Top 9 industrial applications for remote vibration monitoring sensors

It’s normal for rotating assets like motors and pumps to vibrate during operation. But abnormally high vibration can result in catastrophic breakdowns when left unaddressed. In fact, excessive vibration is one of the leading causes of machine failure.

The easiest way to identify abnormal vibrations is by continuously monitoring critical assets with strategically placed triaxial sensors. Cloud-based technology allows professionals to gain access to real-time data from anywhere. Using software trending, graphing, or timeboxing provides teams with an early warning of problems, such as imbalance, misalignment, looseness and bearing issues. 

By placing vibration sensors on motors and pumps, maintenance and reliability teams can safely monitor equipment located in remote, hard-to-reach, or dangerous areas. Today, many industries – from food production to mining – employ wireless vibration sensors to track asset health. Here are 9 common industrial applications for vibration monitoring:

1. Wastewater sump pump

Pumps are critical infrastructure for wastewater processing. Due to the distance of some facilities, they may be minimally attended. Cavitation is one of the many possible pump issues: Bursting vapor bubbles cause vibration and high pressure that can damage impellers. Remote monitoring instantly alerts technicians to unusual vibrations related to cavitation that can cause breakdowns, so that technicians can address the problem before it leads to unwanted downtime.

2. Boiler feedwater pump for a cooling tower fan

A boiler feedwater pump drives feedwater into a steam boiler. Problems, such as loose bolts, can be detected by installing sensors on the main pump. Teams can screen and recognize these problems by monitoring vibration for changes in condition. Impending issues related to improper suction pressure, discharge pressure, flow, pump speed, or power can also be detected using vibration screening. Teams can configure each wireless vibration sensor to send alarms when vibration exceeds pre-set limits for easy tracking.

3. Cleanroom fan

Dozens of industries, from semiconductors to pharmaceutical manufacturers, rely on cleanrooms for safe and reliable production. Associated cleanroom fans, such as fan-filter units (FFUs), play a key role in keeping cleanrooms spotless. However, fans connected to the HVAC system, and located outside of a cleanroom, can also affect cleanroom conditions if they malfunction. Fan or drive belt failure can cause loss of control of critical cleanroom parameters. Adding remote vibration sensors to collect data from bearings, fan impellers, and drives makes it possible for teams to address impending failures early.

4. Mining plant conveyer

Remote mining environments often host expensive equipment that is highly susceptible to dust and dirt. Conveyors are one of the most important assets used during excavation but can be difficult to reach. Adding a remote vibration sensor to the system allows a technician to measure and monitor bearing, motor, and gearbox conditions from a safe distance. Changes in condition may be early indicators of misalignment or structural looseness in essential machinery.

5. Meat processing plant chiller

Process chillers keep meat safe for consumption by controlling temperature, humidity, and air circulation. As with any motorized equipment, bearing wear is the main culprit for equipment failure. Vibration sensors provide early warning of refrigeration equipment faults and help prevent inadequate chilling performance.

6. Football stadium HVAC fan

Supplying ventilation in an enclosed football stadium requires a complex and elaborate HVAC system. The failure of a fan or cooling unit during a football game in an enclosed stadium would cause significant disruptions on a hot day. A remote fan or motor vibration sensor would enable operators to monitor performance in critical components to avoid unexpected failures.

7. Construction site dewatering pump

These pumps are used to remove groundwater during major construction projects, often in remote locations. Corrosion, lack of lubrication, or contamination are the main causes of pump failure or bearing wear. Impeller imbalance — the rotating part of the pump — may also result in excessive vibration. If left unchecked, these faults can decrease pump reliability and may ultimately cause extensive, costly damage. Construction teams that use wireless vibration sensors are able to avoid unexpected failures by monitoring pump performance.

8. Hospital pumps and fans

Hospitals rely on high-performance ventilation systems to keep the air clean for patients and staff. Equipping HVAC pumps and fans with remote sensors can help hospital maintenance teams ensure that equipment is in good working order. Imbalance, looseness, coupling wear, misalignment, bad bearings, and rotor cracks all cause excess vibration in fans. By monitoring the condition of these critical assets, repairs can be made before a system fails.

9. Sucker-rod pump

Oil well production is often done in remote areas. Sucker-rod pumps, which are simple in design, pull oil from subterranean reservoirs. Because many of the components reside underground, oil rig equipment failure and repair can be extremely expensive. That’s why it’s important to utilize remote, wireless sensors to screen pump vibration levels and continuously monitor equipment. Examining vibration data or using software to trend, graph and timebox measurements provides early warning to personnel without having to be on location.