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The Benefits of Vibration Analysis For Predictive Maintenance

Mike Jeffries | February 25, 2019

vibration motor compressorWith few exceptions, industrial machinery functions at its best when it runs smoothly without excessive vibration. Any machine with moving parts will be designed to operate within a  tolerable level of vibration, but when excessive vibration occurs it requires immediate correction to avoid escalating damage and costly downtime. 

Related Blog: What Causes a Motor to Malfunction or Fail?

Common equipment found in industrial plants can benefit from periodic testing such as infrared scanning, sound analysis, and vibration analysis as vital parts of any predictive maintenance program. This common plant machinery includes:

 

  • Compressors

  • Rotary pumps

  • Fans

  • Blowers

  • Electric motors

As this informative article at Plant Engineering points out, all of the above should run smoothly, and the lower the vibration the lesser the potential for problems. Vibration analysis can detect maintenance issues and avoid unproductive downtime, not to mention costly equipment replacement and procurement expenses. By understanding the common causes of excessive vibration corrective maintenance involving the replacement of small but critical components such as bearings or belts can often save a catastrophic run-to-failure requiring replacement of the entire machine. It's important to bear in mind that excessive vibration left unattended can cause an inevitable chain of escalating damage to equipment.

The common causes of excessive vibration include:

  • Wear on individual machine components such as drive belts, gears, and bearings.

  • Pitted roller bearing race caused by hard particles (sand, metal, dirt) in the plant environment

  • Contaminated lubricant rolling through bearings

  • Worn out drive belts

  • Chipped or missing gear teeth

  • Shaft misalignment- This can be a condition which occurs over time or a problem with the initial assembly.

  • Looseness- Looseness can cause the vibration which in turn loosens machine mountings even more in a runaway effect that can damage motor mounts and bearings.

  • Imbalance on rotary equipment- Heavy spots on fan blades caused by accumulated dirt or manufacturer defects cause excessive vibration especially at higher speeds.

Benefits of Vibration Analysis

Repair and Replacement Cost Reduction- As we mentioned above, parts and labor expenses can be significantly reduced when vibration analysis reveals a problem with a small less expensive part which is replaced in time to prevent catastrophic failure, eliminating the time and cost for replacing the entire machine later on.

Scheduled Maintenance Reduces Critical Callouts- Scheduled maintenance to replace individual machine components minimizes downtime as well as eliminating the need for emergency overtime for unscheduled repairs or equipment replacement. Unscheduled emergency repairs can cost thousands and eliminating the need for these "critical callouts" is one of the most significant benefits of proactive maintenance planning with vibration analysis.

Optimizes Production and Plant Safety- Relatively simple repairs to alleviate vibration problems such as worn belts, bearings, or loose mounts can be performed at scheduled periods which won't interfere with busy production times. Smoothly operating plant equipment ensures a safer working environment for plant personnel working in close proximity to machinery.

Proactive Maintenance Efficiency- When the failure of individual components is identified by vibration analysis maintenance teams know exactly what parts, tools, and plant support will be required to make effective repairs to keep the plant up and running with a minimum of downtime. Troubleshooting is achieved without diagnostic guesswork and corrective maintenance action is accomplished quickly and correctly the first time.

Standard Plant Machinery Which Can Benefit From Vibration Analysis

At Mader Electric we provide industrial machinery services including vibration analysis for plants using any of the specific plant equipment below:

  • Generators

  • Extruders

  • Agitators

  • Mixers

  • Compressors

  • Refiners

  • Pumps

  • Fans

At Mader Electric we've been keeping businesses in the Sarasota Florida region up and running for more than a century and we have the technology to keep your plant producing for the century yet to come. We provide advanced machinery testing and equipment installation services such as vibration analysis as well as infrared thermography, and laser alignment. We've made it our mission to provide the one-stop solution for all of your electric motor and control needs so don't hesitate to contact us.

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