Background
In this case study, a significant gearbox fault in an agitator was successfully identified by the Eastway Safeguard® System at a major pharmaceutical manufacturing site in Ireland. Early detection allowed the maintenance team to act before failure occurred allowing the batch to be completed without intervention. This avoided an estimated €154,000 in unplanned downtime and repair costs, while ensuring uninterrupted production.
Since 2023, the site has relied on Eastway’s advanced online condition monitoring solutions to continuously track the performance of both medium and high criticality assets, including agitators, AHUs and centrifuges. As part of a broader asset reliability strategy, the facility also benefits from Eastway’s regular on-site services such as vibration analysis, leakage management and steam trap surveys.
Integrating the Eastway Safeguard® System into production equipment has been a key step in the site’s journey toward world class maintenance practices. With the system in place, the plant has focused on reducing unplanned downtime, improving operational efficiency and strengthening long term asset reliability.
The Eastway Safeguard® System is designed to protect critical assets through continuous monitoring of vibration, temperature, current, pressure, air velocity, steam traps and more. It integrates easily with internal platforms, providing a complete view of equipment health that supports better performance and more informed maintenance decisions.
Case description
In August 2025, the Eastway Safeguard® System detected a significant increase in vibration levels on the agitator motor and gearbox. Both velocity (mm/s RMS) and acceleration (g’ RMS) values suddenly exceeded the alarm limits. Figures 1 and 2 show the velocity trends at the motor non-drive end and gearbox of the agitator from April 2025 to August 2025, where the unexpected increase is clearly visible.
Figure 1. Velocity (mm/s RMS) trend from gearbox test point.
Figure 2. Velocity (mm/s RMS) trend from motor non-drive end test point.
Analysis & Recommended Action
Vibration analysis by the Eastway remote monitoring team revealed a clear increase in high-frequency vibration within the agitator gearbox. By comparing FFT spectra and waveforms from July and August 2025, the team observed higher overall noise levels and a stronger peak at the gear mesh frequencies, both indicators of potential gear wear and damage. These diagnostic findings suggested that the gearbox condition was deteriorating and prompted a recommendation to inspect the motor and gearbox for wear, damage, or misalignment.
Figure 3. Comparison of acceleration (g RMS) FFT spectra at the gearbox test point, showing a significant increase in the noise floor and GMF over time.
Action Taken
Following Eastway’s recommendation, the site maintenance team arranged a downtime to replace the agitator gearbox with a spare unit. On inspection, the removed gearbox showed clear signs of gear wear, confirming the high vibration levels and gear mesh frequency peaks seen in the monitoring data. Figure 4 shows the velocity (mm/s RMS) trend, where levels dropped significantly after the corrective actions.
Results
The implementation of the Eastway Safeguard® System allowed the plant to detect a sudden gearbox fault in the agitator before it caused an unplanned breakdown. While the increase in vibration levels occurred quickly, the system provided early warning that enabled the maintenance team to take timely action. By replacing the faulty gearbox with a spare during a downtime, the site avoided unexpected production stoppages, costly repairs, and an estimated €154,000 in unplanned downtime. Close collaboration between Eastway and the maintenance team ensured a fast response and effective resolution.
In addition to the avoided downtime and repair costs, the early detection also protected the batch in process. If the agitator had failed during operation, the tank contents could have been lost, resulting in product waste valued at up to an estimated €2 million. While the precise figure depends on batch size and product type, this case highlights the wider financial impact that predictive maintenance can help to prevent.
Table 1 highlights the importance of having predictive maintenance in place, not only for early fault detection, but also for identifying sudden issues in time to prevent costly system failures and maintain operational continuity.
Table 1. Estimated cost savings
