#tri-axial vibration senso

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User-Defined Bandpass Filters

Choosing bandpass filters for a machine depends on the application.

Many industries using heavy machinery are continuously innovating to reduce costs and improve reliability of machines. Two key trends stand out:

Predictive Maintenance (PdM)

Machine Monitoring

These solutions are critical to reducing machine and process downtime in construction, utility, industrial, and commercial equipment. Overall, factory managers and supervisors can leverage monitoring data to detect developing problems or even make continuous maintenance.

When properly implemented, machine monitoring improves the ROI on business-critical machines. Key among parameters for monitoring is vibration patterns in motors, rotors, and engines, among others.

What are bandpass filters?

Bandpass filters are electronic devices that have distinct signal operating bands and discriminate against all other frequencies. They are of two types:

Active bandpass filters

Passive bandpass filters

A filter is considered active if it integrates transistors and integrated circuits and has an external power source.

There are two types of bandpass filters: Active and Passive.

Passive bandpass filters, on the other hand, only consist of capacitors and inductors, which are not actively involved in the process.

Why We Need Filtering in Machines

Primarily, the role of bandpass filters in machines is removal of frequencies that would lead to undesirable operating state. The four most common filters for shock and vibration applications are:

Butterworth

Bessel

Chebyshev

Elliptical

There are two major ways to remove vibrations in machines:

High-pass filtering

Low-pass filtering

High pass filtering removes lower frequency vibrations that is present in all piezoelectric accelerometers. Effectively, these deal with DC bias and temperature effects. Low-pass filtering, on the other hand, handle aliasing defects.

Vibration Monitoring

Machine vibrations are wildly different in their severity and frequency. Vibration analysis plays a critical role in preventing failure of equipment, especially for rotating machines.

Vibration patterns say a lot about the condition of machines since each system has a distinct vibration signature. Deviations from an established signature is the tell-tale sign of anomalies in the system. To establish a highly efficient analysis system, it is important to maintain a record of vibration data over a long enough period.

Sensors are the foundation of vibration analysis. They are mounted on machines to gather data that can be used to assess the health of an operational machine. Advanced sensors gather the signature on the three axes of rotation (x, y and z) using accelerometers that detect both low and high frequencies. This data helps in simulating the smooth running of machines through a quantifiable amplitude detection. Put simply, the amplitude of a vibrating machine is defined by three variables:

Displacement (the distance travelled)

Velocity (rate of displacement)

Acceleration (rate of change of velocity)

How Vibration Monitoring Works

As a plant manager or technician, being able to detect developing machine conditions. While periodic measures such as inspection can help detect problems early, it is only as effective as the data acquisition system employed.

For that reason, continual measurements based on sensors and automated data acquisition systems are more reliable. Some of the industries that leverage these systems include:

Oil and gas

Heavy machinery

Automotive and transportation

Energy

The choice of filters for a system depends on its application. Nonetheless, Butterworth and Bessel types are very popular for vibration testing and shock testing respectively. Also, any good system should offer consistent low pass filtering.

Choose Machine Saver for Your Vibration Monitoring Needs

Interested in saving time and money with vibration monitoring? Call Machine Saver, Inc. for more information on how our products can help your business. Call us at 1-832-471-8145 or click the button below to contact us online.

User-Defined Bandpass Filters | Machine Saver, Inc. – Houston, TX

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Vibration Monitoring of Industrial Coal Crushers & Pulverizers

Industrial vibration sensors for coal crushers & pulverizers form an integral part of the production processes at thermal power stations, sugar mills, mining industry, and more.

Most coal handling systems meet the demands of a thermal power plant by loading and unloading coal to a stockpile, feeding the coal crushers, and sending the pulverized coal for storage or to a boiler for combustion via conveyor belts.

Working Principle of a Coal Handling Plant (CHP)

A typical coal handling plant (CHP) comprises primary and secondary coal crushers and coal pulverizers.

Coal crushers and pulverizers work on the principle of impact, attrition, or a combination of both.

Numerous mechanical parts like grinding plates, rings, anvils, rods, and hammers are involved in the coal crushing process.

Coal breaks into smaller sizes due to the impact and scrubbing between these hard surfaces.

Continuous Monitoring of Rotating Components

Coal gradation or the output size of coal impact the productivity of the CHP, and the entire factory. For the stable operation of the plant, industries rely on vibration sensors for coal crushers and pulverizers.

In a ring granulator coal crusher, there are a large number of rotating components that run around the clock. The rotor assembly consists of roller rings, hammers, discs, and the rotating shaft.

In a bowl mill system pulverizer, the incoming raw coal gets ground due to the pressure exerted by the worm gear set and springs installed on the journal assembly.

