UK-based safety equipment manufacturer, Coltraco Ultrasonics, has launched a miniature monitor to enable testing of bearings and rotating machinery on board ships and naval vessels. The Portamonitor complements Coltraco’s range of Portascanner Watertight devices and is designed to assist in the identification of mechanically deteriorated bearings and those with inadequate or contaminated lubricant. It works by detecting high frequency ultrasonic stress waves associated with friction and other faults with machinery in poor condition as a result of, for example, impacts. The device can be used to monitor bearings in motors, pumps, fans, gearboxes and other rotating machinery applications. It has two outputs – a decibel reading and a Distress level which are both measured and displayed simultaneously by the Portamonitor. To support the device, Coltraco offers a maintenance and calibration package in line with standards advised by BS EN ISO 1705, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Indian Standards. The United Kingdom Accreditation Service is the sole body recognised by the UK government for assessing and accrediting the competence of calibration and testing laboratories and their maximum calibration interval for sound intensity meters, like the Portalevel, is one year. The United Nations Industry Development Organisation (UNIDO) and NIST also support regular calibration. UNIDO states that ‘… calibration is an essential activity in any measurement process.’