Predictive maintenance & condition monitoring
PREDICTING
THE FUTURE? The benefits of vibration monitoring and analysis
By Jason Tweedy, head of Condition Monitoring, Brammer Buck & Hickman
I
n the 1970s and 80s condition monitoring was largely restricted to audible monitoring with technology playing little part. In other
words, you literally listened to the equipment. There is a lot to be said for this and an experienced pair of ears can pick up useful information. Similarly, a visual inspection can also provide some information such as discolouration on bearings’ raceways, cages and balls which can often be the result of increased vibration leading to wear. Of course, it is not always possible to see all
parts on a machine or hear every nuance and there is not always a person on site who has worked with that specific machinery for years and can tell when something isn’t quite right. Plus, by the time you can hear or see something is not right, the damage has often already been done. So new forms of technology-reliant condition
monitoring have been introduced over the years which are more effective, require less labour (and experience), but obviously come at a price. The human ear has been replaced by ultrasonic devices and the eye by thermography which looks for heat which can be caused by friction. Either of these are good identifiers of potential issues and which is used depends on the process and machinery being monitored. In the case of rotational equipment, and bearings in particular, ultrasonic is ideal as these parts often produce ultra-high frequency sounds when vibrating. Where access is an issue, such as pylons, thermography is the better solution.
THe InCreasIng PoPularITy of VIBraTIon analysIs Analysing machinery for vibration is becoming increasingly popular. Brammer Buck &
Hickman is increasingly finding that maintenance related tenders have vibration analysis stipulated within them. There is a very good reason for this: vibration
analysis allows early detection of wear, fatigue and failure in rotating machinery. That is because vibration occurs in all rotational assets, but generally highlights an issue discovered by higher readings and particular frequencies, mostly as the result of wear and tear but also as a consequence of poor maintenance practices. Vibration builds and leads to equipment failure. A wide range of components and machinery are impacted by vibration, with some of the most common being bearings and gearboxes. Vibration analysis identifies potential problems
and a predicted time to failure (in some cases up to one year in advance of equipment failure) to enable you to get the replacement part in stock and schedule proactive maintenance, thereby reducing unexpected downtime. Furthermore, vibration analysis saves money on
repairs and maintenance, so works out to be a good investment. This can be clearly seen with a client of Brammer Buck & Hickman who was replacing all the bearings on a particular machine every month as they could not afford to have that machine fail. Brammer Buck & Hickman implemented a vibration analysis service with them which has stopped this expensive practice. Instead, it is able to identify which bearings need to be replaced. At the same time, Brammer Buck & Hickman directed that customer to a number of issues that they were not aware of, allowing them to take proactive action.
In-House or ouTsourCe? Technology has not replaced human knowledge and experience altogether though. The data presented by the vibration analysis equipment
36 October 2021 Instrumentation Monthly
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