Tell-tale Signs of Faults in Mechanical

Equipment
This hot topic helps you identify key machinery faults.

Misalignment
 High amplitudes at 1X, 2X, and sometimes 3X
 Typically 180° (+/- 30) across coupling on shaft:
o Axial for angular
o Radial for parallel
 Cocked bearing - twisting motion:
- 180° (+/- 30) top-to-bottom or side-to-side

Unbalance
 High amplitudes at 1X
 Typically 90° (+/- 40) from horizontal to vertical
 Phase differences - left and right positions should be stable, otherwise other issues:
o Looseness
o Misalignment
 Other faults need to be corrected before ever starting to correct balance
 Side-to-side phase to determine the unbalance type:
o 0° indicates force (static) unbalance
o 180° indicates couple unbalance

Resonance
 High amplitudes at 1X and other low orders of running speed
 0° phase change on stationary points on machine
 180° phase change indicates parts that are moving in opposite directions at running speed
 Varying machine speed at resonance:
o 180° change when moving from below resonance to above resonance
o 90° change at resonance
o Slight machine speed change results in large phase shifts
Mechanical foot looseness (soft foot)
 High 1X at running speed of pulley
 Phase difference of 0 or 180° on horizontal and vertical readings (versus expected 90)
 Straight line motion in line with belts

Mechanical Looseness
 High amplitudes at multiples of 1X
 Sometimes multiples of 0.5X - E.g.: 1.5X, 2.5X, etc.
 Fluctuating phase readings
 Around bearing at 30° intervals will be significantly different
 Soft Foot
 High amplitude peak at 1X
 90° to 180° phase shift on machine foot to base
 Difference in phase reading on other feet