Fluke introduces the Fluke 709H precision current loop calibrator with HART Communications, an easy-to-use tool with a user-friendly interface and HART capabilities that reduces the time it takes to measure or source, voltage or current, and power up a loop.
 
The 709H supports a select set of HART universal and common practice commands. In the communicator mode, technicians can read basic device information, perform diagnostic tests, and trim the calibration on most HART-enabled transmitters. In the past, this could only be done with a dedicated communicator, a high-end multifunction calibrator, or a laptop computer with a HART modem. It also features a built-in, selectable 250-ohm resistor to tune the loop for HART communications.
 
The 709H and non-HART 709 models feature an intuitive interface with dedicated buttons, a Quick-Set rotary encoder knob, and simple two wire connection for quick, easy measurements. The dedicated 0-100-per-cent span and 25-per-cent step buttons make for quick and easy testing. Ramping and auto-stepping enables technicians to perform tests remotely and be in “two places at once.”
 
The optional 709H/TRACK software with communication cable can document milliamp measurements and HART transmitter parameters and upload to a PC.
www.flukecanada.ca
 

Fluke Corp. introduces the Fluke 190 Series II 500 MHz ScopeMeter Test Tool, the first to achieve a 500 MHz at 5 GS/s real time sample rate in a handheld, sealed, rugged, oscilloscope, without compromising on safety rating, ruggedness or battery operating time. Now professional electronic troubleshooters have a high-performance scope with the bandwidth and resolution to capture virtually any signal while in the field. The two-channel 190-502 model is the latest in the190 Series II with bandwidth from 60, 100, 200, — and now 500 — MHz.
 
High-tech electronics in today’s medical, communications, navigation and military devices routinely operate at high speeds requiring higher bandwidth. Correct display of waveforms with high frequency content such as clock pulses requires a bandwidth of at least five times the clock rate of the system under test. The 5 GS/s — or 200 pico seconds — sample rate of the Fluke 190-502 provides greater accuracy and clarity of shape and amplitude of unknown waveform phenomena like transients, induced noise and ringing or reflections.
 
The rugged 190 Series II ScopeMeter test tools include innovative functions like ScopeRecord, TrendPlot, advanced triggering and automatic measurements functions you would expect to find in high performance scopes. The 190 Series II safety rating according to IEC 61010 standard is 1000 V CAT III/ 600 V CAT IV making it possible to safely measure from mV to 1,000 V.
www.flukecanda.ca

In simplest terms, vibration in motorized equipment is the back-and-forth movement, or oscillation, of machines and components, such as drive motors, driven devices (such as pumps and compressors) and the bearings, shafts, gears, belts and other elements that make up mechanical systems. Vibration in industrial equipment can be both a sign and a source of trouble. Other times, it just “goes with the territory” as a normal part of machine operation and should not cause undue concern.

But how can a maintenance professional tell the difference between acceptable vibration and the kind that requires immediate attention to service or replace troubled equipment?

Vibration is not always a problem. In some tasks, vibration is essential. Machines like oscillating sanders and vibratory tumblers use vibration to remove materials and finish surfaces. Vibratory feeders use vibration to move materials. In construction, vibrators are used to help concrete settle into forms and compact fill materials. Vibratory rollers help compress asphalt used in highway paving.

In other cases, vibration is inherent in machine design. For instance, some vibration is almost unavoidable in the operation of reciprocating pumps and compressors, and internal combustion engines. In a well-engineered, well-maintained machine, such vibration should be no cause for concern.

When vibration is a problem
Most industrial devices are engineered to operate smoothly and avoid vibration, not produce it. In these machines, vibration can indicate problems or deterioration in the equipment. When the underlying causes are not corrected, the unwanted vibration itself can cause additional damage. This article focuses on machines that are supposed to vibrate as part of normal operation, but on those that should not vibrate: electric motors, rotary pumps and compressors, and fans and blowers. In these devices, smoother operation is generally better, and a machine running with zero vibration is the ideal.

Causes
Vibration can result from a number of conditions, acting alone or in combination. Keep in mind that vibration problems may be caused by auxiliary equipment, not just the primary equipment. These are some of the major causes of vibration.

