The Reliability Failures You Can Hear – If You Listen

How many reliability failures have you walked past today?

A leaking compressed air line.
A failing steam trap.
A dry bearing.
An electrical cabinet beginning to arc.

Most of them were making noise.
The question is – did anyone know how to listen?

Ultrasound is one of the most powerful – and under-utilised – technologies in condition monitoring. When applied correctly, it improves detectability, reduces energy waste, protects assets and strengthens reliability strategy. But without structured training and certification, it often remains just another tool in the toolbox.

That is why ISO-certified ultrasound training matters.

Sound Carries More Information Than You Think

Using sound as a diagnostic tool is not new. Technicians have long relied on screwdrivers, rods and stethoscopes to “listen” to equipment. But modern airborne and structure-borne ultrasound takes this to an entirely different level.

Ultrasound enables early detection of:

• Compressed air and gas leaks
• Steam trap failures
• Valve leakage
• Electrical discharge (corona, arcing, tracking, partial discharge)
• Bearing lubrication issues
• Slow-speed bearing faults

Unlike vibration analysis, which often requires rotational speed and frequency analysis, ultrasound excels at detecting friction, turbulence and impacting – often at much earlier stages of failure.

However, interpretation requires skill. That skill is developed through structured training aligned with recognised standards.

Learn from a Leading Authority: Tom Murphy

The RMS CAT-I Ultrasound (UA CAT-I) course is delivered by Tom Murphy – a recognised expert whose journey into acoustics began long before condition monitoring became mainstream.

Tom graduated from the University of Salford in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in Electroacoustics. His early work involved accelerometers and vibration measurement across a wide range of applications. He later moved into thermography before discovering ultrasound in the late 1990s – a discovery that reshaped his entire understanding of reliability.

Ultrasound revealed a world of failure modes many professionals overlook: air leaks, steam traps, valves and pressurised systems silently draining energy and profit.

Tom often describes the moment people truly understand ultrasound – the “dawning realisation” of how powerful it is. That transformation happens repeatedly in the classroom.

His passion is not just about technology. It is about helping professionals join what he calls the global family of sound users.

And uniquely, participants receive Tom’s book as part of the course materials:

Have a Listen to Ultrasound

The book deepens understanding beyond operation – encouraging professionals to think critically about what sound is communicating.

What You Will Learn on the CAT-I Ultrasound Course

The CAT-I Ultrasound course provides structured, standards-based training designed for practical application.

Core Technical Foundations

• Principles of sound and wave behaviour
• Frequency, pitch, wavelength and acoustic impedance
• Reflection and transmission across materials
• Understanding the decibel (dB) scale

Mechanical Applications

• Leak detection in compressed air and gas systems
• Steam trap inspection
• Valve testing
• Bearing monitoring (low and high speed)
• On-condition lubrication to prevent over- and under-greasing

Electrical Applications

• Corona detection
• Arcing
• Tracking
• Partial discharge

Data Collection & Reporting

• Heterodyning
• RMS, Peak and crest factor interpretation
• Sensor positioning and repeatability
• Severity determination
• Database management aligned with ISO 14224 guidance

This is not informal listening. It is structured detection, analysis and reporting.

ISO 18436 Certification – Professionalising Ultrasound

The CAT-I course prepares candidates to:

Gain 3rd party accredited certification conforming with ISO18436 through The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) or Mobius Institute.

ISO certification demonstrates:

• Competence aligned with international standards
• Professional credibility
• Consistency in data collection and interpretation
• Commitment to best practice

For organisations, this means improved programme integrity and measurable results. For individuals, it enhances career progression and recognition.

Why Ultrasound Is Critical for Modern Reliability Programmes

Many reliability strategies focus heavily on rotating equipment. Yet significant energy and cost losses occur in systems that do not rotate:

• Compressed air systems
• Steam distribution networks
• Hydraulic systems
• Electrical installations

Ultrasound enhances detectability in FMECA and asset strategy development by identifying hidden or early-stage failures that other technologies may miss.

It also supports:

• Energy reduction initiatives
• Sustainability targets
• Precision lubrication programmes
• Improved maintenance decision-making

When applied correctly, ultrasound moves from reactive fault finding to proactive reliability improvement.

Who Should Attend?

This ISO-certified ultrasound course is ideal for:

• Reliability Engineers
• Condition Monitoring Technicians
• Maintenance Managers
• Lubrication Specialists
• Energy Managers
• Electrical Engineers
• Anyone implementing or expanding an ultrasound programme

Whether you are new to ultrasound or seeking formal certification, this course builds structured competence.

The Bottom Line: Reliability Can Be Heard

Every industrial plant is full of information carried in sound. Most of it goes unnoticed.

The difference between walking past failures and preventing them is training.

If you want to:

• Strengthen your reliability strategy
• Reduce hidden energy losses
• Improve detectability in your asset strategy
• Learn from a recognised authority in the field
• Gain internationally recognised ISO certification

Then the CAT-I Ultrasound course is the logical next step.

Complete the online form on the course page to receive an official quotation from the RMS training team.

Reliability failures are happening around you every day.

The real question is – are you trained to hear them?