Condition Monitoring play an important role in ensuring that fabrications meet required standards and that they continue to operate in a reliable and safe manner throughout their service life. NDT may also play a role during decommissioning. The ability to examine materials, components or systems without causing damage enables manufacturing imperfections or in-service degradation to be detected and their effects on the item’s fitness-for-service to be determined.
Vibration Analysis (VA)
Vibration analysis is a process of monitoring and analyzing the vibration signatures specific of a rotating part. By investigating the amplitude, frequency and intensity of the signal, the vibration can be correlated to a physical characteristic to the part under inspection. The result of the analysis is used to determine the status of the equipment and predict it’s remaining life. It’s used to monitor motors, bearings, gearboxes, rotor vibrations, wind turbines.
The technique is largely employed in predictive maintenance and condition monitoring, in combination with ultrasound analysis, infrared thermography, oil and lubricants analysis. Three types of sensors are used: displacement sensors, velocity sensors and accelerometers. Sensors can we wired or wireless and are positioned directly on the supports of the rotating part.