Imbalance
A ‘heavy spot’ in a rotating component will cause vibration when the unbalanced weight rotates around the machine’s axis, creating a centrifugal force. Imbalance could be caused by manufacturing defects (i.e. machining errors, casting flaws) or maintenance issues (i.e. deformed or dirty fan blades, missing balance weights). As machine speed increases, the effects of imbalance become greater. Imbalance can severely reduce bearing life as well as cause undue machine vibration.

Misalignment/shaft runout
Vibration can result when machine shafts are out of line. Angular misalignment occurs when, for example, the axes of a motor and pump are not parallel. When the axes are parallel but not exactly aligned, the condition is known as parallel misalignment. Misalignment may be caused during assembly or develop over time due to thermal expansion, components shifting or improper reassembly after maintenance. The resulting vibration may be radial or axial (in line with the axis of the machine) or both.

Wear
As components such as ball or roller bearings, drive belts or gears become worn, they may cause vibration. When a roller bearing race becomes pitted, for instance, the bearing rollers will cause a vibration each time they travel over the damaged area. A gear tooth that is heavily chipped or worn, or a drive belt that is breaking down, can also produce vibration.

Looseness
Vibration that might otherwise go unnoticed may become obvious and destructive when the component that is vibrating has loose bearings or is loosely attached to its mounts. Such looseness may or may not be caused by the underlying vibration.
Whatever its cause, looseness can allow any vibration present to cause damage, such as further bearing wear, wear and fatigue in equipment mounts and other components.

Effects
The effects of vibration can be severe. Unchecked machine vibration can accelerate rates of wear (i.e. reduce bearing life) and damage equipment. Vibrating machinery can create noise, cause safety problems and lead to degradation in plant working conditions. Vibration can cause machinery to consume excessive power and may damage product quality.

In the worst cases, vibration can damage equipment so severely as to knock it out of service and halt plant production.

Yet there is a positive aspect to machine vibration. Measured and analyzed correctly, vibration can be used in a preventive maintenance program as an indicator of machine condition, and help guide the plant maintenance professional to take remedial action before disaster strikes.

Characteristics of vibration
To understand how vibration manifests itself, consider a simple rotating machine like an electric motor. The motor and shaft rotate around the axis of the shaft, which is supported by a bearing at each end.

One key consideration when analyzing vibration is the direction of the vibrating force. In our electric motor, vibration can occur as a force applied in a radial direction (outward from the shaft) or in an axial direction (parallel to the shaft). An imbalance in the motor, for instance, would most likely cause a radial vibration, as the heavy spot in the motor rotates creating a centrifugal force that tugs the motor outward as the shaft rotates through 360 degrees.

A shaft misalignment could cause vibration in an axial direction (back and forth along the shaft axis) due to misalignment in a shaft coupling device. Another key factor in vibration is amplitude, or how much force or severity the vibration has. The farther out of balance our motor is, the greater its amplitude of vibration. Other factors, such as speed of rotation, can also affect vibration amplitude. As rotation rate goes up, the imbalance force increases significantly.

Frequency refers to the oscillation rate of vibration, or how rapidly the machine tends to move back and forth under the force of the condition or conditions causing the vibration. Frequency is commonly expressed in cycles per minute or Hertz (cpm or Hz). One Hz equals one cycle per second or 60 cycles per minute.

Though we called our example motor “simple”, even this machine can exhibit a complex vibration signature. As it operates, it could be vibrating in multiple directions (radially and axially), with several rates of amplitude and frequency. Imbalance vibration, axial vibration, vibration from deteriorating roller bearings and more could all combine to create a complex vibration spectrum.

Conclusion
Vibration is a characteristic of virtually all industrial machines. When vibration increases beyond normal levels, it may indicate only normal wear, or it may signal the need for further assessment of the underlying causes, or for immediate maintenance action. Understanding why vibration occurs and how it manifests itself is a key first step toward preventing vibration from causing trouble in the production environment.

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This article is based on the Fluke white paper “Introduction to vibration.” For more information, visit www.flukecanada.ca.

