Maintenance Technology March 2012 by Applied Technology Publications

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Developed and patented in the Netherlands by Mr. Jan P. de Baat Doelman, Scalewatcher technology was introduced to the European market in the 1980s. With immediate market success, Mr. Doelman brought the technology to the United States and applied for and received a patent in 1991. From that moment, Scalewatcher North America has been on the forefront of environmentally sensitive water treatment. Located in Oxford, Pennsylvania, Scalewatcher North America continues to lead the industry in descaling products that do no harm to the environment. Scalewatcher North America focuses on the elimination of scale and the problems associated with scale build-up. Industries know the costs involved in keeping their capital investments running smoothly. Scalewatcher is there to help. Scaled cooling towers, chillers and associated equipment can negatively impact a company’s bottom line, and not just in cash. The caustic chemicals used to remove scale only create more problems with the environment. Your company can “GO GREEN” and stay within your budget.

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Contents MARCH 2012 • VOL 25, NO 3 • www.MT-ONLINE.com

YOUR SOURCE FOR CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS

FEATURES CAPACITY ASSURANCE STRATEGIES 16

EAM System Accuracy: How To Get There Once you lose control of your data, it’s hard to recover. Check out these tips for improvement. John Reeve, Cohesive Information Solutions, Inc.

©AKS — FOTOLIA.COM

MAINTENANCE LOG Bearing Monitoring Keeps Coal Safely On The Move Here’s how proactive condition monitoring is helping an energy-services provider defuse a process safety challenge. Jane Alexander, Editor, with Patrick Parvin, SPM Instrument, Inc.

THE RELIABILITY FILES

DEPARTMENTS

Protect Your Gearbox With The Right Lubricant

Compared to past models, today’s gearboxes typically call for more comprehensive

Stuff Happens

THE FUNDAMENTALS

8 10 13

Five Ways To Cut Costs While Shooting Your Maintenance Effort In The Foot

Don’t Procrastinate… Innovate!

Automation Insider

Technology Showcase

Marketplace

Information Highway

Classiﬁed

Supplier Index

Viewpoint

protection from their lubricants. Without it, high-performing equipment can suffer.

My Take

This 25th Anniversary Article reminds us, again, of some sure-fire ways to do in your program. Raymond L. Atkins, Contributing Editor

Your Source For

Capacity Assurance Solutions

• exclusive online-only content • late-breaking industry news

Uptime Motor Decisions Matter

• 12 years of article archives

www.MT-online.com MARCH 2012

MT-ONLINE.COM | 3

March 2012 Volume 25, No. 3 Your Source For CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS

ARTHUR L. RICE President/CEO arice@atpnetwork.com

BILL KIESEL Executive Vice President/Publisher bkiesel@atpnetwork.com

CusToM REPRINTs use reprints to maximize your marketing initiatives and strengthen your brand’s value. Reprints are a simple way to put information directly into the hands of your target audience. Having been featured in a well-respected publication adds the credibility of a third-party endorsement to your message.

JANE ALEXANDER

Editor-In-Chief jalexander@atpnetwork.com

RICK CARTER

Executive Editor rcarter@atpnetwork.com

ROBERT “BOB” WILLIAMSON KENNETH E. BANNISTER RAYMOND L. ATKINS Contributing Editors

RANDY BUTTSTADT

Director of Creative Services rbuttstadt@atpnetwork.com

GREG PIETRAS

Editorial/Production Assistant gpietras@atpnetwork.com

ELLEN SANDKAM

Direct Mail 800-223-3423, ext. 110 esandkam@atplists.com

JILL KALETHA

Reprint Manager 866-879-9144, ext. 168 jillk@fosterprinting.com

Editorial Office:

Custom reprint products of articles and features from Maintenance Technology create powerful marketing tools that serve as instantly credible endorsements.

1300 South Grove Ave., Suite 105 Barrington, IL 60010 847-382-8100 / FAX 847-304-8603 WWW.MT-ONLINE.COM

Subscriptions: FOR INQUIRIES OR CHANGES CONTACT JEFFREY HEINE, 630-739-0900 EXT. 204 / FAX 630-739-7967

RepRints aRe ideal foR: n New Product Announcements n Sales Aid For Your Field Force n PR Materials & Media Kits n Direct Mail Enclosures n Customer & Prospect Communications n Trade Shows/Promotional Events n Conferences & Speaking Engagements n Recruitment & Training Packages

For additional information, please contact Foster Printing Service, the official reprint provider for Maintenance Technology.

Maintenance Technology® (ISSN 0899-5729) is published monthly by Applied Technology Publications, Inc., 1300 S. Grove Avenue, Barrington, IL 60010. Periodicals postage paid at Barrington, Illinois and additional offices. Arthur L. Rice, III, President. Circulation records are maintained at Maintenance Technology®, Creative Data, 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Maintenance Technology® copyright 2012 by Applied Technology Publications, Inc. Annual subscription rates for nonqualified people: North America, $140; all others, $280 (air). No subscription agency is authorized by us to solicit or take orders for subscriptions. Postmaster: Please send address changes to Maintenance Technology®, Creative Data, 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Please indicate position, title, company name, company address. For other circulation information call (630) 739-0900. Canadian Publications agreement No. 40886011. Canada Post returns: IMEX, Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5, or email: cpcreturns@ wdsmail.com. Submissions Policy: Maintenance Technology® gladly welcomes submissions. By sending us your submission, unless otherwise negotiated in writing with our editor(s), you grant Applied Technology Publications, Inc. permission, by an irrevocable license, to edit, reproduce, distribute, publish, and adapt your submission in any medium, including via Internet, on multiple occasions. You are, of course, free to publish your submission yourself or to allow others to republish your submission. Submissions will not be returned. “Maintenance Technology®” is a registered trademark of Applied Technology Publications, Inc.

Call 866.879.9144 or sales@fosterprinting.com

Printed in U.S.A.

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MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

C: 60 M: 0 Y: 100

MARCH 2012

The Truth About Compressed Air! If you think compressed air is too expensive and noisy - read this. The facts will surprise you!

Compare these Blowoffs

Facts about Blowers

There are a variety of ways to blow the water from the bottles shown in the photo below, but which method is best? To decide, we ran a comparison test on the same application using four different blowoff methods: drilled pipe, flat air nozzles, Super Air Knife (each using compressed air as a power source), and a blower supplied air knife (using an electric motor as a power source). Each system consisted of two twelve inch long air knives. The following comparison proves that the EXAIR Super Air Knife is the best choice for your blowoff, cooling or drying application.

Energy conscious plants might think a blower to be a better choice due to its slightly lower electrical consumption compared to a compressor. In reality, a blower is an expensive capital expenditure that requires frequent downtime and costly maintenance of ﬁlters, belts and bearings.

The goal for each of the blowoff choices was to use the least amount of air possible to get the job done (lowest energy and noise level). The compressed air pressure required was 60 PSIG which provided adequate velocity to blow the water off. The blower used had a ten horsepower motor and was a centrifugal type blower at 18,000 RPM. The table at the bottom of the page summarizes the overall performance. Since your actual part may have an odd configuration, holes or sharp edges, we took sound level measurements in free air (no impinging surface).

Here are some important facts:

Filters must be replaced every one to three months. Belts must be replaced every three to six months. Typical bearing replacement is at least once a year at a cost near $1000.

