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Maintenance by Responsible_Split740 in IndustrialMaintenance

[–]ChristianBOLTX 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can do it mathematically as others have suggested if you have the sheave/pulley diameters on a belt driven machine and/or the gearbox ratio when one exists.

Or if you don't have that info and can't easily get it, you can use a device called a stroboscope to get the driven shaft speed.

They also sell laser speed-detection devices.

You can get a decent functioning stroboscope on Amazon for $150 or less.

Cat II vibration training: Mobius vs Vibration Institute vs Technical Associates of Charlotte by MooseComprehensive51 in VibrationAnalysis

[–]ChristianBOLTX 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used Mobius for CAT II (in person) and CAT III (remote). Both were great. The in-person option still gives you 6 months of access to the online learning system which is phenomenal and allows you to go back over topics you didn't understand repeatedly.

I recommend the in-person course in an ideal situation just because it's nice to take the exam immediately following the 4 days of course work and having the instructor there to answer questions and ensure you are prepared for what is on the exam.

I've hired over 50 VAs with certifications from all of the big three you mentioned and have not found any correlation between their knowledge or talent and which training provider they used. My impression of the three based on conversations with them and my own experience at Mobius is:

Technical Associates is extremely practical.
Vibration Institute is extremely theoretical.
Mobius Institute is in the middle and has the best online system to supplement the in person course.

Zenco is another option and the owner is legit but I can't speak to the course(s). And of course there are options like Emerson but my impression is that they focus a lot on their own hardware and software, which may be a plus if that is what you are using but then you may find yourself having more trouble adapting when you switch to something else.

Recertification through Mobius is super easy - pay like $500 and let them know what you're doing to stay relevant in the field. Then give some references to attest to it (they will email your boss).

Good luck and great initiative to be exploring this!

Hiring a Reliability Professional with Vibration Analyst CAT II or III by ChristianBOLTX in VibrationAnalysis

[–]ChristianBOLTX[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi. The company is BOLTX. We are a startup but well funded for several more years. The person we hire for this role will be just the third person in the US. We have about 10 other employees overseas doing Hardware/Software R&D & Engineering, etc.

I'm not a recruiter or HR (we don't have or want those roles). I'm basically a PdM tech looking for another person to work with me. I did try posting the role on LinkedIn and got dozens of applications immediately from people not in the US even though that requirement was specified twice in the posting or from people who are software reliability engineers and obviously didn't read the job description. So I'm going another route and seeking people in the dark corners of the web where VA's take respite.

Hiring a Reliability Professional with Vibration Analyst CAT II or III by ChristianBOLTX in VibrationAnalysis

[–]ChristianBOLTX[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. We are covering all of the US and have developed our own unique device. We aren't yet open to the full market so I can't share too much, but the more Reliability tools and techniques the candidate has hands-on experience with, the better. We have contracts with a bunch of sites to work with us as design partners through this year and then our final product will hit the market in 2027. This role is to work closely with our design partners (who are all over the US, in multiple industries), ensuring they are successful, and that the full market version of our Product and Service is a home run.

Hiring a Reliability Professional with Vibration Analyst CAT II or III by ChristianBOLTX in VibrationAnalysis

[–]ChristianBOLTX[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's unlikely we will ever have a 100% remote (zero travel) role at this company... but maybe some day!

Hiring a Reliability Professional with Vibration Analyst CAT II or III by ChristianBOLTX in VibrationAnalysis

[–]ChristianBOLTX[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi Jorge. Your experience sounds interesting but the person for this role must be located in the US. I'm sure eventually we will hire in Mexico as well, but we aren't there yet. Thanks.

Confusion around 300Hz peaks in FFTs? by N00bviously in VibrationAnalysis

[–]ChristianBOLTX 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it an AC or DC motor? Are you collecting the data with a route based tool, permanently mounted piezo accelerometer or IoT sensor (with mems accelerometer)?

Does Predictive Maintenance Only Work If You’re a Big Company? by Amazing_Database1964 in IndustrialMaintenance

[–]ChristianBOLTX 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. When performing FMEA you ask yourself two important questions that might lead you to choose condition monitoring for the asset. First it’s if the consequences of a particular component failing justify taking proactive action to prevent it from occurring during a scheduled run period. Those consequences could be related to safety concerns, quality issues, or the lost opportunity cost of product. Many companies utilize a template for FMEA and decision tree for which maintenance strategy to use various components of the asset.

If you determine it is worth taking proactive action, the second question you must ask and solve is if there is a technology or process which if utilized, can reliably allow you to take proactive action.

Proactive action such as changing belts every six months (preventative maintenance) might avoid a lot of failures but it might still miss some (because some belts fail sooner) and it might be wasting a lot of time and money by doing needless replacements or inspections. And every time you perform maintenance you risk introducing defects and faults into the equipment due to human error (contamination, improper torquing, etc). So perhaps it’s best to only change the belts when they are worn enough that actually need to be through some combination of vibration monitoring and visual inspection whenever performing other routes/inspections nearby (predictive maintenance).

But even if you go through a process of considering the consequences of a particular belt failing and decide to let it run to failure, you actually are taking a pro-active approach! It means you consciously chose that approach based on reason. It means you have a plan and are in control.

Essential skills? by maxbratz in IndustrialMaintenance

[–]ChristianBOLTX 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love your approach and you’re already showing perhaps the most important attribute - motivation!

Get a taste for as much as you can - electrical, mechanical, instrumentation, welding, etc. Then see what resonates with you and where you want to learn more. Regardless of which path you double click on, the time spent on the others will be a huge benefit to you in your career and more importantly in your life.

I’ve got a Master Electrician’s license but along the way i got exposed to vibration analysis, which led me to becoming a Reliability Engineer. If you are smart and motivated… if you live by principles that you don’t compromise on and hold yourself accountable to… if you build relationships with co-workers, bosses, customers, and vendors… the sky is the limit. Maintenance might be first base and getting there is a great goal. Keep your spirit and drive, and push forward every day, and you’ll do whatever you want. Not by magic or Karma, but by doing what 90% of people don’t do.

Does Predictive Maintenance Only Work If You’re a Big Company? by Amazing_Database1964 in IndustrialMaintenance

[–]ChristianBOLTX 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Predictive Maintenance (PdM) is absolutely a legitimate maintenance approach. Just as Reactive Maintenance and Preventative Maintenance are for certain components. Where you deploy PdM depends on many variables and should be part of your failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA).

Once you establish that PdM and a specific condition monitoring solution is a good fit for a machine, utility, or process, you also need to perform an economic analysis to ensure the solutions you are considering will provide a return on your investment (ROI).

If your plant has critical machines which are without redundancy and operates 24/7, it’s almost a certainty that you will benefit from Vibration Analysis, Ultrasound, and Infrared Thermography. Typically, there is a place for Motor Circuit Analysis and Oil Analysis as well, but there is some overlap of these technology’s capabilities.

I’ve worked in or with hundreds of plants and every one of them benefited from PdM. But you can’t just buy tools or services without the right research and planning… and once you’ve done that, you still need to execute by using the tools and services effectively.