Press Releases

August 2006
Make Existing Cabled Accelerometers Wireless

The 7014 tethered wireless node easily converts any cabled accelerometer into a wireless accelerometer. Fully battery powered, and with an internal antenna, the 7014 operates seamlessly on the Maintenance Watchdog wireless system. Existing sensor wiring is connected to screw terminals inside an IP65 enclosure. The tethered accelerometer then can be operated on the Maintenance Watchdog System with the same capability as Watchdog wireless sensors. The unit contains a constant current power source, amplifiers, filters, digital signal processor, data memory, wireless transceiver, internal battery, and an internal antenna. The 7014 is a component of the Maintenance Watchdog System which provides all the tools needed to collect and analyze vibration data.

March 2006
USB Vibration Datalogger Simplifies Data Collection in Test and Measurement Applications

The VibeHound datalogger simplifies vibration measurements for test engineers. The vibration datalogger combines everything required to take NIST traceable vibration measurements into a single sensor package and can be operated from a Windows PC. Internal to the unit is a precision piezoelectric sensor, temperature sensor, signal conditioning, microcontroller, data memory, NIST traceable calibration, and a plug-and-play USB interface. The product can be run with an included WindowsXP software application or LabView virtual instrument. Either application allows operators to collect and display time waveform and spectral vibration data at the click of a button. Tools are available for processing and exporting waveforms to third party software packages.

July 20, 2005
Techkor Releases Maintenance Watchdog™ Software Version A.4.0.10

Maintenance Watchdog version A.4.0.10 provides trending and advanced graphical capabilities allowing the user to quickly spot critical vibrations related to machine conditions.  Trend plots are available for spectral overall, spectral maximum, and RMS for acceleration, velocity, and displacement data. Additionally, sensor temperature, and sensor wireless link can be trended to quickly access the condition of the sensors deployed. Enhanced graphical capabilities include cursers, harmonic cursers, cut and paste directly into MS Word documents, and printing. Continued optimizations of wireless data rates and power management have improved the battery life for the Maintenance Watchdog system to well over 2 years.

May 1, 2005
USB Vibration Sensors Simplify Vibration Data Collection

The M9E-USB-1-35G accelerometer simplifies vibration data collection by allowing the use off-the-shelf handheld computers. The USB accelerometer contains a precision piezoelectric sensor, temperature sensor, signal conditioning, enveloping, digital signal processor, data memory, and USB interface. Powered over the USB bus, the accelerometer collects time waveform and spectral vibration data. Software for a WindowsCE handheld or Windows desktop allows operators to collect and display vibration data, be informed of alarm conditions, and review historical trending.

December 2004
Techkor Key Supplier for Boeing KC-767 Tanker

Techkor Instrumentation has begun shipments of precision load cells and complementary signal conditioning amplifiers in support of the Boeing KC-767 tanker program. The precise sensing of hose and/or boom load under variable conditions is a critical requirement in the microprocessor-based refueling hose system.

May 10, 2004
M9C Sensor Plays Critical Role in AIM-9 Sidewinder Missile

The NAWC has adopted Techkor's M9C triaxial accelerometer as a critical component in the DKT-80s for the Air Force's Weapon System Evaluation Program (WSEP). The WSEP uses the DKT-80 in an ongoing Sidewinder test-and-evaluation program. Noncombat missile firings are generally used to evaluate the overall performance of a missile system. In each test shot, the engineers and analysts are brimming with questions. How quickly did the missile acquire the target? How well did it track? Did it maneuver properly? Was it confused by countermeasures? Did each precisely sequenced operation, from motor ignition to final fusing and fire pulse, occur as the designers intended?
Full article in PDF

December 2, 2003
Techkor Releases Maintenance Watchdog™ Software Version A.3

Featuring enhanced diagnostics, Maintenance Watchdog version A.3 provides feedback concerning radio link quality, so that installation and set up is much faster and easier. Data transmission speeds have also been significantly improved which will lead to even better battery life for the Maintenance Watchdog system. Another export option has been added which now includes Design Maintenance System's MAINTelligence Monitor.

October 20, 2003
Condition Monitoring Solutions Partners with Techkor Instrumentation

Condition Monitoring Solutions of Lake Forest, CA will offer its customers in southern California the Techkor Maintenance Watchdog TM System. CMS provides various condition monitoring technologies including vibration analysis, laser alignment, dynamic balancing, and motor circuit and current analysis. Bruce McDonald, owner of CMS, can be reached at C.M.Solutions@earthlink.com.

October 14, 2003
Machine Diagnostics, Inc. Partners with Techkor Instrumentation

Machine Diagnostics, Incorporated will offer its customers in southeastern United States the Techkor Maintenance Watchdog TM System. MDI is a full service company specializing in rotating equipment reliability. MDI employs PDM techniques such as vibration analysis, thermographics, lubricant wear particle analysis, ultrasonics, motor circuit evaluation and failure analysis to aid our customers plan and schedule maintenance repairs.

