Condition Monitoring
WHY MONITOR MACHINE VIBRATION ?
To do a good job of monitoring machine vibration and to fully reap the benefits, we must understand the answers to the above question.
Monitoring the vibration characteristics of a machine gives us an understanding of the “health” condition of the machine. We can use this information to detect problems that might be developing.
Why be concerned about the condition of a machine? Why not just continue to run the machine until it breaks down and then repair it?
Operating a machine until it breaks down might be acceptable if the machine were a “disposable” one. Most machines, however, are not “disposable” due to their cost.
If we regularly monitor the condition of machines, we will find any problems that might be developing, and we can therefore correct the problems even as they arise.
In contrast, if we do not monitor machines to detect unwanted vibration, the machines are more likely to be operated until they break down.
Because machine vibration monitoring finds potentially damaging vibration, we can prevent problems arising, and this saves a lot of time, money, and frustration.
How?
Below we discuss some common problems that can be avoided by monitoring machine vibration. These problems are worth avoiding as the costs of dealing with them are large and far exceed the cost of reasonably priced machine vibration monitoring programs.
(a) Severe Machine Damage
Machine vibration that is not detected early enough will often lead to severe machine damage requiring costly repairs or even total machine replacement. However, if the condition of a machine is monitored regularly, potential problems can be detected – and corrected – at an early stage when the repair required is simpler, faster, and cheaper. This is similar to our own health. Regular visits to a doctor help us to detect problems early and so avoid the large costs of remedying severe health damage.
(b) High Power Consumption
A machine that is vibrating consumes more power. As well as the power required for the machine to perform its intended function, additional power is also required to sustain the vibration. This problem could be minimized if the machine is regularly monitored and maintained.
(c) Machine Unavailability
Because a machine that is not monitored is more likely to break down, it is more often out of action. However, the cost of procuring and operating a machine is normally justified by its availability to process goods efficiently, or by its availability to convert raw material into cash. A machine should be consistently available to generate the money to justify its investment. Regular monitoring helps ensure that a machine is always available to generate money.
