Posted to News on 21st Jan 2013, 15:11
SKF Machine Condition Indicator cuts the cost of monitoring
SKF is launching the SKF Machine Condition Indicator, a low-cost vibration and temperature monitoring device designed for rotating machinery in constant operating conditions. The sensor costs less than a standard industrial accelerometer and frees up maintenance engineers to spend less time on problem detection, saving both time and money.
SKF's Machine Condition Indicator provides the capability to track basic machine health on assets that are not currently being monitored on a regular basis. The device can be used indoors or outdoors as the interior is entirely sealed to environmentally protect the electronics and to achieve the highest ingress protection rating (IP 69K). The SKF Machine Condition Indicator is suited for rotating machines in industries such as pulp and paper, power, food and beverage, hydrocarbon processing (HPI), oil and gas, machine tool, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).
The SKF Machine Condition Indicator periodically makes two types of vibration measurement from the internal sensor, Overall Velocity (RMS) and Enveloped Acceleration (gE) as well as machine surface temperature. The velocity measurements are taken to keep track of overall machine health and highlight potential problems such as misalignment and imbalance. Enveloped Acceleration measurements are used to detect bearing degradation or gear impulsive vibration. The SKF Machine Condition Indicator also features built-in intelligence for measurement evaluations and to avoid false alarms, with alarm status visually indicated via three LEDs.
Torsten Bark, Product Line Manager at SKF Condition Monitoring Centre, San Diego, says: "The SKF Machine Condition Indicator is as simple as the "check engine' warning light in a car. Once LEDs are illuminated, the predictive maintenance technician is alerted to perform root cause analysis on the machine to determine what kind of problem might be affecting its performance."
By utilising the SKF Machine Condition Indicator, plant operators can increase efficiency by enabling maintenance engineers to spend more time focusing on root cause analysis and other more significant issues. In addition, maintenance schedules for non-critical machines can be assigned at less frequent intervals.
The SKF Machine Condition Indicator is suitable for both existing installed assets or for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) looking for an economical way to make sure their semi-critical machine assets are kept up and running. The device can also be used as part of an asset care plan alongside other systems offered by SKF.
For further information about the SKF Machine Condition Indicator, please email [email protected] or visit the website at www.skf.com/.
