What is a condition monitoring route?

A fixed round of measuring points on machines, walked at a set interval, with the same reading taken at the same spot each time and compared with a baseline. It suits failures that give warning before the machine stops, such as a bearing that runs rougher and hotter before it fails.

How often should I check a point?

No more than half the P-F interval, which is the time from the first detectable sign to failure, according to the American Bureau of Shipping's RCM guidance notes (section 4/4.1). Go shorter if you are unsure of the estimate, if the time left to act would be too short, or if the failure is high risk. The sheet works the longest interval out from your own estimate.

How do I set alert and alarm limits?

NASA's RCM guide for facilities lists three common ways: a set change over a baseline value, statistical limits (alert usually at 2 sigma from the mean, alarm at 3 sigma), and refining the values after analysing failed parts. This sheet works with the first, as a percent, a rise in the unit or a fixed value. The numbers in the template are examples. For machine vibration, the maker and ISO 20816-1 give their own limits.

What should I do when a reading goes over the alert limit?

Repeat the reading to check it, tell the area lead and check more often. NASA's guide says to cut the interval to between one third and one quarter of the previous one once the Alert limit is exceeded; the sheet uses one third. At the alarm limit, raise a work request. These responses are examples: use your own procedure.

How is this different from the preventive maintenance checklist?

The preventive maintenance checklist is a calendar of tasks with sign-offs. This sheet is a route of measurements: each reading is compared with its own baseline, trend and limits, and the next visit is timed from the P-F interval. Use the maintenance strategy selector or the equipment criticality analysis first to decide which assets deserve it.

Free template

Updated October 15, 2026

Condition monitoring route sheet

A condition monitoring route is the fixed round someone walks to take the same readings at the same points on a machine, such as bearing vibration or temperature, and compare each one with its own baseline. It fits failures that give warning before the machine stops. The Excel version has one row per measuring point with its technique, how the alert and alarm limits are written (percent above baseline, a rise in the unit, or an absolute value), a P-F estimate in days and your confidence in it. It works out the longest check interval the P-F rule allows, takes the readings you add, sets each baseline from the first three readings unless you type one, and flags Alert, Alarm, rising, overdue, and an Alert or Alarm with no work request. An exceptions list puts the worst first and a trend chart shows one point against its limits. The PDF is the sheet to carry on the round, with how the rules work and a worked example. Every limit, share and time in it is an example value you replace.

Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.

Page 1 of the condition monitoring route sheet — Up to 30 measuring pointsCheck interval from the P-F intervalBaseline from the first readingsAlert and alarm limitsRising and overdue flagsAlert with no work requestExceptions list, worst firstTrend chartWorked example

When to use it

When to use a condition monitoring route sheet

After a criticality ranking or the maintenance strategy selector has shown that some failure modes give a warning you can measure, and you need the route that goes with that decision.
When bearings, motors or pumps are checked by touch and sound and nobody can say what normal looks like for each one.
When a handheld vibration meter, thermometer or thermal camera is on site but the readings sit in a notebook and are never compared.
Before you buy sensors or a monitoring service, to run the route by hand on a few assets and see what the readings do.

How to fill it in

1
List the points and mark the spot
One row per measuring point: the asset, the exact spot (drive-end bearing, horizontal), the technique and the unit. Mark the spot on the machine and use the same person where you can. NASA's RCM guide says repeatability falls when measurement points are not marked and different people take the readings.
2
Estimate the P-F interval for each point
The P-F interval is the time from the first sign you can detect to functional failure. Ask the people who repair the machine, say how confident you are, and say how many days you need to plan and do the repair. If the interval varies, use the shortest.
3
Let the sheet set the check interval
The longest interval is the smaller of half the P-F interval and the P-F interval minus the days you need to act. Half comes from the American Bureau of Shipping's RCM guidance notes (section 4/4.1), which also say to reduce it when confidence is low. The sheet uses one third for low confidence: that is this template's example. If the P-F interval is not longer than your time to act, it says the check cannot warn you in time.
4
Set the alert and alarm limits
Write each limit as percent above baseline, a rise in the unit, or an absolute value. The baseline is the average of the first three readings unless you type one. The alarm must be above the alert. The values in the template are examples; take limits for a particular machine from its maker or the standard that applies.
5
Walk the route and enter the readings
Add each reading to the Readings sheet in date order. The Status sheet shows OK, Alert or Alarm against the point's own limits, flags a rising trend (the last four readings each higher than the one before) and counts the days a point is overdue.
6
Act, check more often, and reset after a repair
At an Alert, repeat the reading, tell the area lead and check at a shorter interval. At an Alarm, raise a work request and type its number on the Route sheet; the sheet flags any Alert or Alarm without one. After a repair or an oil change, type a new baseline.

