1. Best Practices In Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication
Adrian Messer
UE Systems, Inc.

2. Lubrication Related Failures
The majority of premature bearing failures are lubrication related
Under lubricated
Over lubricated
Wrong lubricant
Lubricant contamination
Source: "Pump Users Handbook: Life Extension” 2011 by Heinz Bloch

3. Lubrication Related Failures?
“as many as 60 to 80 percent of all bearing failures (catastrophic, functional and premature) are lubrication-related, whether it's poor lubricant selection, poor application, lubricant contamination or lubricant degradation1.”
1 Mark Barnes, “What Exactly is a Lubrication Failure?” Machinery Lubrication, formerly of Noria Corporation

4. Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication
In this presentation we will discuss:
What is Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication
Ultrasound Technology and Instruments
The advantages of Ultrasound
Procedures for Ultrasound Bearing Inspection and Lubrication

5. Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication
Traditional lubrication programs include preventive procedures that include time-based lubrication.
Lubrication is performed at set timed intervals with a specified amount of grease applied

6. Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication
The issue with time-based lubrication is, what if the bearing being lubricated has a sufficient amount of grease already and therefore DOES NOT need lubricant. This produces an inherent risk of Over-Lubrication.

7. Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication
Another issue is the time-interval for lubrication. Is it correct?
What if some bearings require lubricant to be applied more frequently than assumed or what if the time interval can be stretched out?

8. Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication
These issues do not preclude the need for standard preventive procedures such as calibrating grease guns, measures to ensure the correct lubricant is used for the correct application, etc…
The concept is to assist current lubrication procedures with the addition of ultrasound technology

9. What is Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication?
Adding ultrasound monitoring to standard lubrication best practices can prevent potential over lubrication of bearings which can also lead to fewer bearing failures, extend motor and bearing life as well as lead to a decrease in the amount of lubricant used
This will produce:
Savings in maintenance costs, lubricant, man-hours
And improved asset availability and reliability

10. Structure Borne Ultrasound
LUBRICATION DOMAIN
OPTIMIZING BEARING LIFE!
(DMS & GREASE CADDY)
EARLY WARNING OF BEARING FAILURE
Proactive
Domain F
Predictive
Fault P2 P3 P5 P6 P4 P1 P
Start Failure
Vibration
Oil analysis
Audible noise
Contact heat
Infrared
Structure Borne Ultrasound
Max time for planning

11. What is Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication?
Airborne & Structure-Borne Ultrasound instruments sense friction.
Trending associated amplitude levels and changes in sound quality of a bearing provide early indication of conditions such as lack of lubrication and prevent over-lubrication

12. What is Ultrasound?
High frequency sounds that are above the range of human hearing
The ultrasonic range begins at 20 kHz
There are three Generic Divisions of Ultrasound:
Pulse/Echo
Power
Airborne/Structure Borne

13. Ultrasound Advantages
Provides Earliest Warning of Failure
Isolates Signal
Quality of Bearing
Detects Lack of Lubrication
Finds defects not found in time based lube routes
Vibration can’t do slow speed. Need to catch bearing before it goes catastrophic.
Brinelling of bearing surfaces will produce a similar increase in amplitude due to the flattening process as the balls get out of round. These flat spots also produce a repetitive ringing that is detected as an increase in amplitude of monitored frequencies.
The ultrasonic frequencies detected by the Ultraprobe are reproduced as audible sounds. This “heterodyned” signal can greatly assist a user in determining bearing problems. When listening, it is recommended that a user become familiar with the sounds of a good bearing. A good bearing is heard as a rushing or hissing noise. Crackling or rough sounds indicate a bearing in the failure stage. In certain cases a damaged ball can be heard as a clicking sound whereas a high intensity, uniform rough sound may indicate a damaged race or uniform ball damage. Loud rushing sounds similar to the rushing sound of a good bearing only slightly rougher, can indicate lack of lubrication. Short duration increases in the sound level with “rough” or “scratchy” components indicate a rolling element hitting a {flat spot and sliding on the bearing surfaces rather than rotating. If this condition is detected, more frequent examinations should be scheduled.

14. Ultrasound Advantages
Prevents Over Lubrication
Can Be Used on Slow Speed Bearings
Complements Other Technologies
Thermography
Vibration Analysis
Oil Analysis
Vibration can’t do slow speed. Need to catch bearing before it goes catastrophic.
Brinelling of bearing surfaces will produce a similar increase in amplitude due to the flattening process as the balls get out of round. These flat spots also produce a repetitive ringing that is detected as an increase in amplitude of monitored frequencies.
The ultrasonic frequencies detected by the Ultraprobe are reproduced as audible sounds. This “heterodyned” signal can greatly assist a user in determining bearing problems. When listening, it is recommended that a user become familiar with the sounds of a good bearing. A good bearing is heard as a rushing or hissing noise. Crackling or rough sounds indicate a bearing in the failure stage. In certain cases a damaged ball can be heard as a clicking sound whereas a high intensity, uniform rough sound may indicate a damaged race or uniform ball damage. Loud rushing sounds similar to the rushing sound of a good bearing only slightly rougher, can indicate lack of lubrication. Short duration increases in the sound level with “rough” or “scratchy” components indicate a rolling element hitting a {flat spot and sliding on the bearing surfaces rather than rotating. If this condition is detected, more frequent examinations should be scheduled.

