Most plants don’t have a CMMS problem. They have a data problem. The CMMS is often treated like a place to log work, close tickets, and move on. Over time it becomes a database of activity, not a database of truth. Work orders get vague descriptions (“bearing noisy,” “pump vibrating,” “replace motor”), failure codes are inconsistent or ignored, and preventive maintenance (PM) tasks drift into a calendar-driven routine that may not match how assets actually fail. The result is predictable:…
Technical Articles
Vibration Analysis for Fan Balancing and Noise Reduction
Fans are everywhere in the industry. From HVAC air handlers to process exhaust, cooling towers, induced-draft (ID) and forced-draft (FD) fans, and ventilation systems that keep production safe, fans are the quiet workhorses that most facilities depend on every day. Until they aren’t quiet anymore. When a fan starts getting loud, it’s tempting to treat the noise as an annoyance. But in most plants, noise is a symptom of something mechanical or aerodynamic that is getting worse over time. That…
Wireless Vibration Monitoring: Pros, Cons, and Applications
Wireless vibration monitoring has moved from “nice experiment” to a serious tool in modern reliability programs. Plants that once relied entirely on periodic vibration routes, reactive repairs, and operator feedback are now expanding coverage with wireless sensors that can trend machine health continuously or near-continuously. The promise is compelling: more assets monitored, earlier detection of problems, fewer surprises, and less time spent chasing failures after they become emergencies. But wireless condition monitoring (CM) is not plug-and-play. It is an evolving…
Best Practices for Air Leak Detection Using Ultrasound
Compressed air is one of the most expensive utilities in many facilities. It is convenient, clean, and widely used, but it is also inefficient to produce. That is why leaks matter so much. A small leak that hisses quietly in the background can run 24/7, forcing compressors to cycle more often, consume more power, and wear out faster. Over time, leaks also contribute to pressure instability, which can affect tools, automation, product quality, and throughput. Many teams respond to air…
How Ultrasound Helps Identify Steam Trap Failures
Steam traps are small devices with an outsized impact. When they do their job, they quietly remove condensate and non-condensable gases while keeping live steam where it belongs. When they fail, the consequences show up everywhere: wasted energy, unstable process temperatures, water hammer risk, accelerated corrosion, and higher operating costs that are easy to overlook because the system still “runs.” The challenge is that steam trap problems are often invisible. You cannot reliably diagnose them by looking from a distance,…
How Shaft Alignment Increases Equipment Lifespan
Shaft alignment is one of the most practical “small changes that create big results” in rotating equipment reliability. When a motor and the driven machine (pump, fan, compressor, gearbox, blower, and so on) are aligned correctly, the system runs smoother, loads are distributed the way the machine was designed for, and components last longer. When alignment is off, even slightly, the machine pays for it every minute it runs. Misalignment is rarely dramatic on day one. The equipment may still…
The Future of Electrical Infrared Inspection Technology
Electrical systems rarely fail out of nowhere. In most cases, they heat up first. A loose lug begins to resist current. A breaker connection degrades. A bus joint loosens slightly. A transformer connection runs warmer than normal. The system still “works,” but the thermal signature is changing in a way that signals risk. That is why infrared (IR) thermography remains one of the most practical diagnostic methods for electrical reliability: it lets you instantly visualize and verify thermal performance while…
Infrared Thermography for Predicting Motor Failures
Electric motors rarely fail without warning. In most cases, they run hotter than they should long before they stop turning. That heat might come from a failing connection, excessive resistance, overload, poor ventilation, friction in a bearing, or a mechanical issue that forces the motor to work harder than normal. The challenge is that traditional checks often miss early-stage problems because they rely on shutdown inspections, intermittent measurements, or symptoms that appear late in the failure cycle. Infrared thermography changes…
Most Common Failures Detected Through Vibration Impact Analysis
Ground vibration is an unavoidable byproduct of construction and heavy transportation. Pile driving, compaction, demolition, trenching, and large equipment movement can generate vibration that travels through soil and into nearby buildings and infrastructure. Rail lines, light rail, and busy roadways can do the same, especially near bridges, joints, or braking zones. In many jurisdictions, vibration assessment and monitoring are required by local or state ordinances, particularly when projects take place near occupied structures, historic buildings, utilities, or sensitive facilities. Even…
Common Equipment Failures Caused by Poor Balancing
Poor balancing is one of those problems that can hide in plain sight. A machine can still run, hit production targets, and “sound fine” to people who hear it every day. Meanwhile, the forces created by imbalance are quietly doing damage with every rotation. Over time, that damage shows up as premature bearing failures, seal leaks, coupling issues, cracked shafts, loosened hardware, and rising energy use. The frustrating part is that many teams treat the symptoms instead of the cause.…
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 17
- Next Page »