Hudson Technologies
Introduces a
New Comprehensive Testing Program for Chillers to Increase
Reliability
-- Integrated
Analysis of Oil, Water-side and Refrigerant Samples, Vibration
Testing and WPA Pinpoints Precise Problems, Enables Predictive
Maintenance and Protects Chiller Assets --
NEW YORK, July 30, 2002 – Hudson Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:
HDSN), a leading refrigerant services company specializing in
proprietary on-site decontamination services for large comfort and
process cooling systems, today announced a new chiller testing
program that is purportedly the most accurate and comprehensive in
the industry. Hudson’s Chiller Chemistry™ provides customers with
integrated lab testing of refrigerant, water-side and oil samples,
vibration testing and lubricant wear particle analysis (WPA) by
engineers and chemists who provide a certificate of analysis,
interpretation report and a comprehensive engineering review with
recommendations for remedial services.
(Sample Report) Hudson provides customers with the results via a customized,
password-protected secure website shortly after sampling and
testing. As well as a complete archive of all finished and current
data.
“We are the only
company in the industry to integrate these five testing services
together and analytically interrelate the results of each. Our
approach of taking simultaneous oil, waterside and refrigerant
samples coupled with same-day vibration tests and WPA and examining
the correlation of the five results by engineers and chemists
provides customers with the most accurate assessment on how a
chiller is performing and can provide data for precise predictive
maintenance on the chiller,” explained Kevin Zugibe, P.E., chief
executive officer of Hudson Technologies. “The benefits of our
integrated insight into machinery condition are better planning for
maintenance, increased chiller reliability and protection of these
valuable assets.”
The new chiller testing program demonstrates Hudson Technologies’
continued strategy to expand the breadth of its
RefrigerantSide® Services
offering, designed to take advantage of an estimated $500 million
services market. Over the past three years, Hudson Technologies has
performed more than 2,100 RefrigerantSide® Service jobs, many of
them decontaminations and dehydrations in emergency situations. As
the focus for future growth, RefrigerantSide® Services leverages
Hudson’s engineering expertise and technology investments, while
mitigating the effects of seasonal refrigerant sales.
Zugibe, commented, “We believe that this new service offering,
designed to be used in conjunction with our proprietary
RefrigerantSide® Services, will provide users with significant
energy savings by increasing the operating efficiency of their
chiller systems and thus provide bottom line savings to system
owners that is both measurable and significant.”
Zugibe added that Hudson goes well beyond what most testing
companies provide in terms of findings. “Instead of a one-page sheet
of test results, we create a detailed tailored report that explains
the test results in terms our customers understand and provide a
thorough review written by engineers with recommended remedial
actions to correct problems, if necessary.”
The delivery of its comprehensive analyses also sets Hudson’s
Chiller Chemistry™”
service apart. Hudson customers gain access to their chiller
performance testing results via the Internet at a customized,
password-protected secure website created by Hudson. The site
features integrated results in five categories: 1) Normal, 2)
Slight, 3) Marginal, 4) Serious and 5) Critical, with recommended
actions and services to be taken based on where the chiller ranked.
In addition to written reports and analyses, customers can baseline,
benchmark and trend chiller performance to keep track of potential
problems. Hardcopy and email reports are also available for
customers.
Hudson Technologies, which bills itself as “experts in Chiller
Chemistry™,”
has found from its extensive experience in handling RefrigerantSide®
services, such as chiller decontaminations, that many testing
practices fail to adequately identify potential problems that can
lead to unnecessary costly repairs and services.
“Testing oil, water-side and refrigerant samples, taking vibration
readings and doing wear particle analyses are nothing new, “ said
Zugibe. “But the industry norm is to do these tests and analyze them
independent of each other. Doing it this way is a disservice to
accurately maintaining a chillers optimum performance. For Example,
the hidden cause of a specific bearing that begins to deteriorate
might be traced back to a particular contaminant in the refrigerant.
The company offers two types of testing programs. For customers who
prefer taking oil and refrigerant samples and conducting vibration
tests themselves, Hudson provides a testing kit with EPA and DOT
certified cylinders and test location sensor mounting pads and
barcodes for the vibration data collection. Note that personnel will
need to be trained to configure the vibration analysis database. For
more information call Hudson Technologies at 1-800-501.HDSN.
Sidebar
Story: Hudson’s Tips on Oil, Refrigerant & Vibration Testing
Over the past three years, Hudson Technologies has performed more
than 2,100 refrigerant-side services jobs, many of them
decontaminations and dehydrations in emergency situations. One of
its surprising findings is the inconsistency of refrigerant, oil and
vibration testing in the marketplace, from the frequency or
infrequency of sampling to how samples are taken and who handles the
samples to the lack of follow-through. Hudson offers these tips on
sampling and testing.
* Oil and refrigerant samples should be taken simultaneously at a
minimum of once a year. However, a testing program should correlate
to the chiller’s workload, performance, age and size. This may
require more frequent sampling and testing.
* Samples should be taken shortly after a chiller or refrigerant
system is taken offline (not operating). This will ensure that a
more accurate reading is achieved because the evaporator refrigerant
can easily be influenced by the flow of condenser refrigerant.
* Oil testing alone only tells a part of the story. While oil
analysis provides important information about the condition of the
lubricant within the machinery, it doesn’t reveal anything about the
particles that may be indicative of imminent component failure. Wear
particle analysis is necessary to identify the suspended particles
in lubricated components and identify abnormal wear-related
conditions at an early stage.
* Oil and refrigerants are classified as hazardous materials and
require EPA and DOT certification and training to handle and ship
cylinders.
* Early detection is key to preventing costly premature services,
repairs and equipment/parts replacements. All oil and refrigerant
testing programs should provide an interpretation of findings and,
if necessary, recommendations for remedial actions. If contaminants
are detected, it may be necessary to benchmark and track/trend
changes in these contaminants levels over a period of time.
About Hudson Technologies
Hudson Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of
innovative solutions to recurring problems within the refrigeration
industry. Hudson’s proprietary RefrigerantSide® Services, which are
provided through a nationwide network of service depots, increase
operating efficiency and energy savings, and remove moisture, oils
and other contaminants frequently found in the refrigeration
circuits of large comfort cooling and process refrigeration systems.
Performed at a customer’s site as an integral part of an effective
scheduled maintenance program or in response to emergencies,
RefrigerantSide® Services offer significant savings to customers due
to their ability to be completed rapidly, and can be utilized while
the customer’s system continues to operate. In addition, the company
sells refrigerants and provides traditional recovery and reclamation
services to the commercial and industrial air conditioning and
refrigeration markets.
