detailed knowledge that DST’s ultrasonic testing is able to provide allows you to prioritize and perform triage on your machinery, deciding what needs to be taken care of immediately and what can be put off for a while longer and as stated earlier, with Remote Monitoring (RMx), the technician doesn’t have to pull panels to get a full and accurate DST Ultrasound Analysis of a piece of HVAC equipment while running under load. That means more work during normal hours without interrupting your customers business.

Enhanced Operational Reliability

The threat of a breakdown is always hovering nearby when you’re trying to operate machinery without detailed diagnostics letting you know how things are going. Using Discovery Sound Technology eliminates that threat and the stress that comes with it! When you know that your clients’ HVACR equipment is properly maintained and not showing signs of faults or damage that might cause an unexpected failure, you can rest easy and rely on the equipment to perform at optimal levels.

From the minute a piece of equipment is installed to the day it’s replaced, DST can make managing its upkeep simple and carefree. Want to know more about the many ways that we at Discovery Sound Technology can help you? Contact us today for more information!

Bearing Condition Monitoring with Ultrasound

Tue, 21 May 2024 11:24:36 GMT

Bearing Condition Monitoring with Ultrasound

Each part and component of your electrical equipment performs its own vital function, and a failure or defect in any of them can hinder the performance of your entire operation. Bearings are one of those parts– they bear a tremendous amount of activity in a machine, handling friction and continuous motion, and without the proper maintenance schedule and upkeep your clients are going to be dealing with a long string of problems caused by malfunctioning and failing bearings.

Keeping to a practical and effective maintenance schedule for your clients’ equipment can sometimes feel like it requires a crystal ball, but it’s not so mystical when you have a tool like ultrasonic testing from Discovery Sound Technology to guide your decisions!

Problems with Mechanical Bearings

Finding the right levels and frequencies of lubrication for the bearings in your clients’ equipment is not a task for the faint of heart. It’s entirely possible to both over-lubricate and under-lubricate the bearings, each with its own host of problems, from increased lubrication viscosity and material waste to high levels of friction and overheating. If you don’t nail down the right schedule that keeps the bearings optimally functioning, you risk costing yourself both time and money in trying to fix the issues that improper maintenance can cause!

Using Sound

Ultrasonic testing is a revolutionary testing method for all types of mechanical and electrical equipment. Not only is it easy, cost-effective, and practical, but it’s best used while a piece of machinery is actively operating, allowing testing to be performed without disrupting normal workflow. The sensitive ultrasound receivers of an ultrasonic testing unit pick up sound waves off the equipment, using advanced technology to interpret those waves into readings that tell a trained technician what’s going on inside any given piece of equipment. These detailed reports help you to tailor your maintenance schedule to the actual needs of the equipment, preventing problems before they ever arise!

How DST Helps Your Bearings

The sounds that the bearings in the equipment make are usually imperceptible to the human ear, and even if you could pick them up, you would have a hard time deciphering what each little squeak or grinding noise means. With the power of DST, however, those sounds provide a roadmap to exactly what the machinery needs. It’s possible with DST to detect a bearing that is undergoing too much friction and wear and should be lubricated immediately, and also a bearing that will need lubrication soon, but not yet. Ultrasonic testing is not just about finding faults so that they can be repaired– it’s about preventing them before they even happen!

Caring for the health of the equipment is about to become easier than ever for you with the help of Discovery Sound Technology and our advanced ultrasonic testing. If you’re interested in learning more, make sure to contact us today!

Top Benefits of Predictive Maintenance for HVAC/R Systems

Mon, 20 May 2024 14:27:05 GMT

Top Benefits of Predictive Maintenance for HVAC/R Systems

Maintaining a properly functioning HVAC/R system for any building, large or small, is no small task. With the amount of interconnecting, complex parts that these systems have, keeping them up and running properly is quite the job, and when an HVAC/R system is down or starts to function improperly, everyone feels the negative effects.

These pieces of equipment can be tough to manage, and you might feel that it’s impossible to stay on top of what they need at any given moment. With the power of ultrasound technology from DST, however, you can enjoy the benefits of a window right into the inner workings of the HVAC/R systems you maintain! With the detailed and specific information that DST is able to provide you, you’ll always know how your HVAC system is working and what it needs to continue functioning properly. This can lead to many different benefits. Here are a few of them!

Increased Uptime

Unplanned downtime is the enemy of comfort and efficiency where HVAC/R systems are concerned, but without the information provided by ultrasonic testing like the kind used by DST, it’s almost impossible to avoid. If you’re basing your maintenance schedule on guesses and problems that have already begun to show up, you’re constantly going to be playing catch-up, and will be forced to deal with long stretches of downtime at inconvenient moments. With DST, however, you can anticipate problems and maintenance needs before they become serious issues, and plan your downtime accordingly to improve your convenience!

Increased Efficiency

In this day and age where energy is in short supply and high demand, machinery like HVAC/R systems should be functioning at peak efficiency. However, inconsistent maintenance and unreliable scheduling means they rarely ever are, and this can drive operating costs through the roof when they don’t need to be so high! DST has the power to detect problems like clogged filters, imbalanced fans, misaligned pumps, and other issues that can hurt a system’s efficiency, allowing you to fix them promptly and keep the system running smoothly and at optimal energy levels!

