In 2003, CTRL Systems released SoundCTRL, a desktop and PDA software solution that allowed users of the UL101 to record and visualize ultrasound data. Five years later, CTRL revolutionized the ultrasound condition-based monitoring (CBM) marketplace with the introduction of InCTRL, a web-based data management system which allowed users to analyze data collected by SoundCTRL. For the first time, InCTRL offered the ability to set thresholds, trend failure, view health assessments, and notify others when an asset required attention.
Since 2008, InCTRL has continued to evolve. In 2015, the cumbersome SoundCTRL PDA software was replaced by InCTRL Mobile, a mobile app which turns any Android smartphone into an ultrasound data collector for the UL101. With the corresponding genesis of a totally cloud-based InCTRL, users could wirelessly upload data from any test point and instantly trigger alerts when an asset’s health assessment changed.
Through all of the changes and updates to CTRL’s condition-based monitoring (CBM) program, one constant has remained: CTRL Systems is committed to the full-scale integration and implementation of ultrasound listening technology for the benefit of military and civilian organizations. To this end, CTRL Systems has worked with independent researchers, maintenance professionals, and military personnel to continuously hone InCTRL into the most complete ultrasound CBM solution available.
Ten years ago, CTRL partnered with a corrugation facility in the American Midwest to implement a complete CBM program. Working alongside maintenance management, CTRL Systems wrote an implementation manual for the organization and fully trained their maintenance personnel in the use of ultrasound technology.
After the full integration of InCTRL, the facility reported only one catastrophic bearing failure in a seven-year reporting period. Additionally, more complete data allowed the facility to cut the preventative maintenance costs of corrugator rolls in half — an estimated $120,000 savings. Of particular interest was a single obsolete gearbox. Using InCTRL, maintenance personnel identified a downward trend very early in its failure cycle. With this knowledge, they were able to commission a custom rebuild of a new gearbox with a lead time twenty-two weeks. The ability to identify failure before it occurred saved countless hours of downtime in a facility that averaged $3,500 per production hour. Lastly, the facility reported that maintenance personnel used the UL101 to pinpoint compressed air leakage on a regular basis, resulting in an estimated annual savings of $100,000 in energy costs.
This is just one success story. CTRL Systems has been able to partner with many other organizations in the last ten years to successfully implement InCTRL for world-class asset management and reliability. In 2017, CTRL Systems introduced InCTRL Connectivity, allowing users of other ultrasound listening devices (ULDs) to leverage the capabilities of InCTRL without losing a previous investment in competitive hardware. This allows organizations to integrate a cloud-based reliability platform into an existing CBM program, with the option to upgrade to the superior signal-to-noise ratio of CTRL hardware down the road.
“We are looking forward to announcing new features related to the InCTRL product platform in the coming months and years,” says Jeremy Watts, Global Director of Sales and Marketing. “The cloud-based reliability space allows our technology to flourish as we continually introduce new innovations to the marketplace. Because our updates are pushed out automatically, all of our existing users will benefit from the continued advancement of the InCTRL product line as we move seamlessly into its second decade.”