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i-ALERT2
Application Manual
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ITT i-ALERT2 Application Manual

Application Guide
i-ALERT2 Application Guide 2 of 64
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OW I-ALERT2 MONITOR AUGMENTS A CONDITION MONITORING PROGRAM .................................................................... 7
H
Improved Program Efficiency .............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Improved Program Effectiveness......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Improved Worker Safety ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7
INTRODUCTION TO CONDITION MONITORING ................................................................................................................... 9
Step 1.NOTICE: Detection of Problems ............................................................................................................. 10
Step 2.INVESTIGATE: Analyze the problem ...................................................................................................... 10
Step 3.RESOLVE: Correction and Improvement ................................................................................................ 11
Step 4.DOCUMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 11
SYSTEM OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................ 12
D
EVICE TECHNOLOGY BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................... 12
Device Overview ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Vibration and Temperature Specifications ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Trending Specifications ..................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Hardware Specifications .................................................................................................................................................................... 14
APPLICATION BEST PRACTICES ....................................................................................................................... 14
C
HOOSING THE CORRECT MEASURES AND ASSETS ......................................................................................................... 14
Equipment Criticality ........................................................................................................................................ 14
Machine selection criteria ................................................................................................................................ 15
Where to Start? ................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Condition Monitoring Measures ...................................................................................................................... 18
Temperature ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Vibration – RMS Velocity ................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Kurtosis .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 19
M
OUNTING LOCATIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 20
General Guidelines ........................................................................................................................................... 20
i-frame pump .................................................................................................................................................... 21
End suction pump ............................................................................................................................................. 22
Horizontal Electric Motors ................................................................................................................................ 23
Between Bearings pump .................................................................................................................................. 24
Vertical Electric Motors .................................................................................................................................... 25
Vertical Pump ................................................................................................................................................... 26
Mixers ............................................................................................................................................................... 26
Vacuum Pumps ................................................................................................................................................. 26
M
OUNTING METHODS .............................................................................................................................................. 27
TEPS TO ACTIVATE THE I-ALERT2 EQUIPMENT HEALTH MONITOR: ................................................................................. 27
S
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TO RESET THE I-ALERT2: ........................................................................................................................................... 28
I-ALERT2 EQUIPMENT HEALTH MONITOR ROUTINE OPERATION ...................................................................................... 29
I-ALERT2 EQUIPMENT HEALTH MONITOR TROUBLESHOOTING ........................................................................................ 29
®
I-ALERT2
I
NSTALLING THE APP ................................................................................................................................................. 30
C D T
MOBILE APP OPERATION ................................................................................................................ 30
ONNECTING TO I-ALERT2 DEVICES ............................................................................................................................ 30
ASHBOARD ............................................................................................................................................................ 34
RENDING ............................................................................................................................................................... 35
Weekly View ..................................................................................................................................................... 40
Kurtosis ............................................................................................................................................................. 41
A
DVANCED TOOLS .................................................................................................................................................... 42
FFT and TWF Data ............................................................................................................................................ 43
Stored and Alarm Generated FFT Data ............................................................................................................ 44
E
QUIPMENT INFORMATION ........................................................................................................................................ 45
Alarms / Warnings ........................................................................................................................................... 45
Equipment Details ............................................................................................................................................ 47
Parts List / BOM ............................................................................................................................................... 48
Pump Curve ...................................................................................................................................................... 49
Commands ........................................................................................................................................................ 50
R
EPORT GENERATOR ................................................................................................................................................. 51
H
ELP/FAQ .............................................................................................................................................................. 60
ERVICE LOCATOR .................................................................................................................................................... 61
S
USER SETTINGS ........................................................................................................................................................ 62
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INTRODUCTION

