Every vibration analyst relies on accurate data to provide the necessary information to base a report or work order on that will set in motion the activities of the maintenance department. Therefore, the analyst must resist sinking into bad data collection habits. When early detection of a fault or possible problem is important (it usually [...]

Many facilities have placed overall vibration data collection devices in the hands of their operators.  The goal is to give the operators and production a tool to help identify equipment problems and the severity of those problems.  The intent of this effort is very good.  However, the true value of this effort is usually not [...]

One of the most overlooked features of a good vibration data collector is the ability to enter important process information such as temperatures, pressures, equipment lubrication levels, equipment speed and much more. Documentation of process data is important for your production department. This information is important to the Condition Monitoring (CM) Analyst as well.  Changes in [...]

The safety strap which is included with the analyzer should be checked for condition prior to each use. Most safety straps use Velcro and the Velcro is there for your safety. The strap is designed to separate to prevent injury should your cables become tangled in the rotating shaft or some other moving part of [...]

An accelerometer is often used with a magnet to couple the sensor to the machine. The coupling between the magnet and machine is critical to ensure quality vibration data is acquired. Placing the magnet onto the machine can create an impact which can shock the sensor for several seconds. Collecting data during this time can [...]

In today’s industry, predictive maintenance plays a big role in keeping machinery operating in peak condition. Many maintenance departments strive to have a first class predictive maintenance program; they do this by collecting data on a continuous basis through routes with handheld data collectors to evaluate the health of the machines that are needed to [...]