Video amplification method
A routine vibration check on an edge cutter identified a possible soft-foot issue. This was confirmed with and old-school analogue approach and corroborated using latest video deflection technology; seeing is believing!
Soft foot video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwdm0ys0zkw
Routine vibration data was collected from the cutter bearings using Erbessd DigiVibe software and Ewiser triaxial wireless accelerometer from locations as indicated below.
During analysis of the velocity data it was noticed that the 1x rpm of the cutter was high. The missing bolt was an indication also and was replaced.
The next step was to try and identify what was causing the high 1x vibration, as the cutter had only been replaced it was thought that it would not be feasible for any product to have got attached to the cutter blades which would have caused imbalance. Therefore, the increase had to be due to something else.
Using a piece of card the cutter structure was tested for security; old school method!.
To confirm this was in fact the problem causing the high 1x vibration, a motion video of the foot was taken using Erbessd Dragon Visio video deflection technology. The resultant video helped demonstrate the problem to our client.
The video was shot using an iPhone 6, with no special lighting. The 30 second clip took 20 minutes to adjust in the Dragonvision software to come up with a good representation of the fault.
The floor underneath the foot has crumbled away, probably caused by how the initial product is introduced to the machine (high loads).
The recommendation is to rebuild the floor under foot either by using epoxy resin or remounting the whole cutter as well as considering how product is introduced to the machine.
Whilst not urgent; if the soft-foot fault is not addressed the machine will go in and out of alignment which is likely to cause a rub on the bearings (there is also history on this machine whereby the motor overheats and trips-out).
Derek (Mac) McPherson. November 2019
Dragonvision user guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9-WI3n
