Condition Monitoring and Condition Based Maintenance

(CBM)
Condition Monitoring (CbM) - a maintenance process where the condition of equipment with regard
to overheating and vibration is monitored for early signs of impending failure. Equipment can be
monitored using sophisticated instrumentation such as vibration analysis equipment or the human
senses. Where instrumentation is used actual limits can be imposed to trigger maintenance activity.
Condition Monitoring (CM), Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and Condition Based Maintenance
(CBM) are other terms used to describe this process.

What is Condition Monitoring?

Condition monitoring or CBM (Condition Based Monitoring ) is an effective form of predictive
maintenance (PdM) where, as you may have guessed, you monitor the condition of specific areas of
plant and equipment. This can be done automatically with the use of instrumentation such as
machinery vibration analysis and thermal imaging equipment or manually. In automatic CBM
when any monitored and predefined condition limit is exceeded, a signal or output is turned on. This
output can be sent directly to a CMMS so that a work order is generated automatically. This is
particularly suited to continuous process plants where plant failure and downtime can be extremely
costly.

Machine Condition Monitoring

Machine condition monitoring can be applied to many conditions. Condition monitoring of

temperature, analysis of machine vibration, over voltage or current and liquid level are the most
common. In effect any condition that can be detected by a sensor can be monitored. We all use
condition monitoring in our cars, where the oil pressure warning light illuminates to let us know that
the CAR needs oil.

There are also cruder but nevertheless effective forms of condition based monitoring including the
use of the human senses, where the condition is monitored by routine inspection. This may be a visual
inspection, a test using a portable instrument or even listening to a bearing by holding a screwdriver
against bearing housing and pressing it to your ear, which was the birthplace of the modern and
portable vibration analysis equipment that is now readily available.

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Vibration Analysis in Condition Monitoring (Machinery Vibration)

Early failure of machinery can often be detected using condition monitoring techniques.

Vibration analysis is the most commonly used technology used to monitor this. The frequency of the
vibrations can also be mapped since certain frequencies will only be present when conditions that
indicate an impending defect are present. Comparison of the vibration spectra of new equipment
versus equipment that has been used will provide the information required to make a decision when
maintenance intervention is required.

There are many obvious applications for this but I recently heard of one rather different situation. It
was in a very cold country and there was a large air intake fan that had suffered a sudden bearing
failure. This was despite regular inspections. An investigation revealed that the fan had been off for a
while and a significant amount of ice had formed at the bottom of the impeller blades. When the fan
was turned on it created a serious imbalance and subsequent failure. Solution? Fix it and install a
vibration limit switch.

Condition Monitoring using Infrared Thermography (Thermal Imaging)

Condition Monitoring using IR thermography provides a quick and safe way of detecting problems
in many different situations. Modern infrared cameras can be used to detect increases in temperature
that indicate potential problems. These may include increases the temperature of electrical contacts or
insulation. Being non-contact, infrared thermography provides a condition monitoring technique
that can be often be safely carried out while equipment is running reducing the requirement for PM
outage.

Condition Monitoring using Laser Alignment of Shafts in Rotating Equipment

Near to perfect alignment of the shafts of rotating equipment is very important on high speed rotating
equipment where misalignment can cause expensive equipment failure. Laser shaft alignment
provides the most accurate method of this type of condition monitoring..

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Condition Monitoring by Oil Analysis

Condition monitoring through oil analysis provides a means of detecting the presence of
contamination in oil. This contamination can be caused by many things such as water and particles of
other mineral or vegetable matter.

One such example of condition monitoring by oil analysis is where the condition of the oil in oil
circuit breakers and electrical transformers is monitored for the presence of several substances
including the carbon deposits that can be created by under load switching.

Another example is condition monitoring of Propeller Shaft & Stern Tube by Stern Tube Oil analysis
at specified interval. Condition of oil will indicate possibility of corrosion though Sea Water
Contamination of Stern Tube Oil.

