Understanding the practicality of graded asset health
08-07-2018 | Vibration, Condition monitoring
Using a wireless vibration sensor allows you to access asset health information while at your computer
or away from work via smart devices.
With the launch of the Fluke 805 Vibration Meter, Fluke Corporation released the Fluke Overall
Vibration Severity (FOVS) scale to help maintenance teams better understand the status and gravity of
impending faults. The new Fluke 3561 FC Vibration Sensor also uses these color-coded alarms to help
teams get a better picture of overall asset health.
The screen capture above shows the Unacceptable alarm for asset health. These alarms are only sent for
unsatisfactory or unacceptable level conditional changes.
While using sensors can help teams screen for potential problems and gives vital information to find
root causes quicker, the FOVS scale allows them to easily understand the relayed information. Seeing
the early warning signs of an impending machine failure empowers maintenance professionals to
schedule repairs when they’re needed instead of losing production revenue to repair failed assets.
What is overall vibration?
Overall vibration analysis uses time domain data to calculate a single value, rather than multiple, and
can be used to indicate the overall health of the machine. Simplicity is one of the biggest benefits of
including overall vibration analysis, but it has some limitations, such as:
Different machines have different healthy levels of overall vibration
Certain machinery flaws, particularly bearing flaws, will not impact the overall vibration value
until significant damage has occurred
Overall vibration analysis does not identify the root cause of vibration
Despite that, overall vibration tools and sensors are valuable in screening assets for impending
problems.
How the Fluke Overall Vibration Severity scale works
FOVS already includes the vibration specifications for 37 machine categories. When connected assets
deviate from pre-existing vibration parameters for that specific asset, Fluke Connect ™Condition
Monitoring software will send an alarm to a user’s smart device or computer web app.
No immediate repair is
recommended.
No alarms sent.
No immediate repair is
required.
No alarms sent.
Have a knowledgeable
vibration technician conduct
advanced testing at the
earliest opportunity.
Consider taking
maintenance action during
the next planned downtime
or maintenance period.
alarms when condition
changes.
Have a knowledgeable
vibration technician conduct
advanced testing as soon as
possible. Consider shutting
down equipment
immediately to make
repairs and prevent future
failure. Alarms when
condition changes.
When an alarm is sent to software, it will indicate the severity of the problem with a color-coded scale.
Using a color-coded scale gives problems a visual cue of importance or hazards.
Benefits of overall vibration
The benefits of implementing an overall vibration strategy in maintenance programs outweighs the few
limitations.
While many people think that vibration analysis requires extensive training, it doesn’t have to. With the
Fluke 3561 FC Vibration Sensor, nearly any technician can understand the information provided by
FCCM software.
A common misconception is that vibration monitoring or screening isn’t precise enough to catch faults
before they occur. The 3561 FC can detect vibrations between 10 and 1,000 hertz (Hz), giving
maintenance teams advance warning of failures caused by bearing wear, misalignment, looseness or
imbalance.
While other vibration meter solutions are expensive and complicated to install, the 3561 FC isn’t. The
3561 FC is an inexpensive, wireless vibration sensor and can be installed on an asset in under an hour.
Fluke sensors can be purchased for about 1/10th the cost of a full vibration spectrum analyzer.
Understanding the practicality of graded asset health
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