Mike Howell
EASA Technical Support Specialist
There are plenty of generic mobile device policies floating around the web. Sadly, many of them focus heavily and narrowly on the disadvantages of team members having personal devices at their workstations. Depending on the particular environment and tools used, it is both reasonable and responsible to evaluate the potential risks to safety and security. Too often, though, organizations take the path of excluding mobile devices from the work area because it’s easy rather than reaping the benefits they offer.
The Times They Are A-Changin’
Just a couple of decades ago, one could earn a living selling encyclopedia sets door-to-door. Now, most kids have never seen a hard-copy encyclopedia, and many public school systems have “Bring Your Own Technology” policies for students starting as early as kindergarten. In 2011, Pew Research reported 35 percent of Americans had smartphones; by 2019, that number rose to 81 percent. As we consider adding Millennials and Generation Z to grow our developing workforce, 96 percent of Americans in the 18 to 29 age bracket have a smartphone. Pew also noted a median of 76 percent smartphone ownership across the 18 most advanced economies worldwide.
Let’s look at just a few examples of smartphones’ and tablets’ many applications in the service center.
Research & E-Learning
Most websites are developed using an approach called responsive web design (RWD). This means the site renders quickly and works well on different devices, including personal computers, smartphones and tablets. Visit the sites of your preferred suppliers or component manufacturers, and you may find they are even easier to navigate on a smartphone or tablet than on your personal computer. Other companies may have smartphone apps to help you get the information you need quickly.
To see a good example of a mobile responsive website, visit the EASA website at easa.com (see Figure 1). End users or non-members should find the site very friendly for accessing a variety of resources in the Electromechanical Resource Center (easa.com/erc). Once logged into the site, members will find an additional wealth of content. Some of the resources that can be handy on mobile devices include:
Easily Contact EASA Technical Support
EASA Technical Support has seen an increase in the number of inquiries we get from members via mobile devices. Technicians have found it very convenient to send email to technicalsupport@easa.com, including photos of data sheets, failures, videos, and other types of information. And, for those more comfortable with texting than email, most providers allow users to enter an email address instead of a phone number in the device’s messaging app.
One winder commented that he could send us a picture of a stator winding data card for redesign using his phone faster than he could log in on the PC they have in the service center, and all without leaving his work area.
Basic Measurements
If you’ve been around service centers since the mid-1990s, you may remember the old Sony Mavica cameras with a built-in floppy disk drive. That 1.44 MB of storage was impressive at the time, wasn’t it? Now, most, if not all, service centers use digital cameras to capture images of machines at various stages of repair and in the field. And for many, the days of lugging around a stand-alone digital camera have passed, given the digital camera quality of most smartphones. Many also benefit from apps integrating their smartphone images with their business systems so that photos are easily uploaded and attached to database records.
Now, equipping smartphones with multiple camera sensors and additional sensors like LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) promises a whole new realm of possibilities in the future. LiDAR is not a new technology, but reduced costs enable its use in different applications, including 3D scanning and measurement using smartphone cameras. However, it is unlikely that we’ll see measurement capability that sends our micrometers and calipers into the back of a toolbox drawer.
One example of using a smartphone camera and inexpensive app for measurement is taking measurements on a small stator. Sometimes, depending on the frame, it’s really difficult to get a caliper or even a steel rule to measure things like back iron, tooth width and stator inside diameter. The scope here is limited to measurements used for checking winding data or performing core tests, not producing new laminations. So, the accuracy and precision requirements are not too stringent. At least one popular app allows you to photograph a known object in the plane of your target measurements. The known object is used for calibration, and then the user can measure and dimension features of interest (see Figure 2). If used properly, it works quite well.
Thermography
The price of high-end thermal cameras has reduced significantly over the last 20 years, and there are several entry-level devices available. Service centers that are not using thermal cameras for routine tasks like inspecting connections and core testing are missing a huge ROI opportunity. There’s also plenty of field service work out there, depending on your customer base. Cyndi Nyberg presented a paper at the EASA 2007 Convention titled, “
Infrared Thermography in the Service Center and in the Field,” and it’s recommended reading for those interested in doing a significant amount of work in this area.
On the lower end of the capability and price spectrum, several thermal camera attachments are available for both iOS and Android smartphones. It is worth reemphasizing that these units are not intended to do the work of higher-end thermal cameras. But, for simple tasks like core testing (see Figure 3) or looking for poor connections, they can get the job done much more effectively than a spot radiometer. We’ve seen winding connection errors not detectable by standard tests identified with thermography. If going with an entry-level device, look to one of the models on the higher end of that range.
Polarity Checks
There are a number of inexpensive hand tools to assist with polarity checks. These range from small bar magnets suspended in a gimbal mount to devices with LED indicators. Another handy free app is KJ Pole ID (see Figure 4), which uses an iPhone’s magnetometer to identify polarity. The app will indicate “North,” “South,” “No Magnet Detected,” and if the field is stronger than recommended for the device, “Magnet too Close.” This is handy for working with salient-pole synchronous rotors, DC machine field frame windings and AC stator windings. While this app is iOS only, there are similar Android apps available.
Free Advertising?
EASA members service equipment from almost every sector imaginable, equipment ranging from awesome 100 plus-year-old antiques to modern state-of-the-art machines. If you haven’t taken the opportunity to connect with peers, suppliers and customers on LinkedIn, you’re missing out. It is enjoyable to see pictures and read descriptions uploaded daily by technicians and others from EASA member service centers worldwide. It’s an opportunity to network and see some rare equipment and impressive workmanship. Chances are many of your customers are there, so empowering your organization to share the work they’re proud to ship from your facility is a great business opportunity.
EASA Technical Manual
More information on this topic can be found in EASA's Technical Manual- Section 2: AC Machines
- Section 7: Electrical Testing
Related Reference and Training Materials
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