vibration analysis

Process Equipment Repair Opportunity

Most customer accounts begin with small motor repair jobs and then graduate to larger motors and driven equipment repair work such as fans, gearboxes and pumps. A few of our customers have specialized process equipment that also needs service work to keep production rolling. One of our customers produces only one product – cellulous fiber, and they cannot make enough of it to satisfy the consumer demand for this product. Cellulose is found in all plant matter. This customer uses large rolls of white paper as their only source of cellulose. The wood pulp in the paper along with the starch [...]

Process Equipment Repair Opportunity2023-03-15T09:57:04-04:00

Aluminum Plant Outage

A major aluminum manufacturer contracts Horner EMDS (Electro Mechanical Diagnostic Services) to perform monthly vibration data collection and analysis. EMDS identified a mill gearbox input shaft bearing issue. In 2022, the monthly vibration analysis indicated the bearing issue increasing. The vibration analysis was discussed with the customer and the vibration data collection increased to twice weekly. At the same time, customer was planning a major outage to on-site repair the gearbox. The March outage was scheduled. Horner provided 24 hour per day, 5-day work schedule. On a Monday the outage started. Mark Rosebrock was lead tech on day shift and Matt [...]

Aluminum Plant Outage2023-03-14T11:27:59-04:00

Office Building Window Vibration

An office building had an open atrium that went from ground level up to the roof. In the center of the atrium was a large flowing fountain. Surrounding the fountain were meeting rooms. Each meeting room had a large plate glass window approximately 8 feet tall and 12 feet wide through which the individuals in the meeting room could view the fountain. The problem was that these large plate glass windows had high levels of vibration. The frequency of the vibration was 240 cycles/minute. The floors and walls were all tested and no significant level of the 240 cpm vibration was [...]

Office Building Window Vibration2023-03-13T10:34:23-04:00

Vibration Issue on Forced Draft Fan

A 100 year old steam plant was having a long standing vibration issue that they could not correct. Our EMDS department determined the likely issue was the hub to shaft fit. Horner Machining Services did most of the work on this fan including: • Remove old bearing, couplings, and louvers • Press old shaft out of the fan • Sand blast the fan and louvers clean • steam clean coupling • set up new shaft and check for straightness, then install • Dynamic Balance • Paint and reinstall the original coupling Field Service did the on-site work for removal, installation, and [...]

Vibration Issue on Forced Draft Fan2022-01-26T23:26:33-05:00

Advanced Diagnostic Services and Preventative Maintenance

A major steel mill was looking to upgrade their maintenance practices thru predictive maintenance vibration analysis. There were several meetings with Brad Barton of Horner’s Electrical Mechanical Diagnostics Service (EMDS) group to identify equipment and understand their expectations. The EMDS reporting was covered in depth, a vibration collection route was laid out and frequency of reporting established. The machines identified ranged from 10,000 hp AC motors to smaller AC and DC motors in the range of 100hp up to 1250 hp as well as gearboxes. Horner’s field service group installed remote accelerometers on equipment deemed not safe for personnel to enter [...]

Advanced Diagnostic Services and Preventative Maintenance2022-01-26T23:19:34-05:00

High Speed Motion Camera

Motion Magnification See what’s really happening to your equipment in real time.  Pinpoint the root cause of the vibration or dynamic problems costing you time and money! Key Benefits Faster, easier, and less error-prone diagnosis of vibration and system dynamics enable problems to be pinpointed with more certainty. Enables your reliability and maintenance engineers to pinpoint problem root causes, lower maintenance costs, reduce problem resolution time and machine or plant downtime. Applications Localized Structural Vibration: Bearing pedestals Pipe Rack Duct work Cooling Towers Blowers Frequent Mechanical Failures: Pumps Fans Machine Bases Bent shaft Misalignment  

High Speed Motion Camera2021-01-08T23:41:17-05:00

A Fan That Cannot Be Balanced

A power plant kept getting above normal levels of unbalance on a 5000 horsepower 720 RPM fan. They had made several attempts trying to balance the fan, all of which failed. It was then that they made the decision to call in Nelson Baxter who is the manager of Horner’s EMDS Division. Equipment: A 5000 HP 720 RPM fan at a Power Plant. Symptoms: Above normal levels of unbalance that resisted balance efforts. Several attempts were made to balance the fan, all of which were unsuccessful. Test Results: After attempting several balance shots in an I.D. fan, the casing vibration levels [...]

A Fan That Cannot Be Balanced2021-01-08T23:18:48-05:00

Ghosts: Vibratory Conveyors

Symptoms of Problem: In a small Midwestern town, the residents complained that they felt movement of their houses, particularly at night. One of the residents stated that her sister would no longer come and visit her because she thought the house was haunted with ghosts. She felt this way because lampshades would move, pictures would rattle and rocking chairs would rock without anyone being in them. Test Procedure: In an attempt to identify the cause of the above problem, vibration measurements were made at several of the houses in the community, along the sidewalks and at a factory located near the [...]

Ghosts: Vibratory Conveyors2021-05-15T01:11:21-04:00

Vibration Of Microscope In Microsurgery Room

Equipment: A microscope mounted from the ceiling of a surgery room. The special microscope was used by the surgeon during micro-surgery operations which involved replanting severed fingers and toes. Symptoms: The chief surgeon complained that the image was jittery and that it was very tiring to operate under those conditions, particularly when the scope was set for its maximum magnification. Test Data and Observations: The scope was set to its greatest magnification and printed material was placed on the operating table. Vibration was clearly noticeable, just as the surgeon had indicated. Vibration spectra were taken on both the table and the [...]

Vibration Of Microscope In Microsurgery Room2019-09-09T17:18:50-04:00

Sound and Vibration From Pulse Furnace

A new building had been constructed at a university and it had objectionable levels of both sound and vibration. Both problems were related to the three pulse furnaces heating the building. The furnaces were located in the basement. The furnaces’ flues ran under the floors then up a chase and out through short stacks in the roof. Vibration and sound spectra were taken in the offices areas where there were problems. The primary frequency in both the sound and vibration spectra were at approximately 37 Hz, which was the pulse firing frequency of the furnaces. At the end of the building [...]

Sound and Vibration From Pulse Furnace2019-08-30T19:34:35-04:00
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