Motor-Pump Structural Weakness
High vibration on a motor-pump was caused by structural weakness, indicated by water bubbling from under the baseplate and weak anchor bolts. Re-grouting with high-strength material resolved the issue, significantly reducing vibration.
Case Study:
🔧 Structural Weakness – High 1X Vibration Solved by Grouting (Dropped from 45.5to .5 mm/s!)
I recently faced a strong vibration issue on a motor-pump at our plant.
The vibration was high in all directions — especially horizontal at 1X, which indicates structural weakness.
🔍 Initial Reading:
• Pump DE Horizontal: 45 mm/s
Pump NDE Horizontal 21.5 mm/s
During inspection, I noticed two important signs:
• There was water bubbling from under the baseplate, which suggested voids or poor contact between the base and the concrete.
• All anchor bolts were weak or damaged — no matter how many times we tightened or replaced them, they wouldn’t hold properly.
🛠️ Action Taken:
• We performed a full re-grouting using high-strength
• Ensured proper bonding between the skid and the concrete foundation.
📉 After Grouting:
• Vibration dropped from 54 mm/s → .5 mm/s and from 21.5 mm/s to .75 mm/s
• Significant improvement in all directions motor and pump
✅ Lesson Learned:
Structural issues can cause mechanical symptoms — and you can’t fix a weak base with mechanical work.
👉 Sometimes, the real problem is what’s under the machine — not in it.
Special thanks to Eng/Ahmed Gowaily and Eng/mohamed Fawzy for their great support and teamwork on this case!