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Introduction Simply stated, viscosity is defined as the internal resistance of a fluid to flow. That doesn’t sound too difficult, does it? Unfortunately, new temperature, speed and pressure demands on lubricating fluids have changed over the years, resulting in several different measurements and classifications being created to describe lubricant viscosity. Some examples are SUS, cSt, […]

In our previous post DOWNTIME: 8 FORMS OF WASTE, we have seen the eight forms of waste that downtime can produce. So what then are the benefits of greater uptime? This useful acronym spells it out: Utilization – Better utilization of skills, resources and technology to improve asset reliability Profit – From decreased productivity costs, […]

While in Louisville, KY after the #SMRP19 conference, I took a tour of the Angel’s Envy bourbon distillery and was thrilled not only by their fine bourbon finished in port wine barrels but by their attention to safety and unique promotion of safety all around their clean facility. Their clever “Heaven can wait. Safety first” […]

Primarily, there are three types of sensors in use today:  Velocity transducer Accelerometer Proximity probe Each has its own sensitivity, which simply means that for a given input you get a given output. Velocity Transducer Simply a suspended magnet inside an electrical coil. The coil is affixed to the machine housing and moves with the […]

Before precision alignment is to be performed on rotating equipment, best practice dictates that there are a few things that should be checked, even before doing rough alignment. One of those things is checking coupling and/or shaft runout. Runout is a condition where the centerline of the coupling or shaft has deviated from its true […]

When you are installing a new machinery in a facility of the organization, there are certain issues. These issues are listed from top to the bottom categorized on the basis of seriousness. The top of the list is shaft alignment. It is the most common issue while installing the machinery. It occurs due to lack […]

Compressed air is one of the three highest cost utilities in use at your plant. It is also one of the least maintained in terms of system leaks. Leaks are expensive and wasteful, but most often ignored. Leaks may occur anywhere in your compressed air system. Here’s our list of top ten most common leaks: […]

A route for vibration programs is the order in which machines that need to have vibration data collected on them have that data collected. To be able to optimize the data collection time and effort, the best practice is to have multiple routes. The machines in the route should be listed in a strategic and […]

Complex Jackshaft alignment made simple with experience and an Easy-Laser XT660 Shaft Alignment Tool When you are working with nature, you treat it with respect. And that’s what this dam facility on the Kootenay River in British Columbia does (image, above left). When you harness the power of a river you need your control systems […]

Problem Dirt particles as small as 5 microns can easily damage bearings and gears in equipment. Unfortunately, gearbox vents and hydraulic breather caps only prevent particles larger than 25-45 microns from being ingested into machinery from the surrounding air.   As a result, those large particles are broken down into much smaller particles resulting in premature […]

JUNE 2019 – PUMPS AND SYSTEMS Condition monitoring helps manage over-lubrication. Ultrasound is a guide to precision grease replenishment in motor bearings. It is also known for its versatility for leak detection, valve assessment and electrical fault detection. Acoustic lubrication is an integral component of ultrasound programs. Fewer than 95 percent of all roller bearings […]

I remember once performing an alignment where I followed the guidelines at the time to make sure no soft foot was present before continuing the alignment. I struggled to take care of the soft foot issue, yet still had unacceptable results.  No more than 3-5 shims under each foot? Check.  Pull each shim pack with […]

We know that unforeseen failures can leave machines unavailable for use. Defects attributed to premature component wear and failure due to over/under lubrication, poor installation practices such as improper bearing heating can also cause inventory depletion and other forms of waste…How else can we think about the costly effects of downtime? This useful acronym spells […]

First off, “triax” is short for “triaxial accelerometer sensor”. A triaxial sensor has three (tri) separate sensors (that collect data in the X, Y, and Z directions) contained in one housing, compared to a single axis sensor in a normal accelerometer. There are many pros and cons to using a triaxial sensor. A few things […]

Predictive maintenance plays a huge part in the overall reliability of your assets. Most of the time, equipment fails because of a bearing or seal failure. Bearing failures are very common, and improper installation of a bearing is one of the biggest reasons it fails. If you don’t do it right, and with the proper […]

There are many reasons why one would perform an uncoupled alignment. We could have a tight tolerance coupling that cannot be installed without getting the alignment of the shafts close. Or simply, we do not have the coupling available at the moment the alignment needs to happen. Uncoupled alignments are performed using the same 5-step […]

There are a lot of aspects that need to be taken care of in condition monitoring. Field balancing is one of those. There are two types of balancing: static and dynamic. The first one deals with balancing in a controlled environment and another one is balancing a piece of equipment in the field under field […]

Understanding the Key Components of an Effective Lubrication Program Lubrication is often overlooked in organizations.  Why it is overlooked, I am unsure.  Maybe it is because it is considered to be a basic job, given to the apprentice, or it is just too simple to not to do it correctly. However, with a focus on lubrication, […]

We used to assume that once equipment is installed and aligned, it will remain in the same position forever. But this is not always the case. The alignment should be checked periodically. This valuable information will help you to find problems like pipe stress, unstable foundations, weak frames and loose bolts, among other problems. All […]

Sources of Equipment Damage: Funnels Maintaining proper oil levels in our equipment is a critical maintenance function to keep our assets running and producing product. Adding (or topping off) oil in our assets requires a means to transfer the lubricant from a container to the machine. The means used to accomplish this task are much […]