On-Line Vibration Analysis for Rotating Machinery
Prepared by ifm efector
On-Line Vibration Analysis implementation has been successfully utilized to reduce unscheduled downtime of rotating equipment caused by mechanical failures of critical rotating parts onproduction machinery.ifm efector routinely implementson-line continuous monitoring systems on various equipment from pumps and compressors, to highly critical Rotary Filler applications.
A case study: Rotary Filler
Rotary fillers and rinsers are important pieces of equipment for maintaining factory throughput. Protection from unplanned failure for these machines is critical. Advanced knowledge of machine condition allows for planned repairs. Planned repairs reduce labor costs and reduce preventive maintenance costs.Additionally maintenance costs are also minimized due to catching problems early on and avoiding damage to additional parts and assemblies.
This case study is based on a large volume beverage plant’s hot fill lines where on-line vibration monitoring technology has been installed. The plant has not had a mechanical related shutdown on their Filler linesin over 2 years. Prior to on-line vibration monitoring technology the plant typically had 4 shutdowns per year costing $16k per shutdown in lost production time ($70 per minute with an average shutdown of 4 hours). Since implementing on-line vibration monitoring technology the plant has saved an estimated $130k due to lost production time.
On-line vibration monitoring implementation on a Rotary Filler
Installation consists of installing a number of accelerometers throughout the filler and programming monitoring devices to interpret the vibration measurements provided by these sensors into actionable data. The data allows for trending of the mechanical health of the various critical rotating points on the machine as well as the ability to detect and avoid imminentcatastrophic failure of the equipment due to acute causes such as unbalance, misalignment, bearing failure, and lubrication system failures.
Additionally, the on-line vibration monitoring system provides benefits outside of the traditional vibration monitoring scope. This includes the ability to track and archive machine up-time and cycle counts, thereby allowing for more accurate calculation of Total Cost of Ownership and produced unit costs for a filling line. This information can then be integrated into an Manufacturing Execution system to create higher visibility of production costs and line productivity.
ifm’s team of Vibration Certified engineers worked with the plant to identify the critical monitoring points on a filler, and designed the software interface to make the system both user friendly and effective. For easy implementation ifm’s engineers use a structured implementation plan simplifying outfitting a rotary filler.
ifm’s Vibration Monitoring System
ifm’s Octavis vibration monitoring systems are decentralized Ethernet networkable vibration monitors designed to monitor the condition of rotating mechanical equipment. The VSE controller monitors up to 4 vibration sensors performing all necessary signal processing within the unit’s onboard processor. The system is capable of monitoring any frequencies between 0…10khz in both FFT and H-FFT frequency domain calculations. Additionally the VSE Octavis system can simultaneously monitor the time domain in both Peak and RMS values. With a 3.3 million data point nonvolatile time stamped memory, the VSE unit maintains trend history locally for upload and analysis. With up to 12 programmable I/O the VSE unit can be programmed to automate warnings and alarms. Or with its on-board Ethernet TCP/IP communication port it can be networked to stream data onto any Ethernet network. Programming and analysis are easily performed using the VES003 freeware software. Software includes all common analysis tools such as frequency spectrums, and pre-formatted operator “dashboard” interface making equipment monitoring fast and simple.
Applying On-line Vibration Analysis to a Rotary Filler
The ifm Octavis VSE systems are ideally suited for monitoring the rotating equipment of rotary fillers. The system is programmed to monitor all rotational speeds, bearing fault frequencies, gear mesh frequencies, and unbalance conditions. For a typical filler, this is accomplished using two VSE002 monitors and eight VSA001 accelerometers. The system monitors the filler for proper operation and is programmed to alarm when pending failures are detected.
Machine Diagram/Overview
The monitoring system places accelerometers at each critical shaft point. These points house support bearings for drive shafts and gear systems. Monitoring is performed on the motor, main gearbox, star wheel gearbox, and main pinion drive gearbox.