Case Study | Detecting Equipment Risks Early! Smart Operations and Maintenance Tackles the Challenge of Loose Wind Turbine Bearings

For medical nonwoven fabric production lines, the spunlace blower is an indispensable core piece of equipment. As a critical component of the blower, bearings—when they become loose or develop raceway wear—not only exacerbate equipment vibration and increase noise levels but, in severe cases, can lead to bearing burnout and impeller damage, forcing the entire production line to shut down.

How can you identify potential risks in advance and resolve issues swiftly? The following real-world operations case will show you the robust capabilities of an industrial intelligent operations platform.

📈 Data Anomaly: When an indicator exceeds its threshold, the platform issues an alert immediately.

Starting on June 5, 2026, the intelligent operations and maintenance platform detected an abnormal condition in a second‑line spunlace SD2 fan operated by a partner enterprise. Vibration data at the fan impeller end showed a continuous deterioration, with vibration acceleration peaking at 42.05 m/s² and vibration velocity reaching a maximum of 23.27 mm/s—both exceeding the safety thresholds.

The platform automatically activates a multi-tiered alerting mechanism and, through intelligent analysis, determines that the equipment is experiencing bearing wear and looseness. Detailed alarm information and data reports are promptly pushed to the operations and maintenance team, providing a clear direction for troubleshooting.

🔍 Feature Analysis: The knowledge graph “speaks,” precisely identifying fault types.

Upon receiving the alarm data, the technical team conducted a professional analysis of the vibration waveforms and spectrum plots. Periodic impact waveforms, prominent rotational‑frequency and its harmonics, and an overall increase in the baseline operating noise are all typical indicators of bearing looseness.

Based on a comprehensive assessment of multiple features, we have determined that the issue lies in… Bearing fit at the fan impeller end is loose. , accurately pinpoint the fault location, enabling maintenance work to be completed in one go.

🛠️ On-site Inspection: Fault Confirmed, Simple Repair Enables Quick Resumption of Work

On June 7, on-site personnel shut down the equipment to conduct an inspection. Even before disassembling the unit, they could hear a distinct abnormal noise; upon dismantling, it was confirmed that the fan bearing exhibited inner-ring raceway running, with severe wear at the mating surfaces—findings that fully matched the platform’s diagnostic results.

To avoid delaying production, an emergency repair procedure was implemented on-site: the worn shaft was ground down and reassembled. The entire maintenance process was straightforward and efficient, eliminating the need to replace expensive components, and the equipment was back in operation within half a day.

📉 Condition Monitoring: Vibration levels have decreased, and the equipment has returned to a healthy operating state.

Following the equipment reboot, the platform has been continuously monitoring operational data. Encouragingly, all vibration metrics of the fan have returned to normal: vibration acceleration has stabilized around 10 m/s², and vibration velocity is maintained between 5 and 6 mm/s, indicating that the equipment is operating in good condition.

Going forward, this location will also be given high priority, with real-time monitoring of operational changes to prevent the recurrence of potential hazards.

📝 Case Summary: Intelligent Operations and Maintenance Makes Equipment Management Easier and More Effortless

The successful resolution of this incident fully demonstrates the significant advantages of intelligent operations and maintenance over traditional approaches:

✨ Early warning, reduced risk: Detect data degradation trends before failures occur, nipping potential issues in the bud and preventing unexpected downtime that could disrupt production.

✨ Precise fault localization, cost reduction: Leveraging professional data analytics to pinpoint issues, eliminating the need for repeated disassembly and trial-and-error, thereby effectively saving on labor, spare parts, and time.

✨ End-to-end closed-loop: Ensuring production continuity by establishing a comprehensive workflow—from early warning and diagnostics to maintenance and verification—minimizing downtime and keeping production lines running without interruption.

Today, data‑driven intelligent operations and maintenance is making its way into factories across the board. By leveraging digital tools to conduct real-time “health checks” on equipment, manufacturers can detect potential risks early and resolve faults swiftly—making this approach a new, effective strategy for improving quality and boosting efficiency. We will continue to refine our technologies and deliver expert intelligent O&M services, helping enterprises ensure stable equipment operation and efficient production.