Vibration Analysis for pumps
Vibration Analysis is one of the most effective ways to monitor pumps: it catches developing faults — bearing wear and defects, mechanical seal failure and leakage, cavitation and recirculation — early, so repairs are planned rather than forced by a breakdown.
Why vibration analysis suits pumps
Pumps are critical, run almost continuously, and fail in ways that are both expensive and avoidable. An unexpected pump failure can stop a whole process line, cause a spill, or destroy the pump itself through dry running. Because the early warning signs show up clearly in vibration and current data, pumps are one of the highest-return assets for a predictive programme.
How vibration analysis works
Accelerometers capture the vibration signal, which is transformed (typically via FFT) into a frequency spectrum. Because each fault type excites characteristic frequencies — running speed for imbalance, twice running speed for misalignment, bearing-defect frequencies for bearing wear — the spectrum reveals not just that something is wrong but what and how severe. Trending the signal against a baseline turns a vague 'it sounds rough' into a dated, prioritised work order.
Faults it catches on pumps
- Bearing wear and defects
- Mechanical seal failure and leakage
- Cavitation and recirculation
- Impeller erosion and imbalance
- Shaft misalignment and looseness
- Dry running and loss of prime
What the data shows
Rising amplitude at running speed points to imbalance; high vibration at twice running speed suggests misalignment; energy at specific bearing-defect frequencies indicates bearing wear; broadband high-frequency noise can mean lubrication problems or, on pumps, cavitation.
Related
Predictive maintenance for pumps · Vibration Analysis overview · Vibration Analysis