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Customer Reviews

  • Advanced Applied Vibration Analysis - ISO CAT III

    The training was really informative. It was great to have up-to-date training documents that have real life examples of issues discovered and resolved through vibration analysis. I have seen in the past that some of the text books on vibration analysis are pretty dated (copy right of 1999 for example). Also it was nice to see example of the things we were learning in class in action in the lab. Chad was also a great instructor, very informative and willing to help you understand the material. One thing that would be nice is to have the power point presentation follow more closely with the text book. There was a good bit of hoping around between the text and presentation.

    Aaron Timmons, Condition Monitoring Reliability Specialist, Georgia Pacific

    Jun, 27th. 2022

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Chad Wilcox

    President
  • Intermediate Applied Vibration Analysis - ISO CAT II

    Shout out to the team at Red Wolf Reliability and Mitchell Stansloski, PhD, PE. Their online self paced CAT 2 Vibration Analysis course was a great fit for a supervisor with limited time available for travel and after hours availability. Mitch’s text book is great. I honestly couldn’t help but read a 552 page textbook because it’s fascinating content, detail and it’s ease of reading.

    Cornelis Valkenburg

    Jul, 25th. 2023

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Mitch Stansloski

    CEO, PhD., P.E.

    The Redwolf test was very different from the Vibration Institute test, I would say the Vibration Institute test seemed easier. I was concerned with memorization of ISO standards and only encountered one question about a specific ISO standard. The biggest content difference between the tests was the phase diagram questions and the equation sheets. I only encountered one very basic question in the VI test on phase and the equation sheets were only about 75% common.

    Chad's feedback was great after the Red Wolf test. Some of the things I missed I didn't even know quite where to look and it was helpful to review and discuss that with Chad and great personal touch too.

    My biggest pieces of feedback for improvement would be these things.

    1. Now that I have taken the class it would be a great resource, like a poster, for the typical faults but also Mitch's 4 rules for rotating and stationary force determination and phase diagram relationships for fault identification. I am sure all of your competitors have something to this effect and something to this effect for reference to reinforce the what/how I just learn (in) vibration analysis would have been nice, and I was surprised there was not one. I even see this as a great branding opportunity for Red Wolf.
      *(We recommend using our Virtual Mentor as a replacement for Wall Charts)
    2. Mitch's training manual is GREAT. I read it cover to cover, fascinating content. I have a copy of Eshleman's Basic Machinery Vibrations and Mitch's blows that one out of the water.

    I hope this feedback is welcome and constructive and I would not hesitate to recommend this course and format to others. The online format worked really well with my personal and professional commitments. I would say with the videos, reading, study and testing I am about 60-70 hrs total time committed as reference for other future learners. I know I didn't have to the read the whole book for the CAT 2 class but I really couldn't stop.

    Casey Valkenburg

    Jun, 12th. 2023

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Chad Wilcox

    President
  • Introduction to Applied Vibration Analysis - ISO CAT I

    I have had the opportunity and privilege to work with a number of pioneers in the predictive maintenance/vibration analysis industries. I can tell you that Skip is one of the very best vibration analysis professionals, but also he is one of the best people I have ever known. If you want to improve your effectiveness in vibration analysis, you need to consider attending this class. ~ LinkedIn Post

    David L. Zimmy

    Jan, 18th. 2023

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    Skip (Allen) Hartman

    CBM Technical Director at BluEyeQ LLC

    I am a degreed civil engineer with no background in the industrial realm of vibration monitoring. I was searching for a program that was more seismic involved, and this course was not related. However, the disconnect was there, but I did learn a small snippet of principles that equips me in my future endeavors in regards to the Fundamental Engineering exam. Chad is an amazing instructor. He really broke it down to the ridiculous for someone like me, with the lack thereof experience, to understand how to solve problems by way of vibration monitoring. (Maybe that is why his methods exhibited those traits because of me.) I really enjoyed the introduction course and I believe if I decide to venture off to the industrial sector, I believe I have the basic tools to excel. Thank you!

    Thomas Gage, III - Environmental Impact Specialist I

    Aug, 15th. 2022

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    Chad Wilcox

    President

    The Cat 1 class was great and Chad Wilcox was one of the best instructors I have been around. I absolutely plan on taking the Cat 2 class.

    Nico Ferretti

    Jul, 15th. 2022

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Chad Wilcox

    President

    This was my first experience training with Red Wolf Reliability. Initially, when I saw the big book with mountains of data and diagrams, I was rather intimidated (I learn best by seeing and doing!)… but right away it became evident that the Instructor’s (Troy’s) goal was for all of us to truly understand the subject, and how to apply it in our own unique situations, rather than simply “reading-and-feeding” us answers to future questions on a piece of paper. Troy’s teaching style encouraged us to ask lots of questions and interact with the whole group. His experience offered us lots of (often entertaining) real life examples of some of the challenges we will face. He was very familiar with our industry and equipment which made the training feel more like working with an experienced co-worker rather than a teacher/student classroom situation. What I appreciate most was that the training provided not only a comprehensive intellectual knowledge of the subject, but also the actual “hands on” application right then and there in their own training facility. The whole Red Wolf Team is very cohesive and works well together. We were well fed! Everyone went out of their way to introduce themselves and get to know us better. I’m looking forward to many more opportunities to learn from Red Wolf!