Writing the limits

Three ways to write an alert and an alarm

NASA's RCM guide for facilities lists a set change over a baseline as one common way to set alert and alarm values. The sheet offers it in two forms, plus a fixed value.

Written as	Alert at	Suits
Percent above baseline	Baseline x (1 + limit / 100)	Readings where the size of the rise matters, such as vibration velocity
Rise above baseline	Baseline + limit, in the unit of the reading	Temperature, where degrees over normal is what people understand
Absolute value	The limit itself	A value the maker or a standard gives for that machine

Percent above baseline
Alert at
Baseline x (1 + limit / 100)
Suits
Readings where the size of the rise matters, such as vibration velocity
Rise above baseline
Alert at
Baseline + limit, in the unit of the reading
Suits
Temperature, where degrees over normal is what people understand
Absolute value
Alert at
The limit itself
Suits
A value the maker or a standard gives for that machine

A filled-in example

Illustrative, not a benchmark

An example: four made-up cooling water pumps with 12 measuring points, walked weekly for six weeks (illustrative numbers). Vibration limits are alert at 50% and alarm at 100% above baseline; temperature limits are 6 and 10 degrees C above baseline.

Pump 3 drive-end bearing temperature: 62, 63 and 61 degrees C set a baseline of 62.0. Week 4 reads 69 (7 over, Alert), week 5 reads 73 (11 over, Alarm) and week 6 reads 75 (13 over, 21% above baseline). The last four readings are 61, 69, 73 and 75, so it is flagged rising, and the check interval drops from 7 days to 2.
Pump 2 non-drive-end vibration: baseline 2.0 mm/s, last reading 3.2, which is 60% over. That is above the alert at 3.0 and below the alarm at 4.0, so it is an Alert, and no work request has been raised yet.
Pump 4 non-drive-end vibration was last read 15 days ago, 8 days past its 7 day interval, so it shows overdue.
The interval rule: a vibration point with a P-F estimate of 42 days, high confidence and 7 days to act can be checked every 21 days at most (half is 21, and 42 minus 7 is 35). The team walks weekly, so 7 days is used. A temperature point with a P-F estimate of 28 days and low confidence: one third is 9.3, so 9 days at most.

12 points and 70 readings: 1 point in Alarm, 1 in Alert, 1 rising, 1 overdue and 1 Alert with no work request. Reading time is 20 minutes a week, which is 4.0 minutes a working day over 5 days.

Common mistakes

Taking limits from a chart you found
A severity table written for one class of machine says little about your pump. Use the point's own baseline for the route, and take any machine limit from its maker or the standard (ISO 20816-1 is the general part of the machine vibration series). This template's numbers are examples.
Reading a different spot or using a different person
A reading moves with where and how it is taken. Mark the spot and keep the same person on the point where you can, or a change in the number may be a change in the method.
Checking once per P-F interval
A check every P-F interval can miss the warning completely. The ABS guidance says no more than half, and less when you are unsure of the estimate or the failure is high risk.
Alarms nobody owns
An Alert that nobody is told about is a number on a sheet. Decide who is told at each level and write the work request number on the Route sheet; the sheet flags an Alert or Alarm that has none.
Keeping the old baseline after a repair
A new bearing or fresh oil changes what normal looks like. NASA's guide says a new baseline is needed after a repair or an oil change, so type one.

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