'Condition monitoring is the process of monitoring a parameter of condition in machinery, such that
a significant change is indicative of a developing failure. It is a major component of predictive
maintenance. The use of conditional monitoring allows maintenance to be scheduled, or other actions
to be taken to avoid the consequences of failure, before the failure occurs. Nevertheless, a deviation
from a reference value (e.g. temperature or vibration behavior) must occur to identify impeding
damages. Predictive Maintenance does not predict failure. Machines with defects are more at risk of
failure than defect free machines. Once a defect has been identified, the failure process has already
commenced and CM systems can only measure the deterioration of the condition. Intervention in the
early stages of deterioration is usually much more cost effective than allowing the machinery to fail.
Condition monitoring has a unique benefit in that the actual load, and subsequent heat dissipation that
represents normal service can be seen and conditions that would shorten normal lifespan can be
addressed before repeated failures occur. Serviceable machinery include rotating equipment and
stationary plant such as boilers and heat exchangers.

Rotating equipment
The most commonly used method for rotating machines is called vibration analysis. Measurements
can be taken on machine bearing casings with seismic or piezo-electric transducers to measure the
casing vibrations, and on the vast majority of critical machines, with eddy-current transducers that

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directly observe the rotating shafts to measure the radial (and axial) vibration of the shaft. The level of
vibration can be compared with historical baseline values such as former startups and shutdowns, and
in some cases established standards such as load changes, to assess the severity.
Interpreting the vibration signal so obtained is a complex process that requires specialized training and
experience. Exceptions are state-of-the-art technologies that provide the vast majority of data analysis
automatically and provide information instead of data. One commonly employed technique is to
examine the individual frequencies present in the signal. These frequencies correspond to certain
mechanical components (for example, the various pieces that make up a rolling-element bearing) or
certain malfunctions (such as shaft unbalance or misalignment). By examining these frequencies and
their harmonics, the analyst can often identify the location and type of problem, and sometimes the
root cause as well. For example, high vibration at the frequency corresponding to the speed of rotation
is most often due to residual imbalance and is corrected by balancing the machine. As another
example, a degrading rolling-element bearing will usually exhibit increasing vibration signals at
specific frequencies as it wears. Special analysis instruments can detect this wear weeks or even
months before failure, giving ample warning to schedule replacement before a failure which could
cause a much longer down-time. Beside all sensors and data analysis it is important to keep in mind
that more than 80% of all complex mechanical equipment fails accidentally and without any relation
to their life-cycle period.

Most vibration analysis instruments today utilize a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) which is a special
case of the generalized Discrete Fourier Transform and converts the vibration signal from its time
domain representation to its equivalent frequency domain representation. However, frequency analysis
(sometimes called Spectral Analysis or Vibration Signature Analysis) is only one aspect of
interpreting the information contained in a vibration signal. Frequency analysis tends to be most useful
on machines that employ rolling element bearings and whose main failure modes tend to be the
degradation of those bearings, which typically exhibit an increase in characteristic frequencies
associated with the bearing geometries and constructions. In contrast, depending on the type of
machine, its typical malfunctions, the bearing types employed, rotational speeds, and other factors, the
skilled analyst will often need to utilize additional diagnostic tools, such as examining the time domain
signal, the phase relationship between vibration components and a timing mark on the machine shaft
(often known as a keyphasor), historical trends of vibration levels, the shape of vibration, and
numerous other aspects of the signal along with other information from the process such as load,
bearing temperatures, flow rates, valve positions and pressures to provide an accurate diagnosis. This
is particularly true of machines that use fluid bearings rather than rolling-element bearings. To enable
them to look at this data in a more simplified form vibration analysts or machinery diagnostic
engineers have adopted a number of mathematical plots to show machine problems and running
characteristics, these plots include the bode plot, the waterfall plot, the polar plot and the orbit time
base plot amongst others.

Handheld data collectors and analyzers are now commonplace on non-critical or balance of plant
machines on which permanent on-line vibration instrumentation cannot be economically justified. The
technician can collect data samples from a number of machines, then download the data into a
computer where the analyst (and sometimes artificial intelligence) can examine the data for changes
indicative of malfunctions and impending failures. For larger, more critical machines where safety
implications, production interruptions (so-called "downtime"), replacement parts, and other costs of
failure can be appreciable (determined by the criticality index), a permanent monitoring system is
typically employed rather than relying on periodic handheld data collection. However, the diagnostic
methods and tools available from either approach are generally the same.

