Condition monitoring (CM) is a predictive maintenance approach that relies on real-time data collection to monitor asset and system health and to detect faults and anomalies.

Belts themselves aren’t that expensive. The real cost is in the labor, because a lot of parts need to be disassembled to get to the belt. Shopping around to get a few quotes is your best bet to get the best deal, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $367 to $585.

Oil analysis assesses the properties of the oil (for example, viscosity, acidity, etc.) in an asset to detect contaminants or wear particles. It typically involves collecting a sample of lubricating oil from the equipment and sending it to a laboratory for analysis. Oil analysis can be useful for monitoring assets like engines, gearboxes and hydraulic systems.

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Ultimately, condition monitoring can help maintenance teams take a more proactive approach to maintenance, saving companies money and maximizing operational efficiency.

A serpentine belt, on the other hand, is so called because it’s long, snake-like movements transmit mechanical power to several very important engine accessories including the water pump, power steering pump, alternator, air and oil pumps, and the A/C compressor. You can see this belt when you lift the hood of your car.

Electromagnetic monitoring measures field distortions and eddy current changes to locate corrosion, cracks, weaknesses and other faults. The technician applies magnetic fields to the asset’s surface walls and tubing to identify faults in surface materials and features.

These features provide maintenance departments more sophisticated analyses, allow them to use data from multiple machines simultaneously and helps them automate processes that would ordinarily require maintenance technicians (and their associated costs). Ultimately, condition monitoring systems and the IIoT make it possible to transform the way organizations maintain and monitor key assets, processes and systems, improving the reliability, efficiency and safety of its maintenance operation.

By detecting and addressing problems preemptively, condition monitoring helps to extend the lifespan of equipment and components, reducing the need for costly replacements or repairs and maximizing the ROI of assets.

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Although timing belts are critical, there’s no need to replace them regularly –unless explicitly recommended in your owner’s manual. Some automakers recommend changing a timing belt between 60,000 and 100,000, others don’t.

Assuming your maintenance department has installed machine condition monitoring software, they will assign maintenance data collectors. These collectors will continually monitor and analyze sensor data to assess asset health and anticipate potential machine failures.

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Sensors are the driving force behind any condition monitoring program, so the first step to implementing a program is installing the sensors that collect the necessary data. Different assets require different types of sensors and different approaches to sensor installation, so be sure to account for the needs of all your critical assets.

If your owner’s manual doesn’t have a recommended schedule, and you suspect something may be wrong, you can have a mechanic do a visual inspection, which includes removing the timing belt cover attached to the engine block. If your mechanic notices that your belt is cracked, frayed or worn down, then it’s time to replace your timing belt.

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Organizations that use condition monitoring use the approach to identify potential problems before critical assets fail, minimizing unplanned downtime and maximizing asset lifespan.

Other methods like visual inspection and performance testing can also be used for condition monitoring. Naturally, each technique has its strengths and weaknesses, so the best choice for your department will depend on your resources, equipment, environment and organizational needs.

Your organization or maintenance team can employ various techniques and tools to implement a condition monitoring program. Common approaches include:

Condition monitoring and the IIoT are two closely related concepts that, used together, can improve the efficiency and reliability of maintenance management systems.

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While condition monitoring can really help an organization streamline their maintenance management systems (especially in the case of IoT-enabled condition monitoring), it does have disadvantages that organizations should consider, including:

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Acoustic emissions testing is a type of vibration analysis, but it involves the use of much higher-frequency sounds to find shocks and cracks. Sound patterns reveal the presence of unusual noises or vibrations that can indicate a problem or impending breakdown. This technique is particularly useful for detecting faults in rotating equipment such as motors, pumps and fans.

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Many car owners confuse a serpentine belt with the timing belt, but the two serve different purposes. In a nutshell, a timing belt keeps the camshaft and crankshaft in sync, regulating the “timing” of the opening and closing of the valves with the up-and-down motion of the pistons. It is also concealed from view by a cover that attaches to the engine block.

Condition monitoring can help to identify potential safety hazards, such as worn or damaged components, before they cause harm to personnel or equipment. This approach helps to improve overall safety and reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.

Implementing a condition monitoring program can be quite expensive. It typically requires the installation of sensors and other monitoring equipment, as well as an investment in data analysis software and personnel to manage the program and equipment. The cost of running a condition monitoring program may be prohibitive for some organizations, particularly smaller ones.

One of the key benefits of condition monitoring is that it enables maintenance teams to implement preventative maintenance management and machine health monitoring. By identifying potential problems before they cause equipment failure, maintenance teams can schedule maintenance activities at the most convenient time, reducing the impact on production and minimizing downtime from unexpected shutdowns.

Using condition monitoring and IIoT in tandem allows for more comprehensive and accurate monitoring and more efficient communication about maintenance tasks and issues. It not only allows internet-connected smart assets to communicate and share diagnostic data, enabling instantaneous system and asset comparisons, but it also helps teams make more informed decisions about the entire production operation. Furthermore, IIoT makes it possible to collect and transmit data and monitor systems remotely, which can be particularly useful for systems located in remote or hazardous locations.

Condition monitoring can be complex, requiring specialized knowledge and expertise to set up and manage. Some organizations may not have enough trained personnel to run the system effectively and may therefore need to hire specialized personnel or outside consultants. Furthermore, condition monitoring systems rely on high-tech sensors to run diagnostics on organizational assets. Older facilities without adequate infrastructure may require extensive retrofitting.

