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The reality is and will remain that eventually , everything breaks . Inevitable imperfections plague the efficiency of complex , interconnected systems that are regularly pushed over capacity . Improper installation , poorly executed modifications , misalignments , and load and torque errors catalyze failures . In the end , fatigue , corrosion and wear destroy all machines and this fate costs mines and their investors greatly each year . These risks and realities are mitigated by slowing deterioration with condition monitoring , evaluation and trending analysis .
New advances in NDT boast remarkable inspection capabilities . The result of these NDT innovations is significant time savings , cost-reduction and environmental and safety risk mitigation for their clients . For example : MTS ’ s girth gear teeth inspection by Eddy Current Array detects fatigue cracking without the need to clean greased gear teeth . Pulsed Eddy Current technology offers corrosion detection even through tank and pipe insulation and jacketing . MTS doesn ’ t limit itself to using the latest in NDT technologies
though . It has also adopted other performance enhancing innovations , like Sena Technologies ’ latest over-the-ear hearing protection with integrated communication systems , Cast . MTS technicians and leadership especially rely on Sena ’ s Cast headsets to communicate in highnoise environments when process plants are only partially shut down . According to research conducted at Lund University ( Sweden ), worker down time is reduced by over 50 percent when using hearing PPE with integrated communication systems .
When asked to comment further on the topic of health and safety risks in the process plant shutdown environment , Richard adds : “ Any responsible member of the mining community will tell you that the priority is always safety ; in our case , we take it up an extra notch ; ’ safety first , safety second and safety third ’ is our safety moto . Working around or within large rotating equipment , around pinch points and close to other contractors performing welding and lancing for instance has taught us that above all else communication is the best defense against
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