The Hidden Costs of Over-Greasing — And How to Stop It

Walk into almost any plant and you will hear it. If a little grease is good, more must be better. That belief has quietly cost industry millions. Over-greasing does not protect bearings. It creates excess pressure, increases friction, raises operating temperatures, and pushes grease past seals....

Turning Ultrasonic Leak Detection into Real Savings

Everyone agrees that compressed air leaks cost money. We tag them, we mark them, and we acknowledge them. And then nothing happens.  Leaks can consume 30 to 40 percent of the total air volume produced in a system. That wasted air represents lost energy, unnecessary compressor...

Extreme Slow-Speed Bearing Condition Monitoring with Ultrasound

Slow-rotating assets are notoriously difficult to diagnose with vibration analysis and other predictive technologies. The low energy output of slow rotating assets greatly increases the margin for error when detecting defects with vibration analysis. It is not impossible to detect defects on slow-speed rotating assets with...

Cement Manufacturing – Slow-Speed Bearing Condition Monitoring (SKF 61952 MA) – SDT340 Case Study

Cement production is rotating equipment heavy. To keep material moving through each stage of production, rotating assets must be monitored and maintained. Cement manufacturing involves a high concentration of slow-rotating equipment which can pose challenges for under-equipped maintenance and reliability teams. Slow-rotating equipment often found within...

Pump Bearing Failure – Inner Race (SKF – NU308) SDT340 Case Study

Pump reliability is essential to liquid intensive manufacturing processes. Reliable production depends on freely available water throughout the system. That reliability depends on the entire system, including the pumps, motors, valves, and associated piping. The following case study examines the reliability of a dump transfer chest...

Bearing Roller Cage Failure Detected with SDT340

Roller cage bearings reduce friction by separating and evenly spacing rolling elements. The roller cage design improves efficiency and speed capability but is more susceptible to lubrication related failures. Insufficient or misapplied lubrication will lead to increased friction between the cage and the bearing, accelerating...