Condition Monitoring
What is Condition Monitoring?
Condition Monitoring is the process of monitoring a parameter of conditions in equipment in order to identify a significant change which is indicative of a developing possible failure. Condition Monitoring can be performed using skilled operatives or by using specialised equipment.
The use of Condition Monitoring
The use of Condition Monitoring allows maintenance to be scheduled, or other actions to be taken to avoid failure consequences and limit consequential damages. Condition Monitoring has a unique benefit in that conditions that would shorten normal lifespan can be addressed before they develop into a major failure.
ISO 17359:2018 gives guidelines for the general procedures to be considered when setting up a Condition Monitoring programme for equipment and includes references to associated standards required in this process. This document is applicable to all equipment.
Condition based maintenance is maintenance carried out to establish the current state of the equipment; it can include human inspection or technology-based inspection.
Condition Monitoring techniques
Visual maintenance inspections provide a value-added opportunity that should never be ignored. Visual inspections are a basic Condition Monitoring technique and will often provide identification and confirmation of unwanted equipment conditions.
Equipment operators can be very useful in providing basic, first stage Condition Monitoring by using human senses such as hearing, sight, touch and smell to detect early signs of change.
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Building Management Systems (BMS) can also provide a host of data by raising alarms such as pressures changes, flow rate changes, changes in levels etc. much of which is ignored but can be valuable in detecting early signs of failure or deterioration in performance.
Equipment Performance Monitoring, using production data capture systems, can also detect early signs of performance deterioration due to component failure.
Condition Monitoring can be performed via specialist equipment which is continually evolving in line with technology and innovations. The simplicity of use of this equipment is also improving, allowing lower skilled operatives to be able to use the equipment and interpret the data.
Common types of Condition Monitoring techniques using specialist equipment are:
Vibration Analysis
Thermal Imaging
Oil Analysis
Ultra-sonics
Current Signature Analysis
Motion Amplification
Non-Destructive Testing
Condition Monitoring
Condition Monitoring is the monitoring of the various equipment component parameters to predict when a failure is likely to occur. This could be single or multiple parameters, could be online or offline or could be using gauges or periodical testing. This has often been a human activity collecting and analysing this data but is slowly becoming more and more automated.
Predictive Maintenance and Prescriptive Maintenance
Predictive Maintenance and Prescriptive Maintenance are two ways of using that Condition Monitoring data to decide when to carry out maintenance before the failure point.
To learn more about the definitions of Predictive and Prescriptive Maintenance, download our White Paper - Understanding Terminology through our exclusive Members’ Area.
