CONDITION BASED MAINTENANCE TO ENHANCE PRODUCTION

Dr.Yadavalli Basavaraj1, Pavan Kumar B K2

*1Prof & Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ballari Institute of Technology and Management, Ballari,
Karnataka,583104, Email Id:byadavalli@gmail.com, Ph:9448755268
*2Research Scholar, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ballari Institute of Technology and
Management, Ballari, Karnataka,583104, Email Id:pk22586@gmail.com, Ph:9845863576

Abstract
Maintenance is a part and parcel of an industry. The basic principle is to direct the
efforts to upkeep the production facilities for their trouble free operation throughout its
economic life cycle. The high costs of maintenance and downtime have made maintenance a
critical factor in any industry. The importance of maintenance is not readily seen as that of
production, but nevertheless its function are equally important to the continued well-being of the
industry.
The need for maintenance requirement to any production cannot be taken in an easy way.
With the increasing complexity and rapid change in technological developments, there has been
a phenomenal increase in the pace and power of equipment and machinery. This has brought
problems in mechanical devices and systems leading to losses in production due to breakdowns.
Maintenance is the only way on application of which the gap between the achieved and
achievable productivity can be minimized.
Condition based maintenance has developed into one of the most advanced maintenance
techniques and it is a method of indicating, measuring and assessing the condition or change in
condition of plant components or complete plant by means of certain parameters of unit like
Vibration, Temperature, Noise etc.,

1. Introduction:
Maintenance is the characteristic of design and installation which is expressed as the probability
that an item will be retained in or restored to a specific time within a given period of time when
Maintenance is performed in accordance with prescribed procedures. The measurement and
signal processing techniques, transducers, signal conditioners and signal analysis equipments are
described, which are used in the condition monitoring.
There are two types of Maintenance:
1. Unplanned Maintenance (Breakdown Maintenance):
One method of operating a machine is to until it fails and then repair it in order to an acceptable
condition. This method Maintenance can be very expensive in terms of Maintenance costs and
lost output and can involve hazards to personal.
2. Planned Maintenance (Preventative Maintenance):
In this method the equipment and machinery are stopped in a planned way and then necessary
check ups and repairs are carried out so that equipments could run free of trouble for certain
interval of time. The problem in this method lies in the choice of an appropriate Maintenance
interval for the machines. Too long a interval results in an unacceptable number of machine
failures during operation.

2. Conditioned Monitoring – A Description:

The major causes of low productivity are poor maintenance and low availability of equipment
and machinery in the plants. Plant machineries and other service facilities are constantly
subjected to deterioration due to various reasons such as wear and tear resulting either in early
failures or poor mechanical performance. Therefore maintenance must solve the problem of
preventing failure and improve the mechanical performance. Maintenance is the total activities
serving the purpose of retaining the production, restoring them to the state that is considered
necessary for fulfillment of their production function.
Condition based maintenance is a type of maintenance carried out in response to a significant
deterioration in machine as indicated by a change in the monitored or machine condition.
Some machine failures are the results of sudden events in which the machine conditions
deteriorates in a few minutes. However it has been observed that a large number of machine
failures are result of a long slow deterioration during which the machine gets progressively
worse over a period of time. Hence a more satisfactory strategy is to carry out preventive
maintenance at irregular intervals and to determine these intervals by monitoring the actual
condition of the machine. This method is known as condition based maintenance (CBM),
diagnostic maintenance or dynamic predictive maintenance. This system of maintenance requires
dependence upon instrumentation and the proper interpretation of the results.
Condition Monitoring is taken to mean the use of advanced technologies in order to determine
equipment condition, and potentially predict failure. It includes, but is not limited to,
technologies such as:
• Vibration Measurement and Analysis
• Infrared Thermograph
• Oil Analysis and Tribology
• Ultrasonics
• Motor Current Analysis
Condition Monitoring is most frequently used as a Condition-Based Maintenance technique.
However, there are other Predictive Maintenance techniques that can also be used, including the
use of the Human Senses (look, listen, feel, smell etc.), Machine Performance Monitoring, and
Statistical Process Control techniques.

