Vibration Analysis Of Motors In The Service Center
Mounting
By Dan Patterson
Flanders Electric Motor Service, Inc.
Evansville, Indiana
Technical Services Committee
Member
Few things in your business life can
be more annoying than a large envelope
marked CONFIDENTIAL that contains
repair specifications from a potential
“large” customer. Right? Well things
may not be as bad as they seem. Vibration
standards, properly written, not only
benefit the customer by adding longevity
to their equipment but also can equally
benefit your business by reducing
warranty claims. Vibration analysis has
been determined to be the best indicator
of rotating equipment mechanical faults.
Identification of frequency components
can be a valuable tool in determining if
faults exist before returning the finished
product to the customer.
The Law As It Is Written
NEMA MG1 Part 7 does a wonderful
job of covering mechanical vibration
measurement, evaluation and limits as
it applies to new motors. So how then
can it be applied to rebuilt ones? I will
not attempt to cover all of MG1 Part 7
in this article but will extract some of
the more important procedures that can
be applied to rebuilt motors tested in
the service center.
Test Speed
Part 7 allows the manufacturer to
select either a resilient or rigid
mounting. Resiliency is achieved
by suspending the machine on an
elastic support whose natural
frequency is 33 percent or less
Table 1. Unfiltered Vibration Limits
than the lowest rated speed.
Rigid mounting is achieved Speed, rpm Rotational
by fastening the machine
directly to a massive founda- 3600
tion. The foundation must
have less than 0.02 in/sec 1800
peak background vibrations 1200
and its natural frequency must 900
be at least 10% away from 720
shaft speed. Furthermore, it
must not be within 5% of 600
either two times shaft speed or
two times electrical-line frequency.
If the rigid method is selected,
vibration limits are multiplied by 0.8.
Shaft Key
Hopefully by the time the motor
reaches the test run portion of repair,
shaft key compensations have been
addressed. Part 7 states: “For the
balancing and measurement of
vibration on machines provided with
a shaft extension keyway, the keyway
shall contain a half key.” I would like
to add, this means from end to end.
Unlike NEMA standards, IEC
requires the motor to contain a full
key for balance and vibration evalua-
tion, while the coupling, pulley, or
other shaft accessory be balanced
without compensation to its keyway.
Measurement Points
Measurements apply to each bearing
housing in the Horizontal, Vertical, and
Axial positions as close to the bearing
as possible. Generally, measurements
taken on a fan cover are unacceptable.
For vertical motors, the vertical and
horizontal position readings are both
taken radially, and are displaced by
90 degrees.
EASA CURRENTS ■ March 2007
Motors should be tested at the highest
rated nameplate speed. Additionally,
this applies to inverter fed and DC
motors. For bi-directional motors,
vibration limits apply in both directions.
Velocity, in/sec
Frequency, Hz (mm/sec) peak
60 0.15 (3.8)
30 0.15 (3.8)
20 0.15 (3.8)
15 0.12 (3.0)
12 0.09 (2.3)
10 0.08 (2.0)
NEMA MG1 Table 7-1
Vibration Limits
Vibrations levels for speeds 1200 rpm
and above are based on the peak velocity
of 0.15 inches per second (3.8 mm/sec).
Vibration levels for speeds below
1200 rpm are based on the peak velocity
equivalent of 2.5 mils (63.5 microns) p-p
displacement. Acceleration limits are
constant at 1 G peak between 400 and
10,000 Hz.
Part 7’s unfiltered vibration limits
differ for motors whose speed is below
1200 rpm. But why? Velocity is a
measurement of distance divided by
time, e.g., in/sec. Probably the person
who coined the phrase “It’s mils that
kill” still carries some weight when it
comes to writing standards. When
judging reliability, a 300-rpm machine
with .2 in/sec (5.1 mm/sec) sinusoidal
vibration will have the same longevity
as a 3600-rpm machine with the same
.2 in/sec (5.1 mm/sec) vibration.
A Practical Approach
Strictly speaking, it is not necessary
to be compliant with NEMA MG 1 Part 7
because it applies to new motor
manufacturing. Nevertheless, Part 7
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 Vibration Analysis Of Motors In The Service Center
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provides the basis for vibration motor foundations generally range from starting of the motor. Application of
measurement of electric motors. Since 3 to 10 times motor weight, most at the this method offers the best simulation
we are repairing motors rather than lower end of this range. So which of the motor’s natural environment.
building new ones, latitude in testing method is better, and best represents The vibration limits in NEMA MG1
methods is acceptable. internally produced vibrations? Neither. Table 7-1 (Table 1 on Page 9) are
Resilient mounting reduces system Both are subject to dampening or the then applied when the motor reaches
mass and therefore changes natural lack thereof. One preferred and well- full speed with full voltage applied.
frequency. Rigid mounting provides a accepted method is to rest the motor on As an alternative to Table 7-1,
fair assessment as long as the foundation a machined surface, preferably one consider using the “Patterson Chart” of
is not too “massive” in relationship to embedded in concrete and in which vibration limits shown in Table 2
motor weight. For example, if a 25 hp background vibrations are less than below, where velocity acceptance
motor were bolted to a massive 0.02 in/sec peak. The motor’s mounting values remain constant regardless of
foundation the motor - base combination surfaces are cleaned and shimmed to service speed.
would be highly damped and result in accommodate any soft-foot conditions.
an “unfair” vibration test. In-service This method requires reduced voltage REFERENCES
NEMA Standards Publication MG 1-2006.
Table 2. Vibration limits for repaired electric motors and generators.
PARAMETER BAND GENERAL PURPOSE SPECIAL PURPOSE
OVERALL VIBRATION 2Hz-50 x rpm 0.15 in/sec (3.8 mm/sec) 0.03 in/sec (0.76 mm/sec)
SUB-HARMONIC 0.0 x rpm-0.8 x rpm 0.03 in/sec (0.76 mm/sec) .015 in/sec (0.38 mm/sec)
1 x rpm 0.8 x rpm-1.2 x rpm 0.15 in sec (3.8 mm/sec) .01 in/sec (0.25 mm/sec)
2-3 x rpm 1.2 x rpm-3.2 x rpm 0.07 in/sec (1.8 mm/sec) .01 in/sec (0.25 mm/sec)
4-50 x rpm 3.2 x rpm-50 x rpm 0.07 in/sec (1.8 mm/sec) .005 in/sec (0.13 mm/sec)
LOW FREQUENCY PASS 300 Hz-1,250 Hz 1 G (9.8 m/sec2) 1 G (9.8 m/sec2)
HIGH FREQUENCY PASS 1,250 Hz-20,000 Hz 1 G (9.8 m/sec2) 1 G (9.8 m/sec2)
ALL VALUES IN PEAK

2 EASA CURRENTS ■ www.easa.com