Collecting Good Vibration Data 1 – Test Locations

DLIengineering.com

One of the most important aspects of data collection in a vibration or virtually any program is data quality and repeatability. If one cannot be certain that the data is good, one cannot be certain that the results based on that data are good either; garbage in equals garbage out, or so it is said. This is especially true if one is trending vibration readings in a Predictive Maintenance program.

The goal in a Predictive Maintenance program is to have repeatable readings, year in and year out, regardless of who collects the data. One of the first steps to accomplish this is to properly define test locations. The best available solution to this in a walk around vibration program is to mount sensor pads on the machine in the proper locations and create a diagram of the machine indicating where these test locations are and how the test pads are oriented. This will allow them to be properly replaced if they are knocked off.

The best place to locate these test pads are on rigid surfaces as close to the bearings as possible. Don’t places test pads on cowlings, motor housings or any other non-rigid structures. Test pads should be affixed using a rigid adhesive to assure good data transmission.

Click here to read part 2: Collecting Good Vibration Data 2 – Sensor Pads and Frequency Response

Proactive Maintenance for Hydraulic Cylinders

Damaged hydraulic cylinder rods and wiper seals are an eternal problem for users of hydraulic machinery. Dents and gouges on the surface of hydraulic cylinder rods reduce seal life and give dust and other contaminants an easy path into the hydraulic system. Many hydraulic cylinders also have bent rods, which cause distortion and ultimately premature failure of the seals.

Fast, Reliable Measurements Give Us An Effective Way of Planning Preventive Maintenance In Advance

"This equipment has given us completely new opportunities to plan maintenance activities in advance. This has meant that we've been able to minimize the number of breakdowns, thus increasing our profits." A look in the rear-view mirror tells us that before 1993, the mill suffered three or four breakdowns, caused by stock damage, every year. After installation of the SPM system, breakdowns have been very rare, which has made it possible to avoid production losses worth millions.

Collecting Good Vibration Data 1 – Test Locations