3. Condition Monitoring Techniques:

There are mainly five main techniques of Condition Monitoring:
1. Visual Monitoring:
This involves inspection and recording of surface appearance. This may involve the use of
boroscopes to see inaccessible places or the use of Photography or surface imprinting for
recording purposes.
2. Vibration Monitoring:
It involves attachment of a transducer (Velocity probe, accelerometer or proximity probe) to a
machine to record its vibration level. Special equipment is also available for using the output
from the sensor to indicate nature of vibration problem and even its precise cause.
3. Wear Debris Monitoring:
This works on the principle that their lubrication oil washes the working surfaces of machine and
any damage to them should be detectable from particles of wear debris in oil. If the debris
consists of relatively large ferrous lumps such as those generated by the fatigue of rolling
element bearings and gears or the pitting of cams and tappets, these can be picked up by
removable magnetic plugs inserted in the oil return lines. For smaller debris particles,
spectrographic analysis or microscopic examination of oil samples after magnetic separation are
commonly used techniques (SOAP).
4. Performance and Behaviour Monitoring:
It involves checking the performance of a machine or component to see whether it is behaving
correctly. This may, for example, involve monitoring the performance of a bearing by measuring
its temperature to see whether it is carrying out its function of transmitting load between moving
surfaces with the minimum of friction.
5. Corrosion Monitoring:
Corrosion monitoring, which usually applied to fixed plant containing abrasive materials, is
intended to monitor the rates of internal corrosion walls of the plant. This may be done by
drilling sentinel holes part way through the wall, which can be plugged when they leak, by
inserting readily removable coupons of material of which the corrosion rate is assumed to relate
to that of the plant. The choice of monitoring techniques to be applied in particular plant is
difficult, affected by such factors as skills available, effect of environment, reliability of
machines and monitoring methods, etc.

4. Online / Off-Line Condition Monitoring Techniques:

Condition monitoring techniques can be done “Off-line” or “On-line”. In “Offline” systems,
monitoring equipment is used parallel to the equipment / machine to be monitored. Various
monitoring points are provided for attaching, such monitoring equipment / instruments. In
“Online” systems, monitoring equipments / instruments are installed built-up in series (such as
filter choking signals, pressure flow switches etc.) with the running equipment. Offline
monitoring can be periodic or continuous. In periodic system monitoring, monitoring equipment
can be connected or switched on only at the time of monitoring. Off-line continuous instruments
run (record readings etc.) as long as the operating machines run. Continuous monitoring
instruments are generally connected with computers or micro- processors.
Continuous monitoring is essential where deterioration leads to catastrophic failures.
Ex: Spacecrafts, aircrafts, nuclear installations, hydroelectric generating stations etc.

