BIC Condition Monitoring Saves the Day

Have you ever experienced the in-service catastrophic failure of large motors or other expensive rotating machinery caused by undetected bearing damage?

Have you cringed at the resultant expensive repairs and production losses?
Fletcher International WA in Narrikup WA recently suffered the loss a large refrigeration compressor motor when a bearing unexpectedly collapsed.
During discussions with Fletchers Electrical Manager, Bryon Kearsley regarding the impact of the failure, BIC Engineering Manager Rob Darlow suggested that Rockwell Automation XM Series Condition Monitoring be installed on all six of the abatiors screw compressors and associated motors to monitor and alarm for impending failures. This would allow the Fletchers Maintenance Department to plan and implement intervening measures before an expensive in-service failure. The BIC supplied XM system was less than the cost of the recent failure. It was installed by Fletcher's Electrical Department during previously planned outages to upgrade the compressor controls from the original OEM system to a BIC supplied CompactLogix PLC and PanelView HMI control system. Within a month of commissioning one such system, the Maintenance Department was alerted to an impending bearing problem when an alarm was raised. The compressor was taken out of service, inspected and a damaged bearing casing was found. Left undetected, the bearing would have collapsed costing Fletchers an estimated $25,000 to repair, more than the cost of the condition monitoring equipment for all six compressors. Bryon said that "he was more the pleased" with Fletchers investment.

Rockwell Automation XM-120 vibration modules measure an array of critical parameters to provide a comprehensive real time assessment of machinery health. Used as stand alone, independent protection devices or networked to existing PLC systems using industry standard industrial networks a BIC XM system could save YOU from the expense and stress caused by the catastrophic failure of critical rotating plant machinery.

Why put your equipment at risk when a cost effective solution is only a phone call away?

Contacts
Rob Darlow 0419 922 504
Andrew Godber 0417 918 028