Tipsblog

Ultrasound Tip

If you’re not keeping good records for your ultrasonic inspection program, how will you know what you are measuring against?

Don’t fall into the trap of not keeping records from your program.

It is important to establish a baseline dB level for each bearing monitored and record this. After a baseline is determined, you should keep track of the dB levels at the beginning of the survey and what they were after you performed the lubrication survey.

You should also record how much grease you applied during the survey. Record keeping can help determine the frequency of your surveys.

Ultrasonic inspection can be subjective to each individual and what one technician considers white noise another may interpret as rough and the bearing in need of grease.

If multiple people are lubricating equipment then there is no way to know when and how much grease is being added to a bearing or if there has been any change in dB levels from one survey to the next.

There are different ways to keep track of your surveys. One would be a common spreadsheet. You should keep track of the baseline dB level, the dB level at the time of survey, the dB level as left, amount of grease added if any, and any abnormalities heard while greasing. Relying solely on ultrasonic inspection to make bad bearing calls is not practical in many plants. Ultrasonic inspection can pick up a very early bearing defect and you should consult the vibration department to help determine the severity of a defect.

Tip provided by Melissa Smith
Lead Analyst
Cedar Rapids, IA client site
and by
Mike McCarty
Oil Analyst-Eddyville, IA client site
Allied Reliability

Thanks Melissa and Mike - please keep more tips coming!

Web Workshop Invitation: Introduction to Condition Monitoring - July 25