Electromechanical Sensors (MEMS) and Bluetooth® wireless communications
This guide is designed to assist reliability practitioners in optimizing the performance of their rotating equipment assets using modern condition monitoring technologies.
Traditional condition monitoring techniques and budget constraints force practitioners to make difficult choices as to which pieces of equipment they can focus on while relegating many of the less critical assets to a suboptimal time based maintenance regime or a “fix it when it breaks” mentality. Even in those plants that do perform periodic predictive maintenance (PdM) inspections, the frequency or time between inspections is a month or more, sometimes up to a year. Many failure mechanisms can develop and progress into catastrophic failure well before the next inspection, rendering the PdM program ineffectual for “balance of plant” equipment.
Using the latest Micro-
technologies ITT has created a tool that better fits the needs of reliability practitioners.
Continuous monitoring of machinery health is an ideal solution to prevent unplanned downtime, but has historically come with a big price tag that couldn’t be justified except on the most critical assets. Using the latest Micro-Electromechanical Sensors (MEMS) and Bluetooth® wireless communications technologies ITT has created a tool to better fit the needs of reliability practitioners. The i-ALERT2 Equipment Health Monitor is a low cost alternative that continuously trends key machinery health parameters including overall vibration and temperature and allows users to access that trend data during routine inspections. Leveraging new technology allows the i-ALERT2 condition monitor to offer improved utility and reduced cost compared to a typical “walk-around” monthly vibration program.
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Allows your highly skilled vibration analysts to focus on solving chronic problems instead of routine monitoring.
Operators can collect high quality, repeatable, vibration and temperature data with no training.
Figure 1: Condition Monitoring Technology Comparison
Equipment
Improves
Safety
Enables
ODR
Wireless communication allows a user to collect data a safe distance from rotating equipment hazards.
Optimizes
Reliability
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HOW I- ALERT2 MONITOR AUGMENTS A CONDITION MONITORING PROGRAM

IMPROVED PROGRAM EFFICIENCY

• Faster data collection and less time spent walking routes because the need to physically mount a temporary
sensor is eliminated.
• Easily visible indication of equipment condition during data collection through the device’s onboard LEDs.
• Data collection can be easily integrated into existing operator rounds.
• Allows your highly skilled vibration analysts to focus on solving chronic problems instead of routine monitoring.
This is becoming increasingly more important as these skill sets are in short supply.
• Users can simultaneously view any machine’s current overall condition for any device in range. No need to
actually touch each machine to get the data.

IMPROVED PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

• Continuous data collection allows for diagnosis of transient and process related problems which are traditionally
very hard if not impossible to spot with monthly or quarterly data collection cycles. Especially effective for batch process equipment.
• Traditional monthly walk around monitoring with a portable data collector requires at least 2 months to generate
2 points or a “trend” upon which a baseline condition can be established. In 2 months, the i-ALERT2 monitor can measure and store 720 points, giving the PdM practitioner a superior level of confidence and understanding of the equipment’s behavior.
• Changes in machine state automatically trigger the device to capture spectral and time waveform data. The ability
to capture this diagnostic data in conjunction with the trend and timestamp information improves a reliability practitioner’s ability to troubleshoot process related problems.
• Temperature and Kurtosis trending enhance the traditional overall vibration dataset, yielding more accurate
condition assessment than overall RMS vibration alone.

IMPROVED WORKER SAFETY

• No need to get close to dangerous rotating equipment hazards to collect the data. Just be in the same room with
it.
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RELIABILITY OVERVIEW

Time
Failure Curves
Maintenance and Reliability (M&R) practices including condition monitoring are largely governed by the type of assets being maintained and the associated failure patterns of those assets. Numerous studies have been conducted in both the Industrial and Aeronautical / Military markets that show the relative frequency or “probability” of failure of equipment. This data is summarized in Figure 2. What should immediately become apparent is that very few failures are attributable to “wearing out” or what might be termed an “age-related” failure
1
pattern.
UAL 1968
Bromberg
1973
US Navy
1982
4% 3% 3%
2% 1% 17%
5% 4% 3%
7% 11% 6%
Conditional Probability of Failure
14% 15% 42%
68% 66% 29%
Figure 2: Failure curves
1
Those that are age-related are almost all corrosion in seawater applications with a relatively predictable lifecycle.
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The majority of industrial equipment will tend to have a failure probability distribution similar to that of Figure 3, where the
Random
Higher risk at startup
Time
risk of failure for equipment is highest upon startup, sometimes termed “infant mortality” and will decrease to some relatively constant probability of failure over time.
Figure 3: Most common failure probability pattern for industrial equipment
Knowing that most equipment will follow the failure pattern of Figure 3 should guide M&R practitioners to select condition monitoring equipment that can:
1. Quickly identify defects or problems when new equipment is started before they cause severe damage
2. Help establish confidence that a newly commissioned machine is operating within specific limits
3. Maximize the ability to detect randomly occurring failures after a successful startup.
The i-ALERT2 Equipment Health Monitor is designed to provide all of these functions while still maintaining cost effectiveness. Always consider the benefits a new condition monitoring technology will provide against these proven failure curves to ensure it will be effective. Implementing new technology just for the sake of saying you have the latest and greatest technology will lead to a lot of wasted money and effort.

