A shock pulse transducer contains a reference mass (m) and responds with a dampened oscillation when hit by a shock wave. Attached to the reference mass is a piezoelectric crystal which produces a voltage when compressed by the movement of the reference mass. This voltage is proportional to the amplitude of the oscillation and thus to the energy of the shock wave. The principle is the same as used in accelerometers for vibration measurement.
There is, however, an important difference. When a mass is excited at its resonance frequency, it will oscillate with much greater amplitude than at any other frequency. For vibration measurement, one normally stops measuring far below the resonance frequency of the transducer.
On the other hand, shock pulse meters are mechanically and electrically tuned to operate exclusively at their resonance frequency of 32 kHz (fm), where the resulting signal is strongest. This gives us a very sensitive transducer for shocks only, but which will not react to “normal” machine vibration frequencies.

Tip provided by Lou Morando
SPM Instruments
http://www.spminstrument.us

Standards Associated With Electric Motor Testing
A combined version of the old IEEE 56 and IEEE 432 is the IEEE 56/Rev. 18 (currently under a PAR revision) titled a Draft Guide for Insulation Maintenance of Electric Machines. Section 9 - Insulation Maintenance Testing, discusses various test methodologies utilized for maintenance testing of insulation systems.
Among the tests referenced in this section is the Insulation-Resistance Test of Embedded Temperature Detectors. Embedded Temperature Detectors (ETDs) should be tested during the same maintenance testing cycle as the insulation system. Often these are reference to ground. In the event a phase-to-ground fault occurs, circulating currents between the ETD and winding ground fault may occur. To test ETDs, isolate their ground connections, and any ancillary equipment. After the ETDs have been isolated, perform an Insulation Resistance test at 500VDC on all of them together at the same time.

Tip provided by PdMA
http://www.pdma.com

For more information on the IEEE 56 standard go to IEEE Standards
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/standards.jsp

Performing a comprehensive Reliability Assessment is critical to the foundation of a Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) program. A thorough Reliability Assessment exposes opportunities for lubricant consolidation. Reducing the total number of lubricants in the system provides a wealth of reliability program benefits such as:
• Reduction in the misapplication of lubricants
• Simplification of the vendor management process
• Storage and handling simplifications
• Decrease in physical inventories and associated costs
• Reductions in the number of purchase orders & requisitions

Interested in learning more? Please visit us at
http://www.le-inc.com/reliabilitysource.jsp

Do you realize how important the measurement process is to the success of your vibration monitoring program?
While you can learn a lot from a single spectrum, you learn a lot more from comparing current data to historical readings. You cannot perform meaningful comparisons unless the machine was operating in the same state for each test, and if the accelerometer was mounted the same way each and every time. Spectra (and waveforms) will only provide the valuable information you seek if the test conditions are correct, if the accelerometer is mounted correctly, and if your analyzer has the optimum settings (Fmax, resolution, # averages, etc.).

Tip provided by Jason Tranter
Mobius Institute

You can learn how to run a successful program, and improve your ability to accurately diagnose machine faults before they become a risk to safety or production with Mobius e-learning, distance learning, on-site or public courses. Visit http://www.mobiusinstitute.com or call 206 842 8721.

Properly planned work is almost always less expensive, faster to perform and safer to execute. One of the fundamentals of maintenance is to plan and schedule as much of your work as possible to minimize your costs, increase productivity and improve your safety record.

