Electric motors are among the most critical assets in manufacturing plants, utilities, pumps, fans, compressors, conveyors and process equipment. Yet many organisations still depend on periodic inspections or wait until vibration, temperature or electrical symptoms become severe enough to attract attention.
In 2026, that approach deserves another look.
The second edition of ISO 13373-9, Condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines — Vibration condition monitoring — Part 9: Diagnostic techniques for electric motors, is progressing through final publication. The standard provides guidance for vibration-based diagnosis of electric motors and is particularly relevant to industrial motors above approximately 15 kW.
For plant operators, reliability engineers and maintenance teams, this is more than another standards update. It reflects the continuing shift from reactive maintenance toward measurement-driven condition monitoring and diagnostics.
Detecting Abnormal Vibration Is Only the Beginning
When vibration increases, the maintenance team has discovered a symptom—not necessarily the root cause.
Excessive or changing motor vibration may be associated with bearing deterioration, shaft misalignment, rotor imbalance, mechanical looseness, eccentricity, rotor-related defects, problems in the driven equipment, or interactions between electrical and mechanical faults.
Knowing that vibration has increased therefore does not automatically tell maintenance personnel what should be repaired. Effective predictive maintenance must go further.
The objective is to determine what has changed, why it has changed, how quickly the condition is developing and when intervention is justified.
These questions have direct financial consequences. Replacing components without correcting the underlying problem can result in repeated failures. Shutting down healthy equipment unnecessarily creates production losses. Waiting too long can transform a relatively inexpensive maintenance intervention into major machinery damage and unplanned downtime.
Combining Vibration and Electrical Information
Vibration analysis remains one of the most powerful diagnostic techniques for rotating machinery. However, modern motor condition monitoring increasingly benefits from combining different types of measurements.
Motor current and other electrical measurements can provide additional information about the behaviour of the motor. When electrical information is evaluated together with vibration data and operating conditions, engineers can obtain a more complete picture of machine health.
Recent predictive-maintenance research has increasingly investigated combinations of vibration signals, motor-current signals and machine-learning techniques for identifying motor faults. This is particularly valuable because an industrial motor is simultaneously an electrical and mechanical system.
A monitoring strategy that examines only one side of that system may miss information available from the other.
From Periodic Inspection to Condition Intelligence
Traditional condition-monitoring programmes often depend on measurements taken every few weeks or months. Periodic measurements remain useful, particularly for less critical equipment. However, operating conditions can change considerably between inspections.
Loads change. Production requirements change. Machines start and stop. Environmental conditions vary. Faults also do not necessarily develop according to the inspection schedule.
More frequent or continuous monitoring adds something particularly valuable: trending.
Instead of asking, “Is the vibration high today?”, maintenance teams can ask, “How has this machine changed over time, under what operating conditions did the change occur, and is the deterioration accelerating?”
That information can significantly improve maintenance planning.
AI Is Useful—But Good Measurement Comes First
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are increasingly being incorporated into predictive-maintenance systems. They can help analyse large quantities of condition data, recognise unusual patterns and prioritise equipment that requires investigation.
But AI does not eliminate the fundamental requirements of condition monitoring. Useful analysis still depends on appropriate sensors, correct sensor installation, reliable measurements, suitable sampling, relevant operating information, historical trends and engineering understanding of the machine.
An AI model analysing poor-quality measurements can produce sophisticated-looking results without providing reliable maintenance intelligence.
The objective should therefore not be simply to “add AI”. The objective should be to combine good measurement, engineering knowledge and intelligent analytics so that maintenance teams can make better decisions.
Energy Efficiency Makes Motor Health Even More Important
Motor condition also has implications beyond equipment reliability. Motor-driven systems consume a significant proportion of industrial electrical energy. Mechanical and electrical problems can affect the efficiency of the complete motor-driven system.
Malaysia’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2024 (EECA) came into force on 1 January 2025, increasing the emphasis on systematic energy management among applicable industrial and commercial energy consumers.
This creates another reason to understand the condition and performance of important motor-driven equipment. A developing machine problem may therefore represent not only a reliability risk but potentially an energy-performance issue as well.
Which Motors Should You Monitor?
Installing the same monitoring system on every motor is rarely necessary. A better approach starts with asset criticality.
- What happens if this motor fails?
- How much production would be lost?
- Is there standby equipment?
- How difficult is the motor to access?
- How expensive is an unexpected failure?
- Can a developing fault damage connected machinery?
- How much warning does the current maintenance programme provide?
Highly critical motors generally justify more comprehensive monitoring than easily replaceable, non-critical equipment.
What Should Be Measured?
Vibration
Vibration measurements can reveal changes associated with bearings, imbalance, misalignment, looseness and numerous other rotating-machine conditions.
Electrical Measurements
Motor-current and other electrical measurements can provide additional information about electrical and electromechanical behaviour.
Operating Conditions
Load, speed, process state and other operating parameters provide context. Comparing measurements obtained under significantly different operating conditions can otherwise lead to misleading conclusions.
Trends
A single measurement provides a snapshot. A trend provides a story. Monitoring how condition indicators change over time can help distinguish normal variation from progressive deterioration.
The Goal Is Not More Data
Modern industrial plants can generate enormous amounts of data. Collecting more of it is not automatically beneficial.
The real objective is to transform measurements into actionable maintenance intelligence.
A useful system should help answer questions such as: Which machine requires attention? What abnormal behaviour has been detected? What is the probable fault? Is the condition deteriorating? How urgent is the problem? What additional measurements should be taken? Can maintenance be scheduled rather than performed as an emergency?
When condition monitoring begins answering these questions, it becomes much more than an instrumentation exercise. It becomes a maintenance decision-making tool.
Preparing for the Next Generation of Predictive Maintenance
The continuing development of ISO 13373-9, together with advances in vibration analysis, electrical measurement, edge computing and industrial AI, points toward a clear direction.
Electric motor maintenance is becoming increasingly data-driven, diagnostic and predictive.
For industrial organisations, the important question is no longer simply: “Do we monitor our motors?”
The better question is: “Are we collecting the right information early enough to understand what our motors are telling us?”
Tachyonic Intelligence develops solutions designed to help industrial users transform machine and electrical measurements into useful condition intelligence.
Need help determining the appropriate monitoring approach for your critical motors? Contact Tachyonic Intelligence to discuss your application.