Any failure of the moving mechanical parts like the linkages between the rotor and drive assembly or roller bearing wear may stop the crushing process during peak demand.

With smart vibration sensing devices, plant owners can have 24*7 monitoring of coal crushers and pulverizers, prevent expensive equipment failures and plant shutdowns, and ensure employee safety.

Condition Monitoring of CHPs

Coal crusher vibration monitoring involves early detection of these main failures:

Bearing defects

Imbalance

Shaft faults

Resonance

Misalignment

Extreme temperatures

One of the significant challenges plant operators face in installing vibration monitoring systems for CHPs is that these machines are usually located in difficult-to-access areas. Climbing up on to complex structures and mounting vibration monitoring devices poses a safety risk to the maintenance staff.

VTB TriVibe: A Smart Solution for Plant Monitoring Needs

Machine Saver’s VTB TriVibe is a four-in-one vibration monitoring system that consists of an integrated cable assembly that is suitable to be mounted in areas that are hard to access, including hazardous, combustive, wet, and corrosive environments.

VTB Sensors are effective vibration devices for coal crushers and pulverizers that collect vibration data in a three-axial plane (X, Y, Z), coupled with a digital and temperature transmitter.

The reading goes beyond safe temperature limit as a result of common crusher failures like internal cracks, improper bearing lubrication, or high hydrodynamic friction in gear. The permanently mounted VTB vibration sensors can measure abnormal thermal changes, uncover potential failures early, and help protect the overall structural integrity of the plant.

VTB Sensors for Coal Crushers and Pulverizers

VTB TriVibe sensor is an ideal vibration sensing device for machine vibration monitoring of coal crushers and pulverizers.

Temperature Sensor

VTB sensor has an in-built temperature sensor to detect the overheating of the drive components, motor, and coupler. TriVibe’s digital transmitter also offers additional protection in case of overheating and prevents AC motor failure.

TriVibe gathers accurate data about the overall vibration levels in acceleration and velocity for the X, Y, and Z-axis.

VTB RS485 Sensor offers wireless vibration monitoring for critical systems as well as conditioning monitoring for the balance of plant machines.

VTB sensor has a smart programmable design that offers uninterrupted plant maintenance and machine protection.

Failure Detection

TriVibe digital sensor monitors low-frequency vibrations, collects up-to-the-minute temperature data, and helps reduce or eliminate process downtime by identifying the impending failures in the critical process equipment.

VTB TriVibe is a one-size-fits-all machine vibration sensing device that helps in the early detection of electrical and mechanical faults in the plant equipment. It uncovers:

Broken welds

Cracks

Insulation issues

Improper installation

Imbalance

Misalignment

Remote Monitoring

VTB TriVibe coupled with industrial software component Machine Gate allows you to remotely track automated vibration data from any part of the world at any given time. Protect the plant equipment from possible shutdowns, avoid production outages, and expensive machine replacements with this cost-effective vibration monitoring solution.

Applications

VTB RS485 Sensor is a smart programmable solution that helps plant maintenance and reliability engineers in monitoring the vibration levels of various valued process assets. It is suitable to be mounted on reciprocating machines as well as rotating components like industrial crushers, coal pulverizers, motors, engines, pumps, cooling towers, fans, compressors, centrifuges, and more.

Order Machine Saver’s Vibration Sensors for Coal Crushers & Pulverizers and Prevent Equipment Shutdowns!

For a scalable, low-cost vibration monitoring system, contact Machine Saver today. We design and manufacture vibration sensing products in our Houston, Texas, facility.

To know more about our intelligent transmitter, call us at 1-832-589-1524 or connect online.

Vibration Monitoring of Industrial Coal Crushers &Pulverizers | Machine Saver, Inc. – Houston, TX

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Vibration Monitoring of Cooling Towers

Cooling towers are commonly used in power plants, natural gas processing, petroleum refineries, food and beverages, construction projects, and other facilities. 

Cooling towers are a special type of heat exchanger, allowing it to remove or reject heat from the machinery fluid (working water) back into the atmosphere through evaporation and dry cooling. By either direct or indirect contact with cooling air, it lowers the temperature of the water that’s circulated throughout the cooling tower. 

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Many of these towers have induced draft systems that use fans at the top discharge area to pull hot air up through the tower and out of it. The tower fans are constructed either with belt-driven sprocket and/or with gear drive or motor system elements supporting the motor, gearbox, and blades.

Reliance on Industrial Processes

Industrial processes rely on cooling tower fan assets as an important system component of production using vibration sensing devices.

Their failure can cause expensive repairs and reduced loads during peak demand. For many plants, losing the cooling process leads to a costly process slow down or even shut down.

