ARTICLE 3 

: CONDITION MONITORING, METHODS AND A

GENERAL PURPOSE MONITORING SYSTEM.

Condition Monitoring is an effective way to increase the available production time and
to improve the cost effectiveness of the maintenance in the process industry.
With elder maintenance methods, machinery is either op erated to failure or
maintenance is planned with a fixed schedule. With Condition Monitoring, the
maintenance tasks are performed with respect to the actual need of maintenance.
The need is revealed by different physical quantities. In continuousprocess industry,
these quantities have to be measured, while the process is running, without
interfering with the process itself.
The most common parameters for Condition Monitoring have been
1) Temperature
2) Vibration
3) Pressure (absolute and relative)
4) Flow
5) Displacement
6) Power

METHODS OF MONITORING
Condition Monitoring can be divided in two main groups:
* Preventive Condition Monitoring: With Preventive Condition Monitoring,such
quantities are monitored which either prevent or assist the development of the failure.
* Predictive Condition Monitoring: With Predictive Condition Monitoring, the failure
cannot be prevented.

TEMPERATURE MONITORING
The eldest method of Condition monitoring is most probably temperature monitoring.
The reason for this is the very straightforward use of tem-perature as an indicator of
the condition: the higher the temperature, the worse the condition.

VIBRATION MONITORING

This is a result of the facts that, in almost all types of mechanical failures, the failure
can be detected at an early stage by vibration, but in the majority of the cases the
detection can only be made by skilfully analysing the vibration signal. The analysing
methods can be divided in following groups:
* Wideband vibration level measurement
* Narrowband vibration level measurement, including shock pulse measurement
* Spectrum analysis
* Statistical methods (Kurtosis etc.)
The vibration can be monitored by measuring displacement, velocity or acceleration.
These can be measured with different types of transducers, most commonly used is
the seismic mass type with piezoelectric crystal as a sensing element.

Pressure and Flow

The use of pressure and flow is in most cases very straightforward. Hhen used for
Condition Monitoring, they are most often related to lubrication or sealing systems.

Displacement

is readily measured with various transducers. Eddy current probes are available for
non-contact measurement of conductive materials. Linear variable transducers and
poten tiometers can be used, if the displacement is large and contact is allowed.

Power

In many cases, anyhow, the difference is so small in comparision to other power

fluctuations that the detection is very difficult. Condition and lubrication status of
chains and other types of conveyors can, anyhow, be easily detected. Transducers
for both electric power and current are in common use.