You’re 17 times more likely to introduce defects during equipment startup than during normal equipment operation. Additionally, over 90% of rotating equipment has defects at startup that result in premature equipment failures.
Misalignment and unbalance are two of the most commonly overlooked conditions that lead to the unwanted statistical results referenced above. Misalignment in equipment leads to increased vibration levels, bearing failures, coupling wear, seal failures, shaft fatigue, increased power consumption and other negative effects. Unbalance in equipment can introduce structural related issues, bearing defects and other issues. Both conditions can create unwelcome safety concerns. Additionally, both conditions can be present on the same equipment and working in concert can unfortunately amplify the referenced failure conditions.
So, how do you prevent misalignment and unbalance conditions from making your equipment part of these negative statistics and placing your company at financial risk? The answer is to apply condition monitoring technology and procedures such as laser alignment, equipment balancing and vibration analysis to your equipment. These condition monitoring activities will lead to reduced equipment downtime, reduced equipment failures, improved safety, reduced financial risks, increased equipment uptime, lower operating costs and increased profits for stakeholders.
Tip Provided by Ludeca.
