Mobile Early Warning Device Monitors Vibration, Temperature and Balancing

DANBURY, CT, July 14, 2006 – The Schaeffler subsidiary, FAG Industrial Services GmbH (F’IS), has launched the FAG Detector III, a user-friendly mobile instrument for early detection of vibration, temperature and balancing problems in rotating components. The new cost-effective device offers an improved mobile condition monitoring function (measurement of temperature and vibration), along with an option for static and dynamic balancing. The enlarged memory of the Detector III permits users to record up to 1,600 measuring points plus up to 270 time signals per inspection round for condition monitoring purposes. This means that bearing damage, imbalance and misalignment are recognized quicker and more reliably. In addition, thanks to the balancing function, any imbalance detected can be eliminated directly and easily. Typical applications include the monitoring of electric motors, fans, ventilators and pumps. The lightweight, mobile Detector III is particularly beneficial for monitoring large plants where long distances have to be covered on a measuring round in order to obtain numerous measuring points. After the measuring round has been generated, the system guides the inspector from measuring point to measuring point, making it easier for maintenance staff to use the exact same measuring points. This, as well as regular, short intervals between inspections, makes the measurements comparable with each other. Since the monitoring system is simple to operate, users can learn to handle it quickly. And with its integrated bearing database, which already contains the data of about 20,000 bearing types from different manufacturers, analyses can be carried out quickly and reliably. The evaluation of the measured values require more in-depth specialized knowledge and can be carried out either by a F’IS vibration expert or, after thorough training by F’IS, by the customer’s personnel. Like all condition monitoring systems developed by F’IS maintenance experts, the FAG Detector III helps users to detect incipient bearing damage at an early stage, making planned maintenance and the procurement of replacement parts simpler and more efficient. In this way, costly production losses and equally costly potential consequential damage can be largely avoided. The successful predecessor model FAG Detector II can be upgraded to the new monitoring system.