When troubleshooting or using vibration in a Predictive Maintenance program comparing identical machines to each other is often the best method to diagnose a problem – especially if you suspect a problem exists in one or more of the machines. When vibration data is collected on a bearing housing using an accelerometer, one is not only measuring vibration forces, but also the effect of the structure on these forces.

Westar is currently evaluating the implementation of a new database and route collection system. This new component to the infrared program will allow for Web-based tracking and trending of all infrared projects and will greatly enhance the efficiency of our program. It will also allow for simultaneous imbedding, reporting, tracking, and trending of the ultrasonic technology being brought into the thermography program.

Accept that you will sometimes be wrong and do whatever it takes to find out the “as found” condition. This is often difficult to accomplish but it is well worth the effort and in the best circumstances this should be implemented as a normal procedure.

Before bearings, valves and other mechanical parts fail, they usually scream for help. But their piercing wails usually fall on deaf ears because the sound frequencies are far too high for humans to hear. No wonder deteriorating components may go undetected until they break down completely. Now, however, a variety of tools using ultrasonic technology—ultrasound, as it is commonly known—are helping companies in a wide range of industries avoid wasteful replacements or costly breakdowns.

The IR camera is a great tool used in our everyday predictive maintenance endeavors, but it can play tricks on our eyes if we do not investigate beyond what we are observing. Things truly are not always as they seem, here’s an example:

If thermography is new in your plant, the first few inspection cycles may yield a large number of finds. Subsequent inspections should go more smoothly. After about three cycles, reorganize the routes so they are more efficient, and add new routes and equipment into the inspection cycle as necessary. The optimum frequency of inspection will be determined by the needs of the equipment assets. As they age, are heavily loaded or are poorly maintained, inspections may become more frequent.

For a program to be effective it must be accepted by management as well as other maintenance personnel. Getting other maintenance people involved in Infrared Thermography is a good way of gaining acceptance not to mention the fact that, more people scanning equipment will find more problems, more quickly, resulting in payback more quickly for the plant. This paper discusses the approach which I am implementing with varying degrees of success at my client’s plant sites and which could be implemented in plants with existing IR imagers.

Infrared thermography is the science of seeing heat. Thermal imagers
have the ability to produce a visual representation of thermal patterns as heating systems’ components are identified and recorded. Maintenance strategies are then planned and carried out before system breakdowns occur.