Condition Monitoring for Environmental Reasons

The protection of the environment does not only involve the ecofriendly production of energy. Using our natural resources responsibly and carefully is also an important aspect. The extraction of raw materials, their transportation, the production of steel, the manufacturing of bearings and gears are very energy-intensive. Furthermore, the exhaust emission is enormous.

The method, that was practiced for decades, was the preventive maintenance. Parts were replaced long time before they reached their maximal life expectancy. This is not only very cost-intensive, it also requires raw materials and energy. Of course, this approach has been the only opportunity, for a long time.

Now, the condition-based maintenance is established. Condition Monitoring can exactly determine, which parts are damaged. And even more important: It is possible to document, which parts are undamaged and can run another campaign.

The actual life expectancy of roller bearings can exceed the calculated expectancy for several hundred percent. Drastic cost-reductions can be made, if not, for example, security-aspects require preventive maintenance.

In detail

By Condition Monitoring, it is possible to document, which drive elements are intact.
These intact drive elements can run beyond their calculated life expectancy, if there is no conflict with any safety or technological aspects.
The longer use of drive elements protects the environment. Later generations would be grateful.

Of course, the human race has a right to preserve its kind. The mining of raw materials and their use belongs to this. But could we really bear the responsibility, that we change bearings and gears too early, that we waste raw materials and energy for the production of spare parts, just because we are not able to monitore the real condition of drive elements?

Condition Monitoring, based on vibration measurements, can not determine exactly the degree of the rolling bearing damage. But even today, it is possible to identify defective drive elements. As a result, the other drive-components are undamaged.