Machine Health Monitoring of Spencer Blower System at a leading Chemical & Minerals Manufacturer

 Background

Spencer blowers are multistage centrifugal units designed to enhance air and gas pressure by efficiently directing them through diffusers. These blowers and exhausters play a crucial role in managing air and various gases, allowing for precise pressure amplification. Their versatility makes them indispensable for a wide range of applications that demand accurate pressure enhancement.

Mechanical issues resulting from the physical deterioration of assets due to age or usage lead to unexpected downtime in utilities. The absence of real-time monitoring of this equipment often results in prolonged, disruptive downtime, negatively impacting overall operations.

The real-time monitoring of the pharma factory is achieved through the deployment of VIBit, a machine anomaly detection and diagnostics solution, along with the iEdge360 IoT platform. These technologies work in tandem to provide continuous monitoring and analysis of the factory's operations.

Deployment

• VIBit Edge IoT sensors were installed at the Spencer Blower Motor's DE & NDE and Blower's DE & NDE side bearings. 

• VIBit collects tri-axial vibration and temperature data every 10 seconds to monitor machine health. This data is transmitted to the iEdge 360 cloud using the plant's Wi-Fi and 4G connections. 

• The iEdge 360 platform's machine anomaly detection and diagnostics application utilizes AI/ML-based models to deliver real-time machine health status and early anomaly detection.

Alert thresholds are established by subject matter experts and the customer success team, and VIBit notifies users about alerts via email.

• Machine operators can also identify anomalies through various LED status on the VIBit sensor. 

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Real-time Machine Monitoring

High alerts for overall vibration on the Spencer Blower's DE (Drive End) side, RMS velocity, and acceleration (in three directions) were detected on the Carbonating System Spencer Blower.

AI/ML in Action

Fault Type: Bearing Fault BSF

Blower Drive End

Significant high amplitude of Balls/rollers related bearing fault detected. The Non-synchronous energy at ball spin frequency up to 3xBSF are significantly increased along with high frequency envelope overall Arms, most likely bearing fault stage 3 is diagnosed.

Instantly plan for bearing inspection of balls/rollers of the bearing along with pitting and scoring on immediate action and if required, replace the bearing on earliest opportunity.

The algorithm identified bearing fault and prompted an immediate replacement.

Customer Success & Subject Matter Team Expertise

The customer success team and subject matter experts observed vibration trends, FFT analysis, and time waveform data as the risk severity was at a warning level until April 5th. However, on April 12th, there was a gradual increase in vibration in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The FFT and time waveform analysis showed a bearing-related issue, and the ADR (Automatic Diagnostics Report) results confirmed the same.

Observation:

The vibration signatures from the Spencer Blower's DE (Drive End) generated non-synchronous peaks, which were indicative of a bearing fault frequency. Additionally, there was a noise floor at the high-frequency side, suggesting a bearing-related issue.

Recommendations:

It was recommended to plan an inspection of the Spencer Blower's DE bearing to assess the increasing inaccuracies. If necessary, immediate action was advised to replace the Spencer Blower's DE bearing.

Action:

The customer maintenance team followed the recommendations and scheduled maintenance during non-production hours. They discovered damaged balls in the Spencer DE bearing and immediately replaced it to prevent unplanned downtime.

Outcome:

Following the maintenance activity, the vibration levels decreased, transitioning from a critical state to normal.

Benefits

Improved Asset Performance and Reliability

Cost Reduction and Avoidance of Failure

Increased Production Performance

Enhanced Safety and Compliance

Efficient Resource Utilization and Shift to Planned Maintenance