Drilled Pipe

Blower Air Knife

This common blowoﬀ is very inexpensive and easy to make. For this test, we used (2) drilled pipes, each with (25) 1/16" diameter holes on 1/2" centers. As shown in the test results below, the drilled pipe performed poorly. The initial cost of the drilled pipe is overshadowed by its high energy use. The holes are easily blocked and the noise level is excessive - both of which violate OSHA requirements. Velocity across the entire length was very inconsistent with spikes of air and numerous dead spots.

The blower proved to be an expensive, noisy option. As noted below, the purchase price is high. Operating cost was considerably lower than the drilled pipe and flat air nozzle, but was comparable to EXAIR’s Super Air Knife. The large blower with its two 3" (8cm) diameter hoses requires significant mounting space compared to the others. Noise level was high at 90 dBA. There was no option for cycling it on and off to conserve energy like the other blowoffs. Costly bearing and filter maintenance along with downtime were also negative factors.

Flat Air Nozzles

EXAIR Super Air Knife

As shown below, this inexpensive air nozzle was the worst performer. It is available in plastic, aluminum and stainless steel from several manufacturers. The flat air nozzle provides some entrainment, but suffers from many of the same problems as the drilled pipe. Operating cost and noise level are both high. Some manufacturers offer flat air nozzles where the holes can be blocked - an OSHA violation. Velocity was inconsistent with spikes of air.

The Super Air Knife did an exceptional job of removing the moisture on one pass due to the uniformity of the laminar airﬂow. The sound level was extremely low. For this application, energy use was slightly higher than the blower but can be less than the blower if cycling on and oﬀ is possible. Safe operation is not an issue since the Super Air Knife can not be deadended. Maintenance costs are low since there are no moving parts to wear out.

•

Blower bearings wear out quickly due to the high speeds (17-20,000 RPM) required to generate effective airflows. Poorly designed seals that allow dirt and moisture infiltration and environments above 125°F decrease the one year bearing life. Many bearings can not be replaced in the field, resulting in downtime to send the assembly back to the manufacturer.

Blowers take up a lot of space and often produce sound levels that exceed OSHA noise level exposure requirements. Air volume and velocity are often diﬃcult to control since mechanical adjustments are required. To discuss an application, contact:

EXAIR Corporation

11510 Goldcoast Drive Cincinnati, Ohio 45249-1621 (800) 903-9247 Fax: (513) 671-3363 email: techelp@exair.com

www.exair.com/48/423.htm The Super Air Knife is the low cost way to blowoff, dry, clean and cool.

Blowoff Comparison Comp. Air Type of blowoff

PSIG BAR

SCFM

SLPM

Horsepower Sound Purchase Required Level dBA Price

Annual Electrical Cost*

Approx. Annual Maintenance Cost

First Year Cost

$5,478

Drilled Pipes

4.1

174

4,924

$50

$4,508

$920

Flat Air Nozzles

4.1

257

7,273

102

$208

$6,569

$1,450

$8,227

Blower Air Knife

0.2

N/A

$5,500

$1,288

$1,500

$8,288

Super Air Knife

4.1

1,557

$518

$1,417

$300

$2,235

*Based on national average electricity cost of 8.3 cents per kWh. Annual cost reflects 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year.

For more info, enter For more info, enter6565atatwww.MT-freeinfo.com www.MT-freeinfo.com

MY TAKE

Jane Alexander, Editor-In-Chief

Coming Up With A Plan

recently received an interesting note from our Assistant Editor Greg Pietras. A transplanted South Carolinian, he brought to my attention the dilemma his Uncle David is facing back home. David Pietras is the cabinetmaking instructor at Richland Northeast High School (RNE) in Columbia, SC. His course and RNE’s auto-repair classes—central to the industrial-arts program— are currently on the chopping block. According to an article in the online edition of The State, South Carolina’s largest newspaper (www.thestate.com), RNE’s Principal Sabrina Suber wants to dismantle these offerings to make way for classes in health sciences and culinary arts. The article quotes her as saying that “the new programs will generate more student interest and prepare students for jobs in growing industries.” Hmmmm… The cabinetmaking and auto-repair instructors learned about the shift in RNE’s vocational-training focus—and the fact that their jobs would be eliminated—in January. As of mid-February, however, the school board still had not approved the $1.5 million necessary to retrofit space for the new courses. That might be due to a wrench thrown into the works by Columbia businessman Jim McGrew, who took up the cause of the beleaguered cabinetmaking program. McGrew owns James McGrew Cabinetmakers in Columbia. An unpaid advisor to RNE’s cabinetmaking program, he apparently “gets it” when it comes to the importance of providing this type of practical industrial-oriented “shop” training for non-college-bound high-school students—and has evidently garnered national support for his efforts to keep it up and running at the school. For now (i.e., as this magazine goes to press), we understand that the school board has asked proponents of the training to come up with a plan for retaining it. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and you updated on this saga (including Uncle David’s future plans). Alas, the zeal for eliminating traditional, industrial-oriented vocational training isn’t exclusive to Richland Northeast High School. As Contributing Editor Bob Williamson has frequently reminded us in his “Uptime” columns, it’s pervasive. Too many well-meaning educators, teachers, counselors, politicians, community leaders and concerned parents across the U.S. have jumped on the same bandwagon. It’s going to be an expensive ride, one that will prove to be especially costly for vast numbers of kids— not to mention the industries that are so desperate to put their interests, talents and energies to work in well-paying skilled-trades jobs. As our economy recovers and manufacturing returns to our shores, it’s time for our schools to do better by our children—all of them. We’ve been harping too long about the perfect-storm workforce crisis coming down around us. It’s time for all of us to get more informed about and involved in the goings-on of our local school systems. Despite what we’ve been led to believe, they really are leaving many a child behind. Now that you’ve read my rant on the topic, please turn to page 10 to read Bob’s—entitled “Promoting Careers in Maintenance.” He has more pages to work with and plenty of specifics/statistics to back up his argument. In the meantime, we encourage you to share news of other industrial-arts programs that are being “dismantled” in favor of whatever. Better yet, don’t hesitate to tell us about school systems that are bringing these valuable programs back. jalexander@atpnetwork.com

maintenance technology

MARCH 2012

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NEWS STUFF HAPPENS

Congratulations To Our 2011 Winners

PEOPLE PEOPLE...

Schneider Electric recently announced that Mary Ramsey is taking on the role of Senior Vice President of the corporation’s U.S. Industry Business. She’ll be responsible for spearheading the overall sales and growth strategy of the business and directing the division in innovation and development of intelligent and comprehensive solutions for machine builders and industrial end-users.

Presented By

Applied Technology Publications

The Grand Prize Goes To:

Bell & Gossett has announced its training schedule for the second quarter of 2012. Offered at the company’s Little Red Schoolhouse Education Center in Morton Grove, IL, these free courses are open to engineers, contractors and facility maintenance professionals. The Little Red Schoolhouse is now a certified provider of continuing education for LEED professionals as approved by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI™). The site’s “Large Chilled Water Design Seminar” and “Modern Hydronic System Design Basic Seminar” are the first pumpindustry courses to be approved by GBCI for credit toward the maintenance requirements of LEED Green Associate and LEED AP certifications.

CERTIFIED...

The Team of Chuck Reames and Chris Labat of Shaw Group Maintenance, Inc., and LOOP, LLC, respectively

Category Winners: Innovative Devices, Gizmos & Gadgets: Michele Laramee, Leading a Team from Buyer Source Innovative Processes & Procedures: Chris Dixon, of Hemi-O Technologies Innovative Use of 3rd-Party Resources: A Sandia Labs Team, Led by Mike Quinlan, Working with 3rd-Party Resource Doc Palmer Turn to Ken Bannister’s column on page 14 to learn more about these winners!

