What is condition monitoring?

Condition monitoring (CM) is the process of monitoring a particular condition in machinery (such as vibration, temperature, etc) to identify changes that could indicate a developing fault.

It is a major part of predictive maintenance  as implementing condition monitoring allows for maintenance to be scheduled and preventive actions taken to prevent further failure and subsequent unplanned downtime.

Condition monitoring techniques are used on a range of equipment, including rotating machinery, auxiliary systems and parts such as compressors, pumps, motors and presses.

Traditional condition monitoring was mainly based around vibration analysis, but more modern, innovative techniques use sensors to measure different parameters in real time and can send an alert when a change is detected.

 

 

Why is condition monitoring important?

Condition monitoring is a tried and tested effective maintenance tool that is being used by an increasing number of industries. Condition monitoring systems provide important benefits from a financial, operational, and safety perspective.

While condition monitoring solutions may require some investment, these expenses are returned by preventing costly unplanned downtimes as a result of machine failure, as well as eliminating the unnecessary maintenance costs associated with scheduling maintenance based on operating hours rather than actual condition.

When used with connected systems, condition monitoring allows users to make the most of planned maintenance downtime, servicing multiple machines and addressing all problems simultaneously.

Proactive condition monitoring is also important from a safety perspective, as the effective monitoring and maintenance of machinery prevents accidents from occurring.