As cooling tower rotating equipment plays a critical role in air circulation, intelligent & smart vibration sensing devices can reliably protect the plant’s assets.

Common Cooling Tower Failures

Cooling tower failure occurs due to imbalances and variable frequencies caused by excessive vibration. Specific frequencies and internal or external forces that cause machine faults can be avoided by machine vibration monitoring and measuring the amplitude of the vibration signal.

Misalignment of different components such as the motor, gearbox, and broken fan blade, or increased bearing loads may also contribute to equipment breakdown.

Temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors may accelerate component wear that can negatively affect the overall plant operation.

Consequences of Cooling Tower Fan Failures

When the mechanical condition of the cooling tower fan is not up to mark, it can lead to:

Expensive mechanical problems

Failure of other components

Employee health and safety issues

Operational downtime

Losses in production revenue

Vibrations sensors, thus installed to monitor the cooling towers, provide vital information about an impending failure and help to take action before any substantial damage occurs.

Vibration Monitoring in Cooling Towers

Various types of vibration sensors are installed on different components. Choosing the right vibration sensor for specific equipment is crucial for the optimum operation of the plant. For instance, operators should not install vibration sensors for pumps on the cooling towers.

Continuous monitoring of the machine vibration in the cooling tower fans can collect vibration data and help prevent potential machine failure.

Many earlier machine monitoring programs used hand-held vibration devices that connected to a tri-axial sensor. They collected vibration readings from the external motor and were unable to detect impending gearbox failures.

With the latest available intelligent transmitter technology, one can measure vibration levels even in the machines located in remote or hazardous areas. You can ensure the Cooling Technology Institute (CTI) specified standards for cooling towers by measuring the vibration levels at the motor and fan speed using advanced vibration sensing devices.

A Solution: Intelligent Vibration Transmitter

The Intelligent Vibration Transmitter (IVT) predicts bearing failures and machine rotational faults by making use of improved resolution for any frequency. IVT can be installed in wet, submerged, and corrosive environments.

One such indispensable tool that uses a smart programmable solution is Machine Saver’s VTB TriVibe sensor. It consists of a compact transmitter integrated with the temperature module and provides timely updates on the condition of the machine.

TriVibe sensor offers continuous monitoring of a dual three-axis (X, Y, and Z) vibration measurement plane and provides the maintenance team with acceleration, velocity, and temperature output. It is essentially four sensors in one.

VTB TriVibe Prevents Costly Process Shutdowns

VTB TriVibe is a smart and compact vibration monitoring system that provides programmable, scalable, and customizable solutions. It combines the best-practice techniques and analyzes various performance parameters of the cooling tower fan.

With wireless communication, remote monitoring, and accurate interpretation of data, you can protect the cooling tower from developing problems like imbalance, misalignment, defective bearings, and gearbox faults.

Detecting the problems early enough prevents costly cooling process shutdowns and allows for making timely repairs.

Benefits of VTB TriVibe: Cooling Tower Fan Vibration Sensors

TriVibe sensor allows for up-to-the-minute maintenance of the rotating machine applications like motors and fans, as well as the reciprocating machines like pumps and compressors.

TriVibe sensor provides 24/7 monitoring of overall vibration and temperature levels coupled to a PLC or DCS control system.

Online overall vibration can be obtained remotely, at any time and help minimize abrupt halts in operations.

VTB sensor can be easily mounted via a VTB-Mag (a magnetic base with a stainless-steel mounting disc), threaded stud, epoxy attached steel mounting disc, or a steel strap.

With VTB-RS485 smart vibration sensor, you can not only detect malfunctioning equipment early, but you can also reduce the overall installation costs.

Plant owners can discover any machine issues, and escape unnecessary repairs and production outages with the help of automated statistic reports.

In conclusion, vibration sensing devices like VTB TriVibe use unique algorithms to provide reliable and quick machine vibration and temperature data to anticipate failures and prevent impending catastrophic disasters.

Order Your Cooling Tower Fan Vibration Sensing Devices from Machine Saver Today!

Machine Saver, based in Houston, Texas, offers vibration sensors for cooling towers that help you detect machine failures in real-time. With the help of vibration analysis, you can prevent impending structural issues or equipment malfunctions in time. Call us at 1-832-589-1524 or contact us here.

Vibrations Sensors for Cooling Towers | Machine Saver, Inc. – Houston, TX

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Vibration Sensoring Using an Accelerometer Device

Accelerometers are electromechanical components that can detect accelerating forces. They are critical in detecting dynamic machine vibrations, but can also measure static forces such as gravity.

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity in any axis of measurement. With the use of accelerometers, we can better understand the motion of an object, its mechanical health, its tilt direction and stability.

