Benefits of a predictive maintenance system for monitoring vibration

Continuously and remotely monitoring vibration with a predictive maintenance system can help is better than waiting for a system to fail.

By Nick Schiltz August 13, 2021

Many facilities around the world operate under reactive maintenance or run-to-failure scenarios. In this strategy, we wait for the asset to fail then either fix or replace the equipment, costing significant downtime due to unpreparedness. This isn’t the optimal strategy when the cost of downtime is greater than the cost of the maintenance activity. With a predictive maintenance system, maintenance becomes predictable and allows preparation before a costly and unexpected downtime scenario occurs.

Vibration monitoring that is continuous and remotely analyzed is far different than the standard route-based vibration analysis we see commonly used today. Rather than catching equipment failing in the act with periodic inspections, users can now quickly deploy low-cost wireless solutions while maintaining a long battery life.

Through Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) advancements, an accelerometer is permanently installed on a piece of equipment to gather data and alert personnel when anomalous behavior is detected in equipment.

Typical vibration monitoring options only trend overall vibration, like a vibration switch on a piece of machinery. They warn you that high vibration amplitude has been detected, but do not provide any defect classification or aid in the troubleshooting process.

Why should you continuously and remotely monitor vibration?

Many facilities around the world operate under Reactive Maintenance or Run-to-Failure Scenarios. In this strategy, we wait for the asset to fail then either fix or replace the equipment, costing significant downtime due to unpreparedness.

This isn’t the optimal strategy when the cost of downtime is greater than the cost of the maintenance activity. With a predictive maintenance system, maintenance becomes predictable and allows preparation before a costly and unexpected downtime scenario occurs.

Vibration monitoring that is continuous and remotely analyzed is far different than the standard route-based vibration analysis we see commonly used today. Rather than catching equipment failing in the act with periodic inspections, users can now quickly deploy low-cost wireless solutions while maintaining a long battery life.

Through IIoT advancements, an accelerometer is permanently installed on a piece of equipment to gather data and alert personnel when anomalous behavior is detected in equipment.

This article was originally posted on Grace Technologies’ website. Grace Technologies is a CFE Media content partner.

Original content can be found at www.graceport.com.


Author Bio: Nick Schiltz is a copywriter for Grace Technologies located in Davenport, Iowa. The company specializes in electrical safety products and predictive maintenance solutions. During his five years at Grace, Schiltz has published more than 250 blog posts ranging in topics from electrical safety best practices to the future impact of the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in the industrial space.