Troubleshooting Case: Centrifugal Pump Anomaly Detection & Repair

We detail a case at a major automobile manufacturer's plant in Mie Prefecture where the wireless vibration meter conanair captured signs of an anomaly in a centrifugal pump, the specific maintenance actions taken, and the results. This case study demonstrates how appropriate, data-driven actions and effect verification directly lead to peace of mind in the field and extended equipment life.

Detecting Vibrations Over 3 Times the Normal Level

While continuously monitoring the target pump, an abnormal velocity RMS value exceeding three times the normal level was detected at the end of January. An on-site check revealed an obvious anomaly accompanied by unusual noise and heavy vibration, indicating it was on the verge of a serious accident such as bearing damage or shaft breakage.

*Figure: Velocity RMS trend measured by conanair. You can see the vibration value drops significantly after inspection and cleaning at the end of February.

3 Specific Maintenance Actions Executed On-Site

Immediately after detecting the anomaly, the pump was disassembled and inspected, and the following hands-on yet precise actions were carried out. These responses are based on years of field experience and solid technical philosophy.

• Impeller Cleaning: Removed debris stuck in the impeller's balance holes. This resolved the unbalance of the rotating body.
• Centering (Alignment) Adjustment: Confirmed a 0.5mm misalignment in the coupling. We executed a precise adjustment to bring this down to 0.02mm.
• Replacement of Consumable Parts: Replaced all 8 heavily degraded coupling bolt rubbers with new ones.

Data Proving Maintenance Effectiveness (FFT Verification)

The vibration value after treatment improved to a level lower than before the anomaly occurred. We confirmed not only the change in numerical values but also, through frequency analysis via FFT, that the large peaks of the "rotation speed and its integer multiples," which were prominent before maintenance, had completely disappeared.

*Figure: Comparison of frequency components before and after repair. The intensity of the rotational frequency component has decreased dramatically.

Overview of the Monitoring System and Operations

The monitoring environment that enabled this anomaly detection is extremely simple and low-cost, utilizing general-purpose Wi-Fi (2.4GHz).

• Monitoring Targets: 30 major pumps in the factory
• Measurement Frequency: Twice a day at each measurement point (fully automatic measurement)
• System Configuration: Wireless "conanair" sensors are installed, and data from up to 100 locations is collected collectively by a single base station PC.

Building a system where maintenance personnel can easily perform "trend management" themselves, rather than introducing high-performance analyzers, led to early discovery and planned repairs (predictive maintenance).

Conclusion: A Data-Driven Cycle Strengthens the Field

As in this case, executing a reliable cycle of "data-driven action and subsequent effect verification" is the very core of maintenance know-how. conanair, which reliably accumulates raw data using patented "under-sampling" technology, backs up the intuition and experience of skilled maintenance personnel and becomes a powerful weapon for passing down technology to the next generation.

30-Day Free Trial & Inquiry

Try conanair for free for 30 days. Here is what our users are saying:

• Easy installation for immediate use
• No app required; operate via web browser
• No cloud required for fully automatic measurement
• Affordable, including dedicated software

Try equipment anomaly detection and predictive maintenance for free. Please feel free to contact us.

30-Day Free Trial & Inquiry

Try conanair for free for 30 days. Here is what our users are saying:

• Easy installation for immediate use
• No app required; operate via web browser
• No cloud required for fully automatic measurement
• Affordable, including dedicated software

Try equipment anomaly detection and predictive maintenance for free. Please feel free to contact us.

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