MDI engineers and vibration analysts combined employ over 100 years of experience in the areas of PDM and equipment reliability. We have aided many companies in achieving their reliability goals. MDI's corporate office is in Americus, GA, with other offices located in Orangeburg, SC, Jacksonville, FL and Byron, GA. http://www.machinediagnostics.com

January, 2003
Maintenance Watchdog™ Featured in Maintenance Technology Magazine Article

The Maintenance Watchdog™ System was featured in the January 2003 issue of Maintenance Technology article, "Improve Condition Monitoring with Wireless Sensors, by Dave Wolfe, wireless marketing and sales manager. With complete coverage of condition monitoring sensors, unscheduled downtime due to maintenance failures can be greatly reduced. In addition to traditional cost savings, widespread usage of CM sensors will have additional benefits, particularly a reduction in excess production capacity, increased safety, and lower spare parts inventory.

October 6, 2002
Techkor adds a Wireless Laser Tachometer to the Maintenance Watchdog™ System

The ability to coordinate machinery speed with vibration data has been added to the Techkor Maintenance Watchdog™ System. The laser tachometer projects a visible laser beam which can be directed to gear teeth, timing belts, or rotating shafts to measure running speed. The system requires a white or reflective strip on the component to be measured, which allows the laser tachometer to detect the time between strip passings, converting this into RPM.

The laser tachometer is assigned a workgroup of wireless accelerometers. The laser tachometer measures the running frequency whenever a wireless accelerometer within its work group transmits vibration data combining it with the vibration data at the network access point.

The TACH-RF-L is an extremely reliable wireless device. Handshaking, packet framing, collision avoidance, packet encoding, and error checking are all performed automatically. For maximum confidence, the TACH-RF-L performs periodic self-test diagnosis of power fluctuations, low battery, or harmful internal temperatures. Should operating parameters be exceeded, the unit will either alert the operator wirelessly or self-initiate a system reset.

June 3, 2002
Techkor Featured in Sensors Magazine, "Intelligent Wireless Condition Monitoring Sensors"

The June 2002 issue of Sensors magazine features an article on "Intelligent Wireless Condition Monitoring Sensors" by Christopher McLean, Ph.D., division manager of Techkor, and Dave Wolfe, Sales Engineer.

More than $1 trillion is spent each year to replace perfectly good equipment because no reliable and cost-effective method is available to predict the equipment's remaining life. Now through careful design and a balance of technologies, a wireless condition-monitoring system provides a dependable and economically viable solution.

April 15, 2002
Vib-Assist, LLC Partners with Techkor Instrumentation

Vibe-Assist, LLC has expanded its product offering to include the Techkor Maintenance Watchdog™ System. Vibe-Assist will provide its customers in the mid Atlantic region the wireless accelerometer system to complement its vibration analysis services. Vibe-Assist specializes in Reliability Based Maintenance services, product sales, and training. Vibe-Assist has been heavily involved in the Beta testing of the wireless transducers and has assisted in focusing the product in the RBM market.

October 15, 2001
Techkor Introduces 9DIN-S Strain Gage Signal Conditioning Module

For maximum resolution of measurement data, the 9DIN-S amplifies strain gage signals with a multi-stage differential amplifier. Thirteen input ranges from 1 to 10,000 V/V are available. The 9DIN-S filters and conditions strain gage signals with active low-pass filtering to eliminate unwanted signal noise. Filter cutoff is switch selectable at 30 Hz or 5000 Hz. The filter style is 4-pole Butterworth filters. The 9DIN-S can be calibrated by using either an internal 5mV precision reference or a shunt resistor across one arm of the strain gage bridge. The 9DIN-S mounts to a standard DIN-EN mounting rail. Detailed product information can be found at www.techkor.com/industrial/9din-s.htm.

September 27, 2001
Techkor Introduces Wireless Vibration System

Techkor Instrumentation introduces a new product line. The M9E-RF wireless vibration sensors eliminate running routes with bulky data collectors. The M9E-RF automatically schedules data gathering allowing maintenance personnel to spend time fixing problems, instead of finding problems. The sensor has a small size, virtually unlimited number of sensors on one Ethernet network, over 2 years battery life, and can produce data in any of the popular forms: FFT, RMS, peak, or time trace. Price is as low as $389 in quantity. Detailed product information can be found at www.techkor.com/industrial/wireless.htm.

August 2000
Techkor Instrumentation to Merge with Advanced Conversion Technology

Techkor Instrumentation Inc. to merge with Advanced Conversion Technology, Inc. Techkor Instrumentation, Inc., a test and measurement instrumentation design and manufacturing company, is set to merge this month with Advanced Conversion Technology, Inc., a power supply design and manufacturing company based in Middletown, PA. Techkor Instrumentation will move its design operations to the 30,000 sq. ft. facility in Middletown PA, and volume manufacturing will be processed at automated production facilities in Philadelphia and Shippensburg PA. Advanced Conversion Technology employs more than 90 people at its headquarters in Middletown, PA.

Christopher E. McLean, Ph.D., who founded Techkor Instrumentation in 1993, will continue to oversee the Techkor operations in accelerometers, signal conditioners, strain gage transducers, and test and measurement instrumentation. Louis M. Reis, president and founding member of Advanced Conversion Technology, has overseen the design and manufacture of many different types of custom power supplies for military and aerospace applications since 1981.