While we have seen a few organizations and companies without ESA/MCSA experience suggest that you cannot test a motor on a test bench we have been doing it for decades. Even beyond the EMPATH Electrical Signature Analyzer, in which we have provided ECMS-E1 systems as part of repair shop test panels, we have maintained the ability with our latest release, the EMPOWER MCSA system.
In this case study we evaluate a 400 hp, 1785 RPM, 4000 volt electric motor that had arrived from a repair shop customer with the EMPOWER. The resolution of the EMPOWER allowed us to identify a rotor casting void (cast aluminum rotor – yep, that does happen in medium voltage) and a greasing issue, both not caught with vibration on the test bench. If you have a high resolution ESA or MCSA system there is not much you cannot catch. We were even able to isolate the estimated energy losses for each condition.