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newSchoolWorks.com › VoTechWorks › Manufacturing & Marine › Industrial Maintenance › Predictive Maintenance Technologies for Industrial and Marine Systems › Lesson 12
MFG-INDU16-07 · Lesson 12 · 17.5 clock hours · field

Integrated PdM Field Simulation: Full Equipment Survey, Diagnosis, and Work-Order Package

Objective. Students will independently conduct a multi-technology condition-monitoring survey of a fully assembled training rig, diagnose any faults found, and deliver a complete work-order package and oral summary to the instructor acting as maintenance supervisor.

⚠ Pending professional review

This lesson, its worked examples and its practice questions has not yet been verified by a licensed engineer or certified journey-level tradesperson or by a certification or approval body. It is a study draft and may contain errors. Do not use it as instructions for work on a job site or on live equipment. Always follow your instructor, your supervising professional, and current official references and regulations.

VoTechWorks program approval and accreditation are still in progress. Credentials are issued only by the certifying bodies named in each program, after their own exams.

Integrated PdM Field Simulation: Full Equipment Survey, Diagnosis, and Work-Order Package

This lesson brings together every predictive maintenance (PdM) technology you have studied — vibration analysis, infrared thermography, and airborne/structure-borne ultrasonics — into one realistic field exercise. You will walk a training rig, collect data with all three instrument types, diagnose seeded faults, and deliver a complete work-order package exactly as you would on a real plant floor or marine machinery space.

Why an Integrated Survey Matters

No single technology sees every fault. A failing motor bearing may show a vibration signature before it shows heat. A compressed-air leak may be invisible thermally but loud to an ultrasonic detector. A loose electrical connection may be invisible vibrationally but glow in a thermal image. Professional maintenance technicians combine data from multiple sources, compare today's readings to historical baselines, and then make a single, confident diagnosis. That integrated judgment is what this simulation tests.

Safety First: Pre-Survey Requirements

Before you approach the rig, confirm every item on this list:

The Survey Sequence

Work through the rig in a consistent, documented order so no measurement point is missed.

Step 1 — Review the measurement-point map. Before starting any instrument, study the field data sheet. Every measurement point has a label (e.g., MDE = Motor Drive End, MNDE = Motor Non-Drive End, PB = Pump Bearing). Know the location and the expected baseline range for each point.

Step 2 — Vibration survey. Using the data collector, place the accelerometer on each labeled bearing housing in the three standard axes: radial horizontal, radial vertical, and axial. Hold the magnet mount flush and still for the full collection window. Record overall velocity (in/s RMS) and, if your collector provides it, note any dominant spectral peaks. Repeat at each motor, pump, and gearbox bearing location.

Step 3 — Thermal survey. Power on the thermal camera and allow it to stabilize. Scan all motor housings, bearing housings, coupling guards (from the outside), electrical panel interior (door open only if permitted by the instructor and with appropriate arc-flash PPE), and any compressed-air components. Capture and save a labeled image at each point. Note any hot spot's apparent temperature and its location relative to surrounding components.

Step 4 — Ultrasonic survey. Switch to the ultrasonic detector. Scan all compressed-air fittings, hoses, valves, and connections by moving the probe slowly within the manufacturer-specified standoff distance while listening through the headset. Scan each bearing housing in contact mode to detect early-stage bearing defects not yet visible in overall vibration. Log any signal level (dB) that exceeds the baseline.

Step 5 — Field data sheet completion. Fill in every field — date, time, equipment ID, technician name, reading, units, and any observation notes — before leaving the rig area. Incomplete data cannot be corrected from memory later.

Diagnosis at the Lab Station

With all collected data in hand, sit down with the historical trend printout provided. For each measurement point, compare today's reading to the baseline and to any prior trend values. Apply the fault-severity criteria you have learned:

For every anomaly, write a diagnostic summary that states: which component is affected, what technology detected it, what the probable root cause is, and what severity classification applies. Be specific — "Motor drive-end bearing shows elevated overall vibration and ultrasonic dB above baseline, consistent with early-stage bearing wear; Alert severity" is useful. "Something is wrong with the motor" is not.

Building the Work-Order Package

A complete work-order package contains:

1. All completed field data sheets

2. Annotated thermal images with hot-spot temperatures and component labels

3. One CMMS-formatted corrective work order per fault, including equipment ID, fault description, recommended corrective task, priority/timeline, and any required parts

4. A recommended parts list with part descriptions (use nameplate data where available)

5. A recommended corrective timeline that reflects severity (immediate, within shift, planned outage, next PM cycle)

Oral Summary

Present your findings to the instructor in three to five minutes. Cover: what you found, how you found it, what you think is causing it, and what you recommend. Be ready for follow-up questions about your reasoning. A professional maintenance technician must defend their diagnosis with data, not guesses.