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Performance monitoring is a less well-known condition monitoring technique. It can be applied to
rotating machinery such as pumps and turbines, as well as stationary items such as boilers and heat
exchangers. Measurements are required of physical quantities: temperature, pressure, flow, speed,
displacement, according to the plant item. Absolute accuracy is rarely necessary, but repeatable data is
needed. Calibrated test instruments are usually needed, but some success has been achieved in plant
with DCS (Distributed Control Systems). Performance analysis is often closely related to energy
efficiency, and therefore has long been applied in steam power generation plants. In some cases, it is
possible to calculate the optimum time for overhaul to restore degraded performance.

Other techniques
• The most rudimentary form of condition monitoring is visual inspection by experienced
operators and maintainers. Failure modes such as cracking, leaking, corrosion, etc. can often be
detected by visual inspection before failure is likely. This form of condition monitoring is
generally the cheapest and is a vital part of workplace culture to give ownership of the
equipment to the people that work with it. Consequently, other forms of condition monitoring
should generally augment, rather than replace, visual inspection.
• Slight temperature variations across a surface can be discovered with visual inspection and
non-destructive testing with thermography. Heat is indicative of failing components, especially
degrading electrical contacts and terminations. Thermography can also be successfully applied
to high-speed bearings, fluid couplings, conveyor rollers, and storage tank internal build-up.
• Using a Scanning Electron Microscope of a carefully taken sample of debris suspended in
lubricating oil (taken from filters or magnetic chip detectors). Instruments then reveal the
elements contained their proportions, size and morphology. Using this method, the site, the
mechanical failure mechanism and the time to eventual failure may be determined. This is
called WDA - Wear Debris Analysis.
• Spectrographic oil analysis that tests the chemical composition of the oil can be used to predict
failure modes. For example high silicon content indicates contamination of grit etc, and high
iron levels indicate wearing components. Individually, elements give fair indications, but when
used together they can very accurately determine failure modes e.g. for internal combustion
engines, the presence of iron/alloy, and carbon would indicate worn piston rings.
• Ultrasound can be used for high-speed and slow-speed mechanical applications and for high-
pressure fluid situations. Digital ultrasonic meters measure high frequency signals from
bearings and display the result as a dBuV (decibels per microvolt) value. This value is trended
over time and used to predict increases in friction, rubbing, impacting, and other bearing
defects. The dBuV value is also used to predict proper intervals for re-lubrication. Ultrasound
monitoring, if done properly, proves out to be a great companion technology for vibration
analysis.

Headphones allow humans to listen to ultrasound as well. A high pitched 'buzzing sound' in bearings
indicates flaws in the contact surfaces, and when partial blockages occur in high pressure fluids the
orifice will cause a large amount of ultrasonic noise.

• Performance analysis, where the physical efficiency, performance, or condition is found by

comparing actual parameters against an ideal model. Deterioration is typically the cause of
difference in the readings. After motors, centrifugal pumps are arguably the most common
machines. Condition monitoring by a simple head-flow test near duty point using repeatable
measurements has long been used but could be more widely adopted. An extension of this
method can be used to calculate the best time to overhaul a pump based on balancing the cost

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 of overhaul against the increasing energy consumption that occurs as a pump wears. Aviation
gas turbines are also commonly monitored using performance analysis techniques with the
original equipment manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce plc routinely monitoring whole fleets of
aircraft engines under Long Term Service Agreements (LTSAs) or Total Care packages.
• Wear Debris Detection Sensors are capable of detecting ferrous and non-ferrous wear particles
within the lubrication oil giving considerable information about the condition of the measured
machinery. By creating and monitoring a trend of what debris is being generated it is possible
to detect faults prior to catastrophic failure of rotating equipment such as gearbox's, turbines,
etc.

The Criticality Index

The Criticality Index is often used to determine the degree on condition monitoring on a given
machine taking into account the machines purpose, redundancy (i.e. if the machine fails, is there a
standby machine which can take over), cost of repair, downtime impacts, health, safety and
environment issues and a number of other key factors. The criticality index puts all machines into one
of three categories:

• 1 - Critical machinery - Machines that are vital to the plant or process and without which the
plant or process cannot function. Machines in this category include the steam or gas turbines in
a power plant, crude oil export pumps on an oil rig or the cracker in an oil refinery. With
critical machinery being at the heart of the process it is seen to require full on-line condition
monitoring to continually record as much data from the machine as possible regardless of cost
and is often specified by the plant insurance. Measurements such as loads, pressures,
temperatures, casing vibration and displacement, shaft axial and radial displacement, speed and
differential expansion are taken where possible. These values are often fed back into a
machinery management software package which is capable of trending the historical data and
providing the operators with information such as performance data and even predict faults and
provide diagnosis of failures before they happen.
• 2 - Essential Machinery - Machinery that is a key part of the process but if it fails the process
can still operates. The machines that mainly fall under this category are machines which
provide redundancy i.e. a process may need three pumps to operate but there may be four
pumps so if one pump fails the spare (redundant or standby) pump can be utilized. These types
of machine are normally boiler feed pumps in a power plant, air compressors and export pumps
on an oil refinery. These machines have condition monitoring applied where possible but the
level of which is usually specified by the cost of implementing the technology against the cost
of failure of the machine. Some expensive/specialist machines in this category may have full
on-line monitoring like critical machines whereas other machines such as large motors, which
are easily replaced, may have monitoring systems that take measurements periodically rather
than continuously
• 3 - General purpose or balance of plant machines - These are the machines that make up the
remainder of the plant and normally monitored using a handheld data collector as mentioned
previously to periodically create a picture of the health of the machine.

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 PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE

Predictive maintenance (PdM) techniques help determine the condition of in-service equipment in
order to predict when maintenance should be performed. This approach offers cost savings over
routine or time-based preventive maintenance, because tasks are performed only when warranted.

Overview
PdM, or condition-based maintenance, attempts to evaluate the condition of equipment by performing
periodic or continuous (online) equipment condition monitoring. The ultimate goal of PdM is to
perform maintenance at a scheduled point in time when the maintenance activity is most cost-effective
and before the equipment loses performance within a threshold. This is in contrast to time- and/or
operation count-based maintenance, where a piece of equipment gets maintained whether it needs it or
not. Time-based maintenance is labor intensive, ineffective in identifying problems that develop
between scheduled inspections, and is not cost-effective.

The "predictive" component of predictive maintenance stems from the goal of predicting the future
trend of the equipment's condition. This approach uses principles of statistical process control to
determine at what point in the future maintenance activities will be appropriate.

Most PdM inspections are performed while equipment is in service, thereby minimizing disruption of
normal system operations. Adoption of PdM can result in substantial cost savings and higher system
reliability.

Reliability-centered maintenance, or RCM, emphasizes the use of predictive maintenance (PdM)

techniques in addition to traditional preventive measures. When properly implemented, RCM provides
companies with a tool for achieving lowest asset Net Present Costs (NPC) for a given level of
performance and risk.

Technologies
To evaluate equipment condition, predictive maintenance utilizes nondestructive testing technologies
such as infrared, acoustic (partial discharge and airborne ultrasonic), corona detection, vibration
analysis, sound level measurements, oil analysis, and other specific online tests. New methods in this
area is to utilize measurements on the actual equipment in combination with measurement of process
performance, measured by other devices, to trigger maintenance conditions. This is primarily available
in Collaborative Process Automation Systems(CPAS). Site measurements are often supported by
wireless sensor networks to reduce the wiring cost.

Vibration analysis is most productive on high-speed rotating equipment and can be the most expensive
component of a PdM program to get up and running. Vibration analysis, when properly done, allows
the user to evaluate the condition of equipment and avoid failures. The latest generation of vibration
analyzers comprises more capabilities and automated functions than its predecessors. Many units
display the full vibration spectrum of three axes simultaneously, providing a snapshot of what is going
on with a particular machine. But despite such capabilities, not even the most sophisticated equipment
successfully predicts developing problems unless the operator understands and applies the basics of
vibration analysis.

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Acoustical analysis can be done on a sonic or ultrasonic level. New ultrasonic techniques for condition
monitoring make it possible to “hear” friction and stress in rotating machinery, which can predict
deterioration earlier than conventional techniques. Ultrasonic technology is sensitive to high-
frequency sounds that are inaudible to the human ear and distinguishes them from lower-frequency
sounds and mechanical vibration. Machine friction and stress waves produce distinctive sounds in the
upper ultrasonic range. Changes in these friction and stress waves can suggest deteriorating conditions
much earlier than technologies such as vibration or oil analysis. With proper ultrasonic measurement
and analysis, it’s possible to differentiate normal wear from abnormal wear, physical damage,
imbalance conditions, and lubrication problems based on a direct relationship between asset and
operating conditions.