Longer Equipment Lifespans

Letting maintenance tasks like replacing filters or lubricating moving parts go unaddressed for too long increases the wear and tear on a piece of equipment like an HVAC/R system and can drastically reduce its lifespan. The expense of constantly replacing worn-out parts and components (and eventually replacing entire systems) can be great, and it’s easy to reduce when you’re using a reliable testing method like ultrasonic testing from Discovery Sound Technology. Basing your preventive maintenance plan on your DST readings can help your HVAC/R system to last significantly longer over!

Improved Air Quality

In offices, retail complexes, factories, commercial spaces, or wherever else the HVAC/R systems you maintain are located, air quality is of the utmost importance, and an HVAC/R system that isn’t functioning at its best and most efficient level is one that’s turning out subpar air quality. Clogged filters, poor humidity control, and other common issues can all affect the temperature, cleanliness, and overall comfort of the air in a building, but these issues are simple and easy to address before they become serious with DST to let you know exactly what’s going on inside your HVAC/R system!

Reduced Costs

When your HVAC/R system is maintained on a proper schedule and functioning properly, you’ll see reduced costs across the board! By eliminating the need for emergency repairs, cutting down on the necessity for frequent replacement parts, and improving a system’s efficiency, you can reduce how much it costs to own and operate this vital piece of machinery, and it’s all within reach with ultrasonic testing from DST!

Interested in learning more about how Discovery Sound Technology can benefit your HVAC/R systems and preventative maintenance plan? Make sure to contact us today for further information!

How DST Empowers Technicians

Fri, 03 May 2024 11:04:33 GMT

How DST Empowers Technicians | Discovery Sound Technology

Being an equipment technician is a rewarding career for many of those who choose it. The process of learning your trade and developing your expertise when it comes to handling the equipment you maintain, from manufacturing to HVAC, is one that inspires a lot of confidence and satisfaction. However, being a technician can also be challenging, strenuous, and frustrating as you struggle to keep up with the condition of your equipment and the requirements of a physically demanding job. These downsides can often decrease the amount of successes you’re able to enjoy, as well as keeping technicians from fully enjoying their work. However, Discovery Sound Technology can provide a solution for many of these challenges, empowering HVACR technicians and their work on various types, shapes an sizes of HVACR equipment to improve their results and the demands of their workday!

Early Fault Location

With many of the testing methods that are commonly used for HVACR maintenance, PMs becomes more of a catch-up game where you’re constantly chasing problems as they arise and scrambling to keep up. With the ultrasound technology of DST, technicians are able to not only find and identify existing faults that are already causing problems but locate faults and issues that will become problems in the future. This facilitates a shift from reactive maintenance, where problems are addressed as they arise, to prescriptive and predictive maintenance, where problems can be stopped before they even start! With ultrasonic testing providing such detailed insight, DST technicians will maintain better and drive more consistent performance results from their equipment by finding issues early and fixing them at the right moment.

Safe and Convenient Testing

There are many kinds of testing methods available to equipment technicians today, but sadly, many of them have serious drawbacks to their use. Some require exposure to things like x-rays that can be harmful, while others are physically challenging for technicians to use and require them to get in close contact with dangerous machine components or enter hazardous situations, like climbing up on top of large pieces of equipment. Even the methods that are relatively safe are often time consuming to use, or just simply lack accuracy. DST’s Ultrasonic testing has very few of these drawbacks– it’s not only extremely precise and accurate in its results, but it’s quick and convenient to use. Some organizations are already seeing 50% PM Labor / Time Savings. DST’s Ultrasound readings can be taken at a short distance in just a few minutes, giving technicians the safety, flexibility and fact-based “comparative” diagnostic results they lack with other methods of testing. They don’t have to wait for results…. It’s all done in real time.

Easy Analysis

Going through rigorous training to understand complex machinery and be able to interpret complicated results is a tedious and laborious process for any technician looking to get acclimated to a new testing method, but with DST, there’s no such stress. DST’s Ultrasonic technology uses the power of sound waves to capture data about the way a machine is functioning, and the patented advanced algorithms and software of DST process that data almost instantaneously, providing accurate, easy-to-understand results that a technician can analyze and turn into a maintenance plan. There’s no confusion with Discovery Sound Technology– with a few quick and convenient training sessions, any technician can become an expert!

Discovery Sound Technology and ultrasonic testing are the tools that maintenance technicians need to empower themselves in their work and find satisfaction and success in the field! If you’re interested in learning more, make sure you continue reading here about the many benefits of DST .

How Does DST’s Preventative Maintenance Work?

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 12:56:40 GMT

How Does DST’s Preventative Maintenance Work? | Discovery Sound Technology

At Discovery Sound Technology, cloud-based ultrasound predictive maintenance is the name of our game. It’s what we do and what we know. It’s over a decade of research, gathering HVACR ultrasound inspections and continually improving the technician user interface. The highly sensitive sound readings that our ultrasonic testing devices can take from your machinery, and the advanced and patented software we use to analyze those readings, don’t just help you identify where you have existing problems and faults in your equipment– they can identify future problems that haven’t reared their heads yet and help you to avoid them altogether! Predictive maintenance with DST is a revolutionary practice for your business that “changes the game” and will enhance your customer relationship in many ways. Here’s how!