A big salute goes out to General Electric for its recent commitment to hire 5000 veterans over the next five years. According to press releases, as part of a “Hiring Our Heroes” initiative, GE also will join with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to sponsor 400 veterans’ job fairs in 2012. (BTW: GE currently employs more than 10,000 veterans and has about 100 U.S. employee reservists now deployed with the military overseas.)

SALUTE!

QUESTION OF THE MONTH SOUND-OFF: Tell us what you think. . . Really. . .

Is your operation taking special steps to hire veterans? What are they? Go to MT-online.com/question with your answer. 8|

MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

MARCH 2012

STUFF HAPPENS NEWS

Ingersoll Rand (IR) has announced an agreement between the company’s compressed-

NASCAR NEWS

air systems, tools and equipment business and JR Motorsports for the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series racing season. IR will be primary sponsor of the No. 88 Chevrolet, driven by Cole Whitt, during the History 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race, at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26, 2012. The company also will be an associate sponsor of the No. 88 car for 32 other races on the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule.

CHOOSING CHAIN SHOULDN’T BE RISKY BUSINESS

’ N ’ I T N I H T G H FIIG F S D S R D O R WO W Inspiration For Those Battling The Enemies Of Reliability & Productivity

You can’t lose with our

RISK FREE TRIAL

Greg Knudson, Maintenance Supervisor at Foremost Farms USA, in Sparta, WI, supplied the following gem. (He saw it on a sign in the Tool & Die shop of West Salem Northern Engraving, in West Salem, WI):

“If you don’t have time to do it right, how will you ever find time to do it over again?”

Have you read, heard, seen, thought or written down something that falls into the realm of “fightin’ words” for the maintenance and reliability community?

Send your favorites to quotes@atpnetwork.com. We’ll be selecting one or two (maybe even three) to feature each month. Be sure to give full credit to the individual (dead, alive, real or fictional) that uttered or wrote the words, and why those words inspire you. Don’t forget to include your complete contact info.

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MARCH 2012

MT-ONLINE.COM | 9

UPTIME

Bob Williamson, Contributing Editor

Promoting Careers In Maintenance “I’m 18 years old and don’t especially want to go to college. I’m not sure what I want to study or what kind of a program or career to pursue. I’ve got good grades. I suppose I could figure it out if I went to college like my parents and teachers want me to do.” Hold on just a minute! There is, unfortunately, entirely too much emphasis in America on pursuing a “college education/having a college degree.” Not everyone “needs” a college education to be highly successful. About half of the high-school graduates won’t go on to college. Many who do will not finish a degree. Couple that with a high-school dropout rate of about 30%, and it’s clear we are fooling ourselves into believing that the pathway to success in life is a college education. Basic education that is focused on how to become a productive member of society can be obtained in high school with some post-secondary trade, industrial or vocational education, or through formal and structured on-job training such as apprenticeships. Problem is, in the past two generations, we have rarely exposed school-age students to meaningful careers in business and industry that do NOT require a college degree. This trend has created a huge and growing skills mismatch in many business and industrial sectors in America. Still, if you ask most educators, teachers, counselors, school board members, politicians and parents, they typically DO NOT consider “post-secondary industrial and technical education” or “trade school” to be as valuable as a “college education.” Consider this: A skilled trades- or crafts-person can earn from $50,000 to $85,000 per year in a rewarding career without the huge expense or debt of a college education. Careers in maintenance can be highly rewarding and diverse. So why don’t educators, teachers, counselors, school boards, politicians, community leaders and parents promote these rewarding careers? What has happened to our “industrial education” curriculum in schools? The total cost of a four-year “college education” can run from $100,000 to more than $500,000 plus personal expenses and transportation costs. That’s a huge financial gamble for someone who is faced with a significant career indecision, is not interested in “college,” has a marginal academic record or someone who has to rely on loans for the cost of his/her college “experience.” 10 |

MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

After all, there is NO guarantee of a “high-paying job” after four years of college. Skills mismatch This “industrial-education” deficit has also created a significant mismatch between the skill sets required by the tens-of-thousands of open jobs in America and the skill sets among the job seekers. Just look at one of the current, highly publicized examples—North Dakota. In this state, there are more job openings than applicants in three occupational groups: “Installation, Maintenance and Repair,” “Production” and “Construction and Extraction.” (And this has been a multi-year deficit.) What’s more, these broad job groups require applied skills and knowledge in maintenance, repair, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, fabrication, machining, tool & die and welding/cutting. In November 2011, according to the North Dakota Job Service, out of a total of 19,627 jobs, the state had 4246 openings in these three job groups. North Dakota, however, is not the only place where there’s a rapidly growing skills shortage. It’s just the oil and gas exploration and production in the Bakken trend—America’ largest known reserves of light, sweet crude oil—that’s capturing all the attention. There are honorable and rewarding maintenance careers in a huge part of our economy. In some sectors there is a growing skills shortage that will only get worse. In these industries there are tens-of-thousands of job openings. But because of a “skills mismatch” most people looking for work are not qualified. Maintenance MIA In the past two years there has been a renewed emphasis (yes, again) on careers in manufacturing (i.e., the U.S. Department of Labor, Department of Education and the White House in all their discussions of the “Manufacturing Skills Certification System,” “advanced manufacturing skills” and “Skills for America’s Future”). But, awareness- and skills-building for careers in industrial maintenance and repair have been missing in action in many middle- and high-school programs. This gap, in my opinion, reflects a serious mistake based on misconceptions about what careers “industrial maintenance” truly represents. MARCH 2012

UPTIME

Too many students are being pushed into a college education. Too many honorable, rewarding, critical jobs in our field are going unfilled. I’ve had (and continue to have) many conversations with younger plant maintenance technicians. This is what I frequently hear: “If I knew these types of jobs existed and could have taken classes to prepare me better, I would have been really excited about school. But, despite my lack of interest, my teachers and counselors kept pushing me toward college.” The U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics lumps “maintenance jobs” into a category called “installation, maintenance and repair.” Most people—not necessarily readers of this magazine—could be thinking that “maintenance” jobs are in manufacturing plants… and that manufacturing is on the decline in America… so, why pursue careers in maintenance? This type of thinking would be flawed. What’s a maintenance career? “Maintenance is the least defined of all industrial activities.” I’ve been saying that for years. Why? There are no clear job roles that can be easily converted into an easy-to-sell career path or educational program of study. After all, where would someone with “installation, maintenance and repair” skill sets really work? Many maintenance jobs are in manufacturing or “goods-producing” industries. Contrary to what countless people believe, the U.S. continues to have the largest manufacturing economy in the world. And, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland regarding “U.S. Manufacturing and the Economic Outlook”: “U.S. manufacturers are likely to become even more capitaland skill-intensive, leading to further productivity gains (emphasis added).” This continuing emphasis on manufacturing being “capital and skill intensive” should send a powerful message about the critical importance of careers in industrial maintenance and reliability. Every physical-asset- and skill-intensive business and industry has equipment and facilities that need maintenance: That translates into 60 industry sectors. (The accompanying sidebar lists a partial breakdown of types of industries and sectors that offer “Installation, Maintenance and Repair” career opportunities. For a complete breakdown, refer to the online version of my column at www.mt-online.com/uptime. MARCH 2012

