Carson
I have not used the CSI platform for a few years but out of the 3 listed I preferred it for what you are describing. I have not used the SKF and can only compare it to what people have told me about it. I have used the Ascent platform mostly for the last 15 years and really liked it for standard route work but it was not well versed for trouble shooting in the field because it was very cumbersome to do analysis set ups quickly in the field and the analysis work in the field left me flustered. I was forced into the System 1 and it has a long way to go to be user friendly. The support is not very good with it either when you have top use their Tech Line. Several people I did work with outside of the tech support line were great but that was not actually approved.
I have used the Entek Platform was never a good one for me. Support was very bad, use in the field was bad and the platform for the analysis was never great.
Out of all the system you mentioned CSI for me was the best. I could do so much stuff in the field with their advanced analysis work with only 1 or 2 key strokes and when you did an advanced analysis task it automatically tagged it when you saved it. You had alarm level bands displayed when you were running routes so if something tripped you knew exactly what bad tripped and you also saw what the last reading levels for that band were. I have talked with a friend that has been told by his buyers and managers he needs to move away from CSI because of the cost and move to other platforms but so far when he has shown what he used as far as the advanced analysis and troubleshooting none of these systems presented to have have been able to match the ease of use, speed and reporting functions of the CSI platform. The only down side people typically talk about CSI is the cost but I am a firm believer you get what you pay for. But that is also based on you wanted the ability to do fast troubleshooting and analysis in the field.
If you are ok building everything in the computer going and collecting data then going back to a computer dumping and analyzing data and then doing more work back in the field and back to the computer then you have a lot of cheaper options.
I do have several contacts that I have talked with that were moved from the CSI platform but as the discussion progressed about why cost was the underlying factor that their purchasing departments used to tell them to move. Many times when I look at platforms now and tell me the sales people how I want to do stuff in the field most ask me Why? or No Body Does That. Most systems I look at seem fine but they are as a sales person call it designed to collect data and then sit at a computer for all analysis except for the simple stuff. I would be interested in seeing what direction you go.
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Mark Kingkade
Rotating Equipment Specialist
Des Moines IA
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-21-2021 10:21 PM
From: Tee Yeow Hum
Subject: Vibration analysis software
One of the challenges is the constant upgrading of the application software. Many years ago, as the head of rotating, I moved the application to a cloud based system to overcome the upgrading and constant database backups on standalone PC. We were using SKF system.
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Tee Yeow Hum
Reliability Manager
Shell
Singapore
Original Message:
Sent: 11-19-2021
From: Carson Blocker
Subject: Vibration analysis software
I may have the opportunity to select a vibration analysis system for route based and ad hoc (off route/ unscheduled) use. By that I mean, there is no well defined program in place and I can build one from scratch.
I have practiced vibe analysis since the 1996. I am very familiar with Rockwell's Entek brand, Emerson's CSI brand, and SKF's @ptitude.
If you are an end user with one of these systems now, can you tell me what your experience is like with regard to:
- Tech support/customer support
- Ease of use
- system development (are their updates helping you do your job).
"If I have to rebuild the vibration analysis program from scratch, what would I do differently?" Well, I may be in that situation. I actually feel pretty good about it.
Stay well and safe, everyone. And everyone you work and live with, too.
Carson Blocker
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Carson Blocker
Vancouver WA
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