Adjust Your Maintenance Schedule

The maintenance that you conduct on your machinery, like applying lubricant to bearings, topping off fluids on gears, cleaning filters and traps, and aligning parts and components helps to keep things running smoothly, getting you the most efficient performance from your equipment, and extending its lifespan. However, this vital maintenance is most helpful if you’re performing it when and where it’s needed. Greasing bearings that don’t need it but neglecting to align pumps, motors and couplings won’t help your equipment much over time. Using DST to monitor your machinery will give you specific insight into exactly what tasks you need to do and when so that you’re not wasting time and energy on unnecessary tasks or skipping important ones. DST color-codes the urgency of the problems identified through its ultrasound analysis automatically for the technician. The advances in technology and comparative analytics that DST has developed and patented, have also significantly expanded what its Ultrasound platform can detect…even with fewer steps than other technologies saving you unneeded steps and time. Have “floodback” on a compressor or “arching” in motors or control panels… DST’s Ultrasound diagnostics will document that condition automatically. DST has seen time savings of up to 50% in many instances. Potentially more if you’re using their RMx Remote Monitoring Platforms in your hard to access, multi-point, and critical applications.

Repair Faults Early

Even machinery that’s used properly and maintained adequately will suffer from some degradation eventually from normal wear and tear that occurs over time. Repairing and maintaining this is a normal part of using this equipment. However, when you’re relying on traditional maintenance and testing methods, it isn’t quite as simple as it can be with DST.

Without Ultrasound, small problems and pending faults can often go unnoticed in their early stages, and by the time they become obvious at human hearing levels, they’ve worsened and turned into something more expensive and disruptive to repair. It’s far more effective to catch these faults when they first appear and fix them early, so that you can prevent further damage. When you’re using DST’s ultrasonic technology to inform your predictive maintenance schedule, finding these problems early and repairing them will cost less money & prevent “surprise” failures.

Eliminate Unnecessary Interventions

As an HVACR technician, the day of you having to routinely plan your maintenance and repairs with no documented sense of what’s going on inside a piece of equipment are fading fast. Many of those days end when you start using DST’s Discovery Platform as designed. Why waste technician time and effort on unneeded tasks when you could be targeting your efforts specifically to where they’re needed and documented over time . Using DST for predictive maintenance saves you time and money on your HVACR equipment diagnosis by identifying exactly where the problems are, what the problem consist of and prevents you from having to interfere with a part or component that’s working properly and doesn’t need attention. The DST platform will also provide you with “recommended actions” that have been vetted by senior technicians that have the experiential insight to make those. Recommendations. The power of DST’s ultrasound technology can provide you with a customized digital road map and documented history of your HVACR equipment. You’ll be amazed at the results you can see from following it!

Performing your predictive and preventative maintenance with the help of DST’s ultrasonic testing will take your business to the next level! If you’re interested in learning more, make sure you contact our team today for further information.

How to Prevent Failing Steam Traps

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 12:35:47 GMT

How to Prevent Failing Steam Traps with DST | Discovery Sound Technology

Your machinery and equipment is essential to your ability to do your job, and any faults or failures in that equipment can be at best a serious inconvenience and disruption to your workflow, and at worst can throw you and your team members into a tailspin trying to repair the problem and keep up with your normal schedule. One of the most dreaded equipment malfunctions is failing steam traps, which can have many different causes and be the source of endless problems for your equipment and your business. Luckily, failing steam traps are easy to detect, repair, and even prevent with the help of ultrasonic testing from DST!

Why Are Steam Trap Failures So Bad?

A steam trap is a valve on a piping system or piece of equipment that allows condensate ( or liquid), air, and other non-condensable gasses to exit the steam system while the steam itself actually stays trapped inside the system. It allows the steam system to get the most possible use and efficiency out of the heat and pressure of the steam. When a steam trap fails, it stops the entire steam system from working properly and decreases its efficiency. It’s a waste of energy, can cause production problems and decreases, and the issue won’t resolve unless the steam trap is repaired, which can be an expensive and time-consuming process that disrupts your workflow. It’s something that anyone who uses a steam-run system tries very hard to avoid!

What Causes Steam Trap Failures?

There are several different things that can cause a steam trap to fail, with contaminants being one of the most common. Dirt and other substances build up in the steam and consequently in the steam trap over time, and can cause blockages, plugs, or leaks that prevent the trap from functioning properly. Water-hammer or hydraulic shock, a problem that occurs due to sharp pressure surges or changes from sudden steam valve openings, faulty pipework, or trap misapplications, can also cause a steam trap to fail. Outdated or incorrect types of valves and traps throughout the steam system can also result in steam trap failures.

How to Detect Steam Trap Failures with DST

Steam, although it is technically a gas, is a fluid substance. This technical term doesn’t equate it to being a liquid, just a form of matter that flows, and like almost all fluid substances, the flow of steam makes a noise that can be detected by the ultrasound devices of DST, whether or not the sound can be picked up by human ears. Ultrasound technology is the gold standard testing method when it comes to steam traps. These sophisticated systems can pick up the sounds of the trap opening and closing that indicate it’s working properly, the silence that would indicate a trap that’s stuck closed, the turbulent rushing of steam that would indicate a trap that’s stuck open, and the fluttering of a trap that is opening and closing improperly. With the help of DST’s advanced technology, a trained technician can analyze the sounds of your machinery to not only identify a failed steam trap that needs to be fixed or replaced, but to predict a steam trap that is at risk of failing in the future so that you can avoid the problem altogether!

With the power of Discovery Sound Technology, the fear of a failing steam trap decreasing your efficiency and functionality doesn’t have to hang over your head. If you’re interested in learning more, you can learn about the benefits of DST here , or contact us for more information !

