Are you adding grease to a bearing and not hearing any changes from your ultrasound equipment? If so, start wondering where the grease is going. It is a fact that if grease gets into a bearing the ultrasound decibel will either go down on a bearing that needs grease or go up on a bearing […]
We often hear “Coupling alignment tolerances provided by the coupling manufacturer are good enough for shaft alignment.” or “There’s no need to align your machines tighter than the tolerances allowed by your flexible coupling.” This is wrong because good quality flexible couplings may be built to withstand much more misalignment than what is good for […]
Bearings are probably the more complex designed component of any rotating equipment; yet, they are the most misunderstood by the maintenance practitioners who handle them on a daily basis.” —Holcombe Baird, Reliability Center, Inc. If experiencing premature bearing failures, you should not only look at bearing lubrication practices but also at bearing installation practices. When […]
Every analyst develops their own process for analyzing vibration data. This is generally learned from others, being around to observe or communicate with, or from training the individual receives. Often, the person collecting the data will be the same person that analyzes the data. The process could include that during the data collection the person […]
We just returned from performing a stern tube bearing carrier alignment on a large container vessel currently in construction at a leading US shipyard. The one-meter diameter bearing carriers needed to be set to specific tolerances with respect to an established datum line along the longitudinal axis of the ship. Historically, this was accomplished using […]
When the breakdown/repair cycle becomes routine, you can bet money is being wasted. The psychology of manufacturing (if we can call it that) is very much overlooked. Q: What if it was a personal affront to everyone in the plant, management, production and maintenance, for a machine to break down? Seriously. What if everyone viewed […]
The diesel engine is the heart of heavy construction equipment and replacement costs are in the millions. Ingress of dust due to leaky air intake systems shreds components in short order. The SDT TIGHTChecker quickly and easily pinpoints leaks in the air intake system. Dust is no friend to a diesel engine. But when the integrity […]
Knows how to use the software package they have. Knows how to use the hardware they have. Knows where to place the vibration sensor to ensure good data. Knows how to recognize bad data. Knows what to look for while collecting data besides just the vibration sensor. Knows how and to whom to report their […]
Centrifugal pumps have a specific design point at which they operate most efficiently. This sweet spot is known as the BEP (Best Operating Point) which provides the design engineer with the required flow and pressure while also providing the best efficiency. If the pump has been specified incorrectly or is placed into a system which […]
Guest Tip by Bob Dunn from I&E Central, Inc. In some environments, reflected sounds can make it difficult to locate a leak. If you are in a confined area (a smaller room, or beneath/inside a machine), the leak can seem to be almost anywhere. A good solution is to adjust the sensitivity downward. Ultrasonic sounds will […]
There are many different reasons to consider and implement an online vibration system. Some of the key reasons are: The equipment is critical to production. The equipment has a long repair time. The parts for the equipment have a long lead time. The equipment is not easy to access. The equipment is in a remote […]
Reposted from People and Processes, written by Jeff Shiver CMRP, CPMM, CRL Do you find yourself wondering why your employees haven’t taken the initiative and approached you for additional training? Well, they must not want the extra training, right? Wrong! Sometimes, employees do want training, but they just don’t ask. Here’s why: 1. THEY HAVE FEAR OF […]
Guest Post by Ricky Smith, CRL, CMRP, CMRT Pipe stress is caused by misalignment of the mating surfaces of two pipe flanges creating abnormal internal stress of pump bearings, seals, motor bearings, couplings, and can possibly change the displacement of a pump. General Rules which must be followed by maintenance personnel and contractors: (if you truly want to stop a long term pump problem) Pipe flanges attached to pumps must be aligned where the gap does not exceed the thickness of two gaskets or tolerance established by your company’s engineering standards. Pipe flange bolts must drop in without assistance. Cable pullers, come-a-longs, or long bars should not be used […]
This blog post concerns rolling element bearings and not journal bearings. When a rolling element bearing begins to deteriorate the damage usually manifests itself in one of the races (either inner or outer) followed by the rolling element, and finally the cage. When the races begin to have defects these tend to excite the natural […]
Question: When is it OK to over-lubricate your bearing? Answer: NEVER!!!!, (almost) the exception is when high vibration exists. If you attended the SDT/LUDECA Acoustic Lubrication Workshops then you now understand grease as a lubricating mechanism. You understand that the Churning Phase of the lubrication task is inevitable, and long-term, detrimental to the health of […]
Reposted from People and Processes, written by Jeff Shiver CMRP, CPMM, CRL The CMRT exam is the leading credentialing program by the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP) for the knowledge, skills and abilities of maintenance and reliability technicians. The CMRT exam tests competency and knowledge of specific tasks within 4 domains: Maintenance Practices, Preventative […]
Guest Post by Bob Dunn from I&E Central, Inc. I had the opportunity use the Easy-Laser XT440 to assist a customer aligning a machine that had perpetually given them problems, with bearings always running hot. They had recently aligned the machine with dial indicators, but when we checked, it was off by .007, and this on […]
In most cases, when equipment is in failure mode, it begins to make sounds that are not commonly heard during normal operation conditions. Once this sound is heard a defect (at least one) is already present in the equipment. Using our vibration tools can assist in detecting the defect before that sound is heard with […]
There are 3 techniques that can facilitate your work in the field: the shielding technique, the covering technique and reflection management. 1. Shielding technique This technique greatly reduces the influence of interfering leaks. It consists in using a piece of cardboard or foam(*)… to create a barrier between the “parasitic” leak noise and the location […]
As Published by Solutions Magazine March/April 2018 issue by Ana Maria Delgado, CRL and Shon Isenhour, CMRP CAMA CCMP, Founding Partner at Eruditio LLC During the many root cause analysis (RCA) investigations we facilitate and coach, we notice some themes that continue to manifest themselves in the findings. Often, they are grouped under the heading […]