Vibration control in engineering

Machine vibration control is a technology used to measure vibration of controlled equipment and compare results with normalized (threshold) vibration values. The operating frequency range and vibration thresholds are regulated by state standards or technical specifications (TU) or other regulatory documents of the controlled machine.

Vibration control is the simplest and most mandatory type of object state control during operation. In the absence of built-in sensors of other physical parameters, vibration monitoring is considered the most informative and accessible and does not require neither a large amount of measurements, nor expensive equipment, nor complex analysis methods.

To implement rapid diagnostic equipment in your business, it is usually sufficient to use a simple portable device from the ADL series manufactured by Adelix. Based on this, effective vibration diagnosis is suitable and available for any business.

Pros of vibration control:

• Timely detection of increased vibration levels;
• Identification of defects and localization of problematic nodes;
• Improving the reliability and service life of equipment, eliminating the risk of emergency, increasing the safety of maintenance personnel;
• Save profits by reducing the cost of unforeseen repairs and downtime;
• Maintenance and repair, maintenance activities according to the technical situation;
  Spare parts stock optimization.

The Adelix team created an algorithm to implement vibration monitoring and control in the enterprise.

To implement rapid diagnostics in your organization, you must:

• Select the equipment to perform the vibration control;
• Select control points and vibration measurement direction;
• choose a vibration controller: ADL-P1, ADL-P3, ADL-M20 or ADL-M10;
• Assign the responsible expert to carry out and monitor the process;
• Choose the duration and frequency of measurements;
• Keep a special diary to record diagnostic results;
• analyze the data received, make the necessary decisions based on the results.

The vibration control method can be common to a group of typical machines or individual adapted to the characteristics of a particular unit.

To measure the vibration of the pump unit, the control points and directions are selected on the bearings, the measuring direction is in the axial, horizontal and vertical planes.

There are several ways to attach the sensor to the object being checked: to a needle, to a magnet or to a probe. In this case, it is necessary to observe the main condition so that the measuring range is at least one third of the resonant frequency.

The main field of application of vibration control devices is the operational control of the mechanical condition during operation, diagnosis, maintenance and repair of equipment: bearings, gears, turbines, generators, fans, pumps, rotors, distribution plants, ball mills, rolling mills, gearboxes, conveyors, motors, blowers and many other equipment. It applies to tracking both whole structures and individual items.

Vibration meters of the ADL series are used in metallurgy, mechanical engineering, petrochemical, light and defense industries, thermal and nuclear energy, maintenance of agricultural complexes equipment, housing and communal services and transportation.

Let’s take an example of vibration control of a centrifugal pump used to pump large volumes of water from storage facilities to consumers.

After selecting the equipment for vibration control, we select the required portable device, control points and vibration measurement directions. And the duration and frequency of the measurements.

• The measurement should be made strictly perpendicular to the measured surface.
• There are 3 axes for measurement: vertical, horizontal and axial (V, H and A).
• You can choose one of the most informative axes where the vibration value will be maximum.

In this case, the points are:

V1 – vibration control on 1 horizontal motor bearing;
V2 – Vibration control on the 2nd horizontal motor bearing;
V3 – Vibration control on 1 horizontal pump bed;
V4 – Vibration control on 2 horizontal pump bearings.

Next, you need to fill in the data in the trace log. After that, with a certain frequency, perform diagnostics for both control and a set of statistical data.

After a certain period of time, the data taken should be analyzed and necessary decisions should be made.

According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), you can define limit values for the ratio of the equipment according to its class and the condition of the equipment.

Vibration norms of rotating machines are determined by the standard. According to ISO, in terms of vibration level, all machines fall into one of 4 zones – A, B, C, D.

Zone A – newly commissioned machines.
Zone B – machines suitable for work without time limit.
Zone C – machines that are not suitable for long-term continuous operation.
Zone D – Vibration levels in this area are generally considered severe enough to cause machine damage.

The data populated in the monitoring log is exported to a spreadsheet to facilitate the creation of trend graphs.

Considering this standard, the trendline of the condition of the centrifugal pump bearings 1 and 2 exceeded the limits of the yellow zone, which corresponds to the unsatisfactory technical condition of the motor bearings. Measuring personnel, as soon as possible, report the increase in vibration to the repair service for further action.

For efficient and rapid diagnosis of equipment, we offer a range of devices from the general vibrometer range:

ADL P1 – for measuring the RMS value of the vibration velocity. ADL P3 – for measuring three vibration indicators: vibration velocity, vibration displacement and vibration acceleration, as well as for rapid diagnosis of bearings according to their peak characteristics.

These are the simplest and most accurate devices with which you can: increase the safety and reliability of equipment in the enterprise, carry out maintenance and repairs according to the technical condition, plan systematic control measures, involving only certain technical personnel.
The universal vibration meter ADL M20 allows you to easily measure 3 vibration parameters: vibration velocity, vibration acceleration, vibration displacement. In addition, the ADL M-20 vibrometer has a non-contact temperature measurement function.

The vibrometer ADL-M20 has these features:

• A bright screen that lets you display vibration and temperature at the same time
• high-capacity internal battery
• Universal micro USB connector that allows you to charge the battery from various devices.

The Vibrometer ADL M10 is a simple and easy-to-use diagnostic tool for monitoring vibration. It is designed for monitoring, diagnosis and control. It solves problems related to vibration status of various industrial equipment.

The unique feature of the vibrometer is its ability to display real-time data on the device itself. With the help of the built-in Bluetooth function, it connects to a special application on a tablet, smartphone or laptop.

The ability to connect the device to a variety of devices turns this miniature and inexpensive device into a full-fledged vibration analyzer. The device allows measurements on 3 vibration parameters: vibration velocity, vibration acceleration, vibration displacement. The device will allow diagnosis of bearings by crest factor, as well as determining the spectral composition of the vibration signal using special software.

It will allow you to monitor and identify the cause of unstable equipment operation.

The inclusion of effective and simple devices for vibration diagnosis in the work of the enterprise will allow:

• The reliability and service life of the equipment are significantly increased,
• To eliminate the risk of emergency and ensure uninterrupted operation of the enterprise,
• increased vibration level is detected in time,
• Increased profits by reducing the cost of unforeseen repairs and downtime,
• increases the safety of the company and its personnel,
• Production efficiency is increased.

With the accurate and reliable ADL series of portable technical diagnostics, you can always be sure that the equipment in your production is working efficiently.

This is a simple, manageable process that requires no special skills or effort, only adherence to a specific control program.

Adelix experts will provide consultancy support at any stage of the technical diagnostics application in your business, provide training on working with the devices and share their experiences.