Every bearing and gear mesh has a characteristic rotation-linked frequency. As wear accumulates — micro-pitting, loosening play, lubricant breakdown — the vibration at that specific frequency grows long before the joint audibly fails. A predictive-maintenance system samples the vibration signal, tracks its RMS energy and the amplitude at the known fault frequency, and raises an alert once that signature crosses a threshold — while the part is still fully functional.
- Predictive — the joint's own signature triggers an early warning; a short scheduled repair resets wear before breakdown.
- Run-to-failure — the signature is ignored; the joint operates until it physically seizes, forcing a long unplanned repair.
- Simulation speed — fast-forwards operating hours so weeks of wear accumulate in seconds.
- Warning threshold — how early the predictive system is tuned to flag a developing fault; lower catches problems sooner but flags more often.