Finding Leaks and Broken Valve Plates with DST

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 17:49:14 GMT

Finding Leaks and Broken Valve Plates with DST | Discovery Sound Technology

When you aren’t utilizing DST’s patented ultrasound platform with your clients, their equipment, parts, and components can just fail unexpectedly sometimes. This leaves them and you with malfunctions, leaks, and broken parts to deal with. It’s expensive, time consuming, and extremely inconvenient to both find and fix these problems. DST prevents surprise failures.

Not only is our cutting-edge technology adept at locating issues like leaks and HVAC/R valve plate issues, but it can also continue to help after the repair is complete by predicting similar issues in the future. DST takes your machinery and equipment from a mystery full of frustration and stress to something you can always rely on, especially when you need it most. That’s the power of Discovery Sound Technology and ultrasonic testing!

Crucial Repairs in a Timely Manner

One of our Service Partners worked on a project at a US government nuclear propulsion research facility where there was a 200-ton air-handling unit with a leak. The tech assigned to work on the problem spent 2 days on site trying to find the leak with traditional methods. That’s a lot of time and effort wasted, especially on such a crucial fix! After charging up the battery in a DST tool, the leak was found and pinpointed inside the air handler within five minutes, saving even more labor and time and allowing the problem to be fixed.

How DST Works to Detect Leaks

Finding leaks, especially refrigerant and air leaks, can be an exercise in frustration when it comes to your clients’ machinery and equipment maintenance. Often, it’s difficult to even know that there is a leak until it’s done so much damage that it becomes easy to notice. However, preventative maintenance with Discovery Sound Technology makes it easy to locate and fix HVAC/R refrigerant and control equipment leaks in their earliest stages before they’ve caused too many problems. Medical facilities love the reduction in medical gas leaks as well.

Locating a leak with DST’s ultrasonic testing system involves simply switching the system into Discovery Mode. This transforms the system into a sensitive and highly advanced listening device. It takes very little time to scan your equipment where it might be possible for a leak to spring, such as pressurized component areas. Afterwards, the system will analyze the ultrasound intake, listening at ultrasonic levels and identifying issues. It will tell you where on the equipment a leak is located quickly.

Benefits of DST

Using the power of DST’s ultrasonic testing to keep your machinery in good working order is one of the best things that you can do for yourself and for your business. Whether your team services an industry like government facilities or your business deals with something that people use every day, like HVAC/R or manufacturing equipment, you can benefit from applying DST to your upkeep and preventative maintenance processes.

Not only is DST’s ultrasonic testing quick, easy, and simple to use, but the ultrasound technology that powers this method is incredibly sensitive and precise, giving you exact readings that can not only indicate the current state of your equipment, but predict failures, leaks, and malfunctions that may happen in the future. DST’s platform uses comparative analytics to compare your equipment to other “like” pieces of equipment in the database.

DST is also a fully nondestructive form of testing, meaning that you never have to dismantle or break down your equipment to learn what’s going on inside. It’s even usable while your machinery is in operation, meaning it’s easy to perform important testing without slowing, stopping, or changing your clients’ schedule!

DST is cost effective and versatile, working on a wide variety of HVAC/R equipment including mechanical, pneumatic, electrical, and electronic components. It’s incredibly efficient and fast, giving you near-instant readings and information so that you can create a plan for maintenance or repairs right away with the right level of technician capability depending upon the condition.

Issues in your clients’ HVAC/R systems and other machinery can be located, fixed, and even predicted just as quickly when you have the power of DST’s ultrasonic technology on your side! You can contact us to learn more about this system and how it can help you.

How Ultrasound Enhances Reliability and Safety

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:47:37 GMT

How Ultrasound Enhances Reliability and Safety | Discovery Sound Technology

When you run a business, you’re always juggling dozens of different priorities for different parts of your organization. With so many needs that must be addressed, it can be an impossible task to give every priority the attention it deserves. Reliability and safety in the workplace, for example, are majorly important, but there’s only so much you can do to improve them– a little risk is always involved, right? Let’s see.

DST uses non-contact Ultrasound in its testing, keeping technicians safer. There’s a simple and easy way to vastly improve the safety of your HVAC service operations without adding any extra stress or responsibility to your plate, and it’s to use DST’s ultrasonic testing technology for your HVAC/R equipment maintenance. Implementing DST into your preventative maintenance routine can greatly reduce or eliminate major sources of risk in the workplace for you and your employees. Here’s how!

Improving Equipment Reliability

Unpredicted and unforeseen failures in your HVAC/R equipment and machinery are a workplace risk that might seem unavoidable. If every piece of equipment always worked exactly the way it’s supposed to, there would not be a danger of injury to a person or damage to an object. However, that just isn’t the case in real life! The closest thing you can do to get to that safer world is to use DST’s non-contact ultrasonic testing to predict and prevent surprise HVAC/R equipment failures early on. With DST’s Discovery Platform, you learn if component operation is acceptable, questionable, or potentially fast-tracking to failure. The platform documents the issue, it’s conditional priority and provides time for maintenance scheduling before it gets worse and fails. Early detection and repair, improves equipment reliability by leaps and bounds! DST’s Ultrasound Platform gives you incredibly detailed actionable information using comparative analytics which compares your equipment with other “like” equipment in its diagnostic database.

