Best Practices In Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication Adrian Messer

Best Practices In Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication Adrian Messer UE Systems, Inc. adrianm@uesystems. com

Lubrication Related Failures • The majority of premature bearing failures are lubrication related – – Source: "Pump Users Handbook: Life Extension” 2011 by Heinz Bloch Under lubricated Over lubricated Wrong lubricant Lubricant contamination

Lubrication Related Failures? “as many as 60 to 80 percent of all bearing failures (catastrophic, functional and premature) are lubrication-related, whether it's poor lubricant selection, poor application, lubricant contamination or lubricant degradation 1. ” 1 Mark Barnes, “What Exactly is a Lubrication Failure? ” Machinery Lubrication, formerly of Noria Corporation

Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication In this presentation we will discuss: • What is Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication • Ultrasound Technology and Instruments • The advantages of Ultrasound • Procedures for Ultrasound Bearing Inspection and Lubrication

Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication • Traditional lubrication programs include preventive procedures that include timebased lubrication. – Lubrication is performed at set timed intervals with a specified amount of grease applied

Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication • The issue with time-based lubrication is, what if the bearing being lubricated has a sufficient amount of grease already and therefore DOES NOT need lubricant. This produces an inherent risk of Over. Lubrication.

Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication • Another issue is the time-interval for lubrication. Is it correct? – What if some bearings require lubricant to be applied more frequently than assumed or what if the time interval can be stretched out?

Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication • These issues do not preclude the need for standard preventive procedures such as calibrating grease guns, measures to ensure the correct lubricant is used for the correct application, etc… • The concept is to assist current lubrication procedures with the addition of ultrasound technology

What is Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication? • Adding ultrasound monitoring to standard lubrication best practices can prevent potential over lubrication of bearings which can also lead to fewer bearing failures, extend motor and bearing life as well as lead to a decrease in the amount of lubricant used This will produce: • Savings in maintenance costs, lubricant, man-hours • And improved asset availability and reliability

LUBRICATION DOMAIN Start Failure EARLY WARNING OF BEARING FAILURE OPTIMIZING BEARING LIFE! (DMS & GREASE CADDY) Infrared Oil analysis Structure Borne Ultrasound Vibration P P 1 P 2 Audible noise P 3 Contact heat P 4 P 5 Proactive Domain Predictive Domain Max time for planning Fault P 6 Domain F

What is Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication? • Airborne & Structure-Borne Ultrasound instruments sense friction. • Trending associated amplitude levels and changes in sound quality of a bearing provide early indication of conditions such as lack of lubrication and prevent overlubrication

What is Ultrasound? • High frequency sounds that are above the range of human hearing – The ultrasonic range begins at 20 k. Hz • There are three Generic Divisions of Ultrasound: – Pulse/Echo – Power – Airborne/Structure Borne

Ultrasound Advantages • • • Provides Earliest Warning of Failure Isolates Signal Quality of Bearing Detects Lack of Lubrication Finds defects not found in time based lube routes

Ultrasound Advantages • Prevents Over Lubrication • Can Be Used on Slow Speed Bearings • Complements Other Technologies – Thermography – Vibration Analysis – Oil Analysis

Ultrasound Applications • • Bearings Pumps (Cavitation) Motors Gears/Gearboxes Valves Steam Traps Leak detection Electrical Inspection

How Ultrasound Instruments Work • Instruments based on airborne & structure borne ultrasound sense high frequency emissions produced by turbulence (from leaks), friction (in mechanical equipment) and ionization (generated by electrical emissions) • They translate these sounds down into the audible range through an electronic process called “Heterodyning” • Sound is measured by a decibel level that is indicated onboard the instrument

How Ultrasound Instruments Work • The heterodyning feature enables users to hear the translated signals in headphones, record sound samples and analyze sounds through spectral analysis software. • Data from test results can also be viewed on a display panel

Sounds Are Received Two Ways: -Through a scanning module -Through a contact module or wave guide

Instruments used for Lubrication Programs • Digital instruments: – – – Set baselines Log data Record sound sample Analyze Sounds Download all data to Data Management Software d. B Level

Digital Instruments • Data Logging • Sound Recording • Data Management Software – Improved Record Keeping, Recording, Reporting • Spectral Analysis

Analog Instruments Listen to heterodyned ultrasounds View intensity levels only (not d. B)

Analog Instruments Intensity Display

Procedure • Use the digital instrument • Collect data • Record sounds • Download to Data Management Software

Procedure • Review data • Create Trend Charts • Analyze Sound Samples of deviations

Analyze Sounds For Differences Baseline Sound Deviation

Action Levels • 8 d. B • 12 d. B • 16 d. B • 35+ d. B Lubrication Minor Damage-Microscopic Faults Damage-Visual Faults Catastrophic Failure Imminent Severe Failure Microscopic Damage Lack of Lubrication d. B Damage (visual)

Procedure • After review of data – Sect bearings in need of action for either: – Repair – Lubrication

Procedure • Assign analog ultrasound instrument to lube technicians • Instruct them to add enough lubricant to cause a drop in sound levels while observing the LED intensity indication • Add lubrication – Meter intensity levels drop • Use caution - Lubricate A little at a time

Procedure • If bearing needs grease, d. B will decrease as lubricant is applied • If bearing is already over lubricated, d. B will start to increase while applying lubricant • If there is no change in d. B, further action should be taken to see why there was no change, or bearing is in a failure mode that lubrication is not the solution

Examples of Over Lubrication The biggest problem we find in bearings is that they are over greased. The maintenance man doing the greasing usually does not know how much grease is put into the bearing. In the past we just pumped a few strokes into the bearing and then said well that ought to do it. Usually that was too much grease and these pictures show the results of that style of greasing.

Examples of Over Lubrication In the case of this motor there was no attention paid to how much grease was being put into the bearing. This motor actually had shielded bearings in it and there was no grease getting into the bearing, so it never cooled down and never got any quieter so they just continued to grease it. After a point, there was so much grease in it that the motor started to heat up. What did they do then? THEY GREASED IT SOME MORE.

Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication Best Practices • Prioritize equipment based on an asset criticality list – Likelihood of a failure, runtime, cost to repair, consequences of a failure • Set up routes to collect ultrasound data including recording sound files • Once initial readings have been taken, a baseline is set

Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication Best Practices • Once a baseline has been established, alarm levels are set • Data (d. B) only is collected until an alarm has been reached • Ultrasound is used to lubricate points that are currently in a “low alarm” condition • Grease is applied until the d. B returns to the normal level

Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication Best Practices • For more critical assets, a follow up reading should be taken to ensure that the d. B did not rise again after lubrication, or use a complementary technology for a “second opinion” • PM’s may need to be adjusted to reflect the use of ultrasound while greasing, frequency, type of lubricant, etc…

Benefits of Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication • Identifies bearings in need of lubrication • Prevents over lubrication of bearings • Reduces the amount of grease kept in inventory • Reduces incidents of bearing failure • Reduced labor lubricating bearings • More effective PM’s • Improves asset availability

Lubrication Examples

Questions? Adrian Messer adrianm@uesystems. com (914)282 -3504