Proactive Monitoring Prevents Fan Failure and Up to $60,000 in Downtime Costs

Industry

Animal Nutrition/Food Processing

Asset

Cooler Fan Unit

Technology

FitMachine

With real-time monitoring from MOVUS FitMachine, the client detected early signs of rotor imbalance in a key cooler fan unit.

During routine operations, one of our client’s cooler fan units exhibited a sudden spike in vibration. MOVUS FitMachine, installed on the asset, detected the abnormality in real-time, alerting the site maintenance manager and team lead.

The Alert was based on a sharp deviation in the AI Condition indicator, elevated RMS values, and unusual acoustic tone patterns. The system automatically flagged the issue as an ‘imbalance fault’, prompting an immediate response.

The fan was shut down the same day to investigate the cause. Upon inspection, the team found a significant build-up of residual product on the fan blades and inside the housing. This build up had accumulated unevenly, creating a rotor imbalance that led to the high vibration levels. Had the issue gone undetected, it could have resulted in damage to the bearings, shaft, or motor, and triggered hours or even days of unplanned downtime.

Detect–Act–Resolve

Following the alert, the maintenance team immediately shut down and isolated the fan. All blades and internal surfaces were manually cleaned to remove the build-up. Once cleaned, the team conducted a full inspection of the shaft and bearings to check for any signs of damage.

After reassembly, vibration levels were measured again and confirmed to have returned to within acceptable operating limits. The early alert and prompt response ultimately helped the client avoid further mechanical wear, potential component failure and extended downtime.

Outcome and Cost Avoidance

Scenario	Downtime Avoided	Estimated Cost Avoided
Minimum	2 hours	AUD $5,000
Likely	8 hours (official)	AUD $20,000
Maximum	24 hours	AUD $60,000

Ongoing Improvements and Key Takeaways

This incident reinforced the value of real-time condition monitoring in preventing avoidable failures. As a direct result, the client has adjusted their cleaning schedules to better align with operating conditions and product type. They’ve also begun evaluating the installation of inspection ports to enable faster, more efficient visual checks without requiring full disassembly.

Additionally, site teams have received updated training to reinforce the importance of early fault detection and prompt response to vibration alerts.

By catching the issue early, the team avoided up to 24 hours of unplanned downtime, prevented damage to critical components, and saved as much as $60,000 in potential losses.

This event highlights how MOVUS enables smarter, safer maintenance, by turning subtle changes in machine behaviour into actionable insight.

Proactive Monitoring Prevents Fan Failure and Up to $60,000 in Downtime Costs

Industry

Asset

Technology

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