BEARING DETERIORATION DETECTED ON AN IMA MOTOR
Diagnosed issue
In January 2026, Sonora detected abnormal vibration patterns on an IMA spindle motor at Freda and issued a notification recommending inspection for potential bearing wear. Initial on-site checks showed measurements within acceptable limits, but continued monitoring revealed strong harmonic activity that increased significantly compared to earlier readings. The persistence of these harmonics indicated progressive bearing deterioration despite the initially normal measurements. Based on the trend observed in the vibration data, Freda decided to replace the motor preventively. The intervention successfully eliminated the abnormal vibration patterns and validated bearing deterioration as the root cause, preventing a potential unexpected failure and production downtime.
Results
Continuous vibration monitoring enabled early identification of bearing deterioration before a catastrophic failure occurred. By detecting abnormal harmonic patterns and tracking their progression over time, Sonora supported data-driven maintenance decisions and allowed the motor to be replaced proactively, avoiding unexpected downtime and further mechanical damage.