60 U.S. Industry Sectors Offer Career Opportunities In Installation, Maintenance & Repair Goods-Producing Industries: • • • •

Manufacturing: (21 industries) Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction: (3 industries) Construction: (3 industries) Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting: (5 industries)

Trade, Transportation & Utilities: • • • •

Wholesale Trade: (3 industries) Retail Trade: (11 industries) Transportation and Warehousing: (11 industries) Utilities: (3 industries)

For a complete breakdown by sector go to: www.mt-online.com/uptime

Entry-level requirements Careers in maintenance can be rewarding and personally satisfying. Many don’t require a “college education” in the traditional sense of a four-year degree. Regardless of business sector, careers in maintenance build on a person’s interests and abilities. Basic entry-level requirements should include evidence of a student’s interest in and ability to: mt-online.com | 11

UPTIME

Those delivering it need to back off the message that a

n Diagnose mechanical problems

college education is the (only) pathway to success in America.

n Seek solutions n Do precision work with their hands n Read

VFD-Induced Bearing Currents Kill Motors!

n Write n Use math n Use computers n Verbally communicate n Work in collaboration with others All students in middle school and high school should be exposed to these basics as part of their developmental path— and, most important—as a way to assist them in making informed career choices and decisions.

Your motors may be at risk!

Let’s do our part As maintenance professionals and Americans we owe it to our youth, our schools, our country and our standard of living to spread the word: There are plenty of rewarding careers in industrial maintenance and repair. We also have not only the opportunity, but the obligation to encourage our educators, politicians, community leaders and well intentioned, deeply concerned parents to back off the ill-informed message that a college education is the (only) pathway to success in America. Share this article and information about the industries that offer honorable, rewarding jobs in our field with your local school administrators and board members. Do your part in helping teach students in school and on the job. Most students learn by doing rather than reading and studying. Find ways to engage them in pursuing careers in maintenance and repair, as maintenance and reliability technicians. MT RobertMW2@cs.com

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2/6/12 9:58 AM

MARCH 2012

BOOSTING YOUR BOTTOM LINE

No Time To Estimate Savings? No Problem!

ave you ever considered upgrading the efficiency of your motors but assumed it would take too much time to calculate potential energy savings? As it turns out, a product-neutral tool that quickly provides a back-of-the-envelope estimate of possible savings is just a few clicks away: Check out the recently updated “MDM Simple Savings Chart” (SSC) on the Motor Decisions Matter (MDM) Website, www.motorsmatter.org. The SSC tool calculates estimated annual energy costs and potential savings from upgrading to a higher efficiency motor. Calculations are based on two simple pieces of information that you enter: cost of electricity and annual operating hours. With these inputs, the SSC provides a side-by-side comparison of estimated annual operating costs and savings for 1-500 hp general-purpose motors, including 1200 RPM, 1800 RPM and 3600 RPM in both totally enclosed fan-cooled (TEFC) and open drip-proof (ODP), at different efficiency levels. For 1-200 hp, the SSC calculates the costs of operating your motor currently (based on your electricity price and hours of operation), then compares the costs and potential savings associated with operating motors with the following different efficiency levels: Pre-Energy Policy Act (estimated motor efficiencies prior to 1997); Energy Policy Act (federal minimum efficiency levels required by the 1992 law, effective 1997); and Energy Independence and Security Act (higher federal minimum efficiency levels required by the 2007 law, effective 2010). For 201-500 hp motors, costs and potential savings associated with different efficiency levels are similarly calculated. Consider a 200 hp, 1800 RPM, TEFC, generalpurpose motor, running 8000 hours annually with electricity costs of $0.08 per kWh: Using the SSC, we can see that this costs approximately $102,083 per year, if the unit has a pre-Energy Policy Act efficiency level. The cost would be approximately $99,260, if the motor has an EISA efficiency level.

MARCH 2012

The $2823 difference between these operating costs could be your annual savings if you upgrade to a higher-efficiency unit.

MDM’s recently updated ‘Simple Savings Chart’ can help you quickly calculate ROI from a motor upgrade. As this example demonstrates, using the right tools, it can take just a minute to consider higher efficiency—which could lead to thousands of dollars in savings annually. At the very least, you’ll gain peace of mind just from understanding your options. As most managers know, you can’t manage what you can’t measure, so why not take a minute to get started with an easy, virtually “on-the-fly” (but effective) measurement. Who knows how much you could be saving! Download the updated Simple Savings Chart today from MDM’s Website and start estimating ROI from upgrading to higher-efficiency motors. For other proactive motor management tools, visit: www.motorsmatter.org/tools/index.asp. MT

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The Motor Decisions Matter (MDM) campaign is managed by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), a North American nonprofit organization that promotes energysaving products, equipment and technologies. For further information, contact MDM staff at mdminfo@cee1.org or (617) 589-3949.

MT-ONLINE .COM | 13

DON’T PROCRASTINATE…INNOVATE!

Ken Bannister, Contributing Editor

Innovative Investigation: Clues From The Crime Scene I’ve written before about my fascination with the CSI (Crime Scene Investigation)-franchised television series. Recognized as some of the most-watched TV dramas in the world in 2011, its plots are modeled on the classic “whodunit” format popularized in Sherlock Holmes stories. Week after week, teams of forensic specialists from Las Vegas, Miami and New York investigate human failure at its worst, relying, in the process, on a seductive mix of cutting-edge technology and good old common sense to find clues and answers to what frequently are complex questions. Fans of the CSI shows who work in the maintenance arena no doubt recognize parallels to the asset reliability field: In our world, the maintainer is the FSI (or Failure Scene Investigator) armed with a preventive, predictive and diagnostic/forensic toolkit to examine and determine a failure’s rootcause culprit and put in place a strategy to avert similar failure occurrences in the future. Each CSI episode showcases innovative approaches to troubleshooting through the use of diagnostic technology and attention to crimescene details. Although the characters may take license with technological capabilities from time to time, they do successfully portray the real-life investigator’s mission to solve every crime and make it difficult for perpetrators to escape—and also deter future criminal activity. The majority of maintenance departments I’ve worked with have excelled in a reactive approach to maintaining assets, spending most of their time reacting to failure, choosing to repair and replace and do whatever is needed to “keep the machines running at all costs.” Sound familiar? Assuring maximum asset availability calls for a cold, calculated, proactive maintenance approach. That, in turn, demands an innovative view of failure. By changing our own mandate to one that resembles a CSI approach—i.e., “Solve and recognize every asset failure and through understanding, develop a strategy to deter this failure resulting in any future unplanned loss of service”—

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MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

we automatically thrust ourselves into a proactive role. This type of approach harmonizes and validates the use of preventive, predictive, and diagnostic strategies with our repair capabilities driven wholly by the asset’s needs! Any time a piece of equipment or component fails, it leaves behind an evidence trail that can be documented and followed to determine the root failure cause and, in the process, fuel development of a suitable failure prevention/prediction/management strategy. Even though CSI junkies know we must “protect the crime [failure] scene at all costs,” in our haste to “keep the equipment running at all costs,” we often destroy the failure scene— and either contaminate or throw out the evidence. Moreover, few maintenance departments photograph failure scenes and bag and tag damaged or failed parts for post-repair forensic analyses. By nature of the job, every maintainer is an FSI, responsible for equipment reliability through better understanding of equipment failure. If we are to significantly reduce our levels of maintainability while increasing availability and reliability levels, we must work toward the systematic investigation of every equipment failure. Incorporating a law-enforcement, CSI-type of approach, the following eight steps lay out an innovative procedure manual for better understanding and dealing with equipment failure. n Secure the scene. Work with operations to perform a qualitative evaluation of a failure scene before commencing repairs and/or restarting the equipment.

n Photograph the scene. “A picture is worth a thousand words” could not be truer when it comes to a failure investigation. Photos allow the failure scene to be revisited well after the equipment is back up and running, and act as excellent training materials for preventing future failures. (Place a 6” rule against photographed items to help assess scale.)

