ON LINE MONITOR FOR METALLIC WEAR PRODUCTS

THE USEFUL OPERATING LIFE OF MOST MECHANICAL SYSTEMS QUITE OFTEN IS DETERMINED BY THE CONTINUED EFFECTIVENESS OF A VARIETY OF TRIBO-ELEMENTS. THESE TRIBO-ELEMENTS ARE THE DEVICES AND MECHANISMS THAT PROVIDE FOR PROPER LUBRICATION AND FRICTIONAL CONTACT BETWEEN MOVING PARTS. SYSTEMS WHICH CAN MONITOR TRIBO-ELEMENT WEAR CAN PERFORM TWO VERY USEFUL FUNCTIONS: 1) THEY CAN MINIMIZE DOWN TIME BY ENSURING PARTS ARE REPLACED ONLY WHEN THERE IS EVIDENCE OF WEAR AND, 2) THEY CAN PROTECT MACHINERY FROM POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE BY SIGNALING UNEXPECTED PART FAILURE OR HIGHER THAN NORMAL WEAR. RADIATION MONITORING DEVICES, INC. PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A NOVEL NON-DESTRUCTIVE, RADIOMETRIC INSTRUMENT TO ACCURATELY QUANTIFY THE LEVELS OF IRON, STEEL AND OTHER METALS IN CIRCULATING LUBRICATING MEDIA, AT THE TENS OF PARTS-PER-MILLION CONCENTRATION LEVEL. THIS SHOULD PROVIDE AMPLE SENSITIVITY FOR FAILURE WARNING OR FOR PLANNING OF ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE TECHNIQUE SHOULD BE APPLICABLE TO BROAD CATEGORIES OF MECHANICAL SYSTEMS (VARIOUS ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION CONFIGURATIONS) EITHER STATIONARY OR VEHICULAR.