Reducing Unknowns

Even when you’re not actively dealing with a piece of HVAC/R equipment that’s questionable, the unknown factor of its internal state turns it into a potential risk in the making. With ultrasound technology from DST, what’s going on inside of your equipment never has to be a mystery! Using sophisticated, yet technician-friendly tools to analyze sound input, DST provides you with a detailed picture of how your equipment is functioning, identifying both current and upcoming problems of critical components and their conditions. It easily documents worn or damaged bearings, electrical arcing, compressor issues, refrigerant leaks, worn belts, loose components, and so much more, well before the human ear can hear or human eye can see them. When you can get a detailed and clear understanding of what’s happening with your HVAC/R machinery using non-contact Ultrasound, the risk of an accident or surprise failure becomes much lower!

Providing Safer Testing

There are many different types of diagnostic testing out there giving you options for how you want to manage your organizations preventative maintenance. As you move up into predictive maintenance however, you’re really focusing on eliminating surprise failures with the highest degree of accuracy at the earliest stage of detection in the safest manner feasible. This is the essence of predictive maintenance.

The four leading predictive technologies considered most, are Ultrasound, Vibration, Oil Analysis and Thermography. Each technology has its own threshold of detection. Ultrasound technology is the earliest warning and most sensitive technology able to detect anomalies with very high safety considerations and accuracy. DST’s Ultrasonic testing is a very low-risk testing method which, vastly reduces the possibilities for exposure and physical danger that other methods might create and provides incredibly detailed information that other methods can’t replicate. Using DST is a win-win scenario for you and your HVAC/R equipment!

With the help of Discovery Sound Technology and the power of ultrasound, you can greatly reduce risk and enhance the reliability of your equipment and machinery. Interested in learning more? Contact our team at Discovery Sound Technology today!

Innovations and Advancements in Ultrasonic Testing

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:42:33 GMT

Innovations and Advancements in Ultrasonic Testing | Discovery Sound Technology

Ultrasonic testing is one of the most interesting corners of nondestructive testing (or NDT) in the world today. Using highly advanced and sophisticated technology, this technique provides detailed information about the inner workings of a piece of machinery or equipment, sensing current faults, malfunctions, and failures and even predicting ones that haven’t happened yet. What’s even better is that the technology around ultrasonic testing is far from stagnant. Instead, this NDT method is evolving and developing all the time, becoming more precise and more useful in the many fields in which it has applications. These are some of the latest advancements in ultrasonic testing technology today!

Size and Portability

Evolving hardware and software across the entire technological field has had a positive ripple effect on the testing equipment required to perform preventative maintenance with ultrasound. With the passing years, monitoring systems, consoles, sensors and receivers, and other accessories become smaller and more compact, as well as becoming easier to use. These more portable devices make the jobs of ultrasonic testing easier for advanced, skilled, or certified technicians. DST is the HVAC/R industry’s first producer of a HVAC/R technician-friendly device that doesn’t require months or years of training to use. The developers at DST moved the complexity of Ultrasound away from the user interface & up into the cloud. A typical HVAC/R Technician can be using DST’s system with less than a day’s training.

Improved Imaging

Ultrasound is a highly sensitive medium that provides detailed insight when used to inspect machinery and equipment, and time has only served to increase that sensitivity. The list of faults and problems that ultrasonic testing can identify has only grown over the years as technology has evolved, including the receptiveness of sensors and equipment and the increased precision of software like DST. With today’s ultrasonic testing, you can get an even clearer picture of what’s going on inside your equipment than you could years ago, and this trend is likely to continue, with imaging improving over the years.

Increased Technology Use

AI, or artificial intelligence technology, is one of the hottest and most interesting developments in the tech field today. People from all over the world, not just STEM professionals, are watching closely to see the many different applications of these sophisticated systems, from chatbots to medicine. AI has its place in mechanical testing as well, helping to recognize patterns, analyze data, and provide more useful insights to testers and technicians using tools like ultrasonic testing. The presence of AI in DST’s Discovery Platform has grown the service industry’s ability to transition from reactive maintenance to predictive maintenance. DST has been collecting HVAC/R ultrasound data over the past 12 years and AI has allowed the Ultrasound data to be used in not only identifying what’s wrong with a piece of HVAC/R equipment, but it now also provides recommended actions based on the AI interpretation of the ultrasound data. THIS is becoming a “game-changer” and now allows service companies to better utilize less experienced technicians for gathering the data used for diagnosing service issues. Every day the intelligence of the database is enhanced with additional ultrasound files being added and with “AI” it will continue to advance and evolve further than ever before at ever increasing rates.

With so many interesting new advancements and developments happening, there’s never been a better time to experience the advantages that DST’s ultrasonic testing can provide to you and your business. If you’re interested in learning more about DST’s patented “AI” process used for diagnosing HVAC/R Service Issues and moving to predictive maintenance, DST can help you! Contact us for more information today .

4 Common Mechanical Faults Detected by Ultrasound

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 16:00:51 GMT

4 Common Mechanical Faults Detected by Ultrasound | Discovery Sound Technology

The list of problems that can occur in your machinery is as long as the list of the different types of machinery you can have. For every part and component, you can have in a piece of mechanical or electrical equipment, there’s a potential problem or malfunction waiting to happen. With so many different issues that can all present in similar ways, it’s a serious challenge to identify what’s gumming up the works in your machinery, even for an expert.

