As the creators and inventors of DynaVibe – the RPX Technologies dynamic balancing system – we’re naturally proud of the innovation it represents, as well as its affordability. DynaVibe with its accessory DynaTrack optical tracker, or the optional turbine kit, is a leading-edge, state-of-the-art system for prop balancing, blade tracking and turbine vibration surveys. So what?
In the 10 years since RPX was founded, we’ve learned some important truths about how customers perceive and evaluate solutions. We can make some wonderful claims about how affordable DynaVibe is, how easy it is to use, how it makes quick work of prop balancing, or even how differently an airplane or helicopter flies once props are balanced or blades are in track. But, despite the claims we can make about DynaVibe, we’ve learned there’s just one customer question we must answer: “Why should I care?” In the decade we’ve served the aviation industry, we’ve collected a lot of prop balancing data. We know this: there’s an 80% chance that the general aviation aircraft you are flying has an unbalanced prop. What does that mean? From a technical sense, it means that the measurable vibration exceeds .15 Inches Per Second (IPS), the maximum acceptable vibration level after dynamic balancing. At .15 IPS vibration may not seem like much, but it is not a lack of vibration. Four out of five GA aircraft are flying with vibration levels of .15 IPS or greater. What’s the problem with this? Vibration only has negative consequences. Your unbalanced prop is either:
Or some combination of these three things. Dynamically balancing your prop is a quick and easy fix. We have a page on our website – and numerous blog posts – that all share the testimony of those who have rid their aircraft of vibration by using DynaVibe. If we were to summarize, in the sentence, what we often hear after balancing, it would be “I can’t believe the difference!” or “It feels like a brand-new airplane!” You will feel a difference when you dynamically balance your prop. If it could, your plane would thank you. RPX also sells the most affordable track-and-balance system for helicopters, that also is very easy to use, and streamlines the track-and-balance process. But again, “Why should I care?” is a fair question. The track-and-balance process is a bit more complex than the prop balancing process, and historically, the equipment has been more complex to use as well. Since we entered this market with our DynaTrack solution, we found that many shops who had older track-and-balance gear were frustrated with it. It was hard to use, took too long to complete the process, or both. The result in many cases was that tracking on blades on some ships wasn’t done, or done very often, because the process was too difficult. We’ve found that there are two types of users who really value DynaTrack. One is the user who previously could not afford the $20,000+ price tag of a track-and-balance system. At under $7,000, our system is within reach of almost everyone! The other type of user that has grown to love DynaTrack is the one who was frustrated with their old system. Ours is really easy to set-up and use, and because it is so affordable, you can replace your old, frustrating equipment with the DynaTrack which is easy to operate. With our patented Blue-Track technology, it is easy to accurately track blades under a wider variety of sky conditions, saving you a lot of time and frustration. Because DynaTrack is so affordable, you can have a couple at the shop so your mechanics can work on multiple ships simultaneously and an additional tracker in the field which would increase productivity and make you more money. In summary, customers care about DynaTrack because it is less frustrating to use than your existing equipment and it will make you more productive. DynaTrack is also contributing to cleaner air around the shops that use it. Not because of carbon emissions, but because its use is not accompanied by cursing. Track, balance, done! No profanity needed. |