Compressor bearing defects rapid alert system

Causes

As soon as one of the four bearings starts to play, the gap between the rotors and the housing decreases. If the damage progresses, the rotors touch or rub against the housing - the compressor block seizes. Consequential damage to the drive (coupling, gears, belts, motor) up to and including a fire in the system is not uncommon.

At the very least, a new compressor stage must be found - this heart of a compressor can cost up to half the cost of a complete compressor!

Bearing damage to compressors also causes considerable costs if replacement compressors are not quick available. Then the compressor has longer downtimes until the damage is repaired - and a drop in pressure is like a power failure: Production is severely disrupted!

Damage prevention

So it's all about avoiding damage. A timely change of the bearings costs about a fifth of a new compressor stage. But when is in time?

There are only guide values ​​for downtimes, but the operating conditions are different everywhere: A base load compressor can have a compressor service life that is 4-5 times longer than a frequently switched peak load compressor. The intake and installation conditions, as well as the maintenance quality, also have a strong influence on the service life of the airends. With the guideline values, which vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, you are “normally” on the safe side – which, conversely, means that you often replace the compressor far too early (but of course in the interests of the manufacturer).

Solution:

You can save a lot of money with the new airleader option: compressors are only replaced when it is actually necessary.

The functional principle is simple: bearing damage increases the vibration frequency, which can be detected with suitable vibration monitoring.

The airleader vibration sensor records the vibrations continuously and the online monitoring together with the web-visualization evaluates the vibration speed. If bearing damage is announced, an adjustable warning threshold is exceeded and the airleader informs the operator by e-mail, SMS or fax.

This leaves time to react accordingly.