INTRODUCTION TO CONDITION MONITORING

CM and PdM tools available today are great enhancements to the traditional visual / audible Inspections and augment regular operators’ inspections. Whether performing a simple visual inspection or using the most sophisticated tools available the process is fundamentally the same. There are 4 Steps:
o NOTICE
• We have to notice or detect that we have a problem with a piece of equipment.
o INVESTIGATE
• Once detected, we can investigate and analyze the problem to determine the root cause.
o RESOLVE
• After determining the root cause, we can correct the problem and, if possible, improve the machine by leaving
it in a precise state.
o DOCUMENT
• By documenting our results, we are able to verify that the problem has been solved and communicate our
successes to others.
It is important to thoroughly understand each of these steps. Valuable time is often wasted when too much emphasis is placed on any one component.
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STEP 1.NOTICE: DETECTION OF PROBLEMS

Since analysis of machine problems is a time consuming process and there are many machines in a typical plant, it is important NOT to try to analyze all machines. The first step in an effective condition monitoring program is to identify the problem machines. This is the purpose of the detection phase of the program. Measurements and machines are organized into a series of logical routes and data is collected on them in a routine manner. Route functionality is a cornerstone of the i-ALERT2 condition monitor’s value. One of the strengths of the i-ALERT2 monitor is the ability to broadcast the machine’s condition without having to wirelessly connect to it. The data collected is designed to indicate when a change has occurred or when a preset limit has been exceeded. After the data has been collected, it is reviewed and exceptions are noted and reported.
After identifying machines in need of further analysis using detection, the next step is to determine the root cause of the problem. This is achieved during the INVESTIGATE or ANALYSIS phase.
Figure 4: Simultaneously view
states of all devices in range

STEP 2.INVESTIGATE: ANALYZE THE PROBLEM

The analysis phase involves gathering more detailed diagnostic data which can include process conditions, flows, pressures, FFT, TWF, Timestamps and Trend data. Performing such analysis is a time consuming process and should NOT be attempted on all machines, only the ones that have exceeded alarm limits.
Process change
Figure 5: Process data related to
condition monitoring data
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If process data is available from the control system it should be overlaid with the vibration/temperature trends of the i­ALERT2 to help determine root cause. Often the root cause of a vibration problem is a process upset.

STEP 3.RESOLVE: CORRECTION AND IMPROVEMENT

After determining the root cause of the problem, it can be corrected. Cost effective corrective actions will depend on the machine in question and the findings of the failure analysis. In order to maximize the reliability of the machine in question, it is also advisable to improve the vibration levels on the machine to “precision state” levels after it has been repaired. This will extend the life of the machine.
Figure 6: Precision repair at an ITT PRO Service center

STEP 4.DOCUMENT

After determining the root cause of the problem, correcting the problem and improving the machine, it is important to verify that the correction/improvement has occurred and document the findings. One mechanism for this verification is comparing the vibration levels after restarting the machine with those taken before shutdown and the original baseline data. Other common verification methods include:
o Measuring reduced energy consumption o Capturing Infrared Thermography Images o Oil analysis o Confirming precision alignment
Figure 7: Document results to verify corrective action was effective
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SYSTEM OVERVIEW

