Predictive maintenance (PdM) is especially useful for companies who deal with heavy and intricate machinery. PdM techniques were developed to help in determining the condition of equipment within the company, and as the term states itself, to predict the timing of when the maintenance should be done. There are many different approaches other than vibration analysis that are used when it comes to predictive maintenance, such as infrared thermography, another crucial method that is used by many companies as well.
Among the many PdM techniques, it can be said that vibration analysis is one of the most used equipment or method in the industry. Though many have at least heard of the technique before, some may not actually know of its uses and advantages.
Here is why electric motor vibration analysis in Singapore is so sought after and often used for equipment and machinery in the electrical and mechanical engineering industry.
What is Vibration Analysis?
Vibration analysis or monitoring is a type of PdM technique that identifies any irregularities or anomalies and monitors change in the equipment. Through the use of machine-mounted devices, namely sensors, complete data regarding the equipment is gathered to assess and monitor the machine health quickly and accurately. A transducer is also another device that can pick up vibration signals from bearing locations, which then transmits these signals to a data collection device to properly run through the data and identify any issues.
With these signals, it will be easy to gain insights about the health of the equipment. Vibration analysis is usually the most productive for all types of rotating equipment, such as compressors, pumps, mixers, agitators, paper machines, fans, extruders, refiners, generator sets and many others.
Advantages of Using Vibration Analysis
Predict & Avoid Failures
Especially useful for rotating equipment, vibration analysis is used by many for its ability to evaluate the condition of the equipment. Engineers are able to predict failures and potentially even avoid them with the aid of round-the-clock continuous vibration monitoring, it is especially effective for electric generator repairs, electric motor repairs and so on. However, it is important that the operator himself is well-experienced and has knowledge in such a technique, otherwise vibration analysis itself will be deemed useless as the problems won’t be identified by the engineer.
Increases Safety for Staff & Customers
With its ability to predict and pinpoint issues, vibration analysis also helps to increase safety for both the staff and customers. It makes sure that the faulty equipment is properly fixed before any hazardous accidents occurs when the staff is managing the machine. Same goes for the customers, as when the problem is identified beforehand, it creates safer driving conditions for them.
Lower Equipment Costs
Vibration analysis is very promising when it comes to saving costs for the equipment. Instead of replacing the entire equipment because of critical failure, a simple repair will only need to be made after the machinery problem is identified through vibration analysis. The cost is reduced as one will only need to consider the price of the required component that needs fixing and the labor needed for the repair. Use vibration analysis for your service to not only identify issues and resolve them but also save as much as you can on the costs incurred for your equipment.
Decreases Production Time by Monitoring Troubled Assets
During scheduled downtime, the replacement of a specific component will need to be scheduled with production in order to reduce lost production time. The cost for unscheduled downtime may amount up to thousands of dollars per hour. To prevent critical failure downtime, one should schedule for repair at times when it is non-productive for a smooth process.
As vibration analysis can be done 24/7 round the clock through vibration monitoring that can be done online, it is easy for one to monitor a troubled asset during the run-up to scheduled maintenance. If it so happens that the equipment’s condition becomes worse, the line can be halted before any calamitous failure happens. Through continuous online vibration monitoring, teams from the maintenance department will be able to receive alerts immediately when the troubled asset’s condition changes, which calls for a quick response.
Though some mechanical problems may start off small and go unnoticed, it may potentially be the main cause in the future for any major failure that happens to your equipment. Worse yet, it may happen at the most unexpected time and the situation can go haywire, during worst case scenarios.
So, don’t overlook predictive maintenance and engage with an electrical engineering company in Singapore like Maintech Engineering & Supplies Pte Ltd (MES) that provides electrical services like vibration analysis and electrical switchgear maintenance in Singapore to ensure that your business will be able to run smoothly.
