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Do green LEDs assure your vibration protection system is reliable?

Updated: Aug 18, 2023



Having your critical rotating machine vibration protection system with green LEDs is good, but it does not necessarily mean it is 100% accurate or it is protecting your machine. After the vibration monitoring system was commissioned the analog field components deteriorate and can suffer damages that affect the performance and accuracy of the reading, also, after several machine maintenance and component replacements, there are a number of things that evolve as the system ages that can affect its performance such; incorrect sensor installation, cable and connector issues, incorrect programming and scaling, miswiring, sources of noise that cause spiking, grounding issues, and more.


So, for reliability, instrumentation and controls, and maintenance teams it is important to be sure their vibration monitoring systems can:

· If a problem develops, will we receive an advanced warning?

· Are we safe around the machinery?

· Is the instrumentation wired correctly and working?

· Is it protecting the machinery?


The answer to these questions lies in bringing vibration calibration equipment into the plant, and field testing the diverse range of vibration instrumentation from sensors, through cabling to display and alarms. Turbines, compressors, and generators are too critical for unplanned outages. As the first line of defense against downtime, vibration monitoring systems are just as essential as the machinery it protects.



Rototec-RMS can help customers to comply with the field testing requirements outlined in American Petroleum Institute Standard 670 “Machinery Protection Systems” (API 670) as well as:

· Reduce insurance risk and instrumentation costs

· Promote safety

· Reduce downtime

· Maintain confidence in critical vibration alarms

· Improve efficiency and departmental relationships

· Prevent and troubleshoot false alarms


The industry uses a myriad of vibration monitoring solutions. From sensors to alarms, instrumentation and systems prevalent in the industry such as:

· Proximity probes (eddy current probes) used for radial vibration and axial position shaft monitoring

· 4-20 mA loop powered vibration transmitters protecting critical motors, pumps, and fans.

· Impact detectors used on reciprocating compressors.

· Accelerometers detecting bearing faults and gearbox malfunctions.

· Case mounted velocity sensors.

· High temperature charge, differential or modulated current vibration sensors.

· DCS, PLC, SCADA control system scaling, display, and alarms.


Alert and alarm functionality is the most important aspect of any condition monitoring system protecting critical rotating equipment. Vibration alarms prevent critical machinery from suffering a catastrophic failure and keep technicians working around the equipment safe. Vibration shutdown alarms also halt production, costing the company money. It is vitally important that alert and alarm functionality, along with shutdown logic, work correctly in an industrial environment.


Periodic audits allow for (or enable) validating of vibration sensors performance and integrity, displays, and alarms accuracy in industrial vibration monitoring equipment.


Vibration system checks are typically done during machine outages. Critical checks can be accomplished while the plant is in operation by taking necessary safety precautions.


Rototec-RMS can help you Tell us about your plant’s specific requirements.

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Luis Casas

Engineering Manager

Rototec-RMS



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