    Nick Chaney

    Feb, 9th. 2023

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Troy Chambers

    Technical Lead

    Chad did a great job with the class, and I felt like I learned quite a bit of useful field knowledge, as well as facts/definitions/theory. I had no prior vibration experience and delt nearly exclusively on the lubrication side of rotating equipment, so it was an eye opener for sure. To add one piece of constructive “criticism”, at least for me, I still struggled with diagnosing the problems based off waveforms and spectrums. I could have used a little more time and maybe some more practice problems during class based on that information, specifically. Again, it was my first time working with that type of info, so someone with a little experience probably picked up on it quicker than I did. Overall, I had a great experience and would recommend you guys to others.

    Kevin Frank, Business Development Manager, Mechanical Engineer MLT II, MLA II - RelaDyne

    Aug, 15th. 2022

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    Chad Wilcox

    President

    The Red wolf team is very knowledgeable and personable. I really enjoyed the class and how informal and relaxed it was. I learned a lot and appreciate the amount of time and work everyone there has put into the trainings.

    Arturo Venzor

    Feb, 9th. 2023

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Troy Chambers

    Technical Lead

    Red Wolf Reliability has been an outstanding resource. They have a great staff that is smart, friendly and helpful. Anytime we have needed assistance with vibration checks, balancing or other issues, they have been easy to get ahold of, work with and schedule. In addition to their field work, they also have great training courses. I have attended their CAT I Vibrations, Alignment and Balancing courses. People learn and understand things in different ways and they do a great job of assuring each individual understands what they are teaching.

    Jared Luckow, Maintenance Planner, Mountain Cement Company

    Jun, 22nd. 2022

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Chad Wilcox

    President
  • Journal Bearing Analysis Techniques

    There are not many that offer the professional education qualities and practical real world experience. You are among the Vibration elite like Jim Berry, PE, Ron Eshleman, Ralph Buscarello, Robert C. Eisenmann, Art Crawford and Charles Jackson. (Only the bolded names are still with us.)

    Thank you for all you do to advance industry – and congratulations on the new technology to replace prox probes – I know you will be amazingly successful and the market will respond.

    Terrence O

    Sep, 8th. 2020

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Mitch Stansloski

    CEO, PhD., P.E.

    I appreciate the enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge that Mitch delivered in the short, two-day class. I have attended many training sessions from multiple providers, I have a Category 3 certification from the Vibration Institute, and a Category 4 certification from Technical Associates and I have been through several classes at Emerson Process Management’s training facility. In short, I have been fortunate enough to sit in front of some of the most brilliant minds in the vibration industry.

    I can honestly say that I enjoyed listening to Mitch speak to our small class more than any I have attended in my 16 years as an aspiring vibration analyst. Being intelligent and being able to convey that knowledge to a classroom full of people is two totally different things. Mitch does just that, and probably better than anyone I have ever had the pleasure of sitting in front of.

    Ivan Taylor, Sr. Maintenance Reliability Tech, Tronox

    Jun, 9th. 2020

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    Mitch Stansloski

    CEO, PhD., P.E.

    I wanted to let you know that the Journal bearing class that I attended on June 9th and 10th was on of the very best classes that I have ever attended. It was a real world class with a journal bearing rotor kit that allowed for real time comparisons of each type of sensor under different operating conditions. What makes this class so effective is not just the in class study of theory on why journal bearing react the way they do but the ability to go out to the shop and observe on the rotor kit what was covered in class. This I believe is the missing link in a lot of training. For a field person such as myself to see first hand how each type of sensor is used and how that information is displayed in real time is invaluable. I would highly recommend anyone who works in the field with journal bearing to attend this class and gain the first- hand knowledge of the theories and principles of journal bearings in action. Mitch has the unique ability to make a very complex subject understandable and his wealth of knowledge and experience is I believe second to none. In closing awesome class for anyone working with journal bearings and rotor dynamics.

    Jim Starner, Equipment Condition Specialist, Operating Engineering Group, Energy Supply Department, Colorado Springs Utilities

    Jun, 9th. 2020

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    Mitch Stansloski

    CEO, PhD., P.E.