Thanks to Fluke and Electrical Business for sending along this video showing one-handed operation of its thermal imagers with IR-Optiflex and IR-Fusion technology... leaving one hand free to battle industrial ninja assassins.

It is not news that energy management in all sectors is becoming more critical every day — and many of those who manage maintenance departments are showing leadership in reducing energy consumption. PEM checked in with some experts about some of the direct, easy-to-identify actions and strategies plant managers are using to make broad and specific improvements in energy efficiency.

“Many plant managers can have their energy costs reduced by 40 per cent,” asserts Thierry Desjardins, vice-president of engineering at Québec City-based Ecosystem, an award-winning, ISO-certified energy efficiency firm. He says the first 35 per cent of these energy cost savings can be achieved through optimally designed and implemented energy conservation measures (ECMs), like boiler room retrofits, switching to more efficient motors/variable frequency drives, using geothermal systems, undertaking lighting system retrofits and replacing chillers.“However, one of the most critical factors for reaching optimal energy savings and maximizing your ROI is to make sure that the correct ECMs are selected and implemented at the same time, based on a nuanced understanding of how each measure can interact with the others,” Desjardins explains. “Too often, plant managers lose out on the full benefits of a retrofit because the ECMs are assessed, designed and implemented in isolation.”

He calls this “a major opportunity lost” that can have a significantly negative impact on cost-return timelines. He stresses that “the order in which measures are implemented can have a major impact on project payback and feasibility.” Here’s a simple example scenario showing how a chosen ECM can interact negatively with others to prevent maximal energy cost savings: “If you replace the central chiller before carrying out a lighting conversion,” Desjardins explains, “you’re going to end up purchasing a machine that is too big. Not only will you have paid too much for your chiller, but the efficiency won’t be optimal because the equipment isn’t optimally sized.”

To maximize ECM decision-making benefits, he strongly recommends turning to an expert for an energy audit of the facility. “This step is crucial because all buildings are different, and each building is far more than the sum of its mechanical parts,” he says. “You really need an experienced ‘outside eye’ to look at the building’s unique energy infrastructure and get a grasp of how energy is generated, distributed and used throughout.”

Maintenance tweaks
Proper maintenance of all mechanical systems — such as a steam trap survey and replacement, and fixing leaks in compressed air networks — typically amount up to the remaining five per cent of energy savings, Desjardins says. Even though five per cent might seem insignificant, it adds up over time.

“Without proper maintenance, the most efficiently designed buildings will not achieve energy goals,” agrees Kris Bagadia, president of U.S.-based Peak Industrial Solutions. “As mechanical systems are used to heat and cool a building, system performance degrades as sensors and meters drift out of calibration. If these systems are not maintained, they begin to consume more energy as equipment wears.”

That’s why he says it’s critical to effectively track and manage energy consumption. “That’s where a CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) plays an important role,” he says. “It allows you to gather and manage maintenance and energy data, which go hand-in-hand for effective maintenance management.” A CMMS can provide the ability to schedule inspections of energy-consuming equipment, to collect and store historical energy-consumption data that can be used to identify problem areas related to energy (such as leaks) and to establish an effective energy-reduction plan. “It also provides the ability to provide tracking of energy-consumption with user-defined criteria,” Bagadia says, “and correlate those criteria to how much energy is being consumed, as well as details of how much energy is being consumed by an individual asset, location, or building or facility.”

Both the two main types of maintenance planning — preventive maintenance (PM), also known as calendar-based maintenance, and predictive maintenance (PdM) — are effective strategies in achieving both consistent production goals and energy savings, says Peter Hachey, business development specialist of power quality and more for Fluke Electronics Canada. “Either way, the right tools must be used to properly diagnose the problem in a given situation,” he notes.

Below, Hachey examines three examples of energy-related challenges that a maintenance manager may typically face — as well as the lessons learned as the problems were solved.

1) Sub-metering of plant compressor group
“While a vital component of many manufacturing facilities’ operations, air compressors can be a source of energy waste,” Hachey notes.
He says the two most typical sources of waste are leaks in piping and improper time-of-day usage. Both can occur at once, and require different tools to diagnose the problem.