5. Condition Monitoring Of Different Tribological Systems:

For monitoring any tribological systems, a vast category of tribological signals are to be
monitored. Some few important signals that are to be monitored are discussed below along with
various available techniques to monitor them.
A) Wear Monitoring:
All condition-monitoring methods rely on monitoring some physical characteristic Changes, as a
fault develops and detecting that, the characteristic has altered before Fault becomes serious
enough to substantially affect the performance of the Component. An effective wear / lubricant
analysis program of Tribological components such as bearings, gears, piston rings, seals, etc.,
can reduce machine operating costs, maintenance and minimize unscheduled machine down
time. Tribomonitoring through wear / lubricant analysis can detect lubricant contaminants,
machine malfunctions and lubricant deterioration. Fluid in contact with solids, transport wear
and corrosion debris together with associated products. Wear is possibly the most frequently
experienced phenomenon, which leads to the deterioration of components and in due course, the
failure of a system. No machine component is immune from wear, which presents in a number of
forms like:
• Scuffing of piston in cylinders,
• Pitting in power transmission gears,
• Fretting of close- fitting assemblies,
• Cavitation-corrosion-ersosion of hydraulic components.
Wear is an involved physico-chemical process, being affected by a variety of Conditions such as
the type and mode of loading speed, quantity, type of surface Washing liquid, temperature,
hardness, surface finish, and presence of foreign matter.
The method of wear monitoring can be classified into 3 main types:
i . Direct Detection Methods
ii. Debris Collection Methods
iii. Lubricant Sample analysis
i) Direct Detection Methods:
Wear debris in the lubricant is detected in the machine by arranging for the oil flow through a
device which is sensitive to the presence of adevice which is sensitive to the presence of debris.
Ex: Optical oil turbidity monitor, electrically conducting filter, Inductive detection methods,
capacitive detection methods, etc.
ii) Debris Collection Methods:
Wear debris is collected in a device, fitted to the machine, which is convenient to remove, so that
debris can be extracted for examination. Ex: Filtration system, Special filters, Magnetic Plugs.
iii) Lubricant Sampling Analysis :
A sample of lubricant is extracted form the machine and analyzed for wear debris contamination.
(SOAP). The method consists of two separate parts, Sampling and Lubricant Analysis. Ex:
Atomic absorption method, Atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, Particle
counting, Ferrography, Centrifuging and other magnetic methods. Ultra centrifuging of oil
samples removes all forms of debris and particles in the sludge can then be assessed for physical
form. Other simple magnetic methods, which sort ferrous particles according to shape, have been
developed but are yet to become commercially available.
B) Corrosion Monitoring:
The field of corrosion control and prevention covers a very broad spectrum of technical
activities. Within the sphere of corrosion control and prevention, there are technical options such
as cathodic and anodic protection, materials selection, chemical dosing and the applications of
internal and external coatings. Some corrosion measurement techniques can be used on-line
constantly exposed to the process stream, while others provide off-line measurement like in a
laboratory test. Corrosion Monitoring is the practice of measuring the corrosivity of process
stream conditions by the use of probes which are inserted into the process stream and which are
continuously exposed to the process stream conditions. Corrosion monitoring probes can be
mechanical, electrical or electro-chemical devices. Corrosion monitoring techniques alone
provides direct and online measurement of metal loss / corrosion rate in industrial process
systems. A large number of corrosion monitoring technique exist. Some of them are: Corrosion
Coupons (Weight loss), Electrical Resistance (E / R TM) monitoring, Linear Polarization
Resistance (LPR), Galvanic (ZRA) / Potential, Hydrogen Penetration, Microbial, Sand / Erosion,
etc.
C) Surface Roughness Monitoring:
Often some defects are induced on the surface of the sliding or rolling components on account of
friction and wear. Some such defects on surfaces are: staining, polished (smooth wear, lapped),
scratched (short grooves), scoured (dull look), gouged, cut fractured, pitted, fretted and melted
etc. This shows that surface roughness and appearance are also tribological behaviours and its
monitoring / examination would reveal the effect of wear and uneven friction and their effect on
the performance of component. Some monitoring techniques for surface roughening are : First
generation surface monitoring, Second generation surface monitoring, Third generation surface
monitoring, etc.
D) Lubricant Monitoring:
Lubricant monitoring is the term generally used to monitor lubricant supply, lubricant film
thickness, lubricant effectiveness, leakage monitoring, lube contaminants and wear debris
analysis. Lubricant monitoring and Wear Debris monitoring go hand-inhand.
Some of the lubricants monitoring techniques are: Visgauge viscosity meter, used engine oil test
kit, Magnetic plug, Oil monitoring filter, Ferrography, Spectrometry, Particle counter.
E) Vibration Monitoring:
All operating machines give rise to vibration. Deterioration in the machines running condition
always produces a corresponding increase of vibration level. By monitoring vibration level, it is
therefore possible to obtain information about a machine condition. Mechanical vibration has
proved to be one of the most reliable parameter to use in machine health monitoring, to check
machine condition. A frequency analysis reveals the frequencies at which significant level
changes have occurred and those can usually be correlated with a particular mechanical
phenomenon: rotation of a shaft (unbalance, misalignment), gear meshing frequency, resonance,
critical shaft frequency, roller bearing frequency etc. The four pickups most often used for
machinery vibration analysis are: Displacement pickup, Velocity pickup, Accelerometer, Strain
gages.
F) Temperature Monitoring:
The measurement of temperature has an important role in the monitoring of electrical machines,
because of max. Permissible temperature, which the insulation can withstand. There are three
basic approaches to temperature monitoring:
• To measure local temperatures at points in the machines using embedded temperature
detectors.
• To use thermal image, fed with suitable variables to monitor the temperature of what is
perceived to be hottest spot in the machine.
• To measure distributed temperatures in the machines or the bulk temperatures of coolants.
Some of the methods available to monitor the temperature are: Optical Pyrometer,
Thermocouples, Softening cones, Thermograph, Temperature indicating paints, Liquid
expansion in metal bulbs, Resistance thermometer, Bimetallic strips, Fusible plugs, Thermistors.
G) Non- Destructive Testing Methods:
Defects in components may be detected by the application of physical principles without
impairing the usefulness of the components. This technique is called “ Non- Destructive Testing”
(NDT), which is applied not only to the detection and location of flaws but also to the
anticipation of variations or non-uniformities in properties, which can be tolerated during
service. The type of defect or structured variation which can be determined by these test methods
includes blowholes, cracks (surface and subsurface), heat treatment variations, inclusions,