Accelerometers – Best Practices

Machine Saver uses the most advanced accelerometers in the industry with multiple axes of measurement. A three-dimensional sensor is able to measure all lateral and vertical movements with the possibility of a positioning element for 3D.

3D is not very useful in machines, but being able to monitor all lateral and vertical movements is critical to accurately sensing machine vibrations. With that in mind, there are some best practices to observe when installing and using sensors:

Connecting an Accelerometer

For the most part, connecting an accelerometer is a rather straight-forward process. The device needs both power and communication outputs as described by the manufacturer.

The accelerometer should have a functional communication interface of either analog, digital, or pulse-width modulated type.

When connecting an accelerometer with an analogue interface, use an ADC on the microcontroller to read the output value, which is usually in the form of varying voltage.

With digital accelerometers, SPI and I2C protocols should be implemented for communication. Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) accelerometers have square waves as the output, with the acceleration being determined by differences in the duty cycle.

Notably, analogue accelerometers are considerably cheaper than other types of accelerometers.

Power

Do not connect your devices to high power sources as their power requirements are minimal. The typical requirement ranges from several milli-amp with a supply voltage of about 5V.

However, power consumption varies across applications or setting such as power saving mode or normal operation. When mounting on a machine, match the right setting with the intended application.

Selecting an Accelerometer

For consistency, always use the same accelerometer type for a particular measurement. It is, therefore, very important to choose the correct device for the intended application.

For instance, mounting them on light machinery can cause distortions and vibrations.

Physical Mounting

Ensure your accelerometer is mounted on the same location in a machine for consistent readings. Furthermore, vibration sensors should be mounted in rigid positions since unstable surfaces cause distortion of the readings.

The suggested sensor weight is less than 10% of the vibrating machine.

Location

Sensors need to be as far from distortions as possible. Therefore, mount your accelerometer as close to the bearings as possible.

Bearings located where movement is most intense provides an ideal location for mounting your sensors.

Safety

Vibration sensors are not delicate, but if not installed correctly, they are prone to possible damage.

Place them carefully to avoid damage during installation

Place far from strong magnetism

On the same note, be safe and avoid injury while taking measurements. Watch out for naked wires to avoid electrical shock.

Installation

Accelerometers should be fastened securely and maintained in that position. It is common to obtain incorrect readings if a device is not secured and having identical vibrations as the monitoring machine.

Vibration sensors protect your machine from catastrophic failures and unnecessary downtime.

In conclusion, accelerometers are very sensitive devices that can measure even the slightest vibration patterns. This article has looked at how to properly install and use your accelerometers for vibration testing.

Order Vibration Sensors from Machine Saver today!

Machine Saver vibration sensors are US-designed and built 100% in Houston, Texas. Find out more about how our accelerometers can help you by contacting us at sales@machinesaver.net or 1-832-589-1524.

Vibration Sensoring Using an Accelerometer Device | Machine Saver, Inc. – Houston, TX

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How Vibration Monitoring Sensors Work

Vibration is the repetitive motion of an object from its point of rest. Vibration sensors are devices used for measuring, analyzing, and displaying linear velocity, proximity, and displacement.

A vibration monitoring sensor measures various parameters to identify changes in machine behavior. They help save money and time, reduce catastrophic failures, and improve the functioning of machines.

Vibration Monitoring 101

Abnormal vibration in an industrial machine should be detected early and repaired before machine failure can occur. Such failures are potentially costly in terms of time, cost, and productivity.  Measuring vibration allows industrial plants to increase efficiency and save money.

A broken piece of equipment or machinery may lead to high repair and maintenance costs and thus real time vibration monitoring is the most effective way to prevent such losses. The following Critical machines are always given priority over other machines.

Machines that require expensive, lengthy, or difficult repairs if broken down

Machines that are critical to production or general plant operations

Machines that are known to frequently suffer damage

Machines that affect human or environmental safety

How Vibration Monitoring Sensors Work

Every rotating machine has its own unique vibration characteristics. Problems such as unbalance cause these characteristics to change. As with most other industrial sensors and transducers, it is critical that the vibration sensor is well suited to condition monitoring applications

The most effective system is a fully integrated monitoring system to protect machinery and plant. For such installation, sensors with a DC output are more suitable.

This type of vibration sensor produces an output proportional to velocity or acceleration in the range of 4-20ma. This means they can be used with most PLCs to continuously monitor plant equipment and machinery.

Mounting Vibration Sensors

Most machines involve rotary mechanisms. Motors, pumps, compressors, fans, conveyor belts, and gear boxes all involve rotary mechanisms and are frequently used in machines.

Most rotary mechanisms have bearings that support the weight of rotating parts and bear the forces associated with rotary motion and vibration.

