Diagnostics
Diagnostics and symptom analysis for critical assets
Most failures do not begin when the equipment stops: they begin months earlier, in small variations that nobody interpreted in time. Diagnostics exists to read those signals while they are still cheap.
Diagnostics and symptom analysis with engineering judgment
Symptom analysis means connecting the symptom to its cause. It is not enough to record that a motor is running hot; you have to understand whether it is insulation, cooling, load, alignment or bearings. Each one leads to a different decision and a different cost.
We measure with instruments (electrical testing, thermography, vibration, operating variables) and cross that data with the asset's history and its operating context. What comes out is a diagnosis, not a list of numbers.
This service is the natural entry point when a machine is giving signals but is still running, and when a decision is due on whether to intervene now or wait for the next maintenance window.
Scope
What the service includes
Electrical testing
Insulation resistance, polarization index, hi-pot and continuity testing to evaluate the insulation system.
Infrared thermography
Detection of hot spots in windings, connections and bearings without taking the equipment out of service.
Vibration analysis
Identification of imbalance, misalignment, looseness and bearing degradation from the vibration spectrum.
Operating variables
Review of load, temperature, current and environmental conditions that explain how the asset is behaving.
Root cause analysis
Establishing why it failed, not only what failed: the only way to keep the failure from coming back.
Report with a recommendation
Diagnosis, criticality and a prioritized course of action, separating what has to be done now from what can wait.
How we work
The process, step by step
- 01
Context
We understand the asset, its operation and its failure history.
- 02
Measurement
We capture the real condition with instruments, not with assumptions.
- 03
Interpretation
We connect symptoms, history and context until we reach the cause.
- 04
Decision
We deliver the recommendation, prioritized by its impact on availability.
When it applies
Signs that you need this service
- The equipment fails repeatedly with no identified cause
- Routine measurements show a worsening trend
- A decision is due on intervening now or waiting for the next shutdown
- Technical evidence is needed to justify a maintenance investment
- A failure came back after a repair
- The asset is critical and no documented history exists
Diagnostics and symptom analysis
Frequently asked questions
What is symptom analysis?
It is the method of connecting a machine's observable symptoms (temperature, vibration, current draw, noise, insulation values) to the physical cause behind them, using its history and operating context as well. It allows a decision based on evidence instead of a reaction to downtime.
Does the equipment have to be shut down to be diagnosed?
Not always. Thermography and vibration analysis are carried out with the equipment running. Electrical testing does require the equipment stopped and de-energized, and is normally scheduled inside a planned maintenance window.
What do you deliver at the end of the diagnosis?
A report with the measured values, the technical interpretation, the probable cause, the criticality of the finding and a prioritized recommendation: what to do now, what to monitor and what can wait.
Is it useful if the equipment is still running well?
That is exactly when it is most useful. A diagnosis on a running asset establishes the baseline against which every future measurement will be compared. Without a baseline, an isolated measurement says very little.
You may also need
Related services
Predictive maintenance
Condition monitoring for critical assets: vibration analysis, thermography and variable tracking to move from reactive to predictive maintenance and sustain availability.
Traction motor repair
Complete traction motor repair for locomotives: teardown, electrical testing, rewinding, VPI impregnation, balancing and final testing. Workshop in Coronel, Biobío, Chile. Since 2010.
Maintenance engineering
Maintenance plans built on criticality and operational evidence: root cause analysis, per-asset strategy and availability indicators. Truck Energy's Confiabilidad 360° framework.
Let us talk about your equipment
Tell us which piece of equipment concerns you and we will arrange a conversation with our engineering team.