laminations, laps, machining defects, pits, plating defects, porosity, rolling defects, seams,
segregation, tears, weld penetration deficiencies etc. Some of the most common N.D.T.
monitoring methods are: Visual testing, Liquid Penetration inspection, Thermal method,
Radiographic examinations like X-Ray and Gamma Ray radiography, Ultrasonics, Acoustic
Emission Technique (AET).
Condition monitoring includes 3 steps
1. Detection- of the developing fault at early stages
2. Diagnosis – of its origin so that spare parts can be ordered
3. Prognosis –Subsequent measurement will then establish the trend and enable the Repair
schedule to be planned.
Methods of Condition Monitoring:
There are two main methods used for condition monitoring namely
1. Trend Monitoring
2. Condition checking
Trend monitoring:
It is the continuous or regular measurement and interpretation of data collected during machine
operation to indicate variation in the condition of machine or its components in the interests of
safe and economical operation. This involves the selection of some suitable and measurable
indication of machine or components deterioration with running time to indicate when
deterioration is exceeding a critical stage. The principle involved shows the way in which such
trend monitoring can give a lead time before the deterioration reaches a level at which the
machine would have to be such down. This lead-time is one of the advantages of using trend
monitoring rather then the simple alarms of automatic shutdown devices used in permanent
monitoring.
Condition checking:
Condition checking is a condition monitoring method used as a measure of the machine
condition. In condition checking a check measurement is taken with the machine using suitable
machine parameters. To be effective the measurement must be accurate and quantifiable and
there must be known limiting values which must not be exceeded for more than a certain number
of permitted further running hours. To fix these values it requires a large amount of recorded past
experience for the particular type of machine. This makes the method less flexible than the trend
monitoring, particularly if it is required to give lead time as well as machine knowledge. It can
be useful particularly in a situation where there are several similar machines operating together.
In this case comparison can be made between the machine which is being monitored and other
machines which are known to be in good condition.
7. Methodology of Condition based maintenance:
The effective implementation of condition based maintenance involves
• Listing and numbering all machines in order to have their identification and location.
• Selecting the critical machines whose failures would cause production loss or anger to
personnel.
• Establishing programmers and methods specifying the parts to be examined. The reliability of
condition based maintenance depends not only on the instrumental but mostly on the skill and
sense of responsibility of the examiners.
• Establishing the severity limits of machine parameter of the machine under monitoring.
• Selection of proper examination frequency.
• Recording and maintenance of data.
8. Role of Condition Monitoring In Improving Equipment and Component
Reliability:
Once an effective planned and predictive mode of maintenance has been established within an
organisation, the next opportunity for improvement is by progressively extending the Mean Time
between Failures for that equipment. While this can be achieved by modifying equipment or
components, or replacing them with more reliable items, a major opportunity for improvement
exists by improving the precision with which maintenance is performed.
Condition Monitoring can assist here in a number of ways.
Taking Vibration Analysis as an example, it should first be recognised that there is a strong
negative correlation between the overall vibration level for a bearing, and the expected life of
that bearing. Put simply, the higher the overall vibration level to which the bearing is subjected,
then the shorter the expected life of the bearing. Second, it should be recognised that bearing
vibration can be induced by applying cyclical forces from two sources, either:
• From forces originating within the bearing (e.g. those due to impending bearing failure)
• From forces applied to the bearing from external effects.
• Ignoring the first of these causes, for the moment, cyclical external forces can be applied to the
bearing in a number of ways, such as due to:
• Misalignment
• Improper bearing installation
• Rotor imbalance
• Pump cavitation
• Flow induced vibration
It is clear, therefore, that increases in vibration due to these externally imposed forces can
significantly reduce bearing life. Traditionally, Vibration Analysis has consisted of assessing the
vibration levels, and then comparing these with some (usually fairly arbitrarily determined)
warning or alarm levels, above which some corrective action is required. With there being a
strong correlation between vibration levels and equipment or component life, we need a more
rigorous method of determining what those alarm levels should be. This will require
consideration of such factors as:
• Bearing design and capability
• The consequences of bearing failure (in terms of increased costs, lost production, safety or
environmental impact etc.)
• The cost trade-off between more frequent, and more rigorous monitoring, and improved
component or equipment life.
• Underlying process conditions.
This will require an additional level of sophistication above and beyond that which is currently
being applied by Condition Monitoring practitioners.
The Need to Optimise Equipment Performance:
There have been several articles written about the use of performance monitoring on steam
turbines, using measurements of temperature, pressure, power output and other techniques to
determine turbine condition, and the specific faults that may require attention. It is likely that this
type of monitoring will become more widespread on large equipment. Large Diesel engines,
pumps and other sophisticated equipment may also be able to be monitored using similar
principles. Expect to find work being done to increase the sophistication of techniques such as
ultrasonic flow measurement to assist with the cost-effective application of performance
monitoring techniques to a wider range of equipment Key trends for Condition Monitoring in the
21st Century: Summarizing the key trends deduced from the above analysis.
• The development of smart sensors, and other low-cost on-line monitoring systems that will
permit the cost-effective continuous monitoring of key equipment items.
• The increasing provision of built-in vibration sensors as standard features in large motors,
pumps, turbines and other large equipment items.
• Increasingly sophisticated condition monitoring software, with rapidly developing "expert"
diagnosis capabilities.
• The acceptance of Condition Monitoring within the "mainstream" of Operations and
Maintenance, with Production operators increasingly utilizing Condition Monitoring
technologies as part of their day-to-day duties.
• Increasing integration, and acceptance of common standards for interfacing Condition
Monitoring software with CMMS and Process Control software.
• An increasing focus on the business implications and applications of Condition Monitoring
technologies, leading to the utilisation of Condition Monitoring technologies to improve
equipment reliability and performance, rather than to merely predict component failure.
• A reduction in the cost-per-point of applying Condition Monitoring technologies - possibly
leading to more widespread use of these technologies.

