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4 Main Causes of Machine Faults

Machines are unpredictable things. It can be working properly and then the next, they can be coughing up oil, making unusual buzzing sounds, or worse, breaking down. This is exactly why having maintenance rounds are especially important to any industrial machine being used to prevent machine faults.

Why do machines develop faults?

Corresponding to any other modern technology in the industry, machines also tend to deteriorate in time. Rapid deterioration usually comes into action when the device or rather, the machine is not well taken care of. That, and a hundred more reasons why your machine is experiencing mechanical faults. But here, we are letting you in on the four main reasons why your machine is malfunctioning.

Yes, there are probably numerous reasons why, but according to a study, these four main categories accept most of them. And here, we will be looking closely at these four categories that are consuming your machine’s health.

Four main causes of machine faults.

These are the most common causes of why your machine is acting up. We are covering four parts which are, misalignment, imbalance, looseness, and bearing time. In the reality of things, do not expect that these causes will be the only cause of machine destruction. As we have mentioned, there are numerous causes of why your machine is experiencing blunders. However, most of those errors are caused by these four things.

1 Machine faults: Misalignment

First, how, and why is this a machine fault? We will give you a straight answer. Misalignment can cause multiple disturbing things when the machine performs. Why? Because this kind of motor error is produced by excessive vibration, noise, coupling, bearing temperature increases, premature bearing, coupling, or shaft failure. Given all those things, machine misalignment is not that hard to miss.

Believe it or not, misalignment also has different types that you need to be aware of in order to fully understand the ins and outs of this categorical machine fault. Let us briefly break it down, shall we? There are three types of motor misalignment.

  • Angular Misalignment – Can cause severe damage to the driven equipment and other motors. This occurs when the motor is set at an angle to the driven equipment.
  • Parallel Misalignment – This occurs when the two shaft centerlines are parallel, but not in the same line.
  • Combination Misalignment – A combination of both parties above. This occurs when angular and parallel misalignment crosses paths, resulting in combination misalignment.

2 Machine faults: Looseness

At first thought, you might immediately think that something in the machine only needs tightening, but let us stop you right there. Looseness can be identified in three things and not just one. And there are levels of seriousness for each.

Type 1: This is when mechanical looseness has a time waveform of 1 pulse per revolution.

Type 2: This is caused by loose pillow block bolts, cracks in the frame structure, or in the bearing pedestal. The time waveform is typically two pulses per revolution.

Type 3: Deemed as the most complex one yet. According to a study, it is generally caused by the improper fit between components parts, such as bearings and their housing, a bearing liner loose in its cap, excessive clearance between a bearing and its sleeve, or a loose impeller on a shaft.

3 Mechanical faults: Imbalance

Also known as an unequal distribution of mass. According to a study by Lewis Motor Repair, balancing is a procedure in which the mass distribution of a rotor is assessed and if necessary, adjusted. Thus, when we say unbalanced, this simply means the unequal distribution of the weight of a rotor about its rotating centerline.

Here are some of the causes:

  • Blow Holes in Castings
  • Distortion
  • Corrosion or Wear
  • Deposit Build-Up
  • Manufactured Unsymmetrical Configurations
  • Hydraulic or Aerodynamic Unbalance

4 Mechanical faults: Bearing wear

It simply means that your mechanical motor is starting to get old. Ultimately, by carrying extensive loads, having poor lubrication or installation, the bearings will eventually fail. However, with the proper care and maintenance, such circumstances can be prevented.

Fluke Vibration Testers are the most ideal tool.

Get your hands on Fluke’s vibration testers. These test tools can undoubtedly be effective in every industrial operation whether it be an official check-up or your daily rounds. The Fluke 810 Vibration Tester is equipped with a diagnostic engine that combines algorithms with a database of real-world measurement experience. This device will allow them to quickly perform vibration analysis and evaluate the motor’s alignment accurately.

This will help every mechanical team in:

  • Prioritizing and planning repair activities and operating more efficiently.
  • Troubleshooting problem equipment and understanding the root cause of failure
  • Anticipate equipment failures before they happen.

Some of Fluke vibration tester’s prized qualities:

  • Comprehensive diagnostic reports and spectral diagrams help confirm data quality and narrow down the root cause of failures
  • Flexible machine speed configurations give the ability to test a broad range of assets including belt drives, gearboxes, and bevel gears
  • Fluke 810’s overall vibration level allows you to quickly assess overall machine health directly from the diagnosis screen
  • Accountability severity scale with four severity levels helps you prioritize maintenance work

Get your Fluke tool from a trusted source!