Large amounts of force are borne by bearings. It is thus not surprising that bearings are often the place where damages first occur.

Vibration measurements are usually taken at the bearings of machines, with the sensors mounted at or near the bearings. If the sensor is treated roughly, it may produce unreliable signals.

The accelerometer must never be mounted on a very flexible part of the machine, as the spectrum will be distorted by the flapping of the flexible part.

Bearings are typically the place where damages first occur.

Precautions to Take When Mounting Vibration Sensors

Be careful when mounting your vibration sensors to ensure proper installation.

Mount as close as possible to the bearing

Make sure the accelerometer is firmly attached

Make sure the accelerometer is oriented correctly

Mount the same accelerometer in the same location

Take Care of the Accelerometer

The parameters used for measuring vibration determine:

How data is collected

How much or how fast data is collected

How data is processed

How data is displayed

Critical to vibration monitoring is the machine mounted sensor. Three parameters representing motion detected by vibration sensors are displacement, velocity, and acceleration.

Displacement Sensors – Displacement sensors are used to measure shaft motion and internal clearances. These sensors are best suited for measuring low frequency and low amplitude displacements typically found in sleeve bearing machine designs.

Velocity Sensors – Velocity sensors are used for low to medium frequency measurements. They are useful for vibration monitoring on rotating machinery and have lower sensitivity to high frequency vibrations and are thus less susceptible to amplifier overloads. The piezoelectric sensor is versatile, reliable, and the most popular vibration sensor for machinery monitoring.

Piezoelectric Sensors – The solid-state construction of industrial piezoelectric sensors enables them to operate under most harsh environmental conditions. They are unaffected by dirt, oil, and most chemical atmospheres.

Choosing an Industrial Vibration Sensor

When selecting an industrial vibration sensor, many factors should be considered so that the best sensor is chosen for the application. Such factors include the vibration level, frequency range of interest, temperature range and whether corrosive chemicals are present.

Primary vibration sensor considerations are the sensitivity range and the frequency range.

Sensitivity Range – The sensitivity of industrial accelerometers typically range between 10 and 100 mV/g.  To choose the correct sensitivity for an application, it is necessary to understand the range of vibration amplitude levels to which the sensor will be exposed during measurements.

Frequency Range – In order to select the frequency range of a vibration sensor, it is necessary to determine the frequency requirements of the application.

Environmental Requirements

There are also some environmental requirements to consider.

Temperature Range

Sensors must be able to survive temperature extremes of the application environment. Temperature transients can cause metal case expansion resulting in erroneous output during low frequency measurements.

Humidity

Vibration monitoring sensors are sealed to prevent the entry of high humidity and moisture.

High Amplitude Vibration Signals

The sensor operating environment must be evaluated to ensure that the sensor’s signal range covers the vibration amplitude of interest.  Exceeding the sensor’s amplitude range can cause signal distortion.

Hazardous Environments

Vibration sensors certified as being Intrinsically Safe should be used in areas subjected to hazardous concentrations of flammable gas, vapor, and mist.

Other Sensor Types

High Temperature Piezoelectric Vibration Sensors – High temperature industrial sensors are available for applications up to 1400° F.

Triaxial Sensors – Various industrial players use triaxial vibration sensors for multi-directional machine monitoring and balancing. These devices contain three sensors which give the user more information concerning machinery health than conventional single-axis units.

Get Vibration Sensors for Your Conveyor Belt Systems Today!

Ready to get started with vibration monitoring? Contact Machine Saver, Inc. and we can help you get all the information you need. Plus, we can help you find the perfect vibration sensors for your conveyor belts and other machines.

Click below or call us at 1-832-471-8145.

How Vibration Monitoring Sensors Work | Machine Saver, Inc. – Houston, TX

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Common Hazards Encountered Due to Vibration

As industries advance, a number of new techniques are being developed for machine protection – and one of the best is vibration monitoring.

However, it’s important to note the possible hazards you may encounter due to vibration in order to get the most benefit out of your device. If not considered, this can lead to serious problems and critical consequences.

Once you know the main things you need protection from, you can better utilize vibration monitoring to fit your needs.

Vibration Monitoring 101

Often referred to as accelerometers, vibration sensors come in different types, such as:

Vibration Sensors – Raw sensors

Vibration Transducers – More complex sensors that output a voltage or current signal

Vibration Transmitters – Sensors packaged with the means to transmit a more complex output

Vibration Switches – Using an integral sensor to make or break contact when certain vibration levels are detected

Overall, each vibration sensor measures, displays, and analyzes a machine’s linear velocity (speed), vibration displacement, and vibration acceleration.

Proper guidelines on vibration monitoring can prevent injury.

