Proper lubrication of bearings is essential if you want to maintain your machines at optimum levels. Did you know it is estimated that 40-50 percent of bearing failures are the result of improper greasing/lubrication? That’s a significantly high percentage! So what can you do to ensure you are properly lubricating your bearings? Two things…
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Do you know how to calculate F-MAX or even what F-MAX is? Knowing how to calculate F-MAX is an important part of vibration analysis because many different types of faults can be shown at multiples of the running speed, which is otherwise known as 1x. But first, what is F-MAX? F-MAX means “Frequency Max.” This…
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One of the features of our SMC (Smart Machine Checker) and also of the Falcon is their ability to generate a report of the diagnosis directly from the unit with no PC needed. This can be accomplished by pressing the Diagnosis button on the right side of the screen after collecting all pertinent vibration…
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As anyone who works with rotating machinery knows, bearings are essential to machine functions. One of the first things to know about bearings is that there are two main types. We will go over these two main types and more in this installment of our Condition Monitoring Basics series of blog posts. The two main…
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Unbalance and misalignment are problems that need to be addressed as soon as possible, but before you can begin to fix them, first you need to know how to find them on a spectrum. We will go over this below. For example, with a fan, unbalance appears on the spectrum as a higher than…
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A key purpose of vibration analysis is to detect bearing problems before bearings fail and damage is done. This, of course, means that bearings will need to be replaced. Proper bearing extraction and installation is important to extending the life of bearings as well. First, it is important to know when you need to replace…
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Before you can implement a condition monitoring program, it is important to document certain information on your machines. This post will hopefully help you organize your routes and efficiently implement a predictive maintenance plan. Even better, you can download our free Machine Data Sheet which will give you fields to fill in all the important…
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One key bit of data required when collecting data or analyzing it is accurately pinpointing the RPM. When we set up schematics in the Machine Set Up module we tell the software what the RPM is here. When setting up a machine in the Nest you can choose either fixed speed, variable speed with keyboard,…
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Another important skill a data center maintenance worker needs is an understanding of the fundamentals of lubrication. Although lubrication may seem simple, there is a good deal of skill behind knowing proper lubrication methods, quantities, and the difference between over and under lubrication. And because under or over lubrication can cause serious problems such as…
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We have been privileged to both sell tools and shaft alignment, vibration testing, and precision maintenance training for several different data centers throughout the US. Most of the maintenance technicians we encounter have solid electronics and computer skills, but some are less experienced with mechanical skills. Thus, some of the challenges faced by these maintenance…
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The emergence of portable computers, the internet, and the ubiquity of portable smart devices has given rise to a new type of industry–the data center. A data center is simply a building used to house computer servers. While these servers may be used for many different types of data storage, their requirements for in-house…
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From time to time, when performing route-based vibration analysis, you run across situations where access is limited to a data collection point. For example, this large pump below. Climbing up a structure to collect vibration data is unsafe and keeping a ladder stationed nearby can cause headaches as well. A simple solution is to permanently…
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Sometimes machines need to be added to a route that is already established. This is quite easy to do in the Nest. After you have collected all the pertinent information including machine name, RPM and horsepower (at a minimum) go into your Nest home screen and select “set up machine”. Once into machine set up…
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As you may have noticed if you follow VibrAlign’s social media accounts, we have been going through “Maintenance Tip Mondays” for the past couple months. This is a fun opportunity to hear from our experienced technical trainers as they share the top tips and tricks they have learned over the years in the field and…
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Taking the ONEPROD Falcon to the field is a big part of the 2-day training we provide on our entire Falcon line of condition monitoring tools. When we go to the field we always find interesting issues to analyze and discuss. A recent check of a centrifugal pump yielded one of those issues. The pump…
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If you’re working to maintain machines, Acoem USA wants to help.
We’re committed to providing tools, training, and services that will transform your approach to maintenance and reliability.
