Suggestions for Access Database organization

[RGbilla55]

I am currently working on setting up an Access database for a thermal imaging route that I do at a powerplant. Basically I take an IR camera out and look at 100+ motors throughout the plant. All temperatures on motor bearing, fan bearings, couplings, etc. are recorded for each motor. I would like to set up a database where all of these temps. for all of the motors could be entered into a new table (identified by date of survey). I would like to finally be able to do a query for a single motor and be able to see that motor's temps. for all of the dates at which it was checked. Could someone please tell me if the seperate table by date idea would work (if so how) or if I should go with the more straightforward approach of doing a single table and just having to type everything each time a survey was taken.

 

[johnherman]

Motor table (lists all motors in the shop)
Motor ID = Primary Key of this table
Motor location
Motor description
Serial Number
Manufacturer part number, etc


Inspection table
InspectionID = Primary Key of this table
Inspection Date
Inspection Time
Inspection Performed By
Inspection Ambient Temp
Inspection Barometric Pressure
Inspection Relative Humidity
etc.

Motor Inspection table
Motor Inspection ID = primary key of this table
Motor ID (key to Motor table)
Inspection ID (key to Inspection table)
InspectionImage (if stored in database)
Motor Bearing Temp
Fan Bearing Temp
Coupling Temp

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The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw

 

[svanels]

We have a steam trap monitoring system, set-up similar as Johnherman described. aditionally we have a "static" route table. The route_nr is incorporated in the equivalent "Motor table" The program generates an inspection list based on the route, the operator/surveyor performs the survey with ultrasound equipment. Results are entered in the equivalent "Motor Inspection Table" and the program generates a report of equipment classified by failures.
The effort was to keep the data entry, as short as possible without much room for errors. We managed to put the results of 70+ traps in about 20 minutes.
You could build in temperatures ranges for the bearings depending of the application. A rough estimate is that a temperature for a motor above 50 degrees Celsius, would require attention.
But more likely you will end up with more than 4 tables.
I have a paper published on a congress [blue]"Implementation of a preventive/predictive maintenance system in steam distribution networks using ultrasound diagnostics"[/blue], that describes a similar situation.

Hope this will give you some ideas

Steven