In this example, the air compressor was believed to be the culprit when a year-to-year increase in plant power consumption was noticed — an increase that could not be tied to a change in production practices.  “Because the compressor piping circuit had never been included in any PM, the logical first step was to inspect the piping in order to locate any air leaks along in the network,” Hachey notes. “The most effective tool for this task is an ultrasonic leak detector, which will detect any type of pressurized gas/air leak.” The maintenance technician mapped the plant’s compressed air piping system and several leaks were found.

The technician also checked out any further issues. Because he was unsure of the usage sequence of the compressors, he decided the best course of action was to use a three-phase power quality analyzer to record power consumption on the compressor circuit, set to record for one full week.
“The analyzer’s trend mode delivered a surprising result — the compressors were left running even when the plant was shut down for the weekend,” he notes.

“The solution here was to institute a policy of shutting down the compressors whenever operations are suspended. … Needless to say, annual inspection of the compressor system was added to the PM list.”

2) Poor lighting-cicuit configuration
Hachey makes the case that upgrades to existing lighting systems for the purpose of energy savings have to be done correctly — or lighting energy waste issues may occur.

In this example, a plant manager requests that the maintenance/facilities manager increase the efficiency of the plant’s lighting configuration. His tasks include measuring light levels in order to add lighting as required, installing new high-efficiency electronics ballasts and installing a PLC to automate light levels according to time-of-day need.

A light meter is employed to identify areas where lighting is insufficient. “The levels are recorded and a lighting specialist is called to specify the correct number of fixtures to achieve the desired brightness,” Hachey says. “Steps two and three, installing the new ballasts and integrating the system into a PLC, are then carried out in the newly-installed lights as well as throughout the plant.”

However, shortly after the job had been completed, equipment performance issued began to occur. “This was despite the fact that these systems were part of regular PM and PdM checks,” Hachey notes. “The two most frequent performance issues were nuisance tripping on variable speed drives and increased noise and temperature at specific transformers.”

The maintenance team began troubleshooting procedures to discover the root cause of the problems. “The team first ran a thermal imaging scan on the affected systems to see if there was an increase in temperature,” he says. “They noted a 10°C rise on Phase C of the lighting circuit panel, as well as a similar rise in temperature at the circuit’s transformer.”  The next step was to identify the problem causing the temperature increases. Using a three-phase power quality analyzer, they were able to record a 12-per-cent phase unbalance between A, B and C phases. The imbalance was due to all new light fixtures being added to Phase C. “As there was ample capacity in this distribution panel, the fix in this case was simple,” Hachey says. “Redistribute the load to all three phases.” Next up was to find the source of the nuisance tripping. “The maintenance team realized the affected drive was connected to the same distribution panel as the recently modified lighting system,” he notes. “They again used their three-phase power quality analyzer to diagnose the problem.” They found high levels of fifth harmonic distortion and high levels of reactive power (decreasing the power factor level), and energy costs increased significantly on this circuit due to poor power quality.

“The nuisance tripping was caused by an under-voltage condition and was easily corrected by sequence adjustment among the machines in the circuit,” Hachey says. “The harmonics issue was solved by adding line reactors — and this also solved the overheating and noise problem at the trans former.”

3) Repeated motor failure on pump assembly
In this last example, a pump motor had failed four times over three years, causing not only increased energy consumption issues, but also the loss of thousands of dollars in production. Hachey explains how at this point, the maintenance manager decided to use a vibration tester to monitor the motor on a monthly basis.

“This strategy enabled the maintenance department to not only predict when the next failure would occur, but also identify the root cause of the problem,” he notes. “In this example, the issue was angular misalignment on the motor shaft.”

In addition to ending the cycle of premature motor failure, the alignment correction resulted in a decrease in power demand, as the motor no longer had to fight the added torque created by the alignment error.

By implementing conservation strategies so that synergies are maximized, and by continuing to improve upon testing and maintenance activities, significant savings can be achieved. If you have an unusual or significant energy-saving story, please let us know about it.

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Treena Hein is a freelance writer based in Pembroke, Ont.

