Monitoring vibration

Ian McClure <ian.mcclure [at] yale__edu> writes

>I am currently researching vibration monitoring equipment to monitor
>a three-year period of construction at Yale Art Gallery. I would
>like to install a series of vibration monitors, which could be moved
>as needed and placed on walls, floors and in showcases etc. Readings
>would be transmitted to a central logger. ...

Hanwell Instruments Ltd, who recently merged with Lamerholm,
manufacturers of vibration monitoring equipment, looked into this on
behalf of a client, and found that to handle the large complex
dataset with a fast transmission whilst retaining good transmission
distance takes a considerable amount of power, which is why no
stand-alone radio equipment is available at a reasonable price. To
date there has not been a huge demand for this technology, and
development would take several months and a significant sum of
money, but if mains power is available for the shocklog it can be
done.

As an alternative, the following may be more useful.  Hanwell are
now able to offer a Lamerholm shocklog which can be adapted to
interface with a radio transmitter. The shocklog would get a 'safe
shock/vibration threshold' programmed in and would send an alarm to
the computer whenever that threshold was exceeded. The alarm message
would then be the trigger to download the data to get the full
information. A two-channel version can be developed, which would
send a daily message to give you the peace of mind that it's
working, whilst using the other channel for alarm messages. The
shocklog would have battery power for approx 12 months, the radio
transmitter approx 18-24 months.

Knowing that a pre-determined threshold was exceeded may help in the
argument to get access to the site to retrieve the logger,
especially if that threshold was determined in discussion with the
contractor (i.e. if you could come to an agreement that they don't
produce any shock or vibration above that level). If access to the
site for retrieval is problematic, a long serial cable could be
provided to reach a point outside the construction zone, from where
the shocklog would be downloaded.

Wilma Bouwmeester
Hanwell Distributor Scotland
Wilma Bouwmeester Collection Care
Chambers House
72 High Street
Peebles EH45 8SW
+44 1721 729 427 (phone/fax)
Mobile: +44 7739 988087


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 22:22
                 Distributed: Monday, October 13, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-22-22-004
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