MARCH 2012

DON’T PROCRASTINATE…INNOVATE!

Announcing Our 2011 Maintenance & Reliability Innovator Award Winners It’s been an exciting time for Applied Technology Publications, parent of Maintenance Technology and Lubrication Management & Technology. Last year, we asked readers to submit their innovative solutions to maintenance problems in one of three categories. Starting last June, monthly winners were showcased in both magazines. All entries received by December 31, were scored by an editorial panel based on practicality, simplicity and impact. Winners have been posted on www.MT-online.com, and I’m pleased to announce them here: The Grand Prize Innovator Award for 2011 goes to the team of Chuck Reames and Chris Labat of Shaw Group Maintenance, Inc., and LOOP, LLC, respectively, for their SNAP (Stem Nut Analysis Protractor), a tool and method to determine valve stem thread wear in large piping systems.

n Perform on-scene forensics. The maintenance/ reliability group can conduct many diagnostics at the failure scene (including infrared signatures, oil analysis signatures, etc.). n Bag and tag all physical failure evidence. Once all local physical evidence of tampering and breakage has been photographed, tagged and bagged, the actual failed components can be dismantled and replaced. Any parts for repair must be photographed. Any parts requiring replacement must also be bagged and tagged. Use bubble wrap, heavy-duty freezer bags and heavy-duty cling wrap (for larger items) to protect components and evidence. n Interview witnesses. Operators can describe any abnormal sound, smell or vibration emanating from the equipment prior to failure. n Code the failure on the work order. Complete the work order with a report of the findings, making sure to include failure symptom codes on it.

MARCH 2012

The Winner for Innovative Devices, Gizmos & Gadgets is Michelle Laramee, leading a team from Byer Source to develop an electrical in-line earth-ground bonding device that assures safe electrical grounding of electrical panels. The Winner for Innovative Processes & Procedures is Chris Dixon, of Hemi-O Technologies, for development of an online heat-exchanger modiﬁcation process kit that allows change-out of tubes while equipment is in operation. The Winner for Innovative Use of 3rd-Party Resources is a team from Sandia Labs led by Mike Quinlan that worked with third-party resource supplier © Doc Palmer to develop a mini backlog CMMS scheduling application that can simplify the Planning & Scheduling process for those transitioning into a planning and scheduling environment. Presented By Applied Congratulations to these 2011 winners! Technology Publications For all you other Innovators out there, begin planning now to enter your own maintenance and reliability innovations for judging in our 2012 Maintenance & Reliability Innovator program. Details will be available at MARTS and in the April issue of this magazine. Good luck!

n Perform necessary laboratory forensic analysis. Examine all past failure records and diagnostic readings and conduct any necessary destructive testing and metallurgical and/or oil analysis, etc., by sending out to a recognized lab. n Analyze ﬁndings. Write up an FMEA report with recommendations for preventing or predicting and update the PM program accordingly. Adopting the FSI methodology listed above requires a disciplined “planned and scheduled” approach to be in place—and that’s a very important step toward maintenance excellence. MT Ken Bannister is author of Lubrication for Industry and the Lubrication section of the 28th edition Machinery’s Handbook. He’s also a Contributing Editor for Lubrication Management & Technology. Email: kbannister@engtechindustries.com.

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Managing The Flow...

EAM System Accuracy:

How To Get There

Once you lose control of your data, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to recover. Check out these tips for improvement. John Reeve Cohesive Information Solutions, Inc.

lmost every asset-intensive industrial operation has a software-based work management system that comes under the heading of Enterprise Asset Management (EAM). Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no guarantee, however, of getting accurate data entered into the system. Perhaps the most effective way to begin managing and capturing the flow of accurate data is to identify what output is desired and then work backwards. For example, what information does the reliability engineer need to identify recurring problems and failure trends?

CAPACITY ASSURANCE STRATEGIES

Work Order Creation

Planning and Scheduling

Problem Description Asset number Location System - Subsystem Worktype Priority Dept. - Lead Craft

Job steps Craft estimates Material estimates Tool estimates Services Safety instructions

Execution Record steps performed Record findings Record suggestions

Fig. 1. It’s important to properly categorize work orders when they are initiated.

Symptoms of a problem Consider this nightmare: A company spends millions on new EAM software and migrating “cleaned-up” legacy data into it, only to find shortly after “going live” that bad data is being entered into the system. Chances are it didn’t first establish an EAM master plan defining clear roles and responsibilities for user interaction. It’s a common situation. All too often, EAM system implementation teams focus only on the technology—and give little thought to processes/procedures and linking inputs to outputs. The danger in this approach is that once an organization loses control of its database in terms of accuracy, there’s no easy recovery. Imagine having 10 years of data where the statuses are inaccurate, actual hours aren’t always entered, work is tied to the wrong asset/location, no failure/problem codes are entered and the maintenance backlog contains work that's stale, out of date and incomplete. In addition, during those 10 years, you’ve probably been paying a software vendor for annual (software) maintenance, performing upgrades and training users. Complaints about the system seem to be increasing. No wonder management is asking, “Where’s the value?” At some point, a change in EAM software will probably be suggested. (Not knowing the root cause of the problem, this always seems to be the easy answer.) Management may think that the annual cost to maintain the existing software isn’t providing true ROI… that the system is too difficult to use… that something MUST be wrong with it… that “maybe we should look for a new EAM/ERP vendor”… Such logic is similar to a poor golfer thinking that a new set of clubs will greatly improve his performance on the course. In all likelihood, it's not the clubs, but rather the swing that needs to be addressed.

Completion and Closeout Update WO status Update failure coding Identify failed component Enter actual man-hours Enter materials used Enter actions performed Planner feedback Maintainability issues Design-change suggestions Safety issues

Definitions EAM system… Your EAM system should be viewed as a combination of technology, process and responsibilities. One without the other weakens the overall system. If your procedures are unclear, then the technology may not matter. If the roles for system interaction are poorly defined, then no one may accept responsibility for accuracy. And, if the leadership team in charge of the EAM system has no long-term roadmap for use, then they may be unknowingly part of the problem. Accurate data is not as simple as making fields mandatory. The working level needs to understand why this data is necessary and how it's going to be used. The procedure for capturing this feedback at end of shift needs to be clear and precise. And, users may need periodic refresher training until they are comfortable with the system. Work order initiation… As shown in Fig. 1, it’s important to properly categorize work orders when they are initiated. The completion/closeout phase is also critical, but if the work is improperly categorized or poorly planned at the start, it impacts backlog management. Who owns the data… The principal organizations using an EAM system are operations, maintenance and engineering. When they’re asked to identify who owns the system, individuals in these groups frequently respond INCORRECTLY, “the IT department.” When we ask who owns the system, what we're referring to is the data in it, the accuracy of the data and its use. Typically, the principal benefactor (and user) would be the maintenance department. Furthermore, since accurate data takes precedence over everything else, it would be difficult to run accurate reports, make quick assessments and manage by exception.

