Adding vibration monitoring can lead to extended bearing life, and ensure your bearings reach their L10 potential. Vibration velocity measures in inches per second (IPS) how the equipment in question is being fatigued from vibration, ultimately influencing its longevity. The standard IOM (Installation, Operations, and Maintenance) manual recommends keeping vibrations under .124 inches per second for industrial fans operating in the installed state.

Proper Vibration Monitoring for Extended Bearing Life

Vibration monitoring is a straight-forward process of drilling and tapping into the bearings with vibration sensors at up to three key locations per bearing: vertical, horizontal and axial. That’s where it’s most important to keep them under the recommended .124 inches per second.

Drilling and Tapping for Vibration Monitoring

It’s common to focus on the vertical and horizontal angles as the two most critical areas where vibration is likely to show up. At each location drill a port into the bearing, and tap in with the vibration sensor. Once the two or three vibration sensors are installed, you’ll connect them into the control loop to the control room. As a result, you’ll always pick up any vibrations at your bearings.

Hear it from the Application Engineer

Senior Application Engineer Chet White demonstrates where to install your vibration sensors into your bearings for extended bearing life in this 80-second video.

When you’re ready to start your project, reach out and connect with one of our application engineers to discuss the details of your specification.

Related Content on Industrial Fan Applications

There are many factors to consider in every industrial fan application. We’ve seen it all. Here are related pages and posts that might be of interest as you think about your application:

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