When a rotating part in a machine begins to wear down, it can very suddenly break away and fly into other parts of the machinery, causing a total breakdown. There are a couple of strategies for preventing this. A simple method is to replace every part on schedule according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. However, sometimes parts wear down more quickly than they’re supposed to, so scheduled replacement may not occur soon enough to prevent break downs. Another method is called predictive maintenance, which involves using special machines to detect and pinpoint problems before they become significant. For machines with rotating parts, Vibration Analysis in Dallas is a vital part of predictive maintenance.
Vibration analyzers can be portable or fixed, and they come in different sizes. A vibration analyzer contains two types of sensors that measure and record the vibrations made by rotating parts in a machine. One type of sensor is an accelerometer, which measures the rate of change in the velocity of the vibrating part. The other type of sensor is a tachometer, which measures the speed of rotation. By comparing analyzer data over time, it is possible to detect the beginnings of an imbalance, a misalignment, a bearing fault, or other problem. The data can also pinpoint the exact location of the part that is beginning to wear.
However, in order for the data to be useful, someone needs to perform the analysis correctly and know how to interpret the data. The person who performs the analysis needs to understand how different vibration profiles correspond to different machine components or different types of problems. Often a plant may choose to hire preventive maintenance specialists to perform vibration analysis rather than buying equipment to use in-house. A plant owner needs to consider the high cost of the equipment and of training personnel to use it. Outsourcing predictive maintenance can be good solution for smaller plants with a lower operating budget.
Vibration analysis is a cost-effective method of predicting when maintenance needs to occur. Preventive maintenance keeps a plant running smoothly, avoiding the high cost of down time in production. Find more information about Vibration Analysis in Dallas.