Responsible

This role is allowed to update the record, e.g. work order.

Accountable

This role can also update the record but, whether he/she did or not, is held accountable for accuracy of the update.

Inaccurate Data MARCH 2012

A preventive maintenance record may have incorrect frequency. An inventory record may have inaccurate ROP, EOQ or safety levels. A work order may have inaccurate job status, missing priority, inaccurate work type or incorrect asset number. MT-ONLINE.COM | 17

CAPACITY ASSURANCE STRATEGIES

Until the user community accepts responsibility for EAM system accuracy (as seen in the box at the bottom of the previous page), data in the system is at risk. Improving system accuracy There are numerous critical fields on an EAM entry screen, which, if entered incorrectly, can impact the planning/scheduling, execution and completion/closeout phases. Although you can train staff to enter data and provide procedures, information still seems to get mangled. The gatekeeper… By adding a gatekeeper, there will be an immediate improvement to all incoming data. This is an individual who is especially knowledgeable about the plant—i.e., “all-around knowledge,” including that about operations, maintenance and engineering. He/she is sometimes referred to as a “seasoned” employee who is valuable to plant operation. In reviewing/ filtering incoming work, the gatekeeper would:

■ Technical evaluations (tech evals). These are non-work items used to request information, investigations and/or evaluations from engineers, system owners, etc. A technical evaluation identifies a problem with an asset, system or procedure and would normally be requested to support a corrective action. The tech eval might be needed to better understand the cause or the options to prevent recurrence or, possibly, to support other design changes that might be needed for new regulations. Such an evaluation might also reflect procedural problems, but only with respect to incorrect instructions from a technical perspective. ■ Corrective actions (CAs). These are generated when there is a desire to investigate why an event occurred and to take actions to prevent recurrence. If you had an apparent or root cause that was determined to be human error caused by lack of detail in a procedure, that would be a procedure problem. Corrective actions usually fall into one of 3 categories: ◆ Standard evaluations for lower-risk items.

1. Ensure that the correct asset/location is assigned and the working department or lead craft; 2. Enter a fair priority, taking into account all other work currently in the maintenance backlog (with which he/she is completely familiar); and 3. Verify proper problem description.

◆ Apparent Cause evaluation is a more structured approach

to a significant event. It applies rigor (as opposed to someone's opinion) to the process. A safety near miss or potential power reduction might involve this type of evaluation. ◆ Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is for the most significant

The Service Request review team… When setting up an EAM system, the temptation is to let everyone go directly to the work-order table. The better approach is to direct entry through a Service Request (SR) ticket. This would come through a Service Request (SR) review team. Such a team should consist of high-ranking representatives from operations, maintenance and engineering who meet “first thing, every day” to discuss new work. The SR team considers feasibility of the service request, checks for completeness/accuracy and determines if technical evaluation(s) and/or corrective action(s) are required. The team’s goal is to decide if the request should be turned into a repair work order. This is how the EAM user community would always create a service request. (Note: a Service Request may or may not result in a repair work order.) ■ Completeness/accuracy check. The SR Team (or gatekeeper) would grade incoming requests for completeness/accuracy (i.e., does the request under consideration have adequate information on it to route it to the next step?). There would be a list of items to check, which, based on the originator, the appropriate SR Team manager would (1) personally fix in the meeting, or (2) send back to originator. Either way, this grading takes place and becomes part of a departmental metric called completeness/accuracy. 18 |

MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

events, wherein you might generate a full analysis that would have an assigned leader and a multi-discipline team. A lost-time accident or unit shutdown may require a RCA. This is the most rigorous review. For some power-generation industries, CAs can come from equipment-related issues and result in repair work orders or they may be human performance issues [and not result in a work order]). (NOTE: The SR review team assigns Technical and/or Corrective Action evaluation documents to specific individuals for resolution, along with possible deadlines for completion). EAM refresher training… This unique form of training emphasizes leading practices along with the client roadmap for success. The training might start with “why we need this data.” Each significant field on the SR and work order should be discussed in detail by reviewing the significance of each main field on the work order entry screen and explain how it should be used. For example, the work order description is really a problem description. You want the requestor to describe what the problem is—not describe the fix. Common problem areas are listed in Table I on page 19. MARCH 2012

◆

CAPACITY ASSURANCE STRATEGIES

Table I. Common EAM User Problems

Asset Name Inside Problem Description

We already have the asset and asset descriptions on the work order.

<12 Character Problem Description

Any problem description of less than 12 characters probably doesn't adequately describe the problem.

Identifies Fix In The Problem Description

We want the user to describe the problem (what was observed) — not the remedy.

Work Categorization

It is important to be able to differentiate between administrative work, PM/PdM, repair work and modification work (sometimes capital projects).

Another point to consider is the sole reliance on text fields. Maintenance staff generally means to do the right thing but no one ever told them it is nearly impossible to create SQL extracts from words in text. An example of this is where the maintenance person describes the problem in a text field but does not enter the appropriate failure/ problem code value on the work order. Analytical reports utilize actionable data fields.

Business rules… Strangely, many sites haven’t documented their EAM system business rules. When rules are unclear, then entered data may also be unclear. Example business rules are shown in Table II. (NOTE: To run an EAM system without business rules is like driving a car without road rules. You may get there but it could be really scary.)

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MARCH 2012

MT-ONLINE.COM | 19

CAPACITY ASSURANCE STRATEGIES

Table II. Examples of EAM System Business Rules A

Priority 1 work needs to be attended to within four hours.

All labor hours need to add up to eight, as this feeds payroll.

The maintenance supervisor is accountable for accuracy of all data (accountable) at status = complete.

Work delays should be recorded.

If you encounter new repair work in the performance of a PM, and the estimated effort to do this work is > 15 minutes, you should create a new work order and allow this work to be planned and scheduled.

Maintenance workers are expected to return to office before end of shift to update the EAM system.

Addressing fears… Make sure you talk with the maintenance supervisors and working-level personnel to ascertain any fears relating to the EAM system. Explain what’s in it for them. While upper management wants plenty of data to be entered into the EAM system, the working level may be asking/wondering why all of it is needed (i.e., “Are they trying to manage every hour of my day. . . Do they not think I'm working hard enough. . . Are they trying to find ways to cut staff?”) These fears must be addressed. Although it's possible to set up poorly intended metrics and KPIs, it's important to remember that the purpose of an EAM system is to manage assets—not people. Running analytical reports… One suggestion to increase awareness in data-quality problems is to involve the maintenance organization in analyzing

performance problems and failure trends by running analytical reports from the EAM system. If you have never run Paretostyle reports or looked for worse offenders, then you might be surprised by the output. In addition to finding the worst offenders you might also discover “bad data” as it usually jumps off the paper. It’s at this point you can begin thinking about ways to remedy this data. (NOTE: Some sites have a reliability team; this is where you can involve the maintenance staff.) For additional ways to improve the accuracy of your EAM system, see Table III. Automated processes require good data EAM technology is intended to make it easier for the user to manage large numbers of assets, track failure history, remind us of future actions and minimize steps (keystrokes) to generate output. Although automated processes reside

Table III. More Tips for Improving EAM System Accuracy Ease-of-use functionality includes mobile devices, single-point-of-entry (e.g. as Assess Ease of Use achieved through integration or consolidation) or drop-down lists that only show Conduct Surveys Verify Originator Verify Work Group Verify Supervisor Verify Lead Trade Verify Planner

