Vibration analysis FAQ

Vibration analysis is the process of looking for anomalies and monitoring change from the established vibration signature of a system. The vibration of any object in motion is characterized by variations of amplitude, intensity, and frequency. These can correlate to physical phenomena, making it possible to use vibration data to gain insights into the health of equipment. Vibration Analysis can be used to:

• Find a developing problem that can be repaired to increase machine lifetime
• Detect and monitor a chronic problem that cannot be repaired and will only get worse
• Establish acceptance criteria to ensure that installation/repairs are properly conducted

• Unbalance
• Misalignment
• Mechanical Looseness
• Bearing Degradation
• Gear Deterioration
• Resonance

According to plantengineering.com, a few of the many cost benefits of Vibration Analysis are:

• Reduces equipment costs—Instead of replacement of the entire piece of equipment due to critical failure, a repair is made prior to failure, and cost is minimized to the price of the component and the labor needed for the repair. 
• Reduces labor costs—When repairs are scheduled, the amount of time needed for repair is reduced because of a smaller number of component replacements instead of entire equipment replacement. Also, the frequency of repair for critical failure of equipment will be reduced and the amount of "critical callouts" will be greatly reduced. 
• Reduces lost production time—Component-only replacement is scheduled with production to take place during scheduled downtime. Unscheduled downtime may cost thousands of dollars per hour. A proactive maintenance department can head off critical failure downtime by scheduling repair during nonproductive times.
• Increases safety—Predictive maintenance would allow potential problems to be fixed before failure occurs, which would create safer driving conditions for employees and customers. 
• Increases revenue—With less maintenance on good components and quicker repair of faulty components, repairs can be more effectively handled, thereby reducing repair time. 
• Increases efficiency of employee time—Identifying the precise repair task needed to correct deficiencies, as well as the parts, tools, and support needed to correct the problem, can dramatically increase effective "wrench time."

Misalignment increases bearing and seal wear and leads to premature failures. It also increases power consumption of the motor, increasing electrical costs.

Increasing alignment accuracy has been shown to:

• Reduce maintenance costs by up to 7%*
• Increase bearing and seal life by up to 8 times*
• Increase machine availability by up to 12%*
• Reduce energy costs by 5% to 12%
• Significantly increase coupling life

*Source: Reliability Centered Maintenance Guide for Facilities and Collateral Equipment -NASA

IVC Services partners with Stealth Alignment by Hamar Laser for the best alignment technology.

IVC utilizes Stealth Alignment's S-680 5 Axis Laser alignment system.