Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/544388
it was determined that there were harmonics out to the tenth order of the motor speed. The technician was asked to lock it out, remove the belt and test the motor. The motor ended up being the issue. It had loose, out-of-tolerance end bells. A new motor was installed, and the entire system was retested. The new test results revealed no further problems. Deploying Infrared Thermography Prior to developing its infrared program, the plant outsourced this function. As the program was built and equipment was purchased, the fi rst thing noticed was that many of the previously made repairs were still exhibiting the same hot spots. A number of steps were needed to get the program up and running. The image collection process was simplifi ed by building templates for the camera. Now, whenever an area is to be surveyed, the templates for the area can be downloaded. Before, it took two predictive technicians to complete a survey — one to operate the camera and another to open and shut the motor control centers. Image anal- ysis was performed once the images were downloaded to their respective folders. The boundaries of the original infrared imaging route were expanded to include roof panels and some critical equipment subpanels that were not inspected initially. In addition, a standard operating procedure was developed to generate a work order for any defi ciencies found. This included a follow-up infrared scan to ensure the anomaly had been corrected. While infrared and vibration routes have been added, the plant is also in the process of re-evaluating its PMs to eliminate tasks that will be covered by infrared, vibration, oil analysis or motor analysis. Recently, an offl ine motor tester was purchased. This provides the ability to fi nd winding faults and grounded windings. It can also be used to test for broken rotor bars and eccentricity. The meter can measure impedance, phase angle, current-to-frequency response, etc. During the last two years, the plant's emergency work orders have trended down each year, while unplanned work orders have risen only slightly. However, the unscheduled work-order cost increase will involve maintenance and repairs only; no downtime will be incurred. Of course, the plant's preventive maintenance program will continue to be adjusted. After all, a proactive mindset never stops. Installing brass pads in mounting locations allowed for repeatable data collection. Water and particle contamina- tion continue to be a massive obstacle. Faulty venting led to this water contamination. An infrared camera was used to identify electrical issues, overheated windings and overgreased bearings. Cooling issues caused this motor (left) to overheat. Powder under the fan cover completely blocked the forced air's path. ML MOUNTING PADS