What you really need is to be able to see inside your equipment with fine detail to examine what’s acting up and determine how to fix it. With the naked eye, this is impossible and would require opening-up or damaging your machinery. With DST’s ultrasonic technology, however, this is not only possible, but easy and effective! Using the power of ultrasound, you can get extensive information about what’s going on inside your equipment, learning not only what’s causing current issues, but what has the potential to cause issues in the future. DST can detect a wide variety of mechanical faults very early in the process. Here are just a few!

Bearing Faults

A bearing fault or failure can be caused by many things, including incorrect bearing size or type, inadequate or improper lubrication, contamination, incorrect installation or orientation, improper handling, overloading, and more. When a bearing completely fails, it can cause part of the machine or the entire system to break down, but before it reaches the final stage of failure, it starts to produce sound, some not detectable by human ear. Ultrasonic technology can pick up on these very early sounds and warn you about bearing faults before they cause issues!

Lubrication Problems

A machine that’s poorly lubricated is a machine that’s running poorly, and eventually, not running at all. At best, lack of lubrication or over lubrication causing seal failures in mechanical machines can cause grinding, high levels of wear and tear, and overheating. At worst, you’re at risk of permanent damage to your equipment that will require extensive repairs and replacements to fix. The abnormal sounds of an inappropriately lubricated machine can be captured and analyzed by DST to let you know that it’s time to bust out the grease or oil …. Again… DST ultrasound clearly hears this happen before we can hear it with our own ears.

Leaks

Leaks of fluid or gas can start off small, almost undetectable, but can become potentially disastrous for your machinery. There are many different components that can spring troublesome leaks, including coils, compressors, fittings, tanks, seals, or pneumatic controls. Fluid leaks can be difficult to find until they reach critical levels, and air leaks can be nearly impossible to find at all, even when it becomes clear that you have one. The highly sensitive receivers of ultrasonic testing equipment, however, can pick out the sounds of these leaks and tell you where they are, how bad they are, and how soon you’ll need to fix them.

Altered Airflow

Even without a leak present, a change in the way that air moves through your equipment can cause major issues, and can have many different sources, from clogged filters or malfunctioning fans to gapping seals and restricted flow. The effects of these problems are sure to be clear in the way your machine operates but identifying them can be hard. The specialized equipment of DST makes it easy, taking the guesswork out of your machinery maintenance and repair!

With the help of ultrasonic testing and Discovery Sound Technology, you’ll never have to lose sleep over any of these mechanical problems! Ready to learn more about this powerful technology? Contact us today for further information!

How DST Diagnose Mechanical and Electrical Faults

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 14:04:36 GMT

How DST Diagnoses Mechanical and Electrical Faults | Discovery Sound Technology

Ultrasound technology is becoming one of the most powerful tools at work today in HVAC/R preventative maintenance. It’s revolutionizing the world of equipment upkeep almost like the dawn of imaging technologies such as CAT scans or MRIs revolutionized medicine. Simple, nondestructive ways to hear and see inside of complex machinery have made it possible to diagnose mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, electronic, and electrical problems in their earliest stages, giving you a chance to be repaired at a convenient time before they ever present an issue. Ultrasound technology can be used to detect leaks, inspect pumps, motors, steam traps, monitor the condition of bearings, and even conduct electrical inspections. How does it all work? Let’s take a closer look.

Mechanical Inspections

Mechanical components of a piece of machinery, such as bearings, pumps, motors, and other parts, can cause major problems when they begin to fail or function improperly. However, with DST’s ultrasonic technology, it’s easy to keep an eye on and automatically document the condition of these components and ensure they’re always up to par. By producing diagnostic soundwaves and recording the existing soundwaves of the machinery, DST has a patented process producing data that is then analyzed to convey what’s going on inside. For example, a dry or failing bearing might be producing crackling or popping noises that would indicate that it needs to be lubed, or is scratched, something that could only be picked up with ultrasound in its earliest stages… but not by the human ear. Ultrasound technology affords the earliest warning of a condition outside of expectations.

Electrical Inspections

Electrical components of machinery are also easy to inspect, understand, and maintain with the power of DST’s ultrasonic testing. While it’s more obvious to think that physical aspects of a piece of equipment would produce useful sounds, electrical aspects produce noise too. Anomalies like coronas, tracking, or arcing can be picked up via DST’s ultrasound platform, with their sound waves being easy for DST’s software to identify. With this information, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge you need about the current state of the electrical components inside your equipment, as well as comparative analytics regarding future or pending issues. With both this current and future predictive look, you’ll be able to create a HVAC/R maintenance plan that’s fact-based, straightforward, prioritized -based on condition, and easy to follow.

Using DST

One of our Field Product Managers spoke about the incredible capabilities of DST. “It saves time, provides more comprehensive diagnostic readings, increases transparency, and provides a comprehensive PM result in less time than other current methods,” he said. “This is a predictive tool that can tell you when something is failing well in advance. It cuts down on overtime cost and weekend service calls and prevents downtime in critical systems.” What’s even better is that DST’s platform will provide these benefits quickly and easily, without disrupting the normal operation of any given piece of equipment. With benefits like these, it’s truly a tool that’s changing HVAC/R preventative maintenance forever!

The power of DST’s ultrasound is here to revolutionize what maintenance looks like and your organization can experience and become a part of that new future! If you’re interested in learning more about DST’s ultrasonic testing, make sure to contact DST today !

