Portable Instrument Evaluates Ball And Roller Bearings

It is small, it is lightweight, it is user friendly. SPM Instrument AB, Sweden, launches Bearing Checker, a new portable measuring instrument for fast evaluation of ball and roller bearing condition. It is the perfect instrument for introducing condition based maintenance of machinery as a means to cut production costs. A full-scale condition monitoring system can be a substantial investment. To facilitate for customers to get a head start with condition based maintenance, SPM Instrument AB now introduces Bearing Checker. The target groups are plant mechanics, machine operators and maintenance technicians. It is a well known fact among maintenance personnel that bearing damage is one of the most common mechanical machine failures. However, bearing damage does not usually happen over night but evolves over time, causing shocks in the bearing. Through regular shock pulse measurement, the development of the damage can be monitored. Bearing Checker measures shock pulses on bearings and instantly gives a green - yellow - red status indication showing whether a damage is developing and its severity. Maintenance and repairs can then be scheduled for an appropriate time, not causing major production losses. Unnecessary repair work based on experience and recommendations on running time can be avoided and money can be saved. "We have found that an affordable and easyto-use instrument for bearing monitoring is a sought-after product. Bearing Checker meets that need. Our aim is to make bearing monitoring easily accessible for all, regardless of type of industry and company size. The cost of Bearing Checker makes improvement of machine reliability economically feasible for everyone, without requiring the company to have a particular maintenance strategy," says Mikael Lindfors, marketing manager of SPM Instrument AB. Bearing Checker is unique, being the first portable, pocket-size instrument, weight 185 g (6,5 oz), size 158 x 62 x 30 mm (6,22 x 2,44 x 1,18 in), offering evaluated shock pulse measurement. Besides shock pulses, Bearing Checker measures machine surface temperature with infrared light, and can also be used as an electronic stethoscope for listening to machine sounds. Bearing Checker is user friendly and requires minimum training. The instrument can be used on most rotating machinery, such as electrical motors, fans and pumps, in a diversity of industrial environments.