Hazards of Excessive Vibration

Vibration hazards directly affect your employees, especially those directly involved with machinery. Repeated exposure to high levels of vibration can significantly harm your employees, which is why implementing safety protocols and guidelines is so important.

Typically, vibration hazards are separated into two categories:

Whole Body Vibration

Whole body vibration (WBV) means any instance where vibrations of any frequency are transferred to the human body.

Symptoms include loss of feeling, inability to grip items, and lowered dexterity. These tactile issues also directly affect judgment-making and sensitivity.

WBV is one of the top causes for lost time and production output, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. It often leads to low back pain and injury.

Hand-Arm Vibration

Also called HAV, hand arm vibration exposure is very serious. It is reported to increase your risk of carpal tunnel syndrome and other ergonomic injuries.

HAV injures your hand and fingers, causing a loss of feeling, dexterity, and grip. HAV injuries are extremely debilitating and often covered by worker’s comp. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent disability.

Working with vibration machines put workers at risk of various health hazards such as mucous disorder, dust-related disorders, and musculoskeletal disorders.

These hazards are connected and may lead to other problems like disability, difficulty in performance of manual tasks, lowered ability to withstand cold temperatures, increased anxiety and stress, and pain or function loss.

How it Affects Your Body

Vibration affects the neurosensory system first, leading to loss of manual dexterity and sensibility. It affects musculoskeletal functions, leading to reduction in the neuromuscular function and even osteoarthritis and muscular pain, plus reduction in manual dexterity.

These effects can be elevated because of ergonomic loads and excessive work in vibration tempered environments; thus, leading to a loss in hand strength.

Varicose veins are also affected. Your blood pressure may change and lead to heart problems if not addressed quickly.

Further exposure to excessive vibration may lead to bone damage and motion sickness.

The amount of damage typically depends upon several factors: the length of exposure, the vibration levels, the frequency of vibration, and amplitude.

How to Protect Your Workers from Excessive Vibration

Set limits on vibration exposure for your workers to keep them safe.

Typically, vibration exposure of 5m/s² is allowed for HAV and 1.15m/s² is allowed for WBV.

Exposure assessment and monitoring are employed for vibration monitoring and measurement. All instruments used should be ISO-8041 certified. The monitoring includes the measurement of daily exposure time and the duration of vibration measurement by using accelerometers.

If you take the above precautionary measures, you can protect your workers from excessive vibration. The right vibration monitoring strategy can help you.

Find Vibration Monitoring Solutions with Machine Saver

Ready to get started with vibration monitoring? Contact Machine Saver, Inc. and we can help you get all the information you need, plus find the perfect vibration sensors for your machines.

Click below or call us at 1-832-471-8145.

Common Hazards Encountered Due to Vibration | Machine Saver, Inc. – Houston, TX

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Considerations for Battery Powered Wireless Vibration Sensor Selection

One thing is a given – for battery-powered vibration sensors, the more you use them, the quicker the battery energy stored is depleted.

Many are excited about the easy installation benefits of battery-powered vibration sensors but overlook the following key points when considering battery-powered vibration monitoring versus traditional hard-wired or semi-wired (tethered) monitoring:

Battery compromises on performance

Labor and manual effort over time

Extreme temperatures

Number of axis monitored

Monitor or protection?

Maintenance

Check out this LinkedIn message we got from a prospective customer who was using battery-operated vibration sensors:

Battery Compromises

For battery powered wireless vibration sensors to operate for years there are usually some sacrifices in performance and/or operation time.

To extend battery life, some sensors are designed to periodically operate in sleep mode, where the sensor shuts down all operations except the internal clock.  Other sensors are designed to collect data continuously and periodically shutdown their wireless broadcasting functions to extend battery life. Unexpected changes in operating condition such as a pump running dry or a compressor pressure fluctuation and other catastrophic machine failures could be missed during sleep periods.

Sampling rate is also a consideration for extending battery life. Less samples per second means more battery life, because a less powerful and slower microprocessor consumes less power. Less samples per second translates into less resolution in the vibration data, which may result in a missed diagnosis or an unplanned failure, especially for fast speed machines.

Sampling duration is typically limited to extend battery life. This also translates to less resolution for slower speed machines, which require longer sample times to get more revolutions of the machine in the sample. In other words, a machine rotating at 3600 RPM requires a short sample duration, but a machine rotating at 120 RPM requires a longer sampling duration to collect enough revolutions in the sample to achieve the required resolution to make an assessment of the machine’s condition.

To minimize power consumption, battery-operated vibration sensors typically have a “one-size-fits-all” sensing element with a wide acceleration range (+/- 20g) to cover most of the possibilities and a minimum frequency response range (10Hz – 1kHz). This makes them unsuitable for slow machines where failure modes exhibit low vibration levels from 1Hz to 5Hz and unsuitable for very fast rotating components, like rolling element bearings and gearboxes where failure modes exhibit vibration levels above >5kHz.

