Are you planning to purchase new rotating equipment this year? Maybe a new pump, motor, blower, or fan? Whatever it is, the standard practice is to collect "baseline" vibration data on the equipment to verify it is operating within the manufacturer's recommended operating limits. If not, usually the contractor has to make any necessary adjustments to bring it into compliance, even if it means replacing the unit complete!  

If you purchase a new pump, and have it installed by a local contractor, you expect it will operate great-"like new". If it doesn't sound right, or seems to be vibrating excessively, you expect the contractor to verify he has installed the unit correctly, and then you go to the manufacturer requesting repair, or replacement, to get you a "good" pump. Collecting detailed vibration measurements of the new pump is the best way to verify you have a "good" pump.

In the old days, measuring vibration amplitudes in 2 or 3 planes at each bearing was plenty of information to determine the condition of the pump. Engineers then started requiring "vibration signature analysis" print outs at specific points on each piece of equipment. This signature is a measure of the vibration amplitudes across the full frequency spectrum. Knowing which frequency is making more noise than another enables the analyst to identify any problems in the operation of the pump. It also provides for a more comprehensive baseline.

If the pump is running good, this vibration signature is written proof, and considered baseline, for this pump. In a year or 2, or 3, another vibration signature can be compared to the original to identify what frequencies might have increased vibration and help identify a cause. Worn bearings, shaft misalignment, and damaged impellers can all be identified in this way.

Engineers are now going a step further by requiring vibration resonance testing(bump test) at startup to confirm there is no harmful vibration frequencies being caused by the pump design, insufficient foundation, connecting piping and it's supports, or other causes. Since this testing requires special equipment and training, the contractor installation costs are increasing accordingly.  

Most recently, some engineers are now requiring a 6 month checkup of the pump vibration. They want the contractor to return in 6 months to measure vibration data, collect signatures, and perform a complete analysis. Following a review of the written report, and comparing to the baseline vibration data, the engineer will then decide whether corrective action & testing is further required

No engineer helping you with obtaining new equipment? Then do yourself a favor, be sure the shaft alignment is right on(laser aligned?), and have someone collect baseline vibration data for you. It will help protect your equipment from failure. Then have it monitored periodically, at least semi-annually, to confirm it is operating satisfactorily. Invest in PM, it will save you money!

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