Minimize risk and maximize results during your next
SHUTDOWN TURNAROUND
OUTAGE Best Management Practices Budgeting & Cost Management Scope & Frequency Planning & Scheduling Shutdown Organization Contractor Management & Availability Capital Project & Turnaround Integration Environmental Health & Safety Staff Management STO Strategy Close-out Systems & Technology Work Control & Analysis Work Execution Work Identification Work Management Processes — Lifecycle Organizational Alignment STO Strategies in a Recessionary Market Knowledge Transfer Risk Management
June 6-8, 2010
The Westin Galleria Houston Houston, Texas www.stoconference.com
Attend STO 2010 to get IMMEDIATE PAYBACK!
For more info, enter 61 at www.MT-freeinfo.com ©2010 by Eventure Events LLC. All rights reserved. Eventure and STO 2010 logos are trademarks of Eventure Events LLC.
Produced by:
Over 900,000 products for the ones who get it done. Call. Click. Stop By.速 www.grainger.com For more info, enter 62 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
Focus on the basics to ignite change at...
As companies continue to experience mounting pressure to reduce cost, meet higher safety standards, and optimize performance, they must look for the latest SAP EAM solutions and strategies available. At SAP-Centric EAM 2010, we will be getting back to the basics to help you stay competitive in today’s global economy. You will gain practical, easy-to-apply advice from SAP EAM experts, as well as dive deep into the core foundation of your business. Join us in Tampa, Florida, and learn how you can achieve not only asset optimization, but overall performance optimization excellence as well.
8 informative tracks following the maintenance end-to-end business process
Master Data
Work Identification
Planning & Scheduling
Execution
& :
Work Completion
History
Analysis
Expert Advice
March 28 -31, 2010 Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina Tampa, Florida www.sap-centric-eam.com
Produced by: © 2010 by Eventure Events, LLC. All rights reserved. Eventure and SAP-Centric EAM logos are trademarks of Eventure Events, LLC. The SAP logo is a trademark or registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and several other countries and is reproduced with the permission of SAP AG. All other products and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.
For more info, enter 63 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
Contents
MARCH 2010 • VOL 23, NO 3 • WWW.MT-ONLINE.COM
M A I N T E N A N C E
TECHNOLOGY
®
YEARS
Your Source For CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS
FEATURES CAPACITY ASSURANCE STRATEGIES 14
Total Process Reliability The ‘Columbia Way’ Lean and TPM are helping drive sustainable reliability in the face of strong foreign competition and a recession. Greg Folts and Rinnette Lowder, Marshall InstituteGrr © 3d_kot — FOTOLIA.COM
Marshall Institute
MAINTENANCE LOG 20
Basing PMs Upon Operating Hours In Standby Emergency Equipment The lessons learned from this case study have implications for any operation that has dedicated emergency standby equipment. Randall K. Noon, P.E., Cooper Nuclear Station
PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS 25
Designing For Stiction, Among Other Things Here’s what it takes to boost gear pump reliability in remote locations. Jane Alexander, Editor, with Kevin Delaney, Tuthill Pump
IR SHOWCASE 33
Infrared Technologies We pinpoint some of today’s “hottest” capacity-assurance tools, services and sources.
REGISTER NOW!
MAINTENANCE and RELIABILITY TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT
April 27-30, 2010 Hyatt Regency O’Hare • Rosemont (Chicago), IL
www.MARTSconference.com MARCH 2010
DEPARTMENTS 6 8 12 28 37 38 38 39 40
JUST HOW GOOD ARE YOU?
My Take Uptime Communications Motor Doc’s Hot Topics Solution Spotlight Information Highway Classified Supplier Index Viewpoint
Applications For
The 2010 NORTH AMERICAN MAINTENANCE EXCELLENCE (NAME) AWARD Are Available Online
www.nameaward.com MT-ONLINE.COM | 3
M A I N T E N A N C E
TECHNOLOGY
®
T hi s ba n k g uarantees a p o s i t i v e r e t u r n.
YEARS
Your Source For CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS
March 2010 • Volume 23, No. 3 ARTHUR L. RICE President/CEO arice@atpnetwork.com
BILL KIESEL Executive Vice President/Publisher bkiesel@atpnetwork.com
JANE ALEXANDER
Investing in power system testing will pay dividends— for years.
Editor-In-Chief jalexander@atpnetwork.com
RICK CARTER Executive Editor rcarter@atpnetwork.com
Load bank testing can detect failing conditions before they damage your equipment or disrupt your power.
ROBERT “BOB” WILLIAMSON KENNETH E. BANNISTER RAYMOND L. ATKINS Contributing Editors
RANDY BUTTSTADT Director of Creative Services rbuttstadt@atpnetwork.com
Avoid downtime. Contact ComRent® today to schedule your next test.
GREG PIETRAS Editorial/Production Assistant gpietras@atpnetwork.com
ELLEN SANDKAM Direct Mail 800-223-3423, ext. 110 esandkam@atplists.com
EDWARD KANE Reprint Manager 800-382-0808, ext. 131 ekane@fostereprints.com
ComRent
®
888.881.7118 | comrent.com
Editorial Office: 1300 South Grove Ave., Suite 105 Barrington, IL 60010 847-382-8100 / FAX 847-304-8603 WWW.MT-ONLINE.COM
For more info, enter 64 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
Subscriptions: FOR INQUIRIES OR CHANGES CONTACT JEFFREY HEINE, 630-739-0900 EXT. 204 / FAX 630-739-7967
M A I N T E N A N C E
TECHNOLOGY
®
Your Source For
CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS
Apply for a FREE FREE,, one-year subscription at
www.subscribeMT.com w b ib MT
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 2009 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. Printed in U.S.A.
4|
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
Make
MARCH 2010
Tired of the same routine?
Buy a Vac that lasts!
Stop throwing your money away on electric vacuum cleaners that are sure to fail. EXAIR vacuums have been engineered to withstand the dust, dirt, chips and liquids common to industrial environments. Ours have no electric motors or other moving parts to clog or wear out. EXAIR’s 30 Day Unconditional Guarantee assures your complete satisfaction. Let our five year “Built To Last” warranty give you the peace of mind that your vacuum will always work and end your trips to the dumpster.
Two-Way Drum Pump
Chip Vacuum Has No Moving Parts
Vacuum, Blow and Transfer
Heavy Duty Vacuum Resists Wear
The compressed air powered Reversible Drum Vac™ will quickly fill or empty a 55 gallon drum in 90 seconds. Coolant sumps can be easily refilled, floor spills vacuumed or contaminated liquids transferred to filtration tanks in minutes.
Chip Vac™ is powered by compressed air and vacuums chips directly into a drum. It is easy to move from drum to drum to keep materials separate for recycling. Clean chips from floors, fixtures, work surfaces and machines.
The Vac-u-Gun™ uses compressed air to provide solutions to a wide variety of industrial housekeeping problems. This versatile tool is a vacuum gun, blow gun and a transfer tool all in one. Three Vac-u-Gun systems with tools are available.
Heavy Duty Dry Vac™ attaches to an ordinary 55 gallon open-top drum to turn it into a powerful, industrial duty vacuum cleaner. It has been engineered to vacuum more dry materials in less time than ordinary vacs. Ideal for abrasives.
• Durable stainless steel
• Dust free operation
• Durable die cast construction
• Wear resistant construction
• Lightweight, portable
• No motors to clog or wear out
• No moving parts
• Heavy duty tools
• Low cost
• Dust free operation
• Includes plastic tools
• Quiet - Only 77 dBA!