What Changed? How Ultrasound Technology Became Simple

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:06:00 GMT

What Changed? How Ultrasound Technology Became Simple

The evolution and improvement of technology are unstoppable forces resulting from human ingenuity. Just as the invention of the steam engine radically transformed industries long ago, our patented Discovery Sound Technology (DST) platform refines and simplifies ultrasonic testing by helping HVAC/R technicians save businesses time, money, and other resources toward keeping their mechanical systems running strong every day. To help shed a light on how our innovative platform works, how ultrasound technology has improved, and the best ways it can help your business, let’s take a deeper look at the history of ultrasonic testing and what helped it evolve to offer better diagnostic capabilities for a wide range of industries .

Understanding Ultrasonic Testing

Ultrasonic testing, at its core, involves recording the sounds of a machine and analyzing them to gain information about its internal condition without the need to disassemble or disrupt its normal operation. This technique utilizes sophisticated technology capable of scrutinizing the minute details of a sound, providing essential insights impossible to achieve with the human ear alone.

The non-destructive nature of ultrasonic testing ensures that the equipment being analyzed remains intact and unchanged. In fact, this technique is most effective when the machine is functioning during its regular operations, eliminating the need for any shutdowns to perform diagnostics. This efficiency and practicality make ultrasonic testing invaluable for providing crucial insights toward quickly discovering HVAC/R health and performance issues.

The Mechanism Behind the Magic

When using ultrasound technology for ultrasonic testing, a sound wave of a specific frequency is typically directed into the machine. Two primary methods of analysis are employed: pulse echo testing and through-transmission testing.

In pulse echo testing, a sound wave is directed into the machine, and the waves that bounce back to the initial release point are measured. Through-transmission testing, on the other hand, measures the sound waves that reach the opposite side of the equipment. By analyzing these waves, trained users can detect disruptions or blockages caused by imperfections or malfunctions within the machine.

DST uses Ultrasound technology and patented processing methods to identify equipment operating properly and those requiring attention. The platform can detect various operational mechanical condition HVAC/R issues within the machine, including sound characteristics that might be defined as scratched, and/or dry bearings, cavitation, floodback, rotating, loose, rattling, scroll, piston, electrical, VFD, arching and other operational conditions, enabling technicians to identify and diagnose problems with the help of DST’s comparative analytics program. In the past, this typically required a highly specialized 3rd party organization or highly trained and certified technicians due to its complexities. DST has engineered the complexities of Ultrasound deep into the back core of its technology process so at the user interface, the technician simply takes easy 7-second ultrasound readings letting the cloud-based platform run its patented AI and comparative analytics to provide factual data and suggested recommendations back to the technician. Every reading is date and time stamped.

Evolution and Advancements: Our DST Capabilities

In the past, technicians also had to manually calibrate their machines with either sensitivity or resolution in mind. However, increasing sensitivity would decrease resolution and vice versa. This limitation made it challenging to obtain accurate information from ultrasound readings due to varying calibrations.

Fortunately, DST’s Ultrasound platform has transcended these limitations by incorporating patented self-calibrating ultrasound technology that provides real-time equipment analytics by capturing SoundEnergy™ and SoundSignature™ samples without the need for manual calibration or long complicated training. Again, our tool is auto-calibrating at start-up. This ensures accurate readings and calibration every time.

Another DST technological advancement such as DST's comparative analytics, has further augmented the usefulness of the method by providing ‘real-time’ actionable data to technicians including condition- based recommended actions to take. With the DST platform, any level of technician can run DST inspection routes to capture inspection readings. Those readings can also drive the diagnostic reporting up into the service organization for review and further action if needed. Our simple to read Green, Yellow, and Red evaluation colors quickly allow users to identify points needing additional review.

Embrace the Power of Ultrasound Technology Today

The evolution of ultrasound technology has transformed ultrasonic testing into a valuable and efficient tool, providing crucial insights into the inner workings of machinery and equipment across multiple industries. With advancements in ultrasound equipment and the introduction of DST's innovative technology platform, what once required highly skilled 3rd party specialty companies can now be completed with a service companies own HVAC/R service technicians. The service business can benefit from improved diagnostics, preventive maintenance, and greater operational efficiency while using all levels of their technician pool. The end-customer loves the comprehensive and fact-based condition reporting the DST platform provides.

Our complete subscription service starts at $1,500 a month with a 90-day trial period utilizing (3) complete toolsets. After the demo period is over, one can cancel at any time if not completely satisfied. Whether it's in commercial refrigeration systems or HVAC systems service or any combination of these, embracing ultrasound technology from DST unlocks a world of possibilities for improved performance and cost-saving measures .

So, if you're looking to revolutionize your diagnostics and preventative maintenance, now is the perfect time to explore the power of DST’s ultrasound technology. Contact our expert team to discover how ultrasound testing can elevate your business’s efficiency and effectiveness. Embrace the future of HVAC monitoring and stay ahead of the curve with Discovery Sound Technology!

A Typical Day with DST

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:27:30 GMT

A Typical Day with DST | Discovery Sound Technology

As an HVAC Service organization, you may be looking for new ways to improve your current process, save time and money on preventative maintenance tasks, and deliver accurate insight on the health of your customer’s equipment. At Discovery Sound Technology, we have the solution for you!

Working with ultrasound technology at Discovery Sound Technology allows you to easily manage maintenance operations, predict equipment failure, and save time on jobs giving you more opportunities to schedule more work. In other words, do more with the same number of technicians. A huge range of different types of equipment can benefit from predictive maintenance with the help of DST, and we strive to make use of our technology, expertise, and experience wherever we can.

