Condition Monitoring Program Picks Up Misalignment

AME developed and built a condition monitoring program for a local water management facility with 270 pumps and 66 stations.

During our most recent visit, the last visit of an annual survey, we picked up a misalignment using vibration analysis. There was a significant increase in the vibration from last year on measurement point DE -H (Drive End – Horizontal), which flagged it as a problem.

The cause? The mounts on the engine were outside of their service life (10 years), which caused creep, and resulted in the engine sitting lower. This added strain to the coupling, causing the rubber to set. The engine dropped and popped when we disconnected the coupling to check the alignment.