UE Systems is the world leader in providing ultrasound instruments & training solutions for predictive maintenance, reliability, condition monitoring and energy saving programs. They assist companies worldwide implementing ultrasound technology in their maintenance & reliability best practices, by providing the right inspection instruments, the right training, license-free software and continuous support.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
UE Systems: UE Systems manufactures ultrasound handheld instruments and other ultrasound-based solutions, for industrial maintenance & reliability practices. These solutions can be used in many different applications within industrial maintenance: leak detection (compressed air & other gases, vacuum); bearing condition monitoring (inspecting bearings and trending their condition, bearing lubrication, inspecting slow-speed bearings); steam traps & valves inspection; inspection of electrical equipment (to detect issues such as corona, arcing, tracking or mechanical vibrations).
Next to these ultrasound-based solutions, UE Systems also provides free software to assist users, as well as training solutions on how to implement and use the technology. Currently UE Systems offers a wide range of training solutions: CAT I and CAT II courses (32-hour courses, in accordance with the ISO 18436-8), onsite courses for the introduction to and implementation of ultrasound technology; online courses and 1 day courses for specific applications.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
UE Systems: Recently UE Systems has launched a revolutionary product when it comes to bearing condition monitoring and lubrication. It’s the OnTrak & Smartlube, an IIoT Bearing Monitoring System designed to proactively identify lubrication needs and warn users about bearing issues at the earliest point possible. It will give users the possibility of lubricating their bearings remotely, based on bearings’ friction levels, from any device, anytime and anywhere.
With the OnTrak you can manage the life of your bearings by reducing the largest cause of premature bearing failure: lubrication. It is said that over 80% of premature bearing failures are caused by lubrication issues.
The OnTrak solution is ready to guard against unplanned downtime and product loss the minute it is installed. Get real-time prescriptive alerts notifying you of when a bearing requires lubrication, is starting to degrade or entering into catastrophic failure.
When the OnTrak is used together with the SmartLube, remote bearing lubrication becomes a reality. In most facilities, there is not enough time to properly manage the lubrication needs of each bearing. The OnTrak & SmartLube can save 95% of the time required for optimal bearing lubrication.
Since the OnTrak constantly monitors bearing friction, it will know exactly when to lubricate and how much lubricant is needed. The SmartLube will then dispense the correct amount of lubricant.
Reaching lubrication excellence is no longer a time-consuming task – you can lubricate bearings remotely and from any device, only when they need lubrication, and using the right amount of grease.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
UE Systems: UE Systems offers a wide range of ultrasound inspection handheld devices: from simple leak detectors (Ultraprobe 100 or Ultraprobe 3000) to complete predictive maintenance instruments, such as the Ultrprobe 10000 and Ultraprobe 15000). There are also instruments suited to be used in ATEX or EX rated areas (Ultraprobe 2000ATEX and Ultraprobe 9000ATEX).
Next to the handheld instruments, we also provide ultrasound solutions for remote monitoring. We have sensors that can be permanently mounted on a bearing, such as Remote Access Sensors or the Ultratrak – Smart Analog Sensors. These sensors can be connected to data processing units (which are connected to the Internet). Examples are the 4Cast, and the OnTrak SmartLube, which even allows users to lubricate bearings remotely, based on their condition.
UE Systems also offer software solutions, all for free. We have Ultratrend DMS – a data organizing software for creating and maintaining databases that apply to all the basic applications performed by our ultrasound instruments. We also offer Spectralyzer, a sound spectrum analysis software meant to diagnose mechanical and electrical issues. Users can also use our free mobile apps: Leak Survey app, RouteBuilder app and Steam Trap app.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
UE Systems: We are active in the maintenance & reliability market, that has seen some very interesting developments in the recent past. Maintenance professionals realize now the importance of using multiple technologies in their activities. So the question is no longer which technology should be used, but instead how to use different technologies in a complimentary way to reach excellence. This is observable for example in the number of companies who are using vibration analysis together with ultrasound, for bearing condition monitoring, when in the past they would use one or the other.
We also notice that there is more and more the need to detect failures at an early stage (thus the term predictive maintenance, opposing to reactive maintenance) in an effort to reduce unplanned downtime to a minimum.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
UE Systems: The most obvious marketing trend when it comes to maintenance & reliability is surely the shift to remote and online monitoring solutions. Thus, using internet connected sensors (Industrial Internet of Things) is becoming a strong trend. This brings obvious advantages because now maintenance professionals can monitor their assets anytime, from anywhere.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
UE Systems: When it comes to ultrasound technology, and within the observable marketing trends, we are looking into developing more and more online & remote monitoring solutions. Our most innovative product is the OnTrak & SmartLube, an IIoT solution that will monitor bearings 24/7 and provides the possibility of lubricating bearings from a distance, based on their condition.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2022?
UE Systems: We expect in 2022 to have a higher demand from our customers for ultrasonic sensors, since companies are making efforts to have a remote and online predictive maintenance program. Having into account the high energy prices, we are also expecting a high demand for instruments used mostly for leak detection.