DEVICE TECHNOLOGY BACKGROUND

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, or MEMS, is a technology that is best defined as miniaturized mechanical and electro­mechanical elements that are made using the techniques of microfabrication. MEMS represent the next generation of sensing technology. OEMs in all industries including automotive, industrial and aerospace are migrating away from older macro-scale transducers due the various advantages MEMS can provide. The physical dimensions of MEMS devices can be less than a micron up to several millimeters. MEMS devices can vary from relatively simple structures having no moving elements, to extremely complex electromechanical systems with multiple moving elements under the control of integrated microelectronics. One of the most prevalent uses for MEMS is the construction of miniaturized sensors that convert energy from one form to another, known as transducers. In the case of MEMS sensors, the device typically converts a measured mechanical signal into an electrical signal.
Over the past several decades a large number of micro-sensors have been developed for almost every type of physical measurement including temperature, pressure, inertial forces, vibration, magnetic fields, etc. Surprisingly many of these MEMS sensors have proven to be more accurate and precise than their macro-scale counterparts. In example, the MEMS version of a pressure transducer usually outperforms a pressure sensor made using the most precise macro-scale level machining techniques. Not only is the performance of MEMS devices exceptional, but their method of production leverages the same batch fabrication techniques used in the integrated circuit industry – which translates into low per-unit production costs.
The latest generation of MEMS includes micro-sensors, micro-actuators and micro-electronics integrated onto a single microchip. This has resulted in the explosive development of smart products which integrate computing intelligence with sensing and control. Because MEMS devices are manufactured using batch fabrication techniques, similar to integrated circuits, high levels of reliability are being achieved at very low costs. The i-ALERT2 monitor leverages recent advancements in MEMS vibration transducers to achieve impressive performance at a minimum cost. The sensors’ data gathering capabilities are then mated to another leading technology known as Bluetooth Smart or Bluetooth Low Energy.
Bluetooth is a wireless signal protocol that was first developed in 1994 as a way for computers to communicate to other devices without cables. Bluetooth is an open standard that allows disparate devices to communicate using the same “language”. Over the last few decades the technology has been steadily improved to be able to transmit more data faster while simultaneously reducing the amount of power the wireless radios consumed. Bluetooth Smart allows tiny batteries to power wireless radios for years at a time without recharging and is one of the technologies enabling the rapid rise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT). IIOT is a term that describes the reality of hundreds (or thousands) of smart devices communicating hordes of data to enable smarter, more efficient operations.
Many of the existing condition monitoring hardware manufacturers are aware of the potential for MEMS and Smart sensors however they are reluctant to offer this new technology due to the potential for cannibalization of their existing macro­scale sensor products. ITT is free from this commercial constraint and will continue to utilize the best and latest technology that allows our customers to optimize the reliability of their rotating equipment assets.
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DEVICE OVERVIEW

Warning and Alarm Values Variable
Limit
Temperature (default
80°C (176°F)
Vibration Alarm (0.1-1.5 ips)
100% increase over the baseline level
Vibration Warning (0.1-1.5 ips)
75% increase over the baseline level
The i-ALERT2 Equipment Health Monitor is a compact, battery-operated monitoring device that continuously measures the vibration and temperature of a piece of rotating equipment. The i-ALERT2 Equipment Health Monitor uses blinking red LED and wireless notification to alert operators when the equipment exceeds vibration and temperature limits. This allows the operator to make changes to the process or the equipment before catastrophic failure occurs. The Equipment Health Monitor is also equipped with a single green LED to indicate when it is operational and has sufficient battery life.
The i-ALERT2 Equipment Health Monitor also contains a Bluetooth radio that communicates to certain Bluetooth 4.0 equipped devices through a mobile application. Data is shared between the i-ALERT2 Equipment Health Monitor, the mobile application, phone, and the data servers.
The i-ALERT2 Equipment Health Monitor will communicate sensor related data (such as vibration, temperature, runtime information, and device statistics) stored in the device to the mobile application. The mobile application will send commands to the device.
The Mobile application will back up device data as well as app usage information on the data servers. The data servers will send the mobile application equipment technical data. For full details about data storage and rights please review the Privacy Policy.
The i-Alert2 may use Version 1 or Version 2 firmware. To determine which version you have, in the App go to “Equipment Info, i-ALERT Information” where the device version number will be shown., Alternatively, for the Version 2 units, the sticker on the back of the device will have a manufacturing date after 8/22/2016.
Alarm mode The i-ALERT2 Equipment Health Monitor enters alarm mode when either vibration or temperature limits are exceeded over two consecutive readings within a 10 minute period. Alarm mode is indicated with 1 (one) red flashing LED within 2 (two) second intervals.
VIBRATION AND TEMPERATURE SPECIFICATIONS
• Axial / Horizontal Sensor Frequency Range 10 Hz to 1000 Hz
• Radial Sensor Frequency Range 10 Hz to 600 Hz
• 15g Dynamic Range
• Spectral vibration measurements have a frequency bandwidth resolution of 1 Hz.
• Amplitude accuracy +/- 10%
• Diagnose machine faults with vibration tools Fast Fourier Transform & Time Waveform analysis
• Maximum temperature of 183°F
TRENDING SPECIFICATIONS
• Sensors and onboard memory tracks vibration, temperature, & run-time hours continuously
• Devices checks every five minutes & alarms if equipment is outside normal operating conditions
• Stores overall RMS trend data once per hour & on alarm for 60 days (Version 1) or 170 days (Version 2)
• Stores the weekly average, minimum & maximum up to 5 years
• Calculates and stores Kurtosis values
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Table 1: Default Alarm Values
HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS
1 Plant
1-1 Business Unit
1-1-1 Operating System
1-1-1-1 Equipment
1-1-1-1-1 Component
1-1-1-1-1-1 Sub-component
Equipment Hierarchy
• Rated for most industrial environment. IP67 water & dust resistant. Class 1 Division 1, ATEX Certified
• Intrinsically Safe with a 3 year battery life (use dependent).
• The following determines the “normal operating conditions” in which the 3 year battery life is determined:
o Temperature: 18°C (65°F) o Dashboard connections (including trend download): Once per day o FFT and Time Waveform usage: One tri-axial request per 14 days o Operation time in Alarm: 25% of time
• Sync data via Bluetooth Smart enabled smartphones and tablets.
• Wireless Range Approximately 10m (33ft) to 30m (100ft)

