Elevated vibration
Growth of vibration velocity is the parameter by which standard monitoring systems assess machine condition without disassembly. Below are 66 industrial test reports in which the vibration level was recorded before and after treatment: at control points, by instrument, with the signatures and seals of the enterprises.
The median reduction is 46 %. The upper bound of the range falls on units whose initial level exceeded the limit of the permissible zone under ISO 10816.
Causes of vibration growth
Vibration arises where mating geometry is disturbed. Increased radial clearance, raceway ovality, rolling-element damage and shaft misalignment convert part of the supplied energy into housing oscillation, and the vibration velocity level rises long before the unit fails.
Mechanics of oscillation growth
- Increase of radial clearance. Clearance in a bearing support turns rotation into runout: the shaft gains freedom of movement transverse to the axis, and each revolution responds with an impact component in the spectrum.
- Raceway and rolling-element defects. Spalling and smearing generate periodic impacts at frequencies that are multiples of the rotational one. It is by these that standard diagnostics distinguishes bearing wear from imbalance.
- Disturbance of gear mesh. Wear of the tooth profile and increased backlash disturb the smoothness of torque transmission. The tooth-mesh frequency emerges in the spectrum, and the load on the supports increases.
Measurement procedure
Vibration velocity is measured at the control points of the bearing supports in three directions — vertical, horizontal and axial — under steady-state operation. Assessment is made by the root-mean-square value in the 10–1000 Hz band; zone boundaries are assigned under ISO 10816 depending on power rating and support type.
Vibration is an integral indicator: it responds to clearance, surface defect and misalignment simultaneously. For this reason, in the reports cited, clearance, noise and unit temperature were as a rule recorded alongside it.
Treated assemblies
Vibration velocity was measured at the bearing supports; treatment was applied to the friction unit: rolling and plain bearings, gearbox toothed drive.
Equipment types
Test reports
Fifteen reports with the maximum recorded reduction out of 45 containing an instrumental measurement of the vibration level. The median across the whole array is 46 %, with a range from 7,0 to 89,0 %. The full list is in the catalogue.
| ENTERPRISE | YEAR | CHANGE | PARAMETER MEASURED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pervomaisk SE "KHIMPROM" | 2001 | ↓ 64-68% | bearing housing vibration, 190 and 110 → 60 and 40 µm |
| Zaporozhstal OJSC | 2013 | ↓ 59-89% | vibration velocity at control points, 1.23-1.71 → 0.10-0.70 mm/s |
| UKROLIIA LLC | 2007 | ↓ 57-68% | gearbox housing vibration velocity, 6.45-14.2 → 2.14-5.44 mm/s |
| DALCANADA Ltd | 2004 | ↓ 56-83% | upper reducer vibration, two points, 500 h |
| JSC «Rzhevsky Sakharnik» | 2009 | ↓ 55-69% | vibration velocity at engine and compressor points, 3.2-6.3 → 1.1-3.1 mm/s |
| Gorlovskiy Machine-Building Plant | 2006 | ↓ 52-79% | vibration velocity at the measurement points, 2.05-7.38 → 0.684-3.55 mm/s |
| Almaty Railcar Repair Plant | 2002 | ↓ 50-86% | vibration velocity on the carriage apron, 1.6-5.7 → 0.8-1.8 mm/s |
| AVIASTAR-SP JSC | 2008 | ↓ 48-72% | vibration velocity at the spindle bearings and bed, 0.4-2.9 → 0.2-1.4 mm/s |
| SKLO LLC | 2001 | ↓ 47-67% | vibration velocity, stages I and II, 1.5-2.4 → 0.8 mm/s |
| PJSC KhMZ Svet Shakhtera | 2013 | ↓ 46-56% | vibration velocity at the test points, 4.08-8.67 → 1.88-4.43 mm/s |
| UK EPK JSC | 2008 | ↓ 44% | peak vibration acceleration of the bearing, 103 → 58 m/s² |
| FIDAN LLC | 2009 | ↓ 40-52% | vibration of the crankshaft main journals, 80-100 → 45-48 dB |
| PrJSC Zaporizhzhia Iron Ore Plant | 2021 | ↓ 36-45% | engine block vibration velocity, 0.9-11.3 → 0.4-9.1 mm/s |
| Gidroprivod JSC | 2002 | ↓ 33% | headstock vibration at 165 rpm, 5.4 → 3.6 mm/s |
| Kaustik JSC | 2002 | ↓ 24-41% | vibration velocity in the pump and motor bearings, 1.93-3.83 → 1.26-2.72 mm/s |
All 66 test reports in the catalogue →
Limits of data applicability
- Variability of results. The measurements presented reflect the actual performance on the specific equipment of the enterprises studied. No exact reproduction of the percentage figures on other units is declared, since initial wear, load regimes and lubricant properties are strictly individual.
- Documentary transparency. All figures stated are officially confirmed. A full scanned copy of the original industrial test report is placed under each case described, available for detailed examination and download.
Treatment procedures for these assemblies
Rolling bearings, oil-lubricated · Oil-lubricated plain bearings · Industrial reducers and transmissions · All procedures