Capture WO Feedback

Define The End Game Conduct Short Briefing

20 |

relevant choices by work group. Business system analysts should periodically visit all user groups. They should ask the standard survey questions (report needs, training issues) and also document concerns, problems and complaints. They also should look for standalone files containing asset-related data and ask why it's not in the EAM system. It is important that the originator name be on the record. When questions do arise, contact can be made with the requestor. Clearly identify work-group owner (group that will do work or will be responsible for it). Identify Lead Supervisor, Foreman or Team Lead on work-order main. Once known, identify Lead Trade (this is important because there could be multiple crafts). Identify planner name. This is helpful during planner analysis and feedback. Promoting a work-order feedback process that includes validation of maintenance strategy, asset condition rating, PM task/frequency validity, safety considerations, design change suggestions and maintainability issues supports continuous improvement. This type of feedback is instrumental to reliability-centered maintenance and could be applied to PM as well as repair maintenance. Requesting that the working level directly enter this data helps improve accuracy. If the worker is too distant from the product, this is where large omissions of valuable feedback occur. Conduct annual best-practice training that covers leading practices and the “end game.” The latter refers to why we update the work order with failure codes and why it's important to link work to the right asset. In addition to conducting overviews of work for the day and safety reviews, include a weekly EAM system tip. Such tips could be pre-built for the 52 weeks of the year.

MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

Once business rules are established, EAM procedures can be created. These procedures explain how to enter and update an entire work order through completion/closure. If foundation data is missing, it causes additional pain for the end-user, Validate Foundation and he/she may decide not to inform anyone. Thus, it may be helpful to have a “ready to go” communication template, whereby the user can quickly Data submit/indicate a missing failure/problem code. Draw up work flows to enhance process discussions as used by Flow Charts training venues. A responsibility account matrix (RAM) shows O&M roles on one side Create and work-order status on the other. Each role is then marked as RAM responsible or accountable. This group looks at trends, recurring problems, failures by system, Reliability maintenance strategies, basic failure analysis and root cause analysis. Team They might also look at completed repair work sorted by asset groupings. A formal reliability team can fill several holes in the organization. This role could be an engineer, supervisor or planner who would be System responsible for all work in a system. He/she may be asked to verify repair/ Owners sreplace criteria. This role also provide outage budgets. Trust but verify. The various data owners (and planning staff) should run Error “error checks” which proactively look for bad data. They would also evaluate Checks related metrics on work-order record accuracy and completeness. Review PM Annually review the preventive-maintenance library for accuracy. There should be periodic reviews of the maintenance backlog to look for stale work, duplicate work, incorrect priorities, poor problem descriptions Review Backlog (can’t tell what the job is) or incorrect job statuses. It is also possible that due to a past design change this repair work is no longer valid.

Create EAM Procedures

MARCH 2012

CAPACITY ASSURANCE STRATEGIES

Vision

Business Rules

Goals

EAM Procedures Hierarchical KPIs

Training Advanced Processes

Foundation Data

Automation

Resonsibility Account Matrix

In summary Data accuracy is critical to any EAM system. Good data improves business intelligence in support of asset performance, craft productivity and cost tracking. Data accuracy begins with data ownership. But once the data gets out of control, it can be very difficult to recover. Bad data also impacts your ability to cleanly upgrade to future software versions, extract meaningful reports, run KPIs and implement automated processes. Training users on how to interact with the system is helpful, but sometimes the only way to guarantee accuracy is to introduce a review group early in the process. Although it sounds like a costly step to add a new role such as gatekeeper or SR review team, the alternative is much worse. Many organizations that purchased EAM systems long ago continue to make decisions based on personal MARCH 2012

Audits Error Checks

Operational Excellence

Fig. 2. The relationship between procedures, roles and strategies for operational excellence

in the EAM system, some sites decide not to use them. Examples of automated processes include inventory reorder, PM work order generation and resource-leveled weekly scheduling. But if the inventory data has bad reorder points, or the PMs are missing job plans or the maintenance backlog isn't accurate (prioritized and planned), it is difficult to implement any form of automation. This, in turn, translates into higher operating costs.

Feedback

Surveys

$$$$

experiences, gut feeling and whatever other reactive maintenance occurred last week. In some cases, seasoned staff may even belittle the value of the EAM database to increase their positioning. Imagine, however, a future perfect world where data is assumed to be accu-

rate because it is continually reviewed and validated. Buy-in exists at all levels of the organization because they rely on the data for day-to-day decisions on craft coordination, job safety and failure trending. Remember: When an operation treats its EAM system as an item of strategic importance, the entire organization is able to leverage the data, react to change quicker and enhance its overall competitiveness. MT John Reeve has spent 25 years supporting CMMS/EAM users across a wide range of industries. Now, as Manager and Senior Consultant for Cohesive Information Solutions, Inc., he serves as Practice Leader for Maintenance & Reliability Solutions. Email: jreeve@cohesivesolutions.com. For more info, enter 01 at www.MT-freeinfo.com

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Maintenance managers across industries are forced to improve their business. In the ongoing economic crisis maintenance needs to add more value to the overall company results. But how? And where to start? Should you focus on uptime or on cost reduction? And how important is safety relative to spare parts reduction? Questions that can only be answered with the right maintenance information. Although this information is often captured in EAM systems, it is rarely used to steer maintenance performance. VDM Inside is a new and innovative KPI Dashboard. It contains over 100 performance indicators and drill down analyses and is based on the successful Value Driven Maintenance速 methodology. Watch the VDM Inside demo www.mainnovation.com

Do you want to discover the treasure in your maintenance organization? Meet us at MARTS at booth #11. CONTROLLING MAINTENANCE, CREATING VALUE.

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MT-ONLINE.COM | 21

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By Gary Mintchell

he annual Forum sponsored by the ARC Advisory Group (ARC) took place February 6-9, in Orlando FL. This year marked my 15th trip to the informationpacked event, where I again hoped to hear the latest thinking in production and manufacturing. One meeting I always anticipate is with Alan Johnston, President and CEO of MIMOSA, and Cliff Pedersen, CIO of North West Redwater Partnership. For readers who might not be familiar with MIMOSA (www.mimosa.org), it’s an alliance of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) solution providers and end-user companies that are focused on developing consensus-driven data standards to enable Open Standards-based O&M Interoperability. Johnston has been spearheading this initiative for years. Pedersen represents the interests of owner/operators in the group. MIMOSA and the Open O&M Initiative were accomplishing much until the recession hit. Their demo showcase at the 2009 ISA Expo revealed the potential of the work. The group has, fortunately, recovered from the slowdown and is rapidly progressing toward building a critical mass of suppliers and owner/operators who have signed on for data interoperability. One key element involves the data exchange from the design/procure/construct process to the operations/maintenance process. Too often, information necessary for efficient and effective operations or maintenance is buried in design documentation— or is not even in existence. Many times a supplier will give just enough information for the purchase of replacement equipment, but not enough for effective and prompt service. For example, you may get a pump curve, but not the actionable data points you need when you go out to service or repair the pump. Then there’s the problem of the “who owns the data” argument. Owner/operators believe they do—i.e., own data they paid for—while suppliers try to retain ownership of that data, forcing owner/operators to pay extra service fees for access to it. This is another situation where MIMOSA and the Open O&M Initiative are looking out for buyers. I’ll be writing more about these topics in future issues of MT. Meanwhile check out MIMOSA’s Website and see how/where you might get involved. MT

(EDITOR’S NOTE: You can read more from ARC in this month’s “Viewpoint” column [pg. 40], by Paula Hollywood, Senior Analyst with the Group.)

