Industrial Maintenance Diagnostics Course

Lesson 1 • Safety and Regulatory Compliance Basics

Covers lockout/tagout, hazard communication, and personal protective equipment requirements. Safe work practices are prerequisites for all hands-on diagnostic tasks.

Lesson 2 • Equipment Classification and Terminology

Introduces mechanical, electrical, and fluid power equipment categories. Shared vocabulary enables precise communication throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Maintenance Strategy Overview

Contrasts reactive, preventive, and predictive maintenance approaches. Students select appropriate strategies based on equipment criticality and failure patterns.

Lesson 4 • Fundamentals of Equipment Failure

Explains how and why industrial equipment fails using physical and operational causes. Provides the conceptual basis for all diagnostic reasoning in later sections.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Systematic Troubleshooting

Introduces logic-based fault isolation as an alternative to trial-and-error. Systematic methods reduce downtime and prevent unnecessary part replacement.

Lesson 2 • Data Collection for Diagnosis

Covers observation, measurement, and documentation practices that feed diagnostic decisions. Accurate data collection is the foundation of reliable fault identification.

Lesson 3 • Documenting and Communicating Findings

Establishes standards for recording diagnostic results and presenting them to stakeholders. Clear documentation supports corrective action and future reference.

Lesson 4 • Diagnostic Decision Trees

Guides students in building and using decision trees for common failure scenarios. Decision trees standardise troubleshooting and support less experienced technicians.

Lesson 1 • Gear and Gearbox Fault Analysis

Identifies tooth wear, pitting, scoring, and backlash issues in gear systems. Gear faults produce distinctive noise and vibration signatures used for diagnosis.

Lesson 2 • Seals and Gaskets Failure Diagnosis

Diagnoses leakage, extrusion, and chemical degradation in static and dynamic seals. Seal failures lead to contamination, fluid loss, and secondary equipment damage.

Lesson 3 • Belt and Chain Drive Diagnosis

Covers tension loss, misalignment, wear, and fatigue in belt and chain drives. Drive faults cause slippage, noise, and premature component failure.

Lesson 4 • Bearing Failure Identification

Covers spalling, brinelling, misalignment, and lubrication-related bearing failures. Bearing faults are among the most frequent mechanical failures in industrial plants.

Lesson 1 • Control Circuit Troubleshooting

Traces faults in relay logic, PLC input/output circuits, and control wiring. Control circuit faults prevent equipment from starting, stopping, or responding correctly.

Lesson 2 • Electrical Safety and Test Instrument Use

Establishes safe work practices and correct use of multimeters, clamp meters, and megohmmeters. Instrument proficiency is required before any live electrical diagnostic work.

Lesson 3 • Power Distribution Fault Diagnosis

Diagnoses voltage imbalance, overloads, loose connections, and harmonic distortion in distribution systems. Power quality issues cause motor failures and nuisance tripping.

Lesson 4 • Motor Fault Diagnosis

Identifies winding faults, insulation breakdown, bearing failure, and rotor issues in AC and DC motors. Motors are the most common electrical asset requiring diagnosis.

Lesson 1 • Hydraulic Pump and Motor Diagnosis

Identifies cavitation, internal leakage, and wear in hydraulic pumps and motors. Pump faults cause pressure loss and slow actuator response throughout the system.

Lesson 2 • Hydraulic Fluid and Contamination Analysis

Interprets fluid samples for particle contamination, water ingress, and viscosity degradation. Fluid condition directly determines component life and system reliability.

Lesson 3 • Valve and Actuator Fault Diagnosis

Diagnoses spool sticking, seal leakage, and solenoid failure in directional and proportional valves. Valve faults cause erratic actuator movement and pressure instability.

Lesson 4 • Pneumatic System Fault Diagnosis

Covers air supply quality, pressure drop, valve faults, and actuator leakage in pneumatic systems. Contaminated or low-pressure air causes valve sticking and actuator failure.

Lesson 1 • Time Waveform and Spectrum Analysis

Teaches interpretation of time waveforms and FFT spectra to identify fault frequencies. Spectrum analysis is the primary tool for distinguishing between fault types.

Lesson 2 • Common Fault Frequency Identification

Calculates and identifies imbalance, misalignment, looseness, and bearing defect frequencies. Fault frequency knowledge converts raw spectra into actionable diagnoses.

Lesson 3 • Condition Monitoring Programme Integration

Connects vibration data to broader condition monitoring programmes including oil and thermography. Integrated monitoring maximises fault detection coverage across asset types.

Lesson 4 • Vibration Measurement Fundamentals

Introduces displacement, velocity, and acceleration parameters and their measurement units. Correct parameter selection determines the sensitivity of fault detection.

Lesson 1 • Motor Circuit Analysis Techniques

Applies static and dynamic motor circuit analysis to detect winding, rotor, and cable faults. MCA identifies electrical faults before they cause catastrophic motor failure.

Lesson 2 • Oil and Lubricant Analysis

Interprets wear metal, contamination, and additive depletion data from oil analysis reports. Oil analysis provides early warning of internal component wear before symptoms appear.

Lesson 3 • Ultrasound Testing Applications

Uses airborne and structure-borne ultrasound to detect leaks, bearing defects, and electrical discharge. Ultrasound detects faults invisible to vibration and thermal methods.

Lesson 4 • Instrument Selection and Integration

Guides selection of the most effective diagnostic instrument for a given failure mode. Combining instruments increases confidence in diagnosis and reduces false positives.

Lesson 1 • Case Study: Electrical and Control Failures

Reviews motor burnout, PLC fault, and power quality failure cases with full diagnostic trails. Electrical case studies highlight the importance of systematic circuit tracing.

Lesson 2 • Corrective Action and Verification

Covers repair selection, post-repair testing, and confirmation that the root cause has been eliminated. Verification closes the diagnostic loop and prevents repeat failures.

Lesson 3 • Multi-System Failure Scenario Analysis

Presents failures involving mechanical, electrical, and fluid power interactions simultaneously. Real faults rarely isolate to one system, requiring cross-discipline diagnostic skill.

Lesson 4 • Case Study: Rotating Equipment Failures

Analyses documented pump, compressor, and fan failure cases from initial symptom to root cause. Case studies reinforce pattern recognition and diagnostic decision-making.