INTER PLANT STANDARD IN STEEL INDUSTRY

CODE OF PRACTICE FOR IPSS:3-02-011-18

VIBRATION MONITORING
Corresponding IS does not exist Formally :
IPSS IPSS:3-02-011-00

0. FOREWORD
0.1 Interplant standardization in steel industry was initiated under the aegis of the
Indian Standards Institution (ISI) and the Steel Authority of India Limited
(SAIL). This IPSS was prepared by the standard committee on Operation and
Maintenance, IPSS 3:2 and firstly published in 2000. Lastly, this has been
revised by the standard committee in July 2018 with the active participation of
the representatives from major Indian steel plants and leading consultants.
0.2 In today's competitive world the success of a manufacturing industry depends
on the continuous, safe & economical operations of its plant and equipment.
This calls for a very systematic and proactive approach to maintenance
whereby the health of the equipment of a plant is periodically monitored.
Planned preventive action is taken in time to avoid the equipment failures
based on its condition.
0.3 Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) helps in reduction of Maintenance cost
along with improvement in equipment availability & reliability. Various
Condition Monitoring techniques are applied for machine health assessment.
0.4 Vibration is one of the important parameters used for condition monitoring of
rotating machines. It can be defined as the motion of a machine or machine
part back and forth from its position of rest.
0.5 All rotating/reciprocating machines vibrate. Vibration increases as equipment
condition deteriorates. Different defect produces vibrations of different
characteristics.

1. SCOPE
1.1 Vibration monitoring can be applied to almost all rotating machines. But the
measurement & analysis are slightly different for shaft speed less than 600
RPM. Vibration monitoring on high speed machines with speed more than 600
RPM has been considered in this standard.
1.2 This standard covers the general practices and recommended methods for
vibration monitoring, alarm levels and frequency of measurement for rotating
machines. Based on these recommendations schedules of measurement and
alarm levels for target equipment will have to be made as per place of
installation and criticality of operation of that equipment.

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2. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF EQUIPMENT
2.1 All equipment which directly or indirectly affects the production should be
included under vibration monitoring. All H.T. motors & driven equipment
should be included. Equipment where repair cost is very high due to primary
or secondary damages should also be included.

3. EQUIPMENT IDENTIFICATION
3.1 Vibration should be measured on bearing housing or at the point nearest to it.
Bearings should be numbered starting from Non-drive end bearing of motor or
exciter in motor driven mechanism. Numbering of bearings should start from
Mechanical Oil Pump (M.O.P.) or Non-drive end bearing of the Turbine in case
of Turbine mechanism. In case of mechanism having both motor and turbine,
number of bearings should be from non-drive end bearing of turbine.
3.2 Kinematic diagrams of five configurations are given at Figures at 1 to 5 at
Annexure-I.

4. MODE OF MEASUREMENT
4.1 There are three modes in which vibration amplitudes can be measured. They
are :
 Displacement
 Velocity
 Acceleration
4.2 Usually velocity is used as the measure of severity for equipment operating in
the range of speed from 600 rpm to 60000 rpm. Displacement should be used
below 600 rpm. Acceleration should be used for frequency component at more
than 60000 CPM usually found as gear or vane pass frequencies of high
speed gear boxes or centrifugal compressors.
4.3 Displacement is also used for measuring shaft vibration of high speed
turbines/compressors.
4.4 Requirement for instruments for measuring vibration severity of rotating
machines are as per ISO 2954-11975 (IS 11726:1985).

5. UNITS OF MEASUREMENT
5.1 Displacement is displayed as microns peak to peak.
5.2 Velocity is displayed as mm/sec R.M.S.
5.3 Some instruments display velocity in mm/sec zero to peak.
5.4 Acceleration is displayed in M/sec2 or `g' rms.

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6. FREQUENCY OF MEASUREMENT
6.1 Most of the equipment are monitored periodically by portable instruments.
Maximum time period between two measurements should be 1 month.
Depending upon the criticality and MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure), the
frequency can be increased to fortnightly or weekly. When vibration level has
already crossed the alarm level, measuring frequency may be increased to
daily or even hourly.
6.2 Very high speed critical machines like turbo-generators & centrifugal
compressors where failure can be catastrophic, on-line vibration monitoring
should be done. For fans of Gas Cleaning Plant or exhausters of Sinter Plant
where there is a possibility of the fan becoming unbalanced in a very short
time, on line vibration monitoring is recommended.

7. VIBRATION CHARACTERISTICS & DIRECTION OF MEASUREMENT

7.1 Periodic vibrations have three characteristics :
 Amplitude
 Frequency
 Phase
7.2 Amplitude indicates the severity of problem.
7.3 Frequency indicates the cause of vibration.
7.4 Phase indicates the location & confirms the fault.
7.5 Vibrations are normally measured on bearing housings in three orthogonal
directions.
 Axial (parallel to shaft axis)
 Horizontal
 Vertical
7.6 Readings should be repeated at the same measurement point. The point
should be identified either by paint or punch mark.

8. DATA COMPILATION
8.1 Data can be compiled either on paper or P.C. Many a good software are
available for P.C. database management.
8.2 Initially data can be compiled in notebooks. The compilation should be such as
it is easily retrievable. One of the suggested format is given at Table-I,
Annexure-II.
9. ALARM LEVEL
9.1 Alarm level can be set based on manufacturer's recommendations,
International standard ISO 3945-1985(E) or maintenance experience.