•
5, 30 and 55 gallon models available
•
5, 30 and 55 gallon models available
• No motors to clog or wear out •
Video demo on web site V
www.exair.com/48/462.htm
For more info, enter 65 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
• Improved design - half the noise! •
Video demo on web site V
www.exair.com/48/465.htm
www.exair.com/48/4170.htm www.exair.com/48/463.htm For more info, enter 65 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
Manufacturing Intelligent Compressed Air® Products Since 1983 11510 Goldcoast Drive • Cincinnati, Ohio • 45249-1621 • (800) 903-9247 • fax: (513) 671-3363 E-mail: techelp@exair.com • www.exair.com
@EXAIR
MY TAKE
Jane Alexander, Editor-In-Chief
Giving You The Business
A
s winter continues to snow and blow its way somewhat in the direction of spring, we all seem to be itching for more green shoots and buds to begin showing up around our economic “houses.” (Sure, I touched on this subject in January, but I’m a sucker for reports of good business news, anecdotal and otherwise. Please indulge me as I throw a little more at you.) From a personal perspective, learning that some hard-working old friends and young relatives have been called back to their jobs in the Texas gas fields, after having spent more than a few long months on lay-off, is big news. (I may take some chiding over this, but I think even they would admit that there’s just so much fishin’, huntin’ and watchin’ cereal commercials on TV that one really cares to do…) Learning that the NPRA (National Petrochemical & Refiners Association) 2010 Reliability & Maintenance Conference (RMC) may already have sold out of exhibit space—for the end of May—could be even “bigger” good news. Through the grapevine, I’ve heard of at least one eager, new-to-this-event exhibitor being turned away for lack of space on the trade-show floor—turned away before the end of February, no less. Might there be others standing in line? You can spin just about anything, but these two “feel-good” examples of tentative recovery don’t look too much like the gloom-and-doom economic scenarios still being painted for us by various sources. Nor does the following story of Oregon’s Bob Moore, who recently “gave” his employees full ownership of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, the multi-million-dollar business he had been building since the 1970s. According to a February 17, 2010 article by Dana Tims for The Oregonian*, this means some 209 workers (from janitors on up), “now own the place and its 400 offerings of stone-ground flours, cereals and bread mixes.” That “place” includes, among other things, a retail outlet and a 15-acre production facility where three shifts are running six days a week to turn out goods for distribution around the world. Investment bankers and mergers & acquisitions specialists will tell you that whenever a business is being divested, there’s always some degree of pain—emanating from any number of sources. For example, perhaps an owner up and dies, and the heirs can’t agree on a gracious sorting out of assets. Perhaps a new management team doesn’t see eye-to-eye with an old one. Or, for whatever reason(s), perhaps the only option for a business sputtering along on life support is to go belly-up and/or into some type of receivership. No matter the cause, anyone who’s ever been involved in a business divestiture can attest to the apprehension, fear and sense of utter helplessness such a situation can generate within a workforce. Mr. Moore, however, may have thrown a monkey-wrench into the theory that this pain is inevitable. While it’s a safe bet you won’t find too many owners giving away businesses to non-family employees these days, what would you do if your employer happened to be one of them? Running a company— or, more to the point, building a successful, sustainable business—is not as easy as it might seem. Bob Moore apparently knows that all to well. It sounds as if he’s going to stay around to help the new owners grow their new company. As he told Dana Tims, he still lays claim to the title of “boss.”
* http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2010/02/bobs_red_mill_natural_foods_ro.html
6|
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
MARCH 2010
Innovative lubrication solutions as a competitive edge? Are you serious? Discover the benefits of SKF lubrication solutions – from a supplier and a knowledge partner.
The SKF CAN-Bus system can control and monitor up to four independent lubrication sections.
Add an optimized lubrication system to your new off-highway vehicle design and profi t from an increase in reliability and durability that benefits your customers. Whatever your needs, CAN-Bus can be seamlessly integrated with automatic and centralized lubrication systems. By allowing separate control and monitoring of the lubrication in each machine section, you can efficiently prevent unwanted stops and extend service intervals. At our research center and development facilities, SKF tribologists and application engineers ensure that our solutions precisely match your specifications. And we’re always on hand to offer first-class service and training, close to where you are.
The Power of Knowledge Engineering
To learn more about SKF and SKF lubrication solutions, visit
www.skf.com/lubrication For more info, enter 66 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
abs09003_anz_knowledge_us_200_3x273_1.indd 1
11.08.2009 11:24:51 Uhr
UPTIME
Bob Williamson, Contributing Editor
Checklists: Often Overlooked Tools “What d’ya think I’m stupid? Checklists are for dummies.” “I know what I’m doing…done it for years. Why would I ever need a checklist?” I continue to be amazed at the resistance of maintainers and operators when I suggest the use of checklists for critical tasks. Maybe it’s just me. I make lots of lists and check things off as I go through a “normal” (or abnormal) day on the job. When I was taking pilot training, the use of checklists was drilled into my brain. In my 17 or so years studying NASCAR race teams, I’ve seen thousands of checklists being used by highly skilled people every day. Are checklists part of your reliability improvement toolbox? What are checklists? In many cases, checklists are “mnemonic” (yes, the “m” is silent) devices that act as a memory aid or a learning aid. First, there are “verbal mnemonics” that help us remember things. “Roy G. Biv” helps us remember the sequence of colors in a rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet). Then there’s the poem we use to remember the number of days in each month: 30 days has September, April, June and November… “Visual mnemonics” include acronyms such as SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) and TPM (Total Productive Maintenance). Spelling lessons in school also use visual mnemonics. The words “principal” and “principle” can often be confused. So, the “Principal can be your pal” helps sort out which word refers to a person and not a basic truth, law or assumption. The checklist also is another form of visual mnemonic since it visually reminds us of what to do, or lists a sequence of events. There are several different types of checklists to consider. Here are the two most common for our line of work: ■ The laundry list ■ The sequential list of events The laundry list The “laundry list” is used to make sure all of the items are gathered and sorted. One example is an order pick list used in warehouse distribution centers. A grocery8|
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
shopping list is another example, when picking up specific items is important. A good illustration of the use of this type of checklist can be seen in the area of race-car preparation: NASCAR race teams use a “laundry list” form of checklist to stock the hauler truck. Furthermore, to finish preparing a race car to leave the shop for the race track, a large one-page checklist covers all of the major areas of the race car and lists everything that must be completed in each of the following areas: Front suspension, rear suspension, drive train, wiring, interior, brakes, fuel system, etc. Everything must be checked, prepared, assembled and signed off for the car to be completed and the checklist to be removed from the race car. The sequential checklist The “sequential” checklist not only itemizes all of the important tasks but places them in an order of task performance. While a detailed “procedure” defines how all critical tasks are to be performed, the checklist provides an ordered summary of each critical task or step in the procedure. Here are some examples, from airplanes to health care: Aircraft pilots use the sequential type of list every time they prepare to fly and throughout the entire flight operation. Yet, pilots did not always use checklists. Their beginning dates back to something that occurred in 1935, at Wright Field in Dayton, OH. Even though its proposed aircraft was the U.S. Army’s favorite, Boeing lost a competitive bid to Douglas Aircraft because of a takeoff crash during a final flight test (leading to the unfortunate label of “too much airplane for one man to fly.”) Despite a highly experienced flight crew, the cause was attributed to pilot error. Subsequently, the Boeing pilots got together and developed checklists to ensure everything would be done and nothing overlooked in the future. These checklists covered takeoff, flight, before landing and after landing. Using them, the crews flew over 9200 hours (1.8 million miles) without a serious accident. The Army eventually ordered 12,731 of these B-17 “Flying Fortress” aircraft. Today, pilots and flight crews use checklists during every phase of flight from pre-flight to powering down after landing. MARCH 2010
UPTIME
In addition to checklists, countless small-aircraft pilots also use various verbal/visual mnemonics. For example, an emergency-landing checklist is summarized as “FIELD” (Fuel off, Ignition off, Electrics off, Lap-straps tight, Doors open). This outlines a critical sequence of tasks and is NOT a replacement for pilot training and qualification. Medical checklists are used because mistakes can and do happen in the world of high-tech medicine— mistakes that can result in serious complications or death. Dr. Peter Provonost, a critical-care researcher at Johns Hopkins University, was concerned about the 10% hospital-acquired infection rate, killing 90,000 patients and costing $11 billion per year. He concluded that posting a simple five-step checklist chart reminding physicians of each step in a routine would dramatically reduce medical errors and infections. Here are the five steps to reduce infections in an ICU procedure: Doctors should. . . 1. Wash their hands with soap. 2. Clean the patient’s skin with chlorhexidine antiseptic. 3. Put sterile drapes over the patient. 4. Wear a sterile mask, hat, gown and gloves. 5. Put a sterile dressing over the catheter site. Resistance. . . Early experiences with this five-step “Doctor’s Checklist” indicated three reasons that physicians and hospitals “could not implement this checklist procedure.” First, some doctors were insulted, their egos hurt. Second, staff felt they were already too busy and that more bureaucratic tasks would get in the way. Third, such “mundane” research was ignored in favor of the more exciting issues. But, if infections and deaths could be prevented, the resistance had to be overcome. Actual results. . . One hundred Michigan hospitals began using Provonost’s checklists in ICUs in 2003. Within three months, hospitalacquired infections dropped from 2.7 per 1000 patients to zero. More than 1500 lives were saved during the first 18 months. Along with the checklists, physicians were trained in checklist function and use; and supply carts were standardized and controlled for one-time use. A culture change also occurred: Doctors and clinicians no MARCH 2010
