All manufacturers that rely on complex machinery understand that routine maintenance is essential to keep them functioning at optimal capacity. Thanks to advances in IoT, AI, and M2M communication, companies that employ predictive maintenance solutions experience a 25% reduction in maintenance costs.
For companies operating in regions prone to seasonal climate change, it’s vital that manufacturers equip their predictive maintenance systems with the tools needed to identify and mitigate potential breakdowns associated with the colder months ahead.
Winter Dangers
When autumn comes to an end and temperatures begin to drop, it’s critical to prepare for machine issues that are more commonly associated with the winter months. In cold temperatures, lubricants can become more viscous, or thicken, which causes the fluids to move less freely.
Fortunately, GTI has developed three solutions for preventative analysis that can help you avoid winter-time shutdowns and continue producing at peak efficiency.
VibeProLube
Under and over lubrication of bearings are major causes of bearing failure. That’s why we developed VibeProLube, a user-friendly app that measures changes in the ultrasound signal of a spindle component to determine when a bearing needs lubrication. VibeProLube uses NASA standards for ultrasound measurement and provides a calculator to determine an acceptable amount of lubrication for the bearing based on its geometry. This value is displayed on-screen when the measurement exceeds the alert level. Users can also include the correct type of grease for each bearing in the measurement setup to ensure proper lubrication.
Ultrasonic Analyzer
The Ultrasonic Analyzer is another excellent tool to find air leaks. The ultrasonic sensor plugs directly into a standard iPad’s lightning port and utilizes a highly directional sensor to enable precise readings. The app can record, analyze and use slow down playback with sounds ordinarily impossible for humans to hear. The app can also examine any audio file imported into a spectrogram. This tool is essential to identifying cracks or air leaks caused by cold temperatures.
ThermoPro Kit
Ironically, overheating is a major concern during colder months. When machines operate with improper lubricant levels, the friction between parts increases. This heating can lead to warped or damaged equipment. Fortunately, thermic sensors can determine if there is too much friction on certain moving parts. Integration with the ThermoPro web app provides reporting and analysis from any computer, including full area reports, asset reports, and individual measurement reports. Other uses of the app include pest infestation, power line maintenance, tracking fluid system tank levels, line blockages, and pipe temperatures.
Don’t let cold winter months cost your company unnecessarily. Avoid downtime and maximize production efficiency with VibePro . Contact us today to learn more about our predictive maintenance solutions.
About VibePro
At VibePro, it is our mission to provide the best predictive tools on a single iPad platform with services to monitor nearly any asset. We strive to bring our customers the portability, connectivity, and affordability offered by the latest available technologies. Our product family combines wireless portable and online vibration data collection and analysis, balancing, shaft alignment, thermography, and ultrasound into an affordable and completely scalable solution on one simple to use platform. VibePro’s predictive technology apps feature many additions that have come directly from customers. Click here to learn more.