Battery consumption is sometimes adversely affected by excessive wireless communication due to connection failures, communication retries, and interference. These issues may not be apparent during sensor installation and occur due to unpredictable weather conditions, personnel movement, mobile vehicles, temporary structures or factory product movement obstructing the “line of sight” communication path.

Labor and Manual Effort

Some battery-operated sensors have a wireless solution called Bluetooth (a short range communication protocol).

In this case, personnel may be in harm’s way going on routes to periodically collect the vibration data via handheld Bluetooth data collector devices.

This approach does not have the benefits of online solutions where the sampling interval is more frequent than weekly or monthly.

Don’t put your team in harm’s way.

Extreme Temperatures

Another challenge and consideration is an extreme cold or hot operating temperature. Extreme operating temperatures deplete battery life faster and can damage the battery.

Typical motor bearing operating temperature is +60° C to +71° C (+140° F to +160° F) but can range from +100° F to +160° F.

Pump bearing range is also around +60°C to +71°C (+140° F to +160° F), but can be much higher depending on the process temperature.

Gear drive bearing temperature range is (+160° F to +180° F). Fans often move hot air, so fans are often subjected to higher bearing temperatures.

Most battery-powered vibration sensors are limited, on the high end, to +70° C (+160° F) and at the low end to -20° C (-12° F) for operating temperature.

Number of Axis Monitored

Many battery powered vibration sensors are single or dual axis. Many failure modes – for example, pump cavitation – are initially detected in the axial plane.

Vibration is multi-dimensional, as all machines move in the X, Y and Z axis. If you use a single axis vibration sensor, you only see one plane of the machine vibration data. A machine problem may be missed or detected very late in the failure mode.

Monitoring or Protection?

Battery-powered vibration sensors are periodic machine monitoring devices.

Machine protection includes real-time or near-real-time monitoring that automatically alarms and initiates the shutdown of the machine.

Battery-powered vibration sensors are NOT intended to be used as protection devices. When the battery-powered vibration sensor alarms due to a high vibration, an investigation and corrective action are required to save the machine.

Battery-powered vibration sensors are NOT intended to be used as machine protection devices.

Investigations indicate the time lag between alarm notification, a person investigating the data provided by the battery-powered vibration sensor, and manually initiating the shutdown action or implementing corrective actions. This is the difference between a saved machine and a catastrophic failure.

Wired vibration sensors connected to a PLC or a DCS for automatic machine protection should be considered if the machines or process uptime are important to your success.

Where does the system intelligence reside?

Battery-powered vibration sensors are not stand-alone devices.

Typically a battery-powered vibration sensor system includes battery-powered devices, wireless receivers (Access Points), and software that resides locally on a computer or in a cloud based device management and dashboard system.

Most of the “smarts” like alarming, notification, filters, and calculations are in the software.

Battery-powered vibration sensors are not stand-alone devices.

Consider systems that monitor continuously and then automatically notify you when there is an exception. Wired or semi-wired (tethered) vibration sensors tend to have more intelligence within the sensor due to constant power available for more advanced firmware processing.

Having the intelligence within the sensor allows for more capabilities that are not possible in a battery-powered sensor, such as:

Real-time machine protection;

Real-time integration with PLC/DCS for correlation with other process variables; and

High pass, low pass to remove unwanted process noise or frequencies not associated with fault frequencies.

Bandpass filtering to focus on specific machine fault frequencies

Unique algorithms that deal with bearing faults such as mechanical looseness (impact), enveloping or kurtosis technologies.

Battery-powered vibration sensors require more maintenance overhead than other types.

Maintenance

Battery-powered sensors have additional maintenance overhead that is not required for wired or semi-wired (tethered) sensors. Specifically:

Battery Replacement – If you had 100 simple machines (pump/motor sets) with a battery powered vibration sensor on each bearing (assume 4 bearings per machine), if the expected battery life is three years, you would need to change about one battery (on average) every 3 days. The cost of the battery is a minor consideration, but the time required to install the replacement battery and the dispose of the old one are the more costly part of maintaining a battery-powered sensor system. The time required to replace a sensor depends on the accessibility to the sensor location. A few examples of sensors that are difficult to access are a cooling tower gearbox or the pillow block bearing on a baghouse fan.

Calibration – periodically most vibration sensors must have their calibration verified. Usually it is on an annual basis, but that depends on the criticality of the machines or the process. Traditionally, a portable vibration shaker with a reference “gold standard” vibration sensor is used to verify the accuracy of the installed battery-powered vibration sensors. It could be more difficult and time consuming to verify the calibration of a wireless battery powered vibration sensor depending on the update and broadcast interval.

