A tribute to our founder Dave Schuh

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of the founder of Wood’s vibration, dynamics and noise team in the Americas, formerly BETA Machinery Analysis. David Norman Schuh passed away peacefully on 6 April 2020. 

Dave Schuh

In the early 1960s, Dave Schuh started his engineering career repairing heavy machinery and designing oilfield equipment for a company in Calgary, Alberta. Through those early years, Dave learned how machinery was built, how it failed and how to repair it better than new.

At the time, many machinery problems in the energy industry were still poorly understood. Dave noted recurring failures that did not have obvious causes and, worse yet, no obvious fix. Clients would come in every three months and ask for the same repair; a new shaft or a new suction bottle, for instance. Dave realized the need for a specialist machinery troubleshooter, someone who could figure out what was causing these unexplained failures.

Coincidentally, a new engine-compressor analyzer had just been developed. Dave and his wife Nel realized the new technology was an opportunity to start a consulting business, and they founded BETA Machinery Analysis Ltd in June 1967.

The combination of experience, theoretical knowledge and novel instrumentation looked like a winner. 50 years and many inventions later, BETA Machinery Analysis was recognized as a pioneer and leading consultancy in its field, building the foundation for Wood’s newly created vibration, dynamics and noise capability.

Dave’s passion for finding new ways to solve complex problems created a culture that still exists today and is being passed on by many long-serving employees. Dave was most proud, however, not of the companies he built or challenges he solved, but of all the people he befriended and mentored along the way.

Read more about our history and the early days of machinery troubleshooting