9. Implications for Condition Monitoring Equipment Manufacturers/Vendors

It is likely that the trend towards integration of Condition Monitoring hardware and software
with other business systems will lead to enforced compliance with industry-wide standards.
While these standards have been in place for some time, compliance with these standards has, by
at least some manufacturers, been limited and, apparently, grudging.
Given that the market for Process control hardware and software is much larger than that for
Condition Monitoring hardware and software over the next decade, we will see either:
• Process control equipment vendors developing their own Condition Monitoring
hardware/software capability.
• Process control equipment vendors acquiring the existing players in the Condition Monitoring
equipment market.
While the focus of Research and Development at most of the major Condition Monitoring
vendors has been on the hardware side (particularly in the area of smart sensors), the key to the
successful application of these sensors lies in the area of software. Currently, none of the major
vendors has a credible capability in this area. The first vendor to develop robust, reliable "expert"
software based on open standards has the potential to gain significant market share.
Implications for Condition Monitoring Contractors
The following factors are likely to lead to a significant reduction in the demand for "traditional"
condition monitoring contract services:
• Increasing integration of Condition Monitoring hardware/software with Process Control
hardware and software and CMMS software.
• Increasingly sophisticated "expert" software allowing less skilled personnel to conduct "first
pass" condition assessment.
• A reduction in the cost of Condition Monitoring technology allowing smaller organizations to
cost-effectively perform their own condition monitoring activities.
• Balanced against this are the following factors that are likely to lead to increased demand for
Condition Monitoring services.
• An increase in the number of equipment items being monitored, as it becomes more cost-
effective to do so.
• Demands for increasing sophistication in the application of Condition Monitoring technologies,
with a particular focus on applying the technology in a manner that maximizes the business
benefits of the technology.
• The primary implications of this for Condition Monitoring contractors are that:
• There will be less "hands on" data collection
• There will be less, but more sophisticated data analysis, often using data that has been collected
on-site and then transmitted electronically to the contractor for analysis.
• Condition monitoring contractors will need to adopt a "consultant" mindset, rather than a
traditional contractor mindset if they are to survive. In particular, they will need to understand
their clients' business context and their production processes, and think in terms of how they can
best add value to their clients' businesses, rather than having technology issues as their prime
consideration.

Implications for Users of Condition Monitoring Services

For those organizations that use Condition Monitoring as part of their Maintenance Strategy mix,
the following are the likely implications of the previously mentioned trends:
• Condition Monitoring will be considered less and less as a "black art" requiring specialists in
order to perform routine data collection and analysis, although specialists will still be required to
perform more complex or unusual analysis.
• Production operators will increasingly use Condition Monitoring techniques to highlight
potential equipment problems - either using hand-held equipment, or permanently installed
monitors which are integrated with Process Control Systems.
• Mechanical trades’ people will increasingly use Condition Monitoring techniques to check the
quality of their own workmanship (for example to check alignments, balancing etc.)
• It will become increasingly economical, and increasingly strategically important, to perform
routine Condition Monitoring tasks in-house, rather than contract out these services.
Condition Based Maintenance results in:
• Increased uptime.
• Decreased unexpected breakdowns.
• Reduced Maintenance Costs.
• Maintenance is performed and it is planned.
• Improved Plant Safety.
10. Conclusion:
By selecting a proper monitoring technique, losses of output due to the breakdown of machinery
and costs of maintenance could be drastically reduced. The condition monitoring techniques
employs the trend monitoring and condition checking to identify the faults and their progress
using sophisticated monitoring equipments. With the proper use of equipments it is possible to
pin point exactly the causes of problems and their by helps the industry in overcoming
unforeseen breakdowns. Thus availability of machinery and productivity can be maximized.
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