Presidium.PH is an authorized distributor of Fluke test tools in the Philippines. So, if you want to know more about Fluke tools and their functions, visit our website for more info! This is a one-stop shop for the best test tools in the market!

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Fluke Tools: How to Properly Clean Your Device

The growth of the pandemic has affected a lot of lives in terms of lifestyle and preventive health measures. New procedures were taken to ensure the safety of everyone. Most especially, new rules have been implemented to contain the spread of the virus. In lieu of this, one of the best practices everyone was taught was to keep our hands clean and disinfect gadgets.

With Fluke tools, no matter how rugged and durable fluke tools are, they are not susceptible to not inhabit any form of the virus.

With this said, now that society is slowly going back to normal, this doesn’t mean we should tolerate complacency. Normal processing of these health procedures should still be implemented especially in public places.

In an operational situation, or most especially, in work wherein touching things or being close to people is a must, hand hygiene, and device hygiene is a must. One of the most prominent working places that this usually happens is in industrial work areas.

Industrial work areas: What to expect?

Let’s just say working in the industrial sector is not a one-man job. Rather, it requires a lot of communication and teamwork. Furthermore, it also includes a lot of touching. Maybe not with your pals at work, but with your tools. And this can cause serious trouble to your workmates if one of the people touching that device is Covid positive. Scary right?

The passing of tools and data is not uncommon in a rugged environment. But to this day and age, it is also not deemed as the safest. Yes, the rates of Covid-19 cases have slowed down, but this doesn’t mean preventive measures should also slow down.

Caring for your Fluke tools.

Fluke tools are the best in the market, yes? Their reputation of being one of the most rugged tools in the industry is clear as daylight. This is why they are saturated by maintenance and troubleshooting professionals.

However, this doesn’t negate the fact that they also need a lot of caring and maintenance, specifically for the fact that they can be used in such harsh environments. Luckily for you, we’re here to show you how.

The role and importance of cleaning your devices.

According to WHO (World Health Organization), one of the most efficient ways how the virus jumps from one person to the next is in the form of touch. As stated by the University of Washington, cleaning removes most germs, as well as dirt and debris from surfaces or objects.

Ultimately, it was also mentioned in the study that the outer membrane of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be physically degraded by surfactants contained in all EPA-approved cleaning agents.

As you can see, properly cleaning your devices the proper way can boost workplace safety up a notch. Not only does this practice benefits your Fluke tools, but it also greatly benefits the people around you.

How you should properly clean Fluke tools.

To recall, the exterior of Fluke devices sports a yellow and grey hardcover. And with its ability to withstand harsh elements, let’s just say you shouldn’t go easy on it when you’re in the process of cleaning. Nevertheless, there is still a proper way to do it. Here’s how:

  • Use clean cloths – Really, if you’re going to use discarded scraps of old cloth, then why are we cleaning it in the first place? Using clean cloths can eliminate germs, bacteria, debris, dust, and dirt. On the other hand, if you’re using used cloths, then, there is a high chance you’re just spreading the dirt and not actually cleaning your device.
  • Use a Fluke Meter Cleaning wipe – Yes, ladies and gents, Fluke has an official cleaning wipe for its devices. It comes in a box and consists of black wipes. It is equipped with a pre-moistened industrial strength cleaning formula that removes surface dirt, oil, and grease from your test tools.
  • Dry your equipment after cleaning – Because let’s face it, every electronic thing on the planet whether it’s a high-end device or a state-of-the-art tech, each one of them hates water. They can tolerate yes, but initially, there’s a chance of cutting their lifespan short when they are exposed to any form of water.

Here’s what you shouldn’t do.

Now you know how to properly clean your Fluke test tools, now, we’ll show you what you shouldn’t do! Here are some of them:

  • Don’t use abrasive cleaners – These are scrubs, stones, liquid cleansers, powdered cleansers, etc. For the simple fact that it’s too strong of a cleaning solution for your device.
  • Do not immerse tools in liquid – Your Fluke tools might be dirtier than expected, but do not put them underwater. Stick to the wiping procedure above.

Get your Fluke tool from a trusted source!

Now that you know how to properly clean your Fluke tool, why not get them from a trusted distributor? Presidium PH is an authorized distributor of Fluke test tools in the Philippines. So, if you want to know more about Fuke tools and their functions, visit our website for more info! This is a one-stop shop for the best test tools in the market!

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