The Hawk is a machinery diagnostic tool designed to give mechanics instant, on-demand feedback of the health of their rotating assets. The Hawk will identify machine defects, provide advice on how to fix the problem, and generate a detailed report on the health of the machine, says Managing Director of Fixturlaser South Africa, Steve Gething.

The Hawk is a mechanic's tool. With its built-in engineering expertise, straightforward three-step process and graphical user interface, the Hawk requires zero vibration expertise or certification to use.

Fixturlaser South Africa say, using the Hawk is simple and straightforward. First, users build a schematic of their machine in the NEST, a cloud-based PC program that comes with the Hawk. Using the drag-and-drop interface the user builds their machine by adding the motor, coupling, and driven component. The user is then prompted to enter the RPM and horsepower of the machine before the schematic is sent to the Hawk.

Readings are taken on the bearings of the machine at the points specified by the Hawk. The wireless tri-axial sensor allows measurements to be simultaneously taken in the horizontal, vertical, and axial directions. After the readings are taken, the user will press the "diagnosis" button on the Hawk, and a report will appear showing machine defects, the Hawk's confidence level in its analysis, and recommended next steps. Like the extremely successful FIXTURLASER NXA Pro, the Hawk display unit is an industrial tablet with a colour touchscreen that uses icons and straightforward instructions to guide the user through the three-step process. The display unit also comes with several built-in tools to help the mechanic deliver the most comprehensive and accurate machine health report possible: a stroboscope, used to pinpoint the exact RPM of a rotating machine, a laser pyrometer, and a camera for documenting sensor placement or machine defects.

The Hawk, says Steve Gething, is not intended to replace a vibration-monitoring program. Instead, it is designed to supplement any existing condition-based maintenance practices by giving the power of on-demand diagnosis to the people that know their machines best: the mechanics. Priced affordably, and with the option of adding a powerful balancing package, the Hawk belongs in any industrial environment, from small machine shops to massive refineries.