Gary Mintchell, gmintchell@automationworld.com, is Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of Automation World magazine and blogs at www.garymintchellsfeedforward.com. For more info, enter 02 at www.MT-freeinfo.com

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MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

C: 60 M: 0 Y: 100 K: 28

MARCH 2012

MAINTENANCE LOG

Bearing Monitoring Keeps Coal Safely On The Move

defuse a process safety challenge. Jane Alexander, Editor with Patrick Parvin, SPM Instrument, Inc.

onveyor systems aren’t just subject to considerable wear. Even in normal use, they can face the risk of fire due to equipment failure or ignition of the materials being transported. In Amarillo, TX, energy-services provider Savage is successfully employing stateof-the-art online condition monitoring on a coal-conveyor system to help eliminate that concern and ensure safe and uninterrupted supply of fuel to Xcel Energy’s Harrington Generating Station.

MARCH 2012

MT-ONLINE.COM | 23

MAINTENANCE LOG

Fig 1. Trend graph of measurements on the pulley bearing. HDm (black) is a scalar value expressed in decibels. It represents the strongest impact found during the measurement time, and is the primary parameter for assessing damage severity. HDc (blue) is a scalar value expressed in decibels, representing the level where 200 collisions per second are found. HDc is very useful for determining lubrication condition.

The challenge of PRB coal The coal-conveyor system plays an important part in the operation of the Harrington Generating Station: A reliable and trouble-free supply of fuel is critical to secure energy production. The Harrington plant, owned and operated by Xcel Energy, gets its coal primarily from the Powder River Basin (PRB) in Wyoming. A special property of the PRB coal is its propensity to self-ignite. Another characteristic of this coal is its friability, creating combustible dust that can penetrate into bearings and other parts of the conveyor system. While PRB coal has become popular—based, in large part, on its low cost and low sulfur content—that popularity comes at a price. The potential for spontaneous combustion calls for safe operation and maintenance in coal transportation systems and stockyards. Good housekeeping practices, such as properly managing coal stock piles, limiting dust accumulation, preventing spills and conducting regular cleanups are extremely important. For the Savage maintenance department, handling PRB coal has introduced extraordinary hazards. Careful management of these hazards is a must. A mechanical fault in the bearing of a roller, for instance, could cause ignition of the belt or coal. Friction between a seized roller and the belt could also lead to fire. The site’s online condition-monitoring program plays an essential role in dealing with the safety issues that come with the handling of PRB coal. Condition monitoring: a proactive strategy Savage implemented its condition-monitoring program to monitor plant machinery and detect potential failure at an early stage. In late 2009 and early 2010, the Intellinova® 24 |

MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

online system from SPM Instrument was installed to monitor 40 conveyor and crusher bearings. The condition of these bearings is measured with SPM HD®, a new and advanced shock-pulse measurement technique. Particularly well-suited for low-RPM applications, this new technology can be utilized on rolling-element bearings throughout the range of 1-20,000 RPM. At the Savage Harrington location, the conveyor system runs at approximately 120 RPM. A prominent feature of the SPM HD technique is its capacity to detect machine problems at a very early stage and provide reliable diagnostic information months before replacement of a damaged part becomes necessary. SPM HD delivers immediate condition evaluation in greenyellow-red and presents measuring results with remarkable detail, giving a clear picture of bearing condition. Savage’s condition-monitoring program was off to a flying start. Initial readings in June 2010 indicated deteriorating condition on one of the pulley bearings. With the online monitoring system, Savage personnel were able to keep a watchful eye on development of the damage for a full 15 months before the bearing needed replacement. As can be seen in the trend graph in Fig. 1, taken from Condmaster® Nova software, the HDm readings (black) were already in the yellow warning zone when measurements began. Shortly thereafter, they started to move into the red, but the condition degradation was relatively slow. In September 2011, a significant increase was seen, leading to a decision to replace the bearing in a planned maintenance action. Immediately after replacement, the readings dropped into the green zone. MARCH 2012

MAINTENANCE LOG

Fig. 2. Time signal from the pulley bearing; signals dominated by damaged rolling elements

The time signal in Fig. 2 shows that in the late stages of the damage process, the majority of the signals were dominated by damaged rolling elements. The periods between the “bursts” in the time signal are equal to the cage frequency—i.e., how often the rolling element enters the load zone of the bearing.

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With this condition-monitoring technology, Savage personnel were able to keep a watchful eye on development of the

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damage for a full 15 months before the bearing needed replacement. By September 2011, clear indication of both inner and outer race damages was visible in the Condmaster® Nova spectrums (see Fig. 3, page 26). Examination of the replaced bearing showed severe damage on both its inner and outer rings, as well as the rolling elements. Still, no secondary damage to the shaft or bearing housing had resulted, and since the bearing was replaced during normal downtime, no loss of production was incurred. MARCH 2012

www.crcindustries.com/ei For more info, enter 86 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MT-ONLINE.COM | 25

MAINTENANCE LOG

Fig. 3. Spectrums showing clear indications of inner and outer race damage

Clear and tangible beneﬁts In general, a majority of industrial accidents happen during cleaning or other maintenance activities. When equipment failures occur during normal production runs, production requirements may call for hurried maintenance efforts to get the machinery back up and running as quickly as possible. This can be an invitation for accidents to happen. In contrast, when maintenance can be carried out only when confirmed necessary and under planned stops, risks are significantly reduced. To Savage, the condition-monitoring program brings indisputable benefits beyond the ability to provide a reliable delivery of coal to its valued Harrington Generating Station customer. A substantial reduction in equipment failures, improved worker and equipment safety and an increase in plant availability and productivity are results that speak for themselves. Assuring dependable, safe and trouble-free operation of the coal conveyor system is a smart business strategy— in more ways than one. When asked about the cost savings for this particular bearing change, Mark Kilgore, Operations Manager at the Savage Harrington site, noted, “We could still run if this bearing would have failed during a run, but had it failed outside the normal hours of the maintenance team, we would have had to call them [maintenance] in and this would have been an extra expense.” According to Kilgore, if the bearing had catastrophically failed, it could have caused a fire. It also could have damaged the belt—one of the longest belts in the plant. 26 |

MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

The pulley bearing in question is located about halfway up a conveyor belt system rising over 200 feet from the ground to the top. If the bearing were to overheat, both it and the coal traveling on the belt could catch fire. That burning coal, in turn, could then fall onto the returning belt below. On its way to the top of the conveyor system, a fire would pull air in from underneath the conveyor system, fueling an inferno-like situation akin to the inside of a blast furnace. Such an incident clearly could be devastating to workers and equipment alike. The early detection of potential bearing problems saves users downtime and money. Kilgore sums it up this way: “As we all know, when you have a catastrophic failure, it never happens when it is convenient, and it usually causes severe damage. With this system [SPMs], we are able to catch these problems before complete failure, and we can schedule the repair when it is convenient for us.” MT Patrick Parvin is Managing Director of SPM Instrument, Inc., based in Eugene, OR. Telephone: (541)687-6869; email: patrickparvin@spminstrument.com. For more info, enter 03 at www.MT-freeinfo.com

MARCH 2012

Volume 2 Number 3

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RELIABILITY F I L E S TECHNOLOGY M A I N T E N A N C E

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