Warning Signs of a Bearing Failure

“Are there any warning signs of when a bearing is about to fail?”

Think of a bearing failure as happening in four stages. During the first stage (or earliest detectable point using vibration analysis), the signals will appear in frequency bands around 250 to 350 kilohertz (KHz). In the second stage, a signal around 500 to 2,000 hertz (its natural frequency) will begin to ring.

 

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Lubricant Consolidation

In the interest of reducing purchasing costs and streamlining storage and handling, many organizations have substantially slashed the number of lubricant SKUs (stock keeping units) they use. They have also re-engineered the precision of their lubricant specification. There are many real and a couple of somewhat imaginary benefits to these consolidation initiatives. Let’s start with the real benefits.

 

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100 Ways to Improve Your Lubrication Program

To commemorate its 100th issue, Machinery Lubrication presents 100 things you should know to develop a world-class lubrication program. Whether you are in the initial stages of implementing a new program or already have a well-established program in place, you should find numerous ideas that can help, with advice from each of the 100 issues.

 

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Top 5 Hydraulic Mistakes and Best Solutions

When you turn on the television and surf the guide, you’ll often see shows like “Top 10 Beaches in the World,” “Top 20 Worst Celebrity Bodies” or “Top 100 Hits of the ’80s.” So to stay current with the times, this article will cover the top five most common hydraulic mistakes plants make over and over again. This falls into the definition of insanity with which we’re all familiar – doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Here are the top five:

 

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Managing Lubricant Viscosity to Maintain Compressor Health

If you’re running one of the approximately 140 working refineries in the United States, the last thing you need is an unplanned shutdown. But a production standstill is exactly what is at risk if you don’t keep an eye on the viscosity of the lubricating oil used in any of the rotary compressors in the plant, with the highest risk of these being the gas compressors. One minute all processes are up and running, and the next there’s a bearing failure and production stops.

 

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