Motor maintenance: A survey of techniques and results

Preventative and predictive maintenance programs for motors are effective practices in manufacturing plants. These maintenance procedures involve a sequence of steps plant personnel use to prolong motor life or foresee a motor failure. These technicians use a series of diagnostics such as motor temperature and motor vibration as key pieces of information in learning about the motors. This paper outlines and discusses such diagnostics and describes some common pieces of hardware used to obtain the data. One way a technician can use these diagnostics is to compare the vibration signature found in the motor with the failure mode to determine the cause of the failure. Often failures occur well before the expected design life span of the motor and studies have shown that mechanical failures are the prime cause of premature electrical failures. This paper looks into the various mechanical problems which lead to those electrical failures and ways to avoid them. Preventative maintenance takes steps to improve motor performance and to extend its life. Common preventative tasks include routine lubrication, allowing adequate ventilation, and ensuring the motor is not undergoing any type of unbalanced voltage situation. This paper provides greater detail on preventative procedures which improve overall plant efficiency.more » The goal of predictive maintenance programs is to reduce maintenance costs by detecting problems early which allow for better maintenance planning and less unexpected failures. Predictive maintenance programs for motors observe the temperatures, vibrations, and other data to determine a time for an overhaul or replacement of the motor. This paper explains the different tests and equipment used to incorporate a predictive maintenance program in a facility.« less