Sonic monitoring equipment is less expensive, but it also has fewer uses than ultrasonic technologies.
Sonic technology is useful only on mechanical equipment, while ultrasonic equipment can detect
electrical problems and is more flexible and reliable in detecting mechanical problems.

Infrared monitoring and analysis has the widest range of application (from high- to low-speed
equipment), and it can be effective for spotting both mechanical and electrical failures; some consider
it to currently be the most cost-effective technology.

Oil analysis is a long-term program that, where relevant, can eventually be more predictive than any of
the other technologies. It can take years for a plant's oil program to reach this level of sophistication
and effectiveness. Analytical techniques performed on oil samples can be classified in two categories:
used oil analysis and wear particle analysis. Used oil analysis determines the condition of the lubricant
itself, determines the quality of the lubricant, and checks its suitability for continued use. Wear particle
analysis determines the mechanical condition of machine components that are lubricated. Through
wear particle analysis, you can identify the composition of the solid material present and evaluate
particle type, size, concentration, distribution, and morphology.

RELIABILITY-CENTRED MAINTENANCE
Reliability-centered maintenance, often known as RCM, is a process to ensure that assets continue to
do what their users require in their present operating context.

It is generally used to achieve improvements in fields such as the establishment of safe minimum
levels of maintenance, changes to operating procedures and strategies and the establishment of capital
maintenance regimes and plans. Successful implementation of RCM will lead to increase in cost
effectiveness, machine uptime, and a greater understanding of the level of risk that the organization is
presently managing.

The late John Moubray, in his industry leading book RCM2 , characterized Reliability-centered
Maintenance as a process to establish the safe minimum levels of maintenance. This description
echoed statements in the Nowlan and Heap report from United Airlines.

It is defined by the technical standard SAE JA1011 , Evaluation Criteria for RCM Processes, which
sets out the minimum criteria that any process should meet before it can be called RCM. This starts
with the 7 questions below, worked through in the order that they are listed:

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 1. What is the item supposed to do and its associated performance standards?
2. In what ways can it fail to provide the required functions?
3. What are the events that cause each failure?
4. What happens when each failure occurs?
5. In what way does each failure matter?
6. What systematic task can be performed proactively to prevent, or to diminish to a
satisfactory degree, the consequences of the failure?
7. What must be done if a suitable preventive task cannot be found?

Reliability centered maintenance is an engineering framework that enables the definition of a complete
maintenance regime. It regards maintenance as the means to maintain the functions a user may require
of machinery in a defined operating context. As a discipline it enables machinery stakeholders to
monitor, assess, predict and generally understand the working of their physical assets. This is
embodied in the initial part of the RCM process which is to identify the operating context of the
machinery, and write a Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). The second part of
the analysis is to apply the "RCM logic", which helps determine the appropriate maintenance tasks for
the identified failure modes in the FMECA. Once the logic is complete for all elements in the
FMECA, the resulting list of maintenance is "packaged", so that the periodicities of the tasks are
rationalized to be called up in work packages; it is important not to destroy the applicability of
maintenance in this phase. Lastly, RCM is kept live throughout the "in-service" life of machinery,
where the effectiveness of the maintenance is kept under constant review and adjusted in light of the
experience gained.

Reliability Centered Maintenance can be used to create a cost-effective maintenance strategy to

address dominant causes of equipment failure. It is a systematic approach to defining a routine
maintenance program composed of cost-effective tasks that preserve important functions.

The important functions (of a piece of equipment) to preserve with routine maintenance are identified,
their dominant failure modes and causes determined and the consequences of failure ascertained.
Levels of criticality are assigned to the consequences of failure. Some functions are not critical and are
left to "run to failure" while other functions must be preserved at all cost. Maintenance tasks are
selected that address the dominant failure causes. This process directly addresses maintenance
preventable failures. Failures caused by unlikely events, non-predictable acts of nature, etc. will
usually receive no action provided their risk (combination of severity and frequency) is trivial (or at
least tolerable). When the risk of such failures is very high, RCM encourages (and sometimes
mandates) the user to consider changing something which will reduce the risk to a tolerable level.

The result is a maintenance program that focuses scarce economic resources on those items that would
cause the most disruption if they were to fail. RCM emphasizes the use of Predictive maintenance
(PdM) techniques in addition to traditional preventive measures.

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