longer believe that infections are inevitable, but rather are preventable using very simple procedures. (This University of Michigan study was published in the British Medical Journal in February 2010.) Making your own M&R checklists Checklists are NOT the starting point for improving equipment performance and reliability. They merely summarize critical tasks or steps that are covered in detailed procedures and training. They serve as visual cues or reminders of important points learned in training sessions. Errors made by skilled and knowledgeable people—not just trainees— happen every day in today’s workplace. Still, they can be avoided. Start your consideration of checklist development by asking these questions: 1. “Do the consequences of failure justify the use of checklists to help prevent human error?” Will errors result in penalizing personal injury, environmental incidents, costly defects or off-quality production, equipment damage, overly lengthy or incorrect repairs, lengthy or inaccurate changeovers? 2. Are the detailed “how to” procedures accurate and complete for the critical tasks? If so, checklists should be developed to help assure compliance to the procedure. Keep things simple. Checklists should NOT be confused with procedures. Complex procedures with detailed descriptions of each task are sometimes required. These can be formatted much like a checklist in a multi-page document or manual. However, most checklists are a single page (OK, some pages are larger than others) containing key tasks only with a check box or a blank for the person’s initials. Moreover, remember, checklists are used by experienced and qualified people and are not a substitute for training. Here are a few examples of checklists that can be used to improve maintenance and reliability: Parts kitting. A “parts kit list” for a work order helps improve maintenance efficiency and effectiveness. All of the parts needed for the maintenance job are gathered and put in a secured place before the work is scheduled. There is no sequence or order to this type of list. Just make sure all of the stuff needed to complete the job is gathered in one place and checked off in the process. Checklists for accountability & hand-off. Some checklists serve only as reminders or visual cues of tasks and sequence; the only accountability relates to them being followed as written, such as with a “Startup Checklist.” In the case of repair and maintenance checklists, it may MT-ONLINE.COM | 9
UPTIME
be important that each item be checked or signed off as it is performed. The initials of the person performing the task allows follow-up to issues or questions. These initials also can be helpful when handing off a lengthy procedure to a followup crew or maintainer to complete a job already underway. Checklists as historical reliability records. Some maintenance checklists are sequential and have critical measurements that must be made, verified and/or recorded. These should possess the “accountability” as described above, as well as the actual readings or measurements made. In some cases such checklists should contain certain “GO/NO GO” conditions, specification or criteria. The bottom line here is that most reliability problems are caused by people making errors or overlooking proven maintenance and reliability techniques during the machine’s life cycle. Checklists help save lives and make race cars and
aircraft safe and reliable. Why not make them a vital part of your M&R toolbox and lead the culture change today? MT RobertMW2@cs.com References 1. Time Magazine, “100 Most Influential People of 2008,” April 30, 2009. 2. Business Week, “Preparing Your Professional Checklist,” January 15, 2008. 3. Logic & Methodology of Checklists, Michael Scriven, Western Michigan University, June 2000. 4. “How the Pilot’s Checklist Came About,” John Schamel, 2009, www.atchistory.org. 5. “When the Fortress Went Down,” Phillip S. Meilinger, October 2004, www.airforce-magazine.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE: MARTS 2010 offers a great opportunity to learn directly from Bob Williamson. To learn more about his value-added, in-depth Pre-Conference Workshop, “Lean Equipment Management: The Prescription for Rapid and Sustainable Gains,” and his compelling Conference presentation, “Where’s Your Reliability Policy?” please make a visit to www.MARTSconference.com. You read what Bob has to say in his column every month; here’s one of the best chances you’ll have this year to network with him personally!
For more info, enter at www.MT-freeinfo.com For67more info, enter 68 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
10 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
MARCH 2010
& Innovation Summit 2010 Energy & Innovation Summit 2010 is designed to help participants understand energy efficiency, build successful business models, get practical advice on funding as well as implementing efficiency efforts. Attendees will learn what really works from global and national leaders and how to get on the path to success in the energy efficient economy. Day 1: INNOVATION SUMMIT Hear from experts and learn from case studies and skill training on energy innovation in products, processes, and new business models Day 2: ENERGY EFFICIENCY SUMMIT Get latest updates on energy efficiency initiatives including ISO-50001and learn from case studies and manufacturers of energy efficiency products Day 3: ENERGY TRAINING SEMINAR Get hands-on training from industry experts to meet the new ASME/ANSI standards
RK MA R U YO DAR LEN CA
MAY 18-20, 2010 7:30 am — 5:00 pm
Amway Grand Plaza
Grand Rapids, Michigan
REGISTER NOW! So Much To Learn And Discuss! How to innovate with new opportunities in the energy sector Status of energy efficiency, ISO-50001 & proven paths to success Training to meet the new ASME/ANSI standards
So Much You Can’t Afford To Ignore! Interested in showing customers how to reduce energy costs with your company’s products? Call Kathleen Hoyle at (269) 352-4583 for information on sponsorship opportunities.
Visit
www. energysummitonline.com ffor more d details il For more info, enter 68 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
COMMUNICATIONS
Ken Bannister, Contributing Editor
The Technology Partnership Many equate the advent of the modern technology revolution to the introduction in the early 1980s of the personal computer (aka PC). Since that time, computerization has dramatically changed the way human beings think and act. Yet, some of us still had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century and have only recently given in to the “force” and assimilated into the techno paradise that now touches and embraces each of our lives on a minute-by-minute basis. For the few still in denial, it’s difficult to imagine living without an automatic teller machine dispensing your money on a 24-hr. basis, or trying to purchase a vehicle that is not controlled with more computer power than what put man on the moon. Try to imagine a world without a cellular phone—have you tried to find a public phone that takes actual money these days? Where would we be without our “point-and-shoot” instant memory-maker camera systems or our ultra-realistic highresolution interactive games? Then, of course, let’s not forget the information superhighway we call the Internet, which has changed the way we access information, pay bills, make friends and buy and sell stuff! Similarly, technology has accelerated industry into a “warp-speed-ahead” introduction and continual update of complex computerized asset and information management systems, computerized document management systems, computerized manufacturing control systems and a host of high-tech user-friendly diagnostic equipment. Throughout all of these changes, the maintenance department has been dragged along, often unwillingly, for the ride. New, improved techno-maintenance To gain recognition as an integral element of the production process, the maintenance department has been forced to drastically change and
12 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
improve its methods and level of communication. It’s done so by building the types of strategic partnerships this column addresses—with technology playing a significant role in establishing and sustaining these relationships. Delivering equipment effectiveness, availability and uptime has fast become the new maintenance creed. Setting maintenance goals and objectives that dovetail into production/manufacturing goals and corporate goals are concepts that would have been almost laughable 30 years ago. The new and improved maintenance department has entered the era of “techno-maintenance” in which today’s maintainer must understand and work with complex equipment designs and control systems that demand a critical thinking approach to troubleshooting, combined with a moderate to high computer skill level. The modern maintenance department has kept pace through the introduction of maintenance philosophies such as TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) and failure analysis methods used in RCM (Reliability Centered Maintenance), both of which demand the maintenance department to develop partnerships with operators and engineers, and gain an intimate knowledge of the equipment itself—which requires good data. Data is discreetly gathered, analyzed and turned into real-time management information through the CMMS (computerized maintenance management system). Data is received whenever a transaction is opened and closed through the work request and work order process. Data is collected real-time through electronically connected “online” condition-based management equipment monitoring systems, and through downloading of interfaced predictive maintenance diagnostic technologies such as infrared thermographic systems, and vibration analysis systems, etc., all used on a daily basis in the majority of today’s maintenance and reliability departments.
