As a component of industrial conveyor and drive systems, axial piston pumps are in widespread use. An unforeseen breakdown in this equipment means high costs. That is why researchers at the Fraunhofer IDMT in Oldenburg have selected the axial piston pump as a case example for the acoustic monitoring of machines. With the aim of preventing costly consequential damage, the experts in the Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology Division (HSA) are able to recognize when the pump is no longer running from the noise it makes.