APPLICATION BEST PRACTICES

CHOOSING THE CORRECT MEASURES AND ASSETS

EQUIPMENT CRITICALITY

The initial step in building a predictive maintenance program is to identify which systems will be analyzed and prioritizing the order in which the analysis will take place. To get the most return on the time invested, the most logical place to start is with the equipment hierarchy that exists in the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). This is typically a breakdown of all existing equipment from Plant Level to Business Unit to Operating System to Equipment to Component and to Sub-component, where necessary.
Figure 8: Example Asset Hierarchy for a CMMS
For a first cut at prioritization for the analysis, it is practical to review the hierarchy at the Operating System level to determine which systems are business critical to the organization.
Business Critical - A failure of that specific system at the operating system level would have a direct and immediate financial impact on the facility output.
For systems deemed critical, a full Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) analysis should be performed. One approach to determine criticality is to use tables similar to those below to assess consequence and probability.
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Ranking
Hazard
Potential Safety, Health or Environmental issue. Failure will occur without
warning.
Hazard
Potential Safety, Health or Environmental issue. Failure will occur with
warning.
Very High
Very high disruption to facility function. All of Production is lost. Significant delay in restoring function.
High
High disruption to facility function. Some portion of Production is lost. Significant delay in restoring function.
Moderate to
High
Moderate disruption to facility function. Some portion of Production is lost. Moderate delay in restoring function.
Moderate
Moderate disruption to facility function. 100% of Production may need to be reworked or pro cess delayed.
Low to
Moderate
Moderate disruption to facility function. Some portion of Production may need to be reworked o r process delayed.
Low
Minor disruption to facility function. Repair of failure may be longer than trouble call but does not delay Production.
Very Low
Minor disruption to facility function. Repair of failure can be accomplished during trouble call.
None
No reason to expect fail ure to have any effect on Safety, Health, Environment or Production.
2
1
4
3
7
6
5
Consequence (Severity) Comment
10
9
8
Ranking
Very High Very High failure rate. Almo st cert ain to cause problems.
High to Very
High
High to very high failure rate. Highly likely to cause problems.
High
High failure rate. Similar to past design that has, in the past, had high failure rates that have caused problems.
Moderate to
High
Moderate to high failure rate. Similar to past design that has, in the past, had high f ailure rates that have caused problems.
Moderate
Moderate failure rate. Similar to past design that has, in the past, had moderate failure rates for given volume.
Occasional to
Moderate
Occasional to mod erat e f ailure rate. Similar to past desig n that has, in the past, had moderat e f ailure rates for given volume.
Occasional
Occasional failure rate. Similar to past design that has, in the past, had similar failure rates for given volume.
Low
Low failure rate. Similar to past design that has, in the past, had low failure rates for given volume.
Very Low
Very low failure rate. Similar to past design that has, in the past, had very low failure rates fo r given volume.
Remote Remote probabili t y of occurrence; unlikely for failure to occur.
Relative Probability of Occurrence
1098
7
6
5
432
1
Table 2: Example of RCM Methodology based on consequence and probability of failure
Risk is defined as Probability x Consequence. So by multiplying the assigned values from each table a criticality number can be determined.
The value assigned for equipment will be based on the consequence of the failure of the equipment (called Severity) multiplied by the probability that the failure will occur (called Probability). The asset matrix (list of all assets that have had the business criticality determined) can then be sorted by priority. The equipment with the largest number as figured by Severity x Priority is the most business critical equipment.