Fluke Corp. has introduced the Fluke 414D, 419D and 424D laser distance meters, which deliver accurate, point-and-click measurements up to 100 meters (330 feet). The laser distance meters are ideal for a broad range of building/construction, industrial, maintenance, and professional services applications.
 
New features available in these distance meters:
• Integrated compass: provides a “heading” for distance measurement.
• Inclination sensor: assists with height tracking, leveling and indirect horizontal distance measurement when line of sight is blocked.
• Automatic endpiece correction: when measuring from an edge or corner, a built-in sensor detects the position of the bracket and automatically changes the reference point.
 
The rugged dust- and splash-proof distance meters allow for easy measurement of hard to access areas, like high ceilings, without climbing a ladder. The three models provide the right features and price points for a wide variety of applications:
 
〈         Fluke 414D
o   Measures up to 50m (165 feet) with one button and an accuracy of +/- 2mm (0.079 in).
o   Easy, automatic math for area and volume; add and subtract with ease.

〈         Fluke 419D
o   Measures up to 80m (263 feet) with even greater accuracy of +/- 1mm.
o   3-line display plus storage for 20 complete displays.
o   Tripod mountable.

〈         Fluke 424D
o   Measures up to 100m (330 feet).
o   Feature-rich meter includes tilt sensor for hard-to-reach measurements, corner angle feature, compass, and more.

The Fluke Distance Meters are available now at Canadian suggested list prices of $149 for model 414D, $299 for model 419D and $449 for model 424D.
www.fluke.com/laserdistance

Fluke Corp. introduces the new Fluke 62 Max and 62 Max+ infrared thermometers. These rugged, accurate, easy-to-use test tools are dust, water and drop resistant, making them ideal for the harsh conditions faced by technicians in electrical, service, HVAC, process, industrial and facilities maintenance applications.

The Fluke 62 Max/62 Max+ delivers:

• Rugged performance: Survives 9.8 foot/3 meter drops to wood floors.
• Water and dust resistance: IP54 rated to withstand rain, splashing liquids, dust and dirt.
• Small and easy to use: Small enough to carry comfortably on a tool belt all day, the digital thermometers measure with a trigger click and their multi-angle, backlit display make them easy to read.
• Dual lasers (62 MAX+): Dual, rotating lasers to accurately identify spot size.

The Fluke 62 Max is ideal for quick temperature scans of systems to look for anything from unusual hot spots that signal electrical and electro-mechanical malfunctions to undesirable air intake/output patterns in the building envelope. Because infrared measurement does not require making contact with the surface being measured, technicians can make the measurements from a distance, away from moving machinery or live electrical connections.

The 62 Max has a distance-to-spot ratio of 10:1 and measures temperatures from –30°C to 500°C with an accuracy ± 1.5% of the reading. The 62 Max+ has a distance-to-spot ration of 12:1 and measures –30°C to 650°C with an accuracy ± 1.0% of the reading.
www.fluke.com/62max

A plant engineer’s ability to diagnose, detect and monitor equipment condition issues is advancing all the time, thanks to ongoing developments with vibration, thermography (infrared), oil analysis and ultrasound tools, just to name a few.

So once you have all the fancy new tools, do you know how best to take advantage of them?

We’re here to help. Along with the sophistication of the tools available, ways to synthesize and integrate data so that maintenance teams can make immediate use of it and also monitor trend issues over a period of time are also progressing. PEM asked leading technology providers to share the latest in their condition monitoring tech developments, how best to integrate them, and where the future is headed.

Infrared
Over the last few years, infrared cameras have improved significantly in terms of resolution and now come with more options as well, says Paul Frisk, manager of the Infrared Training Center in Burlington, Ont. (the training arm of infrared camera-maker FLIR Canada Ltd.). “Infrared cameras now have the ability to incorporate wireless data from digital clamp meters and other instruments and make that all available at one glance,” he explains. “Some cameras now available immediately generate a single-page report. This summary can be transferred for printing and archiving by download to an office computer or through wifi to a plant’s CMMS system.”

Frisk says the primary value of an infrared camera is in its ability to initially determine whether a device is working properly or not while it’s running. “With some other diagnostic tools, you have to shut down the device, which obviously impacts production,” he notes. However, as with many types of detection and monitoring technology, there are misconceptions about what infrared cameras can provide.

