Global condition monitoring services company Azima DLI on June 15 announced initial results of a pilot program with the US Navy focused on improving fleet equipment reliability and reducing maintenance costs. Results of the one year, two-ship pilot program included saving more than 1,000 annual man-hours. The automated machine diagnostic system includes Azima DLI’s SpriteMAX for continual online vibration monitoring, DCA-31B handheld data collectors and ExpertALERT condition assessment software.
The Azima DLI machine condition monitoring system that is installed at one onshore test facility and on two guided missile destroyers, the USS Ross (DDG 71) and the USS Nitze (DDG 94), includes monitoring for more than 80 machines; 20 of which are instrumented for online monitoring. With little or no action required by the ship’s maintenance staff, the Azima DLI system determines operating conditions and, when appropriate, tests equipment, evaluates the machines’ condition and automatically submits a maintenance action request if necessary.
“Soon after the USS Ross implemented Azima DLI’s condition monitoring system, the company’s team of diagnostic experts alerted us to failing bearings on several pieces of our equipment. The early warning allowed us to repair the bearings prior to failure and prevent further damage to the equipment,” said Lt. Danny Madison, chief engineer, US Navy SURFOR. “The ability to implement a sustainable preventative maintenance program of this caliber holds extraordinary potential for our fleet in terms of improving equipment reliability and uptime – and related savings of time and money.”
“Azima DLI’s condition monitoring system has allowed us to take immediate action on equipment degradation and prevent machine failure well before it happens,” said Warrant Officer John R. Desgrey, U.S. Navy SURFOR maintenance and material management system (3M) officer. “The system also allows us to avoid unnecessary maintenance and increase the timeliness of repairs. During one sea trial test of the system, the Port Engineer met the Nitze with the work orders in hand ready to broker the work.”
Azima DLI’s automated diagnostic system is designed specifically to forecast repair needs for up to two years to coincide with a ship’s repair period scheduling. If faults are determined to exist, custom rules forward the information into the shipboard Integrated Condition Assessment System (ICAS) and then transmit it to the onshore maintenance planning system for entry into the ship’s overhaul plan.
“The success of this U.S. Navy pilot program is a testament to the diagnostic strength of our products, and the expertise of our team of engineers whose data analysis and reporting are unmatched in the condition monitoring industry,” said Joe Van Dyke, president of Azima DLI’s Government Services division. “By demonstrating quantifiable results and return on investment for the Navy, we look forward to expanding our relationship and addressing the equipment reliability needs of its broader fleet.”
About Azima DLI
Azima DLI is the only global condition monitoring services company exclusively focused on delivering accurate and timely equipment diagnostics to industrial plants, transportation organizations and the military. Azima DLI’s expert analysts, advanced software and flexible, Web-based delivery model provide customers with the information they need for insightful decision making that lowers maintenance costs and improves industrial reliability. Azima DLI’s WATCHMAN Reliability Services combine industry best practices with advanced technology to support sustainable, ROI-driven programs that improve equipment uptime and performance. Azima DLI is headquartered in Woburn, Mass., with offices across the U.S. and international representation in Asia-Pacific, Central America, Europe and South America.