By Prutha Deshmukh
When it comes to field testing, data collection, product validation, and troubleshooting there are a world of possibilities. And when you’re involved in as many mechanical engineering projects as we are, work can sometimes take you to some very cool places.
One example is a recent marine industry application that took us on a Mississippi River voyage. The field-testing project was a cooperative effort between 6D and several team members that included representatives from the engine manufacturer, generator manufacturer, packaging industry, shipyard, hotel management, along with third-party testing companies and the boat’s owner!
6D’s was responsible for installing test equipment and collect operating data as the vessel made its way up and down the river. To do this, we installed long term vibration monitoring equipment to observe vibrations of some of the gensets over a period of a month. We monitored the vibration data while the boat was running.
While this might sound like a relaxing experience (and in many ways it was) a prolonged draught created some serious challenges. Scheduling was especially difficult as we were constantly at the mercy of water levels.
As a Six D Test engineer, I have the opportunity to see a lot of the world. And my first trip to Louisianna was a memorable one. It was quite an adventure boarding the ship from a river taxi. And while the work was hard, being a part of the test team and working alongside the ship’s crew made this one of the more enjoyable testing trips.