Cement
In recent years, the cement industry has adopted the proactive approach to maintenance that has been successfully applied in many other branches of industry over the years. Maintenance represents a significant part of operating costs and as such is a critical point of improvement. SPM has been involved in the cement industry for a number of years and we continue to contribute to improved plant reliability for main manufacturers around the world.
Availability concerns are a top priority in cement production. Unplanned shutdowns caused by equipment failure can be very costly. Poor availability influences productivity and the contribution per hour, and in the cement industry these numbers are usually very high. The cost of secondary damages can be astronomical if the main production units break down. Typical applications where condition monitoring is applicable are kiln drives, separators, crushers, screens, gearboxes, conveyor belts, fans, raw mills, ball mills, elevators and blowers.
Condition monitoring solutions for cement
Many of the applications are run under harsh conditions, where the environment often is dusty, dirty, and hot. This puts a great demand on optimized lubrication of the rolling element bearings. Low-speed machinery also puts special demands on the techniques used for bearing measurement. The SPM method is unique, being able to monitor such conditions as well as giving very early damage detection. It is not only used for keeping track of manually lubricated bearings but also used in cooperation with automatic lubrication systems, giving signals when to lubricate. SPM Spectrum, in combination with EVAM, is very well suited for keeping control over the operating condition of gearboxes. On slowly rotating machinery, the SPM HD® measuring technique can be used with benefit. SPM HD uses RPM-based sampling frequency and algorithmic correlation techniques to ensure the highest possible signal quality and razor-sharp spectrums for analysis.
The SPM product range includes portable instruments, online systems, and accessories specifically suited for shock pulse monitoring of rotating machinery and vibration monitoring equipment for, for example, detecting misalignment, gear problems, and balancing problems.