MACHINE SELECTION CRITERIA

Just as with every existing condition monitoring system, there are certain applications that best fit the technology being leveraged. For instance, monitoring casing vibration on a large, slow moving shaft mounted in fluid film bearings would yield very little quality information as to the health of the machinery. In order to maximize the return on investment for any given CM system, it has to be applied to the correct machinery. The following tables and comments help illustrate the best fits for the i-ALERT2 condition monitoring system.
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Equipment Type
Good
Limited
Centrifugal Pumps
Positive Displacement Pumps
Electri c Motors
Fans / Blowers
Paper Machine Bearings
Centrifugal Compressor
Reciprocating Compressors
Low Speed
Limitations
Engines
Steam Turbines
Casi ng
Temper a ture
Gearbox / Reducers
Mes h
Frequency
Some general limitations to keep in mind when selecting machinery are:
• The i-ALERT2 monitor is designed to measure casing vibration, so machines with sleeve/fluid-film bearings are
inherently not going to be as good a fit due to attenuation of the shaft vibration via the fluid-film. Now that does not mean i-ALERT2 cannot be used for sleeve bearing machinery, only that the casing vibration measured will not reflect the true shaft vibration amplitudes.
• The upper and lower frequency cutoffs for the i-ALERT2 devices are 1000 Hz and 10 Hz respectively. Just as
with any condition monitoring instrumentation, it is recommended that the machinery shaft speed and primary potential fault frequencies fall within this range. For diagnostic purposes, you want to be able to see more than just the shaft speed and ITT recommends a minimum frequency range of 10x the shaft speed, AKA the first order. This translates to an effective upper limit on shaft speeds of 6,000 RPM. It can be applied on higher speed machinery, but the upper frequency cut off will limit its usefulness in that application.
Table 3: Recommended machinery applications for i-ALERT2 (Note: Shaft Speeds
must be greater than 600 RPM)
WHERE TO START?
I. Bad Actors. Start with the “bad-actors” list. All plants track their worst performing assets to one degree or
i-ALERT2 Application Guide 16 of 64
another. (High maintenance cost and effort, low availability, etc.) The reasons for the poor performance of these assets can be myriad but chances are that one of the reasons they are on the bad actors list is because not enough information is currently available to diagnose and correct the problems. Continuous monitoring of vibration and temperature combined with any available process control data can go a long way towards helping the proactive reliability engineer eliminate the sources of a bad actors poor performance.
II. Machinery that is dangerous or difficult to access for inspections. We’ve all seen these poor pumps or
motors in the darkened corner of the plant basement. Often leaking, corroded, and installed in poorly lit process areas. Regular inspection routes miss them as their hidden by piping or other equipment. Installing i-ALERT2 devices on these neglected machines helps give them a voice and allows them to communicate potential failures that otherwise would have gone undetected. The same is true of machinery with particularly hazardous operating environments. Collecting data on equipment installed on platforms or in pits can be difficult if not impossible while the equipment is running. Modern machinery guarding can also obscure typical measuring points, and removing it to take a vibration reading typically won’t be allowed. The i-ALERT2 wireless communication enables data collection at a safe proximity from the equipment hazards.
III. Equipment that doesn’t run often. It is difficult and sometimes nearly impossible to try and collect data
on a machine that only runs intermittently or at odd hours a hand-held data collector. Batch processes run at all hours of the day or night. Unless someone is assigned to be in front of the machine ready to collect data 24/7, it’s likely you won’t have a great deal of data to analyze should a problem arise.
IV. Equipment that has no permanent machinery protection/monitoring system. Critical assets are
sometimes “protected” by permanently installed systems that have the ability to shut down the machinery if it exhibits signs of failure. However these systems are generally very expensive and cannot be applied to all assets in a plant. The low cost and ease of installation of the i-ALERT2 monitor make it a perfect device to bridge the gap between machinery protection systems and periodic inspections. In fact, the i-ALERT2 monitor can completely supplant the use of portable data collectors for monthly inspections. The exception report and alarm / trend information generated by the i-ALERT2 monitor will show a user which machines should be prioritized for further vibration analysis. If a machine generates an alarm or alert, the reliability practitioner can initiate a work order for the in house team or bring in a consultant to perform a diagnostic of the equipment using powerful multichannel vibration analyzers and other advanced instrumentation to investigate the root cause.
V. New or Recently Repaired Equipment. As mentioned earlier in the user guide, the risk of equipment
failure due to some defective component or faulty repairs is much more likely to manifest as a failure right at start-up. By installing i-ALERT2 devices on new equipment and recently repaired equipment being commissioned, start-up failures can be reduced, and faulty equipment can be diagnosed right away, protecting the plant from low quality equipment repairs or parts.
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CONDITION MONITORING MEASURES

