You’ve got it,  so why not use it? What am I talking about? Besides your VibXpert® vibration analyzer, you probably have other tools that can be utilized to deliver additional reliability information to your management and facility.

1. Visual inspections can be logged into your vibration routes to help your facility keep on top of a number of things,  like:
a. Transformer cleanliness
You can log the transformer as:

• Clean
• Slightly Contaminated
• Dirty–Needs Attention
• Very contaminated – (reduced cooling capacity!)

b. Motor cooling fin cleanliness (same as [a])

c. Plant area cleanliness

• Clean
• Slightly Contaminated
• Dirty–needs attention
• Very contaminated – possible safety hazard

d. Plant area fire equipment condition

• Fire Equipment Ready!
• Hose missing!
  1. Valve wrench missing!
  2. Nozzle missing!
• Extinguisher missing!

e. Record pressure, amperage, megawatts, etc. from gauges.
The list of uses for visual inspections goes on and on. Each inspection can be trended and reported. Many facilities struggle to keep up with some very important equipment or conditions around the plant, because it may not be easily worked into daily routines. If you are already in a routine of collecting vibration data, then you should take advantage of visual inspections. Add all the value you can to your tours through the plant! Find out what the Maintenance Manager or Production Manager might be very interested in knowing on a regular basis and add it to an existing route!

2. Do you have a strobe light? You can use it along with the “Visual Inspection” process spoken of above, and do visual inspections on critical machine couplings even while the machine is in operation. Take great care to remain safe, while getting valuable visual inspection data.

3. Do you have an infrared thermometer gun? If so, you can connect it to your VibXpert to record critical temperatures during a route and trend them. These are just a few suggestions of additional value you may be able to add to your maintenance and reliability efforts from other tools already in your kit and through visual inspections and data-logging activities.