MARCH 2010
COMMUNICATIONS
Remember that partnering with technology involves more than simply investing in a computer and “exploring the Web.” Truly partnering with technology involves investment in oneself. Lifelong learning In the early 1900s, much of the industrial equipment in use was handmade by Victorian-influenced craftsmen who were also required to maintain the equipment. By the 1920s, the mechanization revolution had restructured the way equipment was designed and manufactured—think of Henry Ford and his Model T, and Frederick Taylor’s time/motion studies. Manufactured components and equipment could be made utilizing machines, and put together on moving assembly lines with every action timed to the second. Maintaining this new manufacturing approach required less of a craftsman’s hand and more of a specialist’s hand. Accordingly, the maintenance profession began to develop multiple specialties, including: electricity (electrician); steam (steamfitter, stationary engineer); machining (machinist); mechanics (fitter, mechanic, millwright); and metalworking (sheet metal worker, plater, welder). The new maintenance specialists were collectively called tradesmen. To stay employable, most craftsmen moved into their strongest niche area to be absorbed as one of these new tradesmen. Thus, mechanization gradually phased out the craftsman from the industrial mainstream requirement. Sixty years later History began repeating itself in the 1980s with the computerization revolution that today is placing huge demands on tradespersons. With more and more equipment now being designed by computer, built by robots and run by computer control, modern maintenance requirements demand critical thinking skills and computer diagnostic abilities. Ten years into the new millennium, it is easy to see the maintainer’s role as one that has evolved from that of a tradesperson to that of an actual Capacity Assurance Technician (CAT). Today’s rapid pace of change demands a modern maintainer be current in both manufacturing and maintenance technologies—as well as modern maintenance methods and philosophies. Arguably,
MARCH 2010
the relationship a modern-day maintainer has with technology is one of extreme importance if he/she is to be viewed as a valuable and marketable employee. Luckily, as maintenance professionals, we do not have to write the code for the technology, only invest in understanding how to operate and analyze with the technology. To reach a level of comfort in our work lives, we must examine and draw upon the comfort with technology that we enjoy in our personal space and lives, and realize they are one and the same. Remember, however, that partnering with technology involves more than simply investing in a computer and “exploring the Web.” Truly partnering with technology involves investment in oneself. Maintainers must invest in themselves through attendance of simple wordprocessor, spreadsheet, database and presentation software training; through attendance at trade shows and conferences such as MARTS; and of course, through subscription and reading of targeted, industrial trade publications such as Maintenance Technology and Lubrication Management & Technology. It also involves reading books and building one’s own maintenance and engineering reference library to familiarize ourselves with (and learn how to apply) technology in the workplace. The payoff to all this? Investing in oneself and staying current in the technology of your profession is a partnership that virtually assures a position in the maintenance environment of the future. MT Ken Bannister is lead partner and principal consultant with Engtech Industries, Inc. Telephone: (519) 469-9173; e-mail: kbannister@engtechindustries.com. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Ken also will be a featured part of MARTS 2010. To register for and/ or learn more at his great Pre-Conference Workshop “Liquid Gold: Implementing a Winning Lube Strategy for Maximum Gain,” or his must-attend Conference Session “How to Kill a Bearing,” visit www.MARTSconference.com.)
MT-ONLINE.COM | 13
Making it all come together…
Total Process Reliability The ‘Columbia Way’ The use of Lean and TPM are helping drive sustainable reliability in the face of strong foreign competition and a recession.
Greg Folts and Rinnette Lowder Marshall Institute
Putting P utting it it aass ssimply imply aass possi ible, aapplication pplication ooff possible, nnew ew ddesign esign pprinciples rinciples in ca apacity-assurance capacity-assurance ttechnologies echnologies iiss bboosting oosting uusability sability and pro oductivity. productivity.
14 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
I
t’s 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 8, 2009, in Old Fort, NC. Jeff Wakefield, plant manager of Columbia Forest Products (CFP), calls the morning “War Meeting” to order. He starts with a recent hardwood press issue: “We’re looking for solutions,” he says to Continuous Improvement manager Brian Sprouse and the other department heads. “Press faults are over a percent back; let’s problem-solve.” Wakefield opens the high-level problem-solving forum, adding support and facilitating when necessary. He keeps the meeting on track by referencing key plant metrics—safety, quality, productivity, delivery and cost— displayed in charts, graphs and metrics on a University of North Carolina Tarheel blue wall. Relationships appear strong. Conversation is open, comfortable, but, most importantly, concise. Determined to get the job done, Gluing/Pressing supervisor Charlie Kelly immediately takes ownership and brainstorms issues with the group. He gains agreement that root cause analysis (called “C4”) is necessary. “Tell us what you need,” Wakefield says encouragingly.
MARCH 2010
CAPACITY ASSURANCE STRATEGIES
Separate meetings are then held to manage the details. The result: Press faults drop below target; 12 best practices around the reject are developed; operations owns all solutions. This style and combination of leadership, teamwork and solution-finding are commonplace at CFP. The War Meeting wraps up at 10:37 a.m. The lights are turned off, the projector is turned on and the morning maintenance meeting begins. Scott Gouge, Maintenance Planning lead, reviews the weekly schedule. At 10:59 a.m., the maintenance meeting ends and the War Room empties. What is very clear from this scenario is that CFP is serious about efficiency, effectiveness, teamwork, quality and productivity. This case study focuses on the lean- and reliability-related improvements that this employee-owned company has made, reasons for success and some of the challenges along the way. Before CFP’s Old Fort facility began a lean manufacturing journey in 2005. The objectives were to improve production and maintenance workflow and drive out non-value-added costs. That need for change is best described by Gouge: “Prior to lean, we were a fire-fighting system.” Yet, despite three successful years of lean maintenance and achieving significant process-efficiency improvements and cost reductions, continued equipment failures were keeping the site from meeting its production targets. To reduce failures and improve uptime, CFP realized lean process improvements were only one step in its journey;
it also needed to confront the reliability frontier. The organization was familiar with the concept of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), but needed to ensure that this tool was the right one to counter poor equipment reliability. Rather than try to get where it wanted to go by itself, CFP chose to work with Marshall Institute (see ending Sidebar). After Today, less than two years into the reliability piece of their improvement journey, CFP notes considerable advances in key reliability improvement areas. There has been a 50% reduction in post-purchase product inquiries. PM completion has improved 52%. Overall rejects have improved by 71%. Production per man-hour has increased by 17%. The site now kits 40-50% of its jobs (up from 0%). Operators and maintenance personnel work in partnership and feel true ownership over their equipment and process. Shopfloor wrench time has increased, and the plant is running more efficiently. CFP has achieved real culture change. Factors for success CFP’s key objectives include reducing downtime, improving response time, PM compliance, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and work order completion, and developing better OEE measures and solving problems to predict maintenance equipment failures and behaviors. In addition, the company wanted to gain improvements in other key performance measures such as maintenance labor and supplier costs. It further planned to improve storeroom efficiency and revamp the entire PM system.
Headquartered in Greensboro, NC, employee-owned Columbia Forest Products (CFP) employs over 2000 people in 12 plants. The company is North America’s largest manufacturer of decorative hardwood, plywood and veneer products. Its decorative veneers and plywood panels are used to make cabinets, furniture, fixtures and millwork for homes and commercial settings around the globe.
