Hospitals rely on vibration analysis as a tool for monitoring the condition of rotating machinery but they often have limited internal resources to conduct the vibration analysis needed to monitor machines that are vital to critical operations. Critical machinery can include HVAC systems that use pumps and fans to regulate air flow and temperature, diagnostic machines like MRIs and X-rays that use motors to generate scans and images, and laboratory equipment like centrifuges and mixers that use rotating parts to separate and mix substances.
One large hospital system in the Northeast US relies on Machfu’s machine health monitoring solution to ensure critical assets are operating within their normal parameters. This approach delivers 24/7 monitoring of all facilities, including intensive care units (ICUs), where patients and caregivers rely on machines to deliver treatment and measure progress.
By installing the Machfu system along with i-Alert sensors, the hospital system was able to proactively detect several impending failures among their critical assets. By sensing an increasing horizontal vibration in a fan used in the ICU, the Machfu system flagged a problem related to worn sheaves, which are used to transmit power between rotating shafts. Increased vibration is an indicator that the sheaves are worn or damaged. Maintenance staff were able to remove the fan from service and repair it - prior to it affecting ICU operations during a time of critical need.