Implementing a condition monitoring technology requires the user to first understand the equipment failure modes and what physical parameters are responsive to changes in the equipment’s state. Since not one single device can hope to cover all possible machine configurations or physical measures we will instead offer recommendations for utilizing temperature and casing vibration to detect some of the most common failure modes.
TEMPERATURE
Monitoring and trending the Temperature of a bearing housing provides insight into many common problems with rotating machinery such as:
• Inadequate lubrication of rolling element bearings
• Damaged rolling element bearings
• Excessive loading of rolling element bearings
• Inadequate cooling flow from housing fins, jacketed
cooling systems or cooling fans
• Excessive ambient or process fluid temperatures
VIBRATION – RMS VELOCITY
Monitoring and trending RMS velocity of a bearing housing provides an assessment of how much overall energy is contained in the machines vibration. This can be used to indicate changes to both process conditions and machinery health. Numerous failure modes or machine faults can cause the RMS velocity to increase so an exhaustive discussion of them here is not going to be
attempted. RMS velocity increases can also corroborate a Temperature increase, which assists the reliability practitioner in narrowing down potential
Figure 9: Example weekly trend data
failure modes. RMS velocity is by far the most common vibration parameter utilized to gauge overall machine condition.
There are no “absolute” levels of vibration that can be used to indicate if a machine is good or bad. There are too many factors that influence of the overall vibration from one machine to the next. The chart below is provided to assist the user to establishing warning and alarm limits and is taken directly from the ISO 10816 standard. These limits can and should be modified based on the equipment’s actual vibration data and user’s experience. Remember, a doubling of the overall vibration is almost always related to a change in machine condition.
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Table 4: Condition based on overall vibration velocity in RMS
Figure 10: Trend of Kurtosis
KURTOSIS
Monitoring of Kurtosis is a somewhat unique feature in condition monitoring equipment that separates the i-ALERT2 monitor from traditional overall vibration meters. Kurtosis is a mathematical function that indicates how “peaky” a data set is. It is related to Crest Factor which is another commonly used vibration parameter used to assess machine condition. Kurtosis will tend to increase in the event the machinery starts to experience increases in Impacting and is relatively insensitive to changes in speed or load. Impacting can come from many sources such as bearing faults, cavitation, or mechanical looseness. It is recommended that the user first establish baseline levels of Kurtosis and then adjust warning/alarm limits accordingly as some machinery will naturally have widely varying levels of Kurtosis in their vibration data sets. Kurtosis values around 3 are considered “Normal.”
Kurtosis is subject to the same limitations as Crest Factor when determining bearing failure progression. If there is no significant impacting such as with long shallow spalls in a bearings race or inadequate lubrication the Kurtosis measure will not change significantly.
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INSTALLATION BEST PRACTICES

Figure 11: Recommended monitoring points

MOUNTING LOCATIONS

GENERAL GUIDELINES

In general the ideal place to mount the i-ALERT2 device is as close as possible to the machines bearings in a place where the LEDs can be easily observed. Since the primary function of the i-ALERT2 device is to monitor for changes in condition, it is not critical that the device be placed in the “load zone” of the bearing. Doing so may give a more accurate amplitude reading, but may obscure the LEDs which are used for local status indication.
In general, a standard machine train consisting of a driver and driven piece of equipment can be monitored by 2 i-ALERT2 devices. Up to 4 monitors can be installed per machine train, one at each bearing if necessary.
Machine Type
Non-Drive End
Bearing
Drive End Bearing Drive End Bearing
Driver Optional Recommended
Driven Machine
Recommended Optional
Non-Drive End
Bearing
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