MARCH 2010
MT-ONLINE.COM | 15
CAPACITY C APACITY ASSURANCE ASSURANCE STRATEGIES STRATEGIES
Fig. 1. Views of the CFP de-barker “before” and “after” implementation of BEC principles and methodologies
Wakefield and Sprouse admit that if they had not implemented TPM and begun focusing on reliability improvement, they would have had more stoppages in process flow and more downtime—not to mention less ownership by personnel in seeing that the process runs as effectively as possible. Assessing, structuring, training After acknowledging that TPM was the right tool, CFP’s maintenance systems and practices were assessed for strengths, weaknesses and improvement areas. Wakefield, Sprouse and plant superintendent Randy Marsh, along with hourly and salaried maintenance and production staff, met to create their vision, mission and expectations, thus shaping how TPM fit into the overall company strategy and philosophy. Following the assessment, a TPM Steering Committee was formed. This cross-functional team is responsible for driving TPM—the success of which relies heavily on their ability to lead and stay the course. The initial assessment highlighted the need to restructure the planner role, build operator involvement and improve maintenance systems. In response, CFP designated one leader in charge of all planners to ensure that all maintenance work flows through the planners. (Before this was done, maintenance work orders didn’t necessarily go to the planner.) A kitting room was then created to support the restructured planning department, and work began on the storeroom concerns. To build operator involvement and relations with maintenance, the site conducted 12 weeklong Basic Equipment Care (BEC) workshops to highlight the benefits of a closer maintenance/operations relationship and the improvements that can be achieved through front-line equipment care. 16 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
Putting a spotlight on equipment performance and reliability quick wins, the BEC workshops helped build shop-floor ownership of the equipment and support for TPM. These educational activities were explained as an essential part of maintenance excellence. This open communication was essential in highlighting the importance of everyone’s purpose and support. Cross-functional BEC teams thoroughly cleaned each piece of equipment in order to identify defects and opportunities for reliability improvement. The teams then created work orders for the defects (something that currently affects uptime) and for the opportunities (repairs that help with equipment efficiency). For example, on the de-barker, an enormous piece of equipment that strips bark from the tree (Fig. 1), a 12% production improvement was realized with BEC alone— which, in turn, dramatically lowered maintenance costs. In addition to the BEC training, CFP invested in specific training for planning and scheduling. Scott Gouge attended one of these seminars with his manager, Brian Sprouse. “It was nice to not only have Brian’s support, but also for him to hear, from the experts, how long it takes to build a quality planning and scheduling effort,” Gouge says of this opportunity. Standard operating procedures and On-The-JobTraining (OJT) are also used. Operator Linda Phillips led the gluing department’s training. “We dedicate six to eight weeks to OJT,” she reports. After the training, everyone is expected to do the job according to the standard. (The next step in CFP’s training plan is to begin a quality training approach called Training Within Industry [TWI].) MARCH 2010
CAPACITY ASSURANCE STRATEGIES
Living the ‘Columbia Way’ What drives and sustains CFP’s lean and reliability initiatives? It’s the “Columbia Way” philosophy. Built on a lean background and company-wide in scope, this improvement philosophy is a way of life at the company. It permeates structure, communications, relationships, processes and problem-solving. “It’s our passion and thought process of what work should be; it is our connection between the customer, employees and the community at large, and provides our vision and discipline,” says Wakefield. “We eat, breathe and sleep the Columbia Way. It’s not a gimmick, it’s the principle we live by and the way we do business.” A simple walk through the plant proves him out. Employees are fully engaged, satisfied and take pride in their work. The shop floor is thoroughly maintained and “clean enough to eat off of.” Equipment, processes and flow effectively produce product on time, safely, efficiently, at a lower cost and to the utmost quality. The site also has seen a 50% reduction in OSHA incidents over the last year, earning it awards like the Department of Labor’s 2008 Outstanding Work in Accident Prevention, for the 19th consecutive year.
Leadership. . . CFP is living the philosophy, starting with sponsorship from its leaders. That type of support is key to any reliability effort. As Wakefield puts it, “without it [leadership support], your effort becomes a ‘program-of-the-month.’ Our leaders commit to not only leading change, but being servants to it.” If leadership isn’t living the philosophy, they can be challenged about it. At one BEC event, for example, employees questioned the reason for cleaning the equipment and work area. Leadership responded by helping them understand the importance of cleaning. In the end, 120 defects were identified. The success of the workshop and subsequent reliability improvements spoke for themselves. Those inquiring employees are now BEC advocates. Communication. . . At CFP, communication is upfront, open and two-way. Leadership communicates clearly with employees about the emphasis on equipment reliability and how employee involvement is essential to its success. In return, company leaders expect employees to communicate with them about problems and successes. Given the fact that the company is employee-owned, employees receive quarterly profit and loss statements so they can see the results of their efforts.
For more info, enter 69 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MARCH 2010
MT-ONLINE.COM | 17
CAPACITY ASSURANCE STRATEGIES
Fig. 2. Plant manager Jeff Wakefield leads a meeting in CFP’s Carolina War Room.
Resistance is expected and encouraged, as it facilitates open communication and sometimes leads to better solutions. According to Wakefield, no one is wearing rose-colored glasses. “We hope employees feel encouraged to express what they believe and free to challenge decisions made,” he adds. Problem-solving. . . Standardization has been a priority in CFP problem solving. The organization established a “C4” (i.e. countermeasure, confirm, concern and control) problem-solving process that is implemented when 15 minutes or more of downtime is documented. Problem-solving meetings are scheduled separately from the daily War Room and maintenance meetings for the key people required to find a solution. Meetings move quickly and smoothly; participants know the purpose of each meeting and provide the right amount of input to meet those objectives. Rewards. . . CFP has outcome rewards and a gain-share plan whereby if employees hit targets around key metrics, they receive a percentage back in pay. Other rewards, such as award dinners and time off with pay, Linda Phillips notes, “show that they [CFP] care.” A war-room mentality CFP is data-driven. Decisions are based on reliable data and the most appropriate metrics are followed to ensure that efforts are helping to achieve strategic goals. The hub of the improvement structure is what CFP calls its “War Room” (Fig. 2), a command post that displays company metrics, progress and action items around five critical areas: safety, quality, productivity, delivery and cost. 18 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
The “War Room” name came about during a time of difficult domestic market conditions due to the recession and heavy foreign competition. As Jeff Wakefield recalls, “We felt like we were in a war, and the name had the appropriate tone for our intent.” In fact, Wakefield, the continuous improvement coordinator and the plant superintendent all work from the War Room. Each morning, they hold meetings with maintenance and production to ensure communication is clear, jobs are understood and discrepancies are dealt with. Staffers circulate in and out all day long, updating key metrics for their respective departments. In Wakefield’s opinion, the benefits of the War Room are obvious. “It aligns all departments and ensures we have the same principled approach and are adhering to it.” Gouge agrees. “Departments get to know each other better,” he says, “and interaction between maintenance and production has increased. The two come together to problem-solve and work together.” (Interestingly, the concept has taken off in other parts of the plant, as maintenance, production and sales have created their own War Rooms displaying key metrics.) Challenges along the way CFP readily acknowledges that the lean and reliability journey has not always been easy. The biggest challenge? “Communicating to employees ‘why and what’s in it for me,’” says Brian Sprouse. The company feels that it was “a little slow” in conveying the message about the importance of maintenance excellence to employees, and how this was another stage in their journey of continuous improvement. Wakefield believes his organization “would be even further along if we had established the Columbia Way philosophy sooner.” Strengthening the relationship between maintenance and production is another area CFP believes it should have focused on sooner. As a result, leadership feels as if the company is “playing catch up” with production and maintenance. MARCH 2010
Shaft Alignment Reliability Starts Here: Desiring The Best
& Geometric Measurement
CFP’s reliability journey began in January 2008, when Continuous Improvement coordinator Brian Sprouse attended a Marshall Institute training seminar to learn more about TPM practices and benefits. He immediately realized the impact of big wastes and the need for an entire maintenancesystem approach to reliability. He also realized that it was vital to find a results-oriented partner with which to travel through the reliability frontier. Although CFP interviewed many companies, it felt the typical approaches were short-term, and did not align with CFP’s long-term vision. Plant manager Wakefield sums up his organization’s decision as follows: “We selected Marshall Institute because of their total system and data-driven approach. They use lean principles, which we are familiar with, and emphasize long-term maintenance excellence.” This approach matched CFP’s vision, philosophy and represented the type of cultural change the company desired. Rotalign® ULTRA
Committed to continuous improvement Although CFP is still in the process of reaching targets, it has seen significant behavior and reliability changes. It points to Marshall Institute’s support as a key to that success—by helping accelerate the CFP learning curve and making planning and implementation more concise. Today, all levels of the organization are aware that reaching the desired destination in this reliability journey is expected to take five years. CFP, though, is committed to continuous improvement, and believes that the journey is never-ending. The company knows that it still has improvement opportunities ahead, but when it looks at where it was a year ago, it sees great gain. CFP is realistic about goals. That’s because of its previous experience with lean improvements—and with prioritizing and implementing the right strategy to achieve those goals. Says Wakefield, “First in, first out … we pace change to know it’s sustainable.” In other words, the company bases what it does on what makes sense for CFP’s culture and strategic goals, laying a deep foundation and achieving critical mass in the process. As for the tough economy, CFP is more than just surviving by staying focused on these principles. “If we didn’t implement TPM we’d be struggling to survive,” notes Wakefield. Major successes have been achieved, and major changes for sustained improvement have been made, including culture change, maintenance-system improvements, stronger inter-department relationships and leadership commitment. Still, Columbia Forest Products realizes these are milestones on a much longer journey. It remains firmly committed to continuous improvement—and has all the factors in place for continued success. Watch this space! MT Greg Folts is president and Rinnette Lowder is instructional designer of Marshall Institute, an asset management company providing maintenance and reliability consulting and training services to industry. Telephone: (919) 834-3722; e-mail: gfolts@marshallinstitute.com. (EDITOR’S NOTE: This case study will be presented at MARTS 2010, on Wed., April 28. For details, visit www.MARTSconference.com.) For more info, enter 01 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MARCH 2010
Vibration Analysis
& Balancing
h WatcOS VIDEine Onl
VIBXPERT®
Easy-to-use solutions for your maintenance needs! Sales • Rentals • Services
305-591-8935 • www.ludeca.com For more info, enter 70 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MT-ONLINE.COM | 19
MAINTENANCE LOG
Is it a good idea?
