The Many Ways Motion Amplification^® Supports Manufacturing

Efficiency is the name of the game when it comes to the manufacturing industry. Equipment downtimes, due to repairs, upkeep, and malfunction, mean decreased output and productivity. At the end of the day, downtimes aren’t good for anyone, whether they’re consumers, workers, or company owners. We don’t have to tell you that manufacturing machinery and equipment tends to be large and complex, involving any number of interlocking parts, supports, and systems.

When maintenance and repairs are needed, especially if it’s a big job that sprung up unexpectedly, everything can come grinding to a halt. While we can’t stop machines from aging and wearing out, we can offer RDI Motion Amplification® technology as a tool to enhance vibration monitoring and predictive maintenance and to ensure your machinery is operating efficiently and safely.

Avoiding Manufacturing Mishaps

Almost every machine that’s installed in a manufacturing facility is prone to vibration issues and degradation. As machinery operates and produces vibrations, these seemingly subtle forces can displace machinery pieces and structural supports, making them loose, imbalanced, or misaligned.

Rotating machinery inside factories, from pumps to motors to gearboxes, contain shafts, couplings, bearings, and other components that eventually wear, causing increased vibration. Base and mounting points can shift, causing anchor points to loosen. Motor mounts also experience vibration displacement, which can lead to micro cracks in welded areas and, eventually, structural failure.

Over time, mounting bolt holes can deform, leading to further displacement, stress, and friction on surrounding components. Vibration and displacement can occur in and damage unexpected places. Further, motor and pump bases and other structural elements are easily overlooked as causes of unusual vibration.

It isn’t hard to imagine how these problems can add up and multiply as time goes on, necessitating more and more repairs if left unchecked. Yet since many of these faults and issues can be spotted early with Motion Amplification® vibration analysis, there’s a window of opportunity to detect damage and fix failing equipment and components before they worsen.

Don’t Wait

Staying competitive means increasing product quality, boosting profit margins, and reducing downtime. Don’t wait until breakdowns happen to take action. When rotating machinery and other manufacturing components aren’t in optimal condition, product quality and efficiency suffer. Predicting when key components need to be replaced or serviced lets upkeep happen on your schedule.

By monitoring equipment and using Motion Amplification® vibration analysis as part of your regular maintenance routine, manufacturing sites can experience more consistent product quality, lengthened machinery life, reduced maintenance workload, and significant cost savings. Fixing small problems will always be faster, easier, and cheaper than waiting.

Let RDI’s Technology Help

Since RDI’s Motion Amplification® software visualizes the movement and displacement occurring with vibrating machinery, it offers an easy-to-understand format for even non-technical employees and specialists. Using the Iris M™ Motion Amplification® camera and accompanying software, visualizing the problem is the first step for an easy, quick, cost-effective solution.

Compared to traditional vibration analysis techniques and technologies, Motion Amplification® technology quite literally takes in the whole picture, analyzing vibration and movement within the camera’s field of view. Contactless analysis eliminates both the time required to place vibration sensors and any placement errors that can affect measurements.

As we say, seeing is believing.  Efficiency, after all, extends beyond keeping manufacturing systems and processes in sync; communication between technical and non-technical personnel is also key. Motion Amplification® lets everyone quite literally see the problem and get to the root cause quickly.

Download our free guide: How Motion Amplification® Fits into a Reliability Program or contact us to learn more about RDI’s patented technology and Motion Amplification® solutions. Or, if you’re ready to learn more about how RDI’s patented technology can help keep your manufacturing facility up and running at optimal performance, contact us to learn more.