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9.2 ISO 3945 defines Mechanical vibration of large rotating machines with speed
range from 10 to 200 r/s - Measurement and evaluation of vibration severity in
situ. Quality judgement of vibration severity is given at Table-2, Annexure-II.
9.3 For a flexible support, the fundamental natural frequency of the
machine/support system is lower than its main excitation frequency for a rigid
support, the fundamental natural frequency of the machine/support system is
higher than its main excitation frequency.
9.4 In some cases, a machine/support system will be rigid at one measurement
point in one direction and flexible in the other. In such cases, the vibration
severity shall be judged in accordance with the relevant classification and
measurement.
9.5 For certain electrical machines (shaft height 80-400 mm) vibration severity
should be assessed based on ISO 2373 (IS 11725).

10. ANALYSIS
10.1 Potential failure can be declared if either the vibration amplitude has crossed
alarm level or there is an increasing trend in vibration level.
10.2 For fault diagnosis, analysis should be done of the trends on all the bearings in
three directions & relative strength of the amplitudes in three orthogonal
directions.
10.3 Frequency spectra & phase analysis will supplement the above analysis.

11. FEEDBACK SYSTEM

11.1 On the basis of alarm & further analysis, list of possible faults are indicated.
Details of actual faults found & maintenance actions done must be feedback to
the system. This will improve upon fault prediction in future and root cause
analysis for frequent failures. Design or maintenance practice changes can be
adopted based on tribological studies to eliminate the root cause.

12. TRAINING OF PERSONNEL

12.1 Engineers & Technicians should be trained in the class and on the job about
vibration measurement & analysis, quality & repeatability of data, safety while
monitoring on the running machines, etc.
12.2 Latest technology for vibration monitoring shall be adopted. Training to be
imparted to the personnel.

13. ON-LINE VIBRATION MONITORING SYSTEM FOR SENSITIVE/CRITICAL

EQUIPMENT
13.1 Vibration Transducers, preferably accelerometer should be mounted rigidly on
bearing housing to measure vibration amplitude. Display should be in mm/sec

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RMS velocity. It may have option to switch over to displacement in microns -
Peak to Peak. The on-line monitoring system should display vibration
amplitude minimum up to 100 mm/sec RMS to help in field balancing of fan
rotors especially in Gas cleaning Plant and LD Fans. Separate scales should
be three for on-line monitoring with alarm and trip level and for field balancing
requirements. This will help in field balancing of fan using on-line instrument.
13.2 For shaft vibration proxy meters are used and display is in microns - peak to
peak. For high speed turbo-generators & centrifugal compressors two
transducers orthogonal to each other as per drg. given at Fig-1, Annexure-III.
There should be provision to perform frequency analysis & orbit analysis.

14. TESTING DURING COMMISSIONING

Steps involved in testing during commissioning are as follows :
14.1 Take vibration measurements at both bearing housings in three directions & all
feet of motor in vertical direction in decoupled state after motor alignment.
(Note: There should be no movement of motor after the measurement.)
14.2 Take vibration measurement after motor is coupled at all the bearings of the
motor and driven equipment in three directions.
14.3 The vibration measurements can be repeated at various RPM, Load condition,
Vane opening, etc.

REFERENCES
1. ISO: 3945-1985 (E) adapted as IS:11727-1985 (reaffirmed in 1990)
2. ISO:2372-1991, IS:11724-1985 (reaffirmed 1990), IS:12075-1987 (reaffirmed
in 1991).
3. IS:11726-1985 Requirements for instrument for measuring vibration severity
machines (ISO 2954-1975)
4. IS:11725-1985 Measurement (ISO 2373-1974) and evaluation of vibration
severity of certain rotating electrical machinery with shaft heights between 80
and 400 mm.
5. IPSS:2-07-027-97.

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ANNEXURE-I
IDENTIFICATION OF MEASUREMENT POINT
NUMBERING IS FROM THE DRIVE END TO THE DRIVEN END

Abbreviations
M= Motor
E= Excitor
G= Gearbox
A= Alternator
T= Turbine
C= Mech. Drives : Fan, Pump, Compressor

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ANNEXURE-II
TABLE - I
DATA COMPILATION OF VIBRATION MEASUREMENT
Shop :
Equipment :
___________________________________________________________________
Date of B1 B2 B3 B4
Measurement
___________________________________________________________________
A H V A H V A H V A H V
___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
TABLE - 2
QUALITY JUDGEMENT OF VIBRATION SEVERITY

Vibration Severity Support Classification

Vmms Rigid Supports Flexible Supports
mm/s
0.46 Good Good
0.71
1.12
1.8
2.8 Satisfactory
4.6 Satisfactory
7.1 Unsatisfactory
11.2 Unsatisfactory
18.0 Unacceptable Unacceptable
28.0
71.0

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ANNEXURE-III

"LOCATION OF PROBES FOR ON-LINE MEASUREMENT OF

SHAFT VIBRATION"
___________________________________________________________

A & B - Eddy Current Probes

Figure-4

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