Key terms10

Integrated PdM surveyA condition-monitoring inspection that applies two or more predictive technologies — such as vibration, thermography, and ultrasonics — to the same equipment in a single visit, so that findings from each technology can cross-confirm or complement each other.
Measurement point (MP)A specific, labeled location on a machine where a reading is taken during every survey, allowing consistent data to be trended over time.
Overall velocity (in/s RMS)A single broadband vibration level, expressed in inches per second root-mean-square, used to characterize the general severity of machine vibration and compare it to acceptance criteria.
Alert levelA condition-monitoring threshold indicating that a reading has risen enough above baseline to require planned corrective action within a defined timeframe, but that continued operation is not immediately unsafe.
Danger levelA condition-monitoring threshold indicating that machine condition has deteriorated significantly and that corrective action should be scheduled promptly to prevent failure.
CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System)Software used to create, assign, track, and close maintenance work orders and to store equipment history, parts inventory, and PdM data.
Corrective work orderA documented maintenance task created in response to a confirmed fault, specifying the equipment, the problem, the required corrective action, priority, and any parts or resources needed.
Historical trend dataA record of previous condition-monitoring readings for a specific measurement point, used to identify whether current readings represent normal variation or a deteriorating trend.
Root causeThe fundamental reason a fault or failure has occurred, such as misalignment, imbalance, lubrication loss, or electrical overload, as distinguished from the symptom detected by instrumentation.
Severity classificationA standardized rating — often expressed as acceptable, alert, danger, or immediate — assigned to a detected anomaly based on how far readings deviate from baseline and the risk of continued operation.

Worked examples4

1. Your vibration collector records an overall velocity of 0.38 in/s RMS at the pump drive-end bearing. The historical baseline for this point is 0.12 in/s RMS, and the site alert threshold is 0.25 in/s RMS. By what percentage does today's reading exceed the baseline, and what severity level applies?
  1. Step 1 — Calculate the increase above baseline: 0.38 − 0.12 = 0.26 in/s RMS above baseline.
  2. Step 2 — Calculate percent increase: (0.26 ÷ 0.12) × 100 = 216.7%, meaning today's reading is more than three times the baseline.
  3. Step 3 — Compare to site thresholds: today's reading (0.38) exceeds the alert threshold (0.25), so the alert level applies.
  4. Step 4 — Record on the field data sheet: MP = PDE, reading = 0.38 in/s RMS, baseline = 0.12 in/s RMS, threshold exceeded = Alert, action = plan corrective work.
Answer: Today's reading exceeds baseline by approximately 217% and exceeds the alert threshold, so the severity classification is Alert. A corrective work order should be created with a planned (non-immediate) timeline.
2. Your thermal camera shows a hot spot on the electrical panel at 74 °F above the ambient temperature of 72 °F, giving an apparent target temperature of 146 °F. A standard reference guideline classifies temperature rises above 40 °F over ambient as requiring immediate corrective action. Does this finding require immediate action, and what should your work-order priority state?
  1. Step 1 — Determine temperature rise: target temperature − ambient = 146 °F − 72 °F = 74 °F rise above ambient.
  2. Step 2 — Compare to the guideline threshold: 74 °F rise > 40 °F threshold, so the finding exceeds the immediate-action criterion.
  3. Step 3 — Classify severity: Immediate — do not defer.
  4. Step 4 — Work-order priority: Mark the corrective work order as Priority 1 / Immediate; note the component location, apparent temperature, and ambient temperature on both the annotated thermal image and the work order.
Answer: The 74 °F rise above ambient exceeds the 40 °F guideline for immediate action. The work order must be marked as Immediate priority, and the finding must be reported to the maintenance supervisor without delay.
3. During the ultrasonic survey of the compressed-air circuit you record 48 dB at a fitting. The baseline for that fitting is 22 dB. The site alert threshold for compressed-air leaks is a rise of 8 dB or more above baseline. By how many dB does today's reading exceed the baseline, and does it meet the alert criterion?
  1. Step 1 — Calculate the rise: 48 dB − 22 dB = 26 dB above baseline.
  2. Step 2 — Compare to alert threshold: 26 dB rise > 8 dB alert criterion.
  3. Step 3 — Classify: The reading meets and significantly exceeds the alert criterion, indicating a probable compressed-air leak at that fitting.
  4. Step 4 — Document: Record MP location, today's reading (48 dB), baseline (22 dB), rise (26 dB), and classification (Alert — compressed-air leak suspected) on the field data sheet.
Answer: Today's ultrasonic reading is 26 dB above baseline, well beyond the 8 dB alert threshold. A compressed-air leak is the probable fault; create a corrective work order to inspect and re-seal or replace the fitting.
4. You have identified three faults: (1) pump bearing at Alert — vibration; (2) electrical panel hot spot — Immediate; (3) compressed-air fitting leak — Alert. Your work-order package must list them in recommended corrective priority order. What is the correct order, and why?
  1. Step 1 — Identify the Immediate fault: the electrical panel hot spot poses the greatest risk of imminent failure or fire; it must be addressed first.
  2. Step 2 — Rank the two Alert faults: both are Alert severity, so consider risk of continued operation. A compressed-air leak wastes energy and can escalate if the fitting fails completely; a bearing at Alert has a longer expected remaining life if monitored. Either order is defensible — prioritize the one with higher consequence if it fails suddenly.
  3. Step 3 — Assign work-order priorities: WO-1 = Electrical panel hot spot (Immediate / Priority 1); WO-2 = Compressed-air fitting leak (Alert / Priority 2); WO-3 = Pump drive-end bearing (Alert / Priority 3, include in next planned PM window).
  4. Step 4 — State the rationale in the written diagnostic summary so the supervisor understands the ranking.
Answer: Correct priority order: (1) Electrical panel hot spot — Immediate; (2) Compressed-air fitting — Alert, higher consequence if it escalates; (3) Pump bearing — Alert, monitor and correct in next planned maintenance window.