Basing PMs Upon Operating Hours In Standby Emergency Equipment The lessons from this case study have implications for any operation that has dedicated emergency standby equipment. Standby engines that have a high ratio of thermal cycles versus operating hours could experience degradation bolted Putting itinastheir simply as joints due toapplication gasket creep possible, of and relaxation effects new design principles before they are to be in capacity-assurance replaced according to an
technologies is boosting operating-hours-based maintenance schedule. usability and productivity.
Adam Lund P.E. Randall K. Noon, Emerson Process Management Cooper Nuclear Station
Fig. 1. View of engine block showing overspeed governor drive unit, flange and studs
20 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
MARCH 2010
MAINTENANCE LOG
M
ost maintenance plans are based on the expectation of wear and tear that occurs when equipment is operated. This is especially true of electric motors, pumps, engines, compressors and production line machines that are regularly operated. Consequently, most preventive maintenance schedules are based upon hours of usage.
What happens, however, when a piece of equipment like an engine-generator set is dedicated to an emergency standby mission? In such an application, the equipment may only be operated occasionally. In fact, it may not even be operated enough to warrant a regular overhaul during the life of the installation. Are there unexpected maintenance problems that can occur when equipment is not used very much? During the monthly scheduled test of a standby, emergency diesel-generator set in September 2009, the mechanical overspeed governor was observed to be vibrating significantly. Dismantling the governor drive-unit and its attached components revealed that the flange connection was loose where the unit attached to the engine block with studs and nuts (see Fig. 1)—all eight nuts were loose. Oil was also pooled on the I-beam directly below the rear engine cover. The oil appeared to originate from the engine governor drive-unit flange.
■ The usual degradation mechanisms for this gasket material are joint looseness or possibly long-term exposure to water. ■ With respect to periodic maintenance for the gearboxto-cam-house connection, the vendor recommended that nut tightness be checked if oil seepage is noted. ■ The gasket was 1/64” compressed asbestos fiber with SBR, Buna-S binder. The flange faces had no surface problems or deficiencies. The studs were not loose in the flange. No deficiencies were found with the tap-end stud washers. As shown in Fig. 2, three of the eight studs were noted to have abrasion marks on the threads. The governor overspeed housing had loosened sufficiently to drop down and “ride” back and forth on the studs.
Summary of investigation findings A review of historical work documents found no indications that maintenance had been performed on the overspeed governor gearbox drive-unit connection. The flanged connection had not been disassembled since it was initially assembled and installed by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in 1974. The gasket used in the bolted joint was the original gasket. In response to inquiries, the OEM provided the following information: ■ The original torque requirement for the 5/8” diameter NC studs and nuts was 50 ft-lbf. ■ The expected service life of the gasket would be the same as the engine, about 40 years based on operation hours, provided that the proper nut tension is maintained and the joint is not disturbed.
MARCH 2010
Fig. 2. Example of abrasion damage on stud threads; about 10-12 mils of material were worn off. (20x) MT-ONLINE.COM | 21
MAINTENANCE LOG
A review of the preventive maintenance tasks for the engine found that they were primarily based upon operating time, as recommended in the manual provided by the OEM. The internal gearing of the overspeed governor driveunit was examined. No unusual wear or damage was noted on the bevel gear teeth (Fig. 3), shafts and bearings— nor were problems noted in the governor itself. Similarly, engine-block vibrations measured in the preceding two years indicated that no significant vibrations originated elsewhere in the engine—except those originating most recently in the loose overspeed governor and its cable mounting bracket. Witnesses to previous engine tests indicated that no similarly high vibrations had been noticed. Prior to the event, the engine had 3513 hours of actual operating time and 1566 starts. This is an average of 2.24 hours of running time for each start. The oil temperature when the diesel-generator operates is 165 F. When the engine is in standby, the temperature of the oil is about 101 F. Thermal cycling of the gasket in question, therefore, was estimated to range from 101 F degrees during standby, to 165 F degrees during operation. Because the overspeed governor trip-unit is located in a generally inaccessible area, there was no suspicion that someone had surreptitiously loosened the nuts. There were no specific preventive maintenance items for changing gaskets or checking nut torque in the manual. Gaskets were normally changed and nuts re-tightened when a part was removed and replaced due to normal-service time maintenance-inspection schedules. A review of plant condition reports, though, found that there had been unrecognized precursors. ■ Reports in March and April 2006 reported that the overspeed governor was leaking oil. ■ A report in January 2008 documented that the oil sight glass on the overspeed governor fell off during a test. When the sight glass was examined, it had a fatigue fracture. 22 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
Fig. 3. No damage was noted on the internal bevel gear teeth shown here, nor with the shafts, bearings or overspeed governor itself.
