VIBRATION MONITORING OF CRITICAL RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS

PROGNOST-NT Monitoring System Makes Condition Based Maintenance a Practical Reality

At a time when many refineries and gas processing plants are operating near, at or even above their design capacities unexpected downtime is an expensive surprise. PROGNOST Systems Inc. of Houston, Texas, U.S.A., has accepted the challenge of improving the safety, availability and economic efficiency of such mission critical equipment through highly advanced compressor and pump monitoring.

"Our goal is to increase our customers' run time and reduce their number of unscheduled outages," explained Skip Morrison. PROGNOST Systems Inc. regional manager for the Company. "Out of the primary benefits that the PROGNOST-NT monitoring system delivers is that it allows them to run longer, with more confidence. With it they've got a level of information that allows them to make intelligent decisions about how much longer thev can run their machine or when to plan their outages. Another benefit is our record on high-speed shutdowns. This is the most effective high-speed safety shut-system available on the market."

Prognost Systems Inc. was established an independent Texas Corporation in July 2000 and represents PROGNOST Systems GmbH of Rheine, Germany. throughout North America, Central America and Northern South America. The U.S. company has close working ties with key representatives in the western hemisphere, including T.F. Hudgins. Prognost Systems GmbH is headquartered in Rheine, Germany, and has sides offices and an established, worldwide distribution network was recently bolstered by an agreement with Burckhardt Compressen AG.

The PROGNOST-NT system is the expression of Prognost strategy of providing complete "asset performance management systems" for reciprocating compressors and pumps in demanding critical applications. This lineage as a commercial product dates back to 1989 with roots reaching as far back is the late 1970s, according to Morrison.