I will discuss resolving two separate vibration issues on a fully instrumented (eddy current probe systems, casing accelerometers, 3500 monitoring/protection rack) critical Main Air Compressor (Gearbox casing) within an ammonia plant. Avoiding a catastrophic gearbox failure resulted in AUD $1.4 million in lost production savings. Case is from 2020, and after eventually being granting permission to present externally, this will be the first time this case/data has been shared. Many digital photographs of the verified defects will be presented as well as general discussion on the diagnostics, plots type used to diagnose the issue.

Gary is the Cordant™ (formerly Bently Nevada) Technical Lead for offline data assisting with Global Projects and reporting directly to the Global Technical Lead. At the time of this case, he was one of the Australian-based BN Machinery Diagnostics Services engineers as well as a senior SSA (Support Service Agreement) site lead based in Adelaide, South Australia. He joined Bently Nevada in 2011 performing machinery diagnostics on various types of industrial machinery. He has 35 years of experience in condition monitoring at both onshore and offshore locations being originally based in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is an ex- motor & generator repairer and installer, machinist, and balancing machine operator with extensive 6.6 kVA test-bed vibration acceptance testing experience. He is an ISO Category 4 certified vibration analyst via Mobius Institute (2014 – Melbourne Australia).