Laboratory Testing & Support

Chemical Laboratory

Application & Overview

• Conduct evaluation, chemical analysis and physical tests on materials and equipment. We also participate in several laboratory exchange programs to validate our proficiency.

Capabilities

• Fuel, oil and lubricant testing
• Chemical and Physical testing of metals
• Fluid analysis for equipment health monitoring programs
• Evaluation of health and safety test methods and equipment
• Testing of effluents for compliance with environmental regulations
• Evaluation of software tools for analysis of laboratory data

Equipment

• Gas Chromatograph (GC)
• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR)
• Ultra-violet & Visible Spectrometer (UV-VIS)
• Portable spectrophotometer
• Viscosity baths (40°C and 100°C)
• Karl Fisher Coulometric Titrator
• Dieso Filtration Test Kit (DFTK)
• Particle counter
• Flamephotometer
• Centrifuge
• Cleveland Open cup tester
• Pensky-Martens Close cup tester

Standards & Methods Tested

• ASTM D92 - Flash and Fire Points by Cleveland Open Cup Tester
• ASTM D93 - Flash Point by Pensky-Martens Closed Cup Tester
• ASTM D445 - Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent and Opaque Liquids (and the Calculation of Dynamic Viscosity)
• ASTM D482 - Ash from Petroleum Products
• ASTM D893 - Insolubles in Used Lubricating Oils
• ASTM D1298 - Density, Relative Density (Specific Gravity), or API Gravity of Crude Petroleum and Liquid Petroleum Products by Hydrometer Method
• ASTM D1401 - Water Separability of Petroleum Oils and Synthetic Fluids
• ASTM D2068 - Filter Plugging Tendency of Distillate Fuel Oils
• ASTM D2709 - Water and Sediment in Middle Distillate Fuels by Centrifuge
• ASTM D3524 - Diesel Fuel Diluent in Used Diesel Engine Oils by Gas Chromatography
• ASTM 6304 - Determination of Water in Petroleum Products, Lubricating Oils, and Additives by Coulometric Titration
• EPA 1664a - N-Hexane Extractable Material (HEM; Oil and Grease) and Silica Gel Treated N-Hexane Extractable Material (SGT-HEM; Non-polar Material) by Extraction and Gravimetry
• ISO 4406 - Hydraulic Fluid Power - Fluids - Method for coding the level of contamination by solid particles
• ISO 8178-5 - Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines-Exhaust Emission Measurement
• ISO 9377-2 - Water quality - Determination of Hydrocarbon Oil Index - Part 2: Method using solvent extraction and Gas Chromatography

Instrumentation Laboratory

Application & Overview

• Our electrical engineers and instrumentation technologists design, install, and operate control and data acquisition instrumentation for physical properties measurement. Typical applications involve recording strain, torque, vibration, shock, noise, speed, load, pressure, flow, as well as environmental conditions; such as, temperature and humidity.

Capabilities

• Data collection and reduction
• Portable, self-contained analog or digital recorders
• Control system with Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Citect SCADA®
• Signal Analysis (Time & Frequency domain)
• High-gain, low-noise amplifiers
• Sensor: Accelerometers, Hydrophones, Microphones
• Sensor: Flowmeter, Thermocouples and RTDs
• Sensor: Pressure, LVDTs and Load cells.
• Calibration services in-house

Equipment

• Data recorders
• VXI based acquisition and control instrumentation
• Industrial chart recorders
• Spectrum Analyzers
• Calibrators (for sensors and equipment)
• DADiSP®/2002 & LabView®/7.0 Softwares licenses

Standards & Methods Tested

• As per manufacturer documentation

Metrology Laboratory

Application & Overview

• Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation

Capabilities

• Precise linear and angular measurements
• Laser Alignment (max. 24" surfaces, 6' away)
• Surface and coating finish analysis
• Hardness test
• Microscope video inspection
• Borescope video inspection (6mmø x 3m probe)
• Bearing Failure analysis
• Ultrasonic thickness measurement
• Magnetic Particule Inspection (MPI)
• Liquid Penetrant Inspection (LPI)
• Flaw Detection (Ultrasonic & Eddy current)
• Cylinder Inspection with robotic equipment

Standards & Methods Tested

• As per customer test plans and requirements

Photography Laboratory

Application & Overview

• Photo and Video Recording of Tests and Virtual Reality Creations.

Capabilities

• Digital still high-resolution photography
• High speed (12,000 frames/sec) digital video system
• Computerized video editing system with Multi-signal VCRs
• Thermographic Infrared inspection
• Virtual-reality creation with technical dynamic database links

Thermal Imaging

Marine Engineering provides infra-red thermal imaging services for many applications.  Our most powerful system that is equipped with two Phoenix thermal imagers from Indigo Systems (now FLIR) produces impressive results from great distances in various airborne and land-based applications.  Combined with 60/180/500mm Three Field-Of-View lenses, these cameras can distinguish 5 x 5 cm surfaces one kilometre away.  Using a camera mount which is pre-certified for use in certain commercial helicopters, this equipment is well suited for the control of forest fires, search and surveillance, and power line surveys.  Using professional broadcast quality DV recorders, imager video can be recorded throughout a mission.  GPS receiver data is also recorded and the use of a laser range finder allows the designation of points on the ground without having to fly over.

Smaller hand-held cameras are available for equipment health monitoring surveys in industrial settings, including surveys of electrical and mechanical equipment to identify “hot spots” that can be caused by factors such as faulty wiring and electrical contacts, worn bearings, improper lubrication, etc.