“From watching movies and TV, people think infrared cameras can allow you to see through walls, water, etc., but they only measure released infrared energy,” he explains. “A properly trained thermographer can determine temperatures from infrared readings using conversion factors, knowing the material and so on, but infrared cameras cannot overcome the physics of all materials under all conditions.” He also stresses that infrared images can easily be misinterpreted, and proper training is absolutely necessary.

In addition to using handheld infrared cameras and connecting them with your plant’s CMMS, standalone infrared cameras can send data to the process PLC (programmable logic controller). “Based on the camera’s readings, things like process speed, fans or heat can automatically be adjusted if the material needs to be kept at a certain temperature,” Frisk notes.

With regard to the future of infrared condition monitoring technology, he foresees more improvement in resolution and smaller camera size, along with a continued drop in cost.

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Ultrasound
Ultrasound instruments have changed a great deal over the past decade, according to Alan Bandes, vice president of marketing at UE Systems. Analog detectors, which required manual entry of test results for basic trouble-shooting, have been replaced by software-driven digital systems capable of analyzing trends and reporting on a wide range of operating conditions. Newer models offer things like sound analysis, cameras, non-contact infrared thermometers, and even touch screen controls. “There are a lot of professionals that haven’t looked at ultrasound technology closely and view the instruments as basically leak detectors,” Bandes says. “Others feel, incorrectly, that ultrasound is too subjective, which is often due to experience only with older analog units.”

Bandes says it’s very easy to integrate ultrasound technology into plant processes. “Due to the sophistication of on-board software and external supportive software, users can create routes, establish baseline information and upload and download route data,” he explains. With baselines set, the software can notify personnel with low-level alarms (for example, lubrication starvation) or high alarms (failure) through headphones or other means.

Some instruments provide inspectors with the option of opening up a spectral analysis screen to analyze bearing faults, gear mesh issues and electric emissions while in the field. Recorded sound samples can be played in real-time and viewed with an image of the spectral screen. “This feature is very useful for electrical emissions as well as mechanical operations,” he notes.

Software associated with ultrasound instruments can provide specialized reporting for things like steam traps, valves and bearings. “Regarding leak surveys, downloaded test results can be converted into reports that provide important information for cost analysis and greenhouse gas emissions,” Bandes says. Regarding the future of machine monitoring by ultrasound, he believes “we are only limited by the software we can develop.”

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Oil analysis
More vendors now supply in-plant oil analysis sensors and the means to communicate with those sensors. “It's no longer necessary to rely solely on a lab for analyzing oil samples to determine fluid condition,” says Darren German, Bosch Rexroth national service manager. “In the plant, we can now get real-time results on of oil cleanliness (particle count), water content and temperature when sensors are coupled with a data acquisition device.” These devices can record and track trend parameters in real time for any given time period, but German cautions maintenance teams that monitoring equipment should be considered as a compliment to a bottle sampling program; reports from an oil analysis lab still provide the most oil condition information. The role of monitoring equipment is to provide additional protection between bottle sampling periods, he says. “If, for example, a heat exchanger ruptures and releases water into the oil the day after a bottle sample was taken,” he notes, “this will likely go unnoticed until production stops if there is no oil analysis sensors in place.”

The many oil-monitoring systems on the market range in complexity and price. “Some of the data acquisition systems also provide the ability to add a threshold or alarm which will signal the moment the results vary from a ‘baseline normal,’ ” he says. “We suggest that before investing, you should understand what it is that you want to accomplish — what parameters are important to monitor.” He recommends that maintenance groups consult with their engineering groups prior to purchasing a system, as the ability for a machine to communicate with a sensor often already exists within the machine HMI.

German predicts that down the road, the capacity to measure reliable viscosity and TAN (total acid number) will be developed, along with a sensor that can measure the amount of air in hydraulic fluid. “ ‘Smart’ sensors and wireless sensors are often mentioned as coming down the pipe as well,” he says.