When you work with DST, you work with and are trained by our professional technicians who use the power of DST to provide you with a unique window into your machinery. Let’s learn a little bit about what a day in the life of a tech looks like!

Meet Our Team Members

Chris is a Field Product Manager here at Discovery Sound Technology. He’s been in the HVAC industry for sixteen years and has been with us here at DST for one. Chris has been hard at work helping to provide our clients with unique and objective information about their equipment and preventing failures.

Chris finds that one of the major misconceptions around DST is that it’s difficult to pick up or that there’s an impossible amount to learn. “[It’s] very intuitive and easy to catch on,” he reports. “Onboarding is simple,” he continues. “[You] just need to be trained on how to use equipment and the app, while being trained in a real working environment.” The easy and intuitive use of DST’s technology doesn’t just make it simple for our technicians to pick up– it also makes it incredibly practical and easy to use for our clients!

A Day’s Work in Preventative Maintenance

Each day we use our ultrasound diagnostic technology to provide a wide array of benefits to our various clients, including early detection of mechanical problems, fast results with real time feedback, quantitative analysis, and more. “You can take ultrasound readings on mechanical equipment and plan for future repairs [or replacement] months in advance,” said Chris. “[You can] see failures two years down the road before they even happen.”

A day in DST involves working with a lot of different kinds of equipment, including doing seasonal inspections on HVAC rooftop units or monitoring refrigeration systems for valve head issues that might damage compressors, for example. Our technicians take readings from the appropriate locations and utilize the AI technology of the DSTMOBILE app to analyze the ultrasound readings they pick up to produce the information (comprehensive reporting) that our clients rely on to keep their equipment running smoothly

Why Choose DST?

Of course, ultrasound technology isn’t the only form of predictive maintenance out there. There are other, more traditional methods that you might rely on in your industry, but by doing so, you’re missing out on earlier warning & factual condition insight that DST has to offer you.

For example, a spring or summer inspection of a rooftop HVAC unit using traditional PM methods can take up to an hour, with a process requiring over thirty different steps, whereas the same inspection using DST is half as complicated and only takes about thirty minutes to complete. That’s 50% less time to perform the same job, expanding your capabilities to take on more work and broaden your business.

Additionally, DST is simple and quick, making it a cost-effective option that can not only save you money on diagnostics, but also help you prevent failures and reduce downtime by detecting issues far in advance. The quicker you locate an issue and solve it, the less time and money it takes.

Many clients that you’ll deal with in your work are likely behind or past due on their preventive maintenance schedules. DST can help to resolve that problem with its fast and easy process. The process is patented and scientifically proven to reduce the amount of time needed to adequately do preventative maintenance on a piece of equipment. DST is even safer for techs to use, allowing them to run scans without climbing up onto equipment and putting themselves in dangerous situations.

In short, the power of DST is something that will only help your business get better! It sounds as if it might be too good to be true, but you really can have these benefits for your business. The best way to understand or experience it…. Is to try it in a 90 day demonstration.

Let DST’s diagnostic ultrasound technology help you today! If you’re interested in learning more about how our expert technicians can help you keep your equipment in peak condition, contact us here.

MSi150 Ultrasound Diagnostic System Training Video – Full Length

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 19:19:38 GMT

Installing or Updating the DSTAPP on an iOS Device

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 19:15:36 GMT

DSTAPP 1.0.19 Training Video – Full Length

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 19:13:51 GMT

DST APP Part 2 – Analysis & Reports

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 19:08:34 GMT

How To Set Up Equipment On The DSTAPP

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 19:04:08 GMT

Adjusting MSi150 Flexwand and Proper Storage

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 19:02:56 GMT

MSi150 Screen & KeyPad Guide

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 19:01:36 GMT

Pairing EarBuds to MSi150

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 18:56:29 GMT

Syncing MSi150 with the DSTAPP

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 18:37:46 GMT

Navigating, Taking Readings and Tracking Inspection Progress with a MSi150

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 18:33:59 GMT

Updating a MSi150’s Firmware

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:31:32 GMT

Taking Visual Inspections with a MSi150

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:16:00 GMT

Uploading Inspection Readings from a MSi150

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:14:45 GMT

Resetting MSi150 Inspection Tracker

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:14:02 GMT

MSi150 Error and Warning Messages

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:12:29 GMT

Navigating Properties on the DSTAPP

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:08:01 GMT

Tracking a Current Inspection on the DSTAPP

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:07:03 GMT

DSTAPP’s Equipment Section

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:05:29 GMT

DSTAPP – Editing Existing Equipment – Ex. Updating Point Type

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:04:14 GMT

DSTAPP – Removing Equipment or Components from a Property

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:02:34 GMT

New sound technology helps TDI industries prevent equipment failure

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 17:39:57 GMT

On the list of disasters in building manager is most afraid of, AC going out in the middle of August drinks extremely high. But it happens fairly often – HVAC equipment breaks down under the heavy load of summer afternoon, and TDP partners rush in and work long hours to get the job done.

Discovery sound patent received

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 17:41:32 GMT

Discovery sound technology, LLC (“DST”), the groundbreaking services technology leader, has received a package for its revolutionary system and method for industrial equipment diagnostics. The first cloud-based service delivery platform, known as The Discovery Platform™, locally owned and operated since 1987.