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Typically, the monitoring process involves continuous data collection from various high-tech sensors and instruments installed on the assets the maintenance department wants to track. The sensors can provide a range of diagnostics, including vibration levels, temperature, pressure and sound, among other parameters.

The first step for implementing a CM program is to collect as much asset data as possible. This data should include historical data (that is, maintenance history) and any documentation from the manufacturer or regulatory agencies.

Motor circuit analysis, also known as motor testing, uses voltage- or current-based assessments to find electrical imbalances and measure insulation degradation, both of which can cause motor failure. MCA is used primarily to monitor electric motors.

Infrared thermography is a type of non-destructive testing that uses thermal imaging to detect overheating and other temperature-related issues. It uses thermal imaging cameras to capture the infrared radiation emitted by an object or surface and convert it into a visual image (or thermogram). Organizations primarily use this type of CBM to monitor motors, inspect bearings and check gas, sludge or liquid levels.

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Condition monitoring provides real-time data on the performance of a system or component, which can be used to optimize maintenance planning and scheduling. This data helps to reduce the frequency of maintenance activities, while ensuring that they are executed only when needed, based on actual system performance.

The question remains: Why do I need to replace my serpentine belt? Because a bad or failing serpentine belt will cause your engine to overheat and eventually stop running. The good news is — as far as engine repairs go — serpentine belts are fairly inexpensive to replace.

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You don’t want to know. But if you must, it’s not good. There’s usually a lot of noise, and if you’re driving you won’t be for long. You’ll be stranded, and your engine will probably be damaged (metal components can actually break, hence all the noise). How much damage is anyone’s guess. Bottom line? Don’t let this happen.

In short, the timing belt (or chain) keeps everything in sync by regulating the “timing” of the opening and closing of the valves with the up-and-down motion of the pistons. And with your engine operating at thousands of revolutions per minute, timing is critical, making this continuous loop of rubber or metal a crucial component of your engine.

The cost of replacing your timing belt varies from car to car, even location to location. Smaller passenger cars with smaller engines are generally less expensive than a larger vehicle with a bigger engine. Metropolitan areas usually mean higher costs, too.

Vibration monitoring (or vibration analysis) uses vibration sensors to measure vibration frequencies in an asset and detect abnormalities that may indicate a problem. For example, rotating assets, such as motors and pumps, tend to vibrate more intensely and more loudly as they age. Measuring changes in their vibration can help identify wear and damage before the asset fails. Vibration data can be used to detect a wide range of problems, including misalignment, imbalance, bearing wear or failure, bent shafts and loose components, among other faults.

Condition monitoring can help to identify inefficiencies in a system or component, such as excessive energy consumption or unnecessary wear and tear. By addressing these issues, operational efficiency can be improved, leading to reduced costs and improved productivity.

Laser interferometry uses laser-generated wavelengths of light to measure variations from an asset’s baseline wave displacement. Using an interferometer, the maintenance technician measures interference patterns that indicate defects—like corrosion and cavities—in surface and subsurface materials.

In these industries, even a small malfunction can cause significant financial losses and drops in productivity. For example, in a manufacturing plant, a faulty machine can lead to production delays, missed deadlines, lapses in regulatory compliance and increased costs. In the transportation industry, a malfunctioning aircraft engine can lead to flight cancellations, lost revenue and even safety concerns.

Once maintenance has the data, they can analyze and interpret it using one (or a few) of the myriad techniques and software tools available. The two most common uses for condition monitoring data are:

Condition monitoring relies on continuous data collection from sensors and other sources to prevent or mitigate problems. The Industrial Internet of Things, on the other hand, is a network of interconnected devices and equipment sensors that communicate with each other and with the cloud to collect and share data.

Ultrasonic analysis (also called ultrasonic testing) uses high-frequency sound waves to detect leaks, cracks or defects in a piece of equipment. It relies on both contact (structure-borne) and non-contact (airborne) data collection techniques to determine asset attrition. Contact methods are typically used to detect mechanical issues—like lubrication issues, gear damage and broken rotor bars—that generate high-frequency sounds. Non-contact methods can detect issues, like pressure and vacuum leaks in compressed gas systems that tend to generate low-frequency sounds.

Condition monitoring systems can generate a large amount of data, which can be overwhelming to manage and analyze. It can be difficult for maintenance teams to triage data and identify the most important data points and trends.

As soon as you’ve installed all your condition monitoring sensors, they will begin to collect machine health data, like vibration and position, rotor speed, temperature measurements and operating process sensors. This data allows you to establish baseline measurements for assets and decipher what is and is not normal for a piece of equipment.

Regardless of how you use condition monitoring data, you can program your data analysis tools to generate alerts or notifications when potential issues arise. The alerts trigger the necessary maintenance team or technician to address the fault.

A timing belt is a reinforced rubber belt which transfers the engine motion to the camshaft. The camshaft, in turn, operates the cylinder valves. The belt runs on a pulley from the crankshaft to the camshaft. (Quick note: not all cars use a rubber timing belt. Some vehicles use a timing chain.)

Many of today’s timing belts can go 100,000 miles or more without needing to be replaced. In fact, not all cars use a rubber timing belt. Some use a timing chain that can actually outlast the engine.

Condition monitoring techniques are most commonly used to keep rotating equipment (for example, gearboxes, centrifuges, reciprocating machines, etc.). They help organizations optimize maintenance operations, especially in industries—like manufacturing, power generation and transportation—where machines and equipment are critical to daily operations.