Tip provided by AssetPoint
http://www.assetpoint.com

• Reliability Centered Design
• The Psychology of RCM (Reliability-Centered Mindset)
• Measuring plant performance - The need for metrics standardization
• Master Records are Not Optional! Get the Detail Work Behind You
• Keith Mobley on Developing an Effective Workforce
• Reliability in Design and Procurement
• Developing and Implementing RCM for a Limited Staffed Facility
• Reposition plant culture to achieve EAM results
• Reliability in the Regulatory and Compliance Environment
• Developing a Skilled Workforce: Shaw Industries’ START Program
• Allison Transmission Machine and Equipment Purchase Process
• The Statistical Outliers Are In Control Of Asset Management
• Roadmap for Effective EAM Implementation or Re-implementation
• The Dead Zone In Work Management
• Condition-Based Maintenance - How Do You Solve The Scheduling Challenges
• Completing the P-F Curve
• Help Wanted
• Creating an Asset Management Framework For Successful EAM Configuration
• Blended Training: Combining Live training and e-learning for optimum results
• 99% Reliable 100% of the Time: How an airline meets amazing reliability metrics under the worst of conditions
• Measure Behavior – Measure Success!
• EAM Supporting Lean Maintenance
• Engineering Content Management
• There’s More to Training than Skills Development
• The Concorde Disaster Explained; an interface of Nuclear Work Model & Root Cause Analysis
• Enhancing electrical safety through RCM
• The Optimization Trap
• The Analytics Advantage
• Advanced Degree Programs For Maintenance and Reliability
• A facilitated-group approach to RCM
• Reliability Beyond Maintenance
• Optimized Planning and Scheduling
• Calibration Management and your ERP: have the best of both worlds
• Craft Training Solutions for a Retiring Workforce
• RCM - From Analysis to Action: How to Successfully Implement RCM
• The RCM Project Management Guide
• Maintenance Planning and Scheduling: Back to Basics
• Business applications for iPod generations
• Workforce Development
• When Does It Pay To Use Reliability Centered Maintenance?
• Infrared Thermography As An Asset Management Tool
• Management Considerations for CBM Success
• Air Liquide Breaks Down Condition Monitoring Information Silos

March 23-26, 2009 - Daytona Beach Hilton, Florida
Early bird registration applies through February 23 so sign up today
Special Team Discount:  Buy 2 passes and get a 1 bonus pass at no cost

Request an RCM-2009 Brochure and Program Guide now or reserve you seat today

Flange Configuration Options for Alignment
When aligning a vertical flange-mounted machine, it can be helpful to tweak the flange configuration in your laser alignment system to take advantage of different shimming alternatives. For instance, if the OD of the flange is larger than the diameter of the mounting bolt circle, a good laser system will compensate for this by taking into consideration that when shimming your pivot point is not the bolt circle but the flange OD. Thus, all shimming corrections will be positive. However, if you already have shims at all the bolt positions, you could take advantage of the opportunity to minimize the required shimming corrections by forcing the smallest correction position to be zero. Do this by entering a distance for flange OD as being equal to your bolt circle. Of course the best laser systems already allow for all the different shimming alternatives (positive, negative and zero sum options) right in the software, so you don’t have to use this trick.

Tip provided by LUDECA, INC.
ALIGNMENT * VIBRATION * BALANCING
http://www.ludeca.com
305-591-8935

When working on 3-Phase electrical equipment, always check phase to ground and always check twice!
Recently I was performing a follow-up on some Thermography and checking electrical connections on a 480 volt buss duct. After we locked out the buss, I checked the first box phase to phase and phase to ground. All appeared to be normal and the power appeared to be disconnected. As my partner was preparing to start the work, I went to check the second box. Again I instinctively checked phase to phase and phase to ground. But this time even though I got zero volts phase to phase, I got 277 volts phase to ground on all three legs! I immediately told my partner to hold off and checked the first box again. The first time when I checked phase to ground I had used what appeared to be a grounding lug. The second time I checked phase to ground, I checked against the box frame and found that I still had 277 volts on all three legs!
As it turned out, the power was back-feeding from a single leg from a power source selector. The selector is used to provide power to a transformer for a computer room. The intent was that power could be selected from two different sources so the computer room could stay powered up if either source failed. However, the system was not operating properly and allowed for power from one source to be back-feed into the buss we were working on. It feed power to all three legs through other transformers and motors on the buss.
If I would not have checked phase to ground and would not have checked twice, this could have led to a potential disaster for me and my partner.

Reader tip provided by Kirk Blankenship
CBM Analyst
MillerCoors LLC
Grand Prairie Texas

Thanks Kirk - your tip may make a BIG difference in many people’s lives! Your tip deserves a Maintenance-Tips Hat and a Stainless Steel Diamond Plate Reliabilityweb.com Coffee Mug. They are on the way.

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http://reliabilityweb.formbin.com/forms/tips