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Bently Nevada® recently installed three Trendmaster® Pro Dynamic Scanning Modules (DSMs) as part of a
Condition-Based Monitoring (CBM) program for a large industrial customer in the United States. The
CBM program was site-critical to identify infant mortality as they started up a new production line. The DSMs
monitor 57 vibration points on a total of six machine trains that were each identified through an Opportunity Risk
Assessment (ORA) performed jointly with the customer as the initial part of the project. Points range from Bently Nevada
accelerometers to OEM-installed transducers, and they connect via direct DSM input cards. In addition, the customer
monitors over 1800 points using Snapshot™ for Windows* CE on over 300 machine trains (typically a driver, reducer,
and driven component.) Collection with the DSM occurs once a day for waveform data and no more than 6 hours between
static data points depending on changes, while the Snapshot points are collected on intervals of 1-2 weeks.
Installation flexibility was an important factor in the DSM being selected. Since the customer has an Ethernet
network, several architectures were considered for this application, including CAT-5, fiber-optic, and wireless.
As the DSMs are scattered roughly 400 meters from the control room, CAT-5 was ruled-out and fiber-optic runs were
cost-prohibitive. The best choice in terms of both cost and ease of installation turned out to be standard Cisco
wireless networking appliances. The use of wireless Ethernet saved close to 5,000 USD in the cost of fiber alone.
Each DSM connects to its own workgroup bridge and Yagi (directional) antenna, which
communicates to an Omni (non-directional) antenna and bridge located at the control room. Wireless communication has been
constant since installation despite some severe coastal storms at the site.
As part of the project, Bently Nevada has been providing a field engineer through a Results Assurance
Program to ensure that the customer receives the expected ROI. The field engineer focused initially on
optimization of data collection and data storage within System 1®. After the first few visits, the field
engineer, while relying on his machinery diagnostic background, began to evaluate machine-related problems.
This service helped the customer take a more proactive approach to plant maintenance by focusing on deficiencies
in their maintenance practices and planning.
The CBM program has already paid for itself many times over after only one year. The first and most notable
payback came from a DSM and internally mounted accelerometers that detected macrospalling on the gear tooth of a
large planetary gearbox, which was later confirmed with a video boroscope. The plant was able to order and plan
for the new gear set and avoid the 6-month lead-time they would have had, if the problem had been discovered
during a routine maintenance inspection. This gearbox is one of only a few in the world. The customer estimated
avoided failure costs at close to 80 million USD based on downtime and lost production. A second payback provided
another 4.5 million USD in avoided costs by identifying an outer ring defect in a drive-end fan bearing. Root Cause
Analysis (RCA) later showed that the defect was caused by high temperature that created excessive shaft growth and
substantial thrust load on the bearing. Both examples show how System 1 ties together an infrastructure of sensors,
data collection modules, and networks, creating an information system that is key to the overall success of their
CBM program.
As a result, planning for future expansion has already begun. The next project slated involves two additional
gearboxes in a new section of the plant. Each gearbox involves the installation of a DSM, 20 accelerometers,
workgroup bridge, and Yagi antenna. The customer is also anxious, once upgraded to System 1 v5.0, to evaluate
the new motor monitoring capabilities on their large fans, leveraging an installed base of GE Multilin Motor
Management Relays.
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