Local Indication – Many battery-powered vibration sensors do not have any LED indicator for power, faults, or alarm conditions (to reduce power consumption). The operator cannot look at the vibration sensor to see if it is on or working properly. Instead, they must rely on wireless remote access or they must communicate with another person to confirm sensor health, which takes more time.

Battery Disposal – Some batteries are considered hazardous waste and contain toxic materials. In the USA, a Lithium-Ion battery is considered non-toxic, but it does contain hazardous materials that have negative effects on our health and the environment if not recycled or disposed of properly.

Protect Your Machines with the VTB-TriVibe Vibration Sensor

The trade-off between the wired and battery-operated solutions are many. Find out how Machine Saver’s TriVibe is winning innovation awards and how TriVibe overcomes the challenges above. Find out why Machine Saver is the fastest-growing remote machine monitoring and machine protection company in the world!

Machine Saver is USA design and built 100% in Houston, Texas. Find out more about semi tethered or “less wired” solutions by contacting us at sales@machinesaver.net or 1-832-589-1524.

Choosing Battery-Powered Vibration Sensors | Machine Saver, Inc. – Houston, TX

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How to Detect Excessive Machine Casing Vibration and/or Temperature Before It’s Too Late

Vibration monitoring in a compressor is very critical to its continued performance. Of all the components of a compressor, the screw element or the air-end plays the most important role.

Read on to learn more!

Being where actual compression takes place, it is also the most likely contributor to machine casing vibrations. A rotary screw air compressor supplies a steady air flow with minimal vibration and only light maintenance throughout its lifetime.

Usually, they can work for up to 40,000 hours, but if not properly maintained, they can become less reliable.

4 Most Important Checkpoints

The four most important checkpoints include:

Overheating

Vibrations

Contamination

Dirty fluid

There should to be an effort to inspect the air-end regularly to prevent any issues before they occur. All the four aspects mentioned above contribute to the overall heating and vibration pattern of the compressor.

For instance, overheating may occur even though the air-end is built to withstand system temperature. Check the temperature regularly just in case some fault in the internal components causes too much heating.

Lubrication and Corrosion

Lubrication is a key factor to watch out for. Friction is an enemy to the moving parts since it can cause excessive heat. Friction can also cause machine case vibrations and set off a chain of related problems.

Closely related is corrosion, caused by wearing of parts, largely because of poor lubrication and poor draining of the air-end.

When machine parts are corroded, they no longer have the correct tolerance and this can cause instability and vibrations. As a remedy, parts should be regularly drained and lubricated.

Parts should be regularly drained and lubricated.

Excessive Operating Pressure

Excessive operating pressure happens if the compressor exerts too much pressure during routine operation. Commonly caused by grinding due to poor lubrication, this again leads to overheating.

It could also be caused by improper adjustment of the controls. As such, control settings should be a daily maintenance tracking target.

Unusual Vibration Patterns

Machine case vibrations are caused by unusual vibration patterns of the air compressor. This is the clearest indicator of excessive strain. When detected, the machine should be shut down and inspected.

This goes hand-in-hand with bearing noises, which are also a red flag to a broken system. Bearing noises are caused by worn out bearings in the rotary screw compressor air-end. The most likely cause for failing bearings is poor lubrication, leaks and instabilities that lead to vibrations. 

Bearing noises are a red flag of a broken system.

Vibration Monitoring Can Help

Having a dependable vibration monitoring system in place saves you a lot of trouble. High frequency accelerometers can proactively detect faults from vibration machine casing patterns.

All types of rotary screw compressors are known to cause problems to maintenance professionals.

As such, any accelerometers used for predictive maintenance must have a wide range of vibration detection frequency and discern the different issues from rotor mesh, oil injection problems, and bearings instability.

How to Mount Vibration Sensors

Vibration detectors should be mounted on the casing close to the radial bearings. Preventive maintenance programs can help improve system efficiency, reduce downtime, and avoid catastrophic failures.

Nonetheless, check the drains on a weekly basis and take readings on the compressor, motor and gearbox. Your settings should also be checked and recalibrated to remain consistent with the manufacturer’s specifications.

Get Vibration Monitoring Solutions from Machine Saver, Inc.

Machine Saver’s vibration sensors are high-quality and top of the line. You can count on our products to help you save money, time, and worry.

With vibration sensors, you can finally run your business more efficiently and at a more affordable cost. Contact us today at 1-832-471-8761 to learn how we can assist you.

How to Detect Excessive Machine Casing Vibration and/or Temperature Before It’s Too Late | Machine Saver, Inc. – Houston, TX

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