15. Ultrasound Applications
Bearings
Pumps (Cavitation)
Motors
Gears/Gearboxes
Valves
Steam Traps
Leak detection
Electrical Inspection

16. How Ultrasound Instruments Work
Instruments based on airborne & structure borne ultrasound sense high frequency emissions produced by turbulence (from leaks), friction (in mechanical equipment) and ionization (generated by electrical emissions)
They translate these sounds down into the audible range through an electronic process called “Heterodyning”
Sound is measured by a decibel level that is indicated onboard the instrument

17. How Ultrasound Instruments Work
The heterodyning feature enables users to hear the translated signals in headphones, record sound samples and analyze sounds through spectral analysis software.
Data from test results can also be viewed on a display panel

18. Sounds Are Received Two Ways:
-Through a scanning module
-Through a contact module or wave guide

19. Instruments used for Lubrication Programs
Digital instruments:
Set baselines
Log data
Record sound sample
Analyze Sounds
Download all data to Data Management Software
dB Level

20. Digital Instruments Data Logging Sound Recording
Data Management Software
Improved Record Keeping, Recording, Reporting
Spectral Analysis

21. Analog Instruments Listen to heterodyned ultrasounds
View intensity levels only (not dB)

22. Analog Instruments
Intensity
Display

23. Procedure Use the digital instrument Collect data Record sounds
Download to Data Management Software

24. Procedure Review data Create Trend Charts
Analyze Sound Samples of deviations

25. Analyze Sounds For Differences
Baseline Sound
Sound Deviation

26. Action Levels Severe Failure dB 8 dB Lubrication
12 dB Minor Damage-Microscopic Faults
16 dB Damage-Visual Faults
35+ dB Catastrophic Failure Imminent
Lack of Lubrication
Microscopic Damage
Damage (visual)
Severe Failure
From the field
Pre-failure- 8 dB This is the earliest stage of failure. The bearings may have developed hairline cracks or microscopic spots that are not visible to the human eye. This may also signal a need to lubricate.
Failure Stage - 16 dB At this stage, visible flaws develop along with a marked rise in acoustic energy and the temperature of the bearing begins to rise. It is at this stage that the bearings should be replaced or more frequent monitoring should occur.
Catastrophic Stage - Catastrophic Failure dB Here, rapid failure is imminent. The sound level is so intense as to be audible and the temperature of the bearings has risen enough to overheat the bearing. This is a highly dangerous stage since the bearing clearances increase and can cause additional friction / rubbing within a machine causing potential damage to other components. dB

27. Procedure After review of data
Sect bearings in need of action for either:
Repair
Lubrication

28. Procedure Assign analog ultrasound instrument to lube technicians
Instruct them to add enough lubricant to cause a drop in sound levels while observing the LED intensity indication
Add lubrication – Meter intensity levels drop
Use caution - Lubricate A little at a time

29. Procedure
If bearing needs grease, dB will decrease as lubricant is applied
If bearing is already over lubricated, dB will start to increase while applying lubricant
If there is no change in dB, further action should be taken to see why there was no change, or bearing is in a failure mode that lubrication is not the solution

30. Examples of Over Lubrication
The biggest problem we find in bearings is that they are over greased. The maintenance man doing the greasing usually does not know how much grease is put into the bearing. In the past we just pumped a few strokes into the bearing and then said well that ought to do it. Usually that was too much grease and these pictures show the results of that style of greasing.

31. Examples of Over Lubrication
In the case of this motor there was no attention paid to how much grease was being put into the bearing. This motor actually had shielded bearings in it and there was no grease getting into the bearing, so it never cooled down and never got any quieter so they just continued to grease it. After a point, there was so much grease in it that the motor started to heat up. What did they do then?
THEY GREASED IT SOME MORE.

32. Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication Best Practices
Prioritize equipment based on an asset criticality list
Likelihood of a failure, runtime, cost to repair, consequences of a failure
Set up routes to collect ultrasound data including recording sound files
Once initial readings have been taken, a baseline is set

33. Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication Best Practices
Once a baseline has been established, alarm levels are set
Data (dB) only is collected until an alarm has been reached
Ultrasound is used to lubricate points that are currently in a “low alarm” condition
Grease is applied until the dB returns to the normal level

34. Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication Best Practices
For more critical assets, a follow up reading should be taken to ensure that the dB did not rise again after lubrication, or use a complementary technology for a “second opinion”
PM’s may need to be adjusted to reflect the use of ultrasound while greasing, frequency, type of lubricant, etc…

35. Benefits of Ultrasound Assisted Lubrication
Identifies bearings in need of lubrication
Prevents over lubrication of bearings
Reduces the amount of grease kept in inventory
Reduces incidents of bearing failure
Reduced labor lubricating bearings
More effective PM’s
Improves asset availability

36. Lubrication Examples

37. Lubrication Examples

38. Lubrication Examples

39. Adrian Messer adrianm@uesystems.com (914)282-3504
Questions?
Adrian Messer
(914)