The math in this lesson2

Learners compare vibration, thermal and ultrasonic readings with baselines as ratios to set alert levels.
7.RP.3N-Q.3
Brush up in the math halls at newSchoolWorks.com:
In class: Each student independently walks the training rig (motor-pump set, gearbox, compressed-air circuit, electrical panel) with all applicable instruments — vibration collector, thermal camera, ultrasonic detector — collecting data at every defined measurement point, observing all safety and PPE requirements, and completing field data sheets without assistance. · Students return to the lab station, review all collected data alongside relevant historical trend data provided on printed sheets, identify all faults present (instructor has seeded at least three faults across the rig), classify each by severity, and complete a written diagnostic summary for each fault. · Students assemble a complete work-order package including: all field data sheets, annotated thermal image, CMMS-formatted corrective work orders for each fault, recommended parts list, and recommended corrective timeline; each student presents findings verbally (three to five minutes) to the instructor, who asks two to three diagnostic follow-up questions.
Materials: Fully assembled training rig with at least three seeded faults (selected by instructor from prior lessons' technologies); vibration data collector; thermal imaging camera; ultrasonic detector; all PPE required by the survey; field data sheets; work-order forms; CMMS access on lab PC; historical trend data printout
Check: Instructor uses a scored rubric: all measurement points collected with correct technique (required), all three seeded faults identified (required), written diagnostic summaries technically accurate, work-order package complete, oral summary clear and correct under questioning; pass mark 80% on rubric; any safety violation results in automatic retest.

Practice check8

Answer each question, then check it. Nothing is recorded; this is your own practice.

Safety and Health
1. Before conducting a vibration and thermal survey on an energized, running motor-pump set, what is the MOST important safety action a technician must confirm?
Predictive Maintenance / Thermography
2. A technician's thermal image shows a hot spot at 110 °F on a motor bearing housing. Ambient temperature is 75 °F. What is the temperature rise above ambient?
Predictive Maintenance / Ultrasonics
3. During an ultrasonic survey, a technician detects a sharp increase in dB level at a compressed-air fitting compared to the baseline. What does this finding most likely indicate?
Predictive Maintenance / Vibration Analysis
4. A technician's pump drive-end bearing baseline is 0.10 in/s RMS. Today's reading is 0.32 in/s RMS, and the site danger threshold is 0.30 in/s RMS. Which statement correctly describes this condition?
Maintenance Planning and Documentation
5. When assembling a complete work-order package after an integrated PdM survey, which item is REQUIRED to be included for each confirmed fault?
Maintenance Planning and Documentation
6. A technician finds three faults during a survey: an immediate-severity electrical hot spot, an alert-severity bearing, and an alert-severity compressed-air leak. In what order should corrective work orders be prioritized?
Predictive Maintenance / Vibration Analysis
7. Why is it important to record vibration readings on a motor bearing in radial horizontal, radial vertical, AND axial directions rather than in just one direction?
Technical Communication and Professionalism
8. During the oral summary portion of this simulation, the instructor asks a follow-up question about why a technician classified a gearbox bearing fault as Alert rather than Danger. The BEST response is to:
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