■ A report in December 2008 documented that both of the diesel-generator intake-manifold butterfly-valve mechanical overspeed trip cables failed to meet pull-test requirements. The cables were replaced. Analysis An assessment determined that the following occurred: ■ The overspeed governor drive trip flange-to-flange bolted joint loosened over time due to gasket creep and relaxation effects in response to the high number of engine thermal cycles. ■ When the bolted joint on the overspeed governor began to loosen, oil leaked by the gasket. ■ When the joint loosened more, vibrations increased and caused damage to the overspeed trip cables. The vibrations may have also caused some damage to the gasket due to internal fretting between the gasket and flange surfaces. MARCH 2010
MAINTENANCE LOG
Load Stress (psi)
Estimated Reduction in Stud Stress vs. Time 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 1970
OEM Spec
Damage in cables
Oil leaked
Sight glass fatigued
1975
1980
1985
1990 1995 Year
2000
2005
2010
2015
Fig. 4. Approximated loss of bolt load versus time
■ When the nuts loosened to the point that they were “finger tight” or less, engine vibrations were sufficient to excite the overspeed governor assembly and visibly wobble back and forth. Using the available information, the graph shown in Fig. 4 was generated to show the approximated loss of bolt load versus time. Inspection of the graph shows that the reduction in stud stress to 20,000 psi occurred after about eight years of service. The overspeed governor drive trip housing, though, functioned well until stud stress was below 5000 psi, or below a torque value of about 8.3 ft-lbf. Discussion The four-stroke, V-16, turbo-charged, 5000-kilowatt diesel engine used for the standby emergency diesel generator system (one of two such units at the site) is typically deployed in ships, locomotives and stationary power plants where it is run either in continuous or in semi-continuous service. The critical parts are the main engine bearings. When the main bearings are worn, the engine is dismantled and overhauled. A typical overhaul period is perhaps 25,000 to 50,000 operating hours. On a continuous operating basis, this is equivalent to 2.9 to 5.7 years. During an overhaul, it is normal to disassemble the unit, inspect items that wear, and change out gaskets that are often damaged during disassembly—then reassemble the unit. This includes re-bolting gasket joints to the specified torque specifications. In other words, when the engines are operated as designed on a continuous or semi-continuous basis, most gaskets are replaced and their nuts are re-torqued perhaps every three to six years. This standby emergency diesel-generator, however, had historically been operated about 100 hours per year and MARCH 2010
thermally cycled about 45 times per year. On a continuous basis, the engine had run the equivalent of about four days per year for 35 years. At this rate, it would require 214 more years for the engine to reach the typical lower overhaul period of 25,000 operating hours. In short, degradation was not occurring because of operating wear. The engine had hardly been run at all. The phenomenon of gasket creep and relaxation— which primarily affects soft-gasket bolted joints—is a combination of several effects. An initial relaxation of bolt-load stress occurs directly after the bolt and nut are tightened due to plastic flow of the soft gasket material under compression and embedment of the joint components. Because the gasket is not constrained at the ends, it can squeeze out the sides of the flanges in response to compression. This is the primary reason why many bolting specifications require that a second tightening be done four or more hours after the initial tightening. After the initial tightening of the joint, two other timedependent effects come into play. One is cyclic stress loading that occurs during operation, usually due to vibrations. These resulting alternating stresses—if high enough—cause soft gaskets to plastically flow. Because of hysteresis effects, the gasket never fully regains its original position after each cycle. It slowly flows out the ends of the flanges and gradually becomes thinner between the flanges, which causes the initial bolt pre-load stress to diminish over time. In this particular case, though, vibration was initially not a significant factor. If it had been, the joint would have loosened right away. The measured amplitude of engine vibrations in the area of the overspeed governor was not high enough and the duration was not long enough to cause an immediate problem. This is why the joint performed well for 32 years. MT-ONLINE.COM | 23
MAINTENANCE LOG
To correct the condition, a program to check all bolted joints on the emergency standby engines was initiated. A second effect is thermal cycling, wherein expansion and contraction affect the thickness of the gasket. Alternate heating and cooling of the joint causes both the bolts and gasket material to alternately expand and contract. The net effect is similar to that due to alternating stresses due to vibrations. Again, in an alternating expansion and contraction cycle, hysteresis effects cause the gasket material to not fully regain its original dimensions, and the gasket becomes thinner. When there are enough thermal cycles to cause the load stress to sufficiently decrease, engine vibration effects then become significant. As the torque on the nut decreases, a threshold will be reached where the alternating stresses induced by engine vibrations are significant as compared to the remaining load on the stud or bolt. When this occurs, engine vibration effects cause the nut to loosen and back off. The graph in Fig. 4 indicates that the pre-load stresses in the studs were perhaps 3000 psi when seepage of oil was first observed. This occurred after the engine had undergone over 1400 thermal cycles—this is a high number of thermal cycles. If the engine had been regularly run eight hours per day, for example, the engine would have already been overhauled and the problem would not have occurred. A review of the preventive maintenance tasks for the engine found that they were primarily based upon operating time, as recommended in the manual provided by the OEM. To correct the condition, a program to check all bolted joints on the emergency standby engines was initiated. MT Popular contributor Randall Noon is a root-cause team leader at Cooper Nuclear Station. A licensed professional engineer, he has been investigating failures for more than 30 years. He is the author of several articles and texts, including: The Engineering Analysis of Fires and Explosions; Forensic Engineering Investigations; and, most recently, Scientific Method: Applications in Failure Investigation and Forensic Science (CRC Press), a chapter of which was excerpted in the June 2009 issue of Maintenance Technology. E-mail: rknoon@nppd.com.
References 1. EPRI Technical Report 1010639, dated January 2006, Non-Class 1 Mechanical Implementation Guideline and Mechanical Tools, Revision 4. This technical report contains an excellent description of gasket creep and relaxation, and how bolts loosen due to vibration. 2. “An Experimental Investigation of the Factors that Contribute to the Creep-Relaxation of Compressed NonAsbestos Gaskets,” by Jose Veiga, Carlos Cipolatti, Ana Sousa and David Reeves, published in the Proceedings of the ASME 2007 Pressure Vessel and Piping Conference, July 22-26, 2007, San Antonio, TX. This paper, while primarily discussing non-asbestos gaskets which were used in the testing, nonetheless provides an excellent description of the phenomenon of gasket creep and relaxation, especially in response to thermal cycles. 3. Machine Design: An Integrated Approach, by Robert Norton, Prentice-Hall Inc., 1998, pgs. 914-939. This text contains a detailed explanation of how to perform a standard calculation to determine pre-load in bolted joints. 4. “Heat Exchanger Gaskets Radial Shear Testing,” by Jose Veiga, Nelson Kavanagh and David Reeves, Proceedings of PVP2008-61121, 2008 ASME Pressure Vessel and Piping Conference, July 27-31, 2008, Chicago, IL. This reference is noteworthy because it provides a qualitative sense of how thermal cycling affects the preload on a bolted joint in several types of gasket materials. 5. “Advantages of Shortening Overhaul Periods,” by Randall Noon, ASME Paper 79-WA/PEM-1, Winter Annual Meeting, December 2-7, 1979. This paper notes typical overhaul periods in stationary engines, and why it is sometimes better to overhaul engines before their normal turnaround time.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Gaskets played a big role in the root cause of the problem referenced in this article. To learn more about these important components and how their application (or misapplication) can affect equipment reliability in your own operations, check out the Pre-Conference Workshop “Best Practices in Compression Packing and Gasketing” that will be offered at MARTS 2010. Sponsored and presented by member companies of the Fluid Sealing Association (FSA), this Workshop promises to be an invaluable learning experience for anyone involved in the selection, installation and/or maintenance of these types of sealing solutions. To register, go to www.MARTSconference.com.
24 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
MARCH 2010
PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS
Here’s what it takes to boost gear pump reliability in Putting it as simply as remote locations. possible, application of Jane Alexander, Editor new design principles with Kevin Delaney, Tuthill Pump
in capacity-assurance technologies is boosting usability and productivity.
MARCH 2010
© PL-PIX—FOTOLIA.COM
Designing For Stiction, Among Other Things
F
or internal gear pumps, a compressor lube-oil application might be viewed as an ordinary, nothing-special situation. Consider, though, internal gear pumps on screw compressor skids used for natural gas exploration in some of the most remote and desolate parts of the world. Reliability is a must with these critical units. That’s because maintenance crews can be hundreds—if not thousands—of miles away. Dispatching a crew by helicopter may be the only way to address an emergency downtime requirement. But difficult logistics are just part of the problem. Throw in a few more challenges, beginning with high thrust load because of system pressures that can run up to 400 psi. Add high radial loads due to side-mounted belt drives on some installations. Then top it all off with the need for the pump to be capable of starting up cold at -20 F. Got the picture? Tuthill Pump’s HG upgrades for its GlobalGear line of internal gear pumps have met these types of challenges and more. This upgrade package is being supplied to several of the major compressor skid suppliers, with installations dating back two years that have an operating record of no reported failures. HG upgrades address reliability issues for both bearings and mechanical seals individually, and for an integrated combination of bearings and seals.
MT-ONLINE.COM | 25
PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS
How these upgrades work for bearings Bearings are typically selected to handle either primarily axial or radial loads. In the compressor-lube applications described, the pump will see both high axial and radial loads. Axial load will be thrust caused by the combination of system pressure and differential pressure. Radial load will be the combination of load caused by differential pressure and whatever side load applied to the sheaves if belt-driven. To deal with this combined axial and radial load situation, Tuthill uses an upgrade bearing arrangement of back-to-back, matched-pair, single-row, angular contact bearings (supplied by SKF) that are installed with heavy press interference fit to the rotor shaft. With the bearings held in place in a bearing cap, rotor-end clearances can be set by adjusting the bearing cap location with a jackingbolt and locking-bolt arrangement similar to what is used in ANSI process pumps. Compressor stations are high-vibration types of environments. Using press-fit bearings and the jacking-bolt/ locking-bolt arrangement serves to lock the rotor position in place—and is not dependent on small set screws or locknut tabs to keep the rotor securely in place. Another major advantage of this arrangement is that the bearings only need to be lubed every 15,000 hours. With the pumps running continuously, this makes for an 18-month-between-scheduled-maintenance interval. How these upgrades work for seals Sealing cold lube oil in a startup condition presents two special challenges. A high moment of inertia condition arises when cold lube oil surrounding the rotary portion of the mechanical seal creates a huge drag effect. This holds the rotary portion of the seal in place, while the shaft on which the rotary seal face is attached is instantaneously accelerated from a standing start to whatever the operating speed of the pump is. Unless the seal is specifically designed to withstand this high moment-of-inertia starting condition, there will be seal failures due to broken or bent drive pins and/or fractures in the drive faces as the motor-driven shaft breaks free and the seal breaks in pieces. The other challenge is that thickened cold lube oil is a poor lubricant. For a brief period, the seal faces essentially run dry because the thickened oil is unable to penetrate into them. With this brief moment of run dry, seal faces of like materials can gall and seize as one piece welded together. “Stiction” is a term that has come into recent use to describe this phenomenon. If the seal faces do seize and weld together, the result will be seal failures due to broken or bent drive pins and/or fractures in the drive faces. To address this cold-lube startup situation, Tuthill now incorporates an upgraded, heavy duty slurry-type seal that has thick cross-sections on the pieces and drive 26 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
An upgraded, heavy duty slurry-type seal with thick crosssections on the pieces and drive components withstands high torque conditions in cold-lube startup situations.