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Vibration
Advances over the last few years in sensor, recording, and analysis technology have put vibration analysis within the reach of even small companies, says John Bernet, product and application specialist at Fluke Corp. “Easier measurement procedures (triaxial sensors), combined with vibration diagnosis programs (expert systems) now enable maintenance teams with minimal training and experience to use vibration to evaluate machine health and determine required maintenance,” he notes.

Bernet says vibration can identify problems before other symptoms, such as heat, sound, electrical consumption and lubricant impurities, are detected. “Measuring the vibration of motors, pumps, and other common machines can reveal valuable information about machine health or impending failures,” he notes. “However, instead of focusing on the patterns of the hundreds of faults that vibration analysis can reveal, we should focus on the four most common mechanical faults: imbalance, misalignment, wear, and looseness.” He adds that studies have found that many vibration analysis programs don’t collect all the data needed to make an accurate diagnosis — to diagnose machine condition correctly, vibration data is needed from all three axes of a rotating shaft.

The key to automating vibration analysis, he notes, is to compare new data with data from a similar machine known to be functioning properly. Automated diagnostic programs perform a sophisticated analysis, comparing hundreds of data points with the fault patterns of similar machines to give easy-to-understand results.

Bernet foresees that the benefits of vibration analysis will be expanded to the entire plant in future. “A plant’s reliability team can use high-end analysis programs on the few complex machines, while the maintenance team can use simple diagnostic tools on the basic machines,” he says.  p

Treena Hein is a freelance writer based in Pembroke, Ont.

Whether they drive the fans and pumps of commercial HVAC systems or the conveyors of industrial production lines, motors controlled by variable frequency drives (VFDs) are vulnerable to electrical bearing damage. A savvy specifier will choose new motors that are already equipped with shaft grounding rings, but for retrofits the new AEGIS Shaft Voltage Test Kit makes it easier than ever to measure and document damaging VFD-induced voltages while there is still time to head off bearing damage and equipment downtime.

Because the kit can test every VFD-controlled motor in a whole production plant, office building, mechanical room, or anywhere else VFD-driven motors are operating, it provides a powerful tool for maintenance personnel and testing contractors — anyone who needs to determine and convince others that a motor is or is not subject to stray shaft voltages great enough to harm motor bearings. The result of a collaboration between Electro Static Technology (EST) and Fluke Corporation and available from both companies, the kit includes a special replaceable probe tip for highly accurate voltage readings on rotating equipment. Designed by EST, this tip is the first of its kind, containing high-density conductive microfibers that ensure continuous contact with a rotating motor shaft. EST manufactures the tip and extension rod that may be held or used with an optional magnetic base, while Fluke makes the 10:1 probe itself and the Fluke 190 Series ScopeMeter portable oscilloscope that displays the voltage waveform and saves the image for reporting.
www.est-aegis.com

Fluke Corp. introduces the Fluke 805 vibration meter, a portable multifunction vibration screening tool that provides quantifiable information on the bearing and overall health of motors and other rotating equipment.

It is ideal for frontline mechanical troubleshooting teams that need reliable and repeatable measurements of rotating equipment to make imperative go/no-go maintenance decisions.

The Fluke 805 measures:

• Overall vibration – The 805 measures overall vibration from 10 to 1,000 Hz and provides a four-level severity assessment for overall vibration and bearing condition.
• Bearing condition (CF+, or Crest Factor Plus) – The 805 Vibration Meter detects peaks in the vibration signal readings of roller bearings from 4,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz, and uses a proprietary algorithm to interpret severity to determine if the bearing is going bad.
• Surface Temperature – An infrared sensor automatically measures contact temperature and displays it along with the vibration reading for a broader understanding of machine health.

The 805 Handheld Vibration Meter has a unique sensor tip design that minimizes measurement variations caused by device angle or contact pressure. This reduces operator error and improves the accuracy and repeatability of quick vibration screening. The meter also provides a severity scale for both overall vibration and bearing condition readings, delivering more information than comparable vibration pens. Logged data can be easily uploaded into Excel to create trending reports.

The Fluke 805 Vibration Meter will be available in June at a U.S. list price of US$1,799.95.
www.fluke.com