    I enjoyed seeing the mathematical relationships laid out in the course the most. Seeing the design equations gives me a clear understanding of what’s happening physically and these were covered in excellent detail. I can better understand bearing issues we have when we bring vibes people on site. Before I just sort of nodded along because I didn’t know what they were talking about, but now I’ll be able to get it and even help contribute to the troubleshooting. I enjoyed learning all of the material and Mitch was a great teacher. I think a great target audience for this course would be rotating equipment engineers in manufacturing industries. Another subset of folks who may find it interesting would be process engineers; it’s never a bad idea to familiarize yourself with your equipment a bit more instead of always just considering what’s going on 'in the pipes'.

    Erik Schmidt

    Sep, 8th. 2020

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Mitch Stansloski

    CEO, PhD., P.E.

    I just finished up Journal Bearing Analysis Class at Red Wolf Reliability. Mitch’s class was a great experience. Great insights into rotor dynamics problems with some hands on testing, some math explanations mixed in and comparisons of data from the three sensor methods now available for journal bearing data analysis, proximity probes, accelerometers, and dynamic strain sensors (FDS) that Mitch has developed. The FDS sensor is patented so this information is only available through Red Wolf Reliability.

    If you are involved in the condition monitoring of rotating machinery equipped with journal bearings you shouldn’t miss this valuable class!

    Skip (Allen) Hartman, CBM Technical Director at BluEyeQ LLC

    Apr, 22nd. 2022

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Mitch Stansloski

    CEO, PhD., P.E.

    Several of our engineers attended the online Journal Bearings Analysis course offered by Red Wolf Reliability (formerly Pioneer Engineering) during May of 2020, and found it to be well organized and thorough, covering some aspects of journal bearing design and difference, and analysis methods. Mitch provided a good bit of history and a high level but thorough overview of journal bearing design and design features, and then spent the bulk of the course discussing how those specific features interact with operating conditions to determine bearing performance. The comparative analysis of using accelerometers vs. prox probes vs. the new FDS strain sensors for bearing monitoring and analysis was extremely useful, as it highlighted some limitations of each, and things to watch out for. This whole course will help us be more holistic in our approach to vibration monitoring and analysis on journal bearing machines, and give us additional things to consider when we evaluate apparent issues and determine a path forward. The course was well worth the investment.

    ~ Ben Sommers, Corporate Rotating Equipment Leader, HollyFrontier Refining & Marketing

    May, 12th. 2020

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Mitch Stansloski

    CEO, PhD., P.E.
  • Machine Lubrication Technician and Machine Lubricant Analyst Level I Class

    We put three of our folks through your MLTI training course a couple of months ago. Among the many things they are doing with their new knowledge, they have been taking oil samples for analysis, and reviewing the results. The team immediately found over a million dollars’ worth of gearboxes were at risk with low viscosity oil. The class paid for itself, in days, with just that one facet of your training – thank you!

    Justin, Maintenance & Reliability Leader, Port Operations

    Jun, 10th. 2021

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    Mike Johnson

    Founder and President of AMRRI

    We put three of our folks through your MLTI training course a couple of months ago. Among the many things they are doing with their new knowledge, they have been taking oil samples for analysis, and reviewing the results. The team immediately found over a million dollars’ worth of gearboxes were at risk with low viscosity oil. The class paid for itself, in days, with just that one facet of your training – thank you!"

    Justin, Maintenance & Reliability Leader, Port Operations

    May, 17th. 2021

  • Plant Reliability

    Red Wolf Reliability (formerly Pioneer Engineering) Plant Reliability class provided me with a great introduction and a path forward as we look to adopt RCM at two of our Lockheed Facilities. Mitch did a fantastic job delivering this course virtually which had to be a huge challenge in itself. Very impressive!

    Looking forward to other training opportunities and working with Red Wolf Reliability as we move into RCM and condition monitoring here at our Lockheed Martin Facility in North Denver. Thank you.

    Philip Wilmes

    Apr, 19th. 2021

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Mitch Stansloski

    CEO, PhD., P.E.
  • Precision Alignment

    I really enjoyed the class. I have taken multiple classes in the past and like how everything is setup. I enjoyed the how informal and relaxed it was. (Sure being a smaller class helped). I personally felt 3 days was a little long for the material covered, however individuals newer to the industry may need the full 3 days. I did learn a lot and appreciate how much work everyone there puts into these classes.

    Dustin Sabin

    Jul, 14th. 2022

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    Troy Chambers

    Technical Lead

    I feel I was able to obtain a lot from the alignment class. Troy Chambers is a humble great Instructor, and thank you for lunches.

    Tom Nations, Mechanic 1, Mountain West

    Jul, 14th. 2022

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Troy Chambers

    Technical Lead
  • Rotordynamics

    The class was great! I’ve already recommended it to a few other people. There was a good balance between theoretical background and hands on experience. I was also impressed how Mitch and Chad were very responsive to my particular concerns.

    Andrew Wilwerding, H-1 FST, Drives & Diagnostics

    Aug, 11th. 2023

    Reviewed Instructor(s)

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    Chad Wilcox

    President
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    Mitch Stansloski

    CEO, PhD., P.E.