The 22nd Machines Conference brought together electrical engineers, site supervisors, plant managers, and technicians, offering the best of both established and emerging perspectives for testing, monitoring and maintenance of plants and machines.

This year's event was our second to be held within Australian Energy Week (AEW), Australia's premier power and energy conference. So, while AEW focused on the 'what' of electrification and cleaner power sources, the Machines Conference emphasised the 'how, why, and when' across all industries needing powerful generators, motors, transformers, cables, and switchgear.

Machines delegates represented industries including utilities, manufacturing, oil and gas, mining, and power generation of course. Both renewable and traditional.

Taking our program cues from delegate feedback, Machines2024 strongly focused on practical solutions for working with machines in the field. This year's sessions concentrated on reliability, sustainability, and longevity, addressing the need for extending the life of high-voltage machines, especially as many plants operate beyond their intended lifespan.

This case study highlights machinemonitor®'s approach in managing a critical anomaly in a high-capacity mill motor. The anomaly, characterized by abnormal current distortions, posed risks to equipment performance and personnel safety, necessitating immediate intervention.

Below we demonstrate how predictive maintenance can prevent catastrophic failures and align with safety and financial strategies.

Motors and generators are inherently reliable.

The operational stresses at the shaft, load, and connection to the power supply are factors that contribute to ageing and developing failure mechanisms.

Matching the machine to the application to understand the normal working stress and how this affects the machine components is the first step in effecting a reliability-centred maintenance program.

Electrical machines, with their concentric components, demand precise alignment.

Anomalies from construction, wear, and tear, or misalignment with driven equipment introduce eccentricities that can compromise efficiency and longevity. Proper training is essential for maintenance teams to appreciate these nuances and to qualify setups during maintenance checks.

Interventions become necessary when eccentricity occurs, emphasising the need for skilled personnel who can navigate these challenges effectively.

Learning Objectives and Benefits:

Participants will gain:

- A thorough understanding of PD and its consequences on electrical infrastructure, reinforcing their professional knowledge base.

- The ability to conduct sophisticated PD analyses, crucial for informed decision-making and asset management.

- Proficiency in formulating and executing maintenance strategies that effectively incorporate PD considerations, enhancing their skill set.

- Practical experience through case studies, translating into valuable skills applicable in their professional settings.

machinemonitor® today announced the launch of the 22nd annual Machines Conference, returning in partnership with Australian Energy Week, in Melbourne June 12 and 13 at the MCEC.

The conference is the key knowledge and networking event for Australasia’s electrical asset plant managers and maintenance engineers in the power & energy, manufacturing, oil & gas, mining, water utilities and large industries sectors.

“All our major industries – indeed our entire economy – runs on the back of very large rotating motors and generators, transformers, high voltage cabling and switchgear and data analytics systems, which require highly-specialised and trained professionals to maintain and run,” said Dr Jon Pemberton, machinemonitor® Director..

The machinemonitor capability statement is an overview of our expertise and how we can support your condition monitoring and electrical asset maintenance.

After more than a decade and a half of refining condition monitoring for Australasia's largest machines behind the scenes, machinemonitor® made an impactful return to the prestigious Mainstream Conference, held in Melbourne, Australia, last week.

In this article I will explore the critical assets, present an approach to effectively monitor their condition, and the importance of creating comprehensive testing strategies.

When you think of critical electrical assets, feeders and switchgear are often the second-class citizens, that connect the ‘sexy’ big machines, transformers, and generators.

However, the health of your feeders and switchgear is a critical element of maintaining your network optimum health and reliability.