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DEFENDR BRINGS MAJOR BENEFITS TO HIGH-SPEED TESTING AT ROLLS-ROYCE

The problem

At one of its UK facilities, Rolls-Royce was operating a high-speed test rig for fuel pumps for the aerospace sector to check that they would be able to operate effectively at speeds of up to 14,000 rpm now commonplace in the sector.

The company was working towards total preventative maintenance (TPM) and was keen to ensure that the high-speed gearbox being used for the testing process was operating in as optimal a condition as possible.

In particular, they were keen to be aware of any issues which could impact on performance and testing quality, or which could result in downtime given the high throughput of units under test (UUTs) at the facility.

The solution

Having assessed a number of potential solutions, Rolls-Royce opted to install NDE Clarke Pitchline’s Defendr  wireless condition monitoring package on the driveline.

Defendr is a novel turnkey offering, providing real-time, remote monitoring of rotating industrial equipment, drawing on NDE’s vast pedigree in the aerospace sector, in particular its team’s extensive experience in failure mode analysis and machine understanding. 

Unlike some other offerings based on off-the-shelf condition monitoring equipment, Defendr delivers greater depth of data, particularly in areas such as vibration spectrum trending and vibration waterfall plotting.

Precise machine composition in the software enables creation of a digital twin and thus a more representative profile, facilitating more detailed analysis and effective planning of maintenance and preventative measures.

Through an easy-to-understand online dashboard, Defendr software suite provides 24/7/365 monitoring of asset health, encompassing areas such as heat and vibration, while identifying issues such as misalignment, component imbalance, and structural looseness. Wear patterns for components such as gears and bearings are analysed in detail, with predictions then made, allowing maintenance to be scheduled at a convenient moment.

In this instance, Defendr revealed evidence of gradual deterioration in both the drive and output bearings which was immediately picked up by NDE’s dedicated engineering services team.

Failure to address this in a timely manner would have meant the risk of unreliable test results, with the potential for damage to the UUT and sudden catastrophic failure of the gearbox. There was even a potential fire risk in an ATEX explosive atmosphere environment.

NDE’s engineering services team attended the facility, disengaging the existing gearbox and providing a replacement while the existing gearbox was restored to full health at NDE’s dedicated facility in Coventry.

The outcome

By proactively addressing the issue and investing in a world-class condition monitoring solution, the risk of further gearbox component deterioration, with its associated impact on testing performance and potential safety issues, was averted.

The solution enabled the planned swapping over of the gearboxes – and again once the original one was repaired – meaning no loss of asset uptime and so no delays to component testing.

The whole process demonstrates Rolls Royce’s foresight and world-class commitment the quality and accuracy of testing.