components to withstand high starting-torque conditions. Positive drive is used on the rotary with a grade of 400 series stainless set screws, and the stationary is pinned in place in the gland. With this design, the compression springs of the rotary unit are on the atmospheric side—thus, there’s no opportunity for clogging of the springs. Moreover, the faces of the heavy duty slurry seal are of dissimilar hard materials that are guaranteed not to weld together. This heavy duty slurry seal is a balanced seal to reduce face loads during operation, and an API plan 13 vent to suction is used to circulate lube oil into the seal chamber. The seal chamber is an oversized stuffing box to provide clearance for the lube oil to properly cool and lubricate the seal faces. For larger pump sizes with significant cantilevered loads, the GlobalGear pump incorporates oversized shafts and bearings that reduce deflection up to half and extend seal life. A proven problem-solver The proven reliability of the GlobalGear pump with the HG upgrades is the result of careful attention paid to the design details—not just of bearings and seals, but of the entire pump assembly as an integrated unit. Despite the high starting torque requirements for compressor lube-oil applications, broken shafts or gear teeth aren’t encountered with this type of gear pump. The shafts are made of a higher strength AISI 4140 steel, and idlers and rotors are made of ductile iron ASTM A536, grade 80-55-06 that provides a degree of strength and resistance to breaking similar to that of steel gears. MARCH 2010
The API 676-compliant GlobalGear upgrade features a back pull-out of the bracket and rotor assembly.
The GlobalGear pump itself is API 676-compliant, and features a back pull-out of the bracket and rotor assembly. For high system-pressure requirements, high-pressure flanges are supplied—generally 250# ANSI flanges for cast iron construction or 300# flanges for cast steel construction.
For more info, enter 71 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
Maintenance made easy While design life is usually longer, it is recommended that the bearings and seals be renewed every five years. For scheduled periodic maintenance of the compressor stations, crews work on all types of different equipment. Seals and bearings are what generally wear out quickest. The mechanical seal and ball bearings of the HG GlobalGear can be replaced with a cartridge-style pump drive module, allowing fast and easy renewal by a non-specialized crew. Even more interesting is that the cost of the cartridge-style pump drive module is in line with that of some API cartridge-seal-only assemblies. For many gear-pump applications, reliability may not be as crucial as it is for remotely located natural gas exploration compressors—and “stiction” may not be the hidden seal killer. On the other hand, Tuthill’s successful experience with reliability-driven design upgrades on compressor lube-pump applications means that design options are now available to dramatically improve gear-pump reliability in a wide range of applications. From another perspective, if your operations have stacks of unfilled work orders piling up, planned bearing and seal renewal that can be done quickly by a non-specialized crew could offer an interesting and very cost-effective option. MT Kevin Delaney is vice president of Marketing for Tuthill Pump, headquartered in Alsip, IL. E-mail: kdelaney@tuthill.com For more info, enter 02 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MARCH 2010
For more info, enter 72 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MT-ONLINE.COM | 27
MOTOR DOC’S HOT TOPICS
© CLEARVIEWSTOCK-FOTOLIA.COM
Pre-Startup Hermetic Chiller Motor Evaluation Howard W. Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
T
he time for chiller startup is upon many companies. With it comes a decadesold challenge: how to verify the condition of a chiller motor before startup. Common testing for electric motors includes vibration analysis for mechanical components and insulation-resistance (Meg-Ohm) testing for winding insulation. Vibration analysis, however, is challenging and may miss critical findings due to the location of bearings and mechanical components. Insulation-resistance and high-voltage tests are frowned upon by a number of hermetic chiller manufacturers. Improper information on the interpretation of results and understanding of test standards creates additional hurdles. Modern technologies consisting of a combination of Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA) and Motor Circuit Analysis (MCA) utilizing the methodology presented in IEEE Standard 1415-2006, “IEEE Guide for Induction Machinery Maintenance Testing and Failure Analysis,” can now be applied in evaluating chiller motors. ESA utilizes the voltage and current information related to the electric motor in order to evaluate the power supply, dynamic condition of the motor’s electrical and mechanical components, and the general condition of the driven equipment. The technology can detect broken rotor bars and bearing issues with a high degree of accuracy, and can also be used to trend conditions for Time to Failure Estimation™ (TTFE) as part of a PdM program. The MCA method that is used avoids the issue of high-voltage testing both for winding shorts and insulation-to-ground fault aggravation through a series of lowvoltage techniques that detect faults, as well as trend degradation and contaminant impact on motor windings. (Moisture and acids in refrigerants and lubricating oils, and coil movement during startup wear away the inter-turn and ground-wall insulation systems within the machines.) MCA testing must be performed on de-energized equipment—allowing evaluation prior to chiller startup each cooling season. While IEEE 43-2000, “IEEE Recommended Practice for Insulation Resistance of Rotating Machinery,” calls for 5 Meg-Ohms in machines under 1000 volts and 100 Meg-Ohms in those over 1000 volts, hermetic machines often have much lower pre-startup readings. In the past, it’s been hard to determine if the issue will cause a motor failure at startup, requiring the owner to risk startup, and then re-check after the machine has run. MCA test results more accurately identify the potential risks and causes for low test results. MT Howard Penrose is VP of Repair Services (Operations) for Dreisilker Electric Motors, Inc. (http://www.dreisilker.com) If motors are one of your key interests and/or job responsibilities, Penrose’s Post-Conference Workshop, “Motor Systems Maintenance and Management,” at MARTS 2010 is one of the best places you can be this spring. For details and to register, go to www.MARTSconference.com. For more info, enter 03 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
For more info, enter 73 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
28 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
MARCH 2010
MAINTENANCE and RELIABILITY TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT
Don’t Miss The Capacity Assurance Conference! New Speakers!
Critical Topics!
Powerful Presentations!
The premier educational event for maintenance professionals, MARTS 2010 covers the widest range of topics in its history. With 30 one-hour Conferences and 17 full-day Workshops, MARTS offers valuable, job-critical information for:
MARTS 2010 Highlights: * Keynote Speaker John Ratzenberger – the actor, author and manufacturing activist will speak about Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, his foundation that brings students and manufacturing together.
Plant and Facility Managers Maintenance Engineers and Managers Maintenance Team Leaders and Members Plant Operators and Engineers Reliability Engineers and Managers ... at the comfortable Hyatt Regency O’Hare hotel, 10 minutes from O’Hare Airport in Rosemont, IL.
* Futurist and financial professional Bob Chernow, who will offer predictions for manufacturing, technology, the economy and other key issues. * A special “Reliability Gives Voice to Autism” event that kicks off MARTS 2010 with a worthy cause. It will feature dinner and live entertainment while raising awareness and funds for autism. * Solid representation from industry experts such as Christer Idhammar, Bob Williamson, Doc Palmer and many others, including Enrique Mora, who will present a Spanish-only Workshop on TPM.
APRIL 27-30, 2010 Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Rosemont (Chicago), IL
www.MARTSconference.com Or Call Tom Madding: 847.382.8100 x108 MARCH 2010
PRESENTED BY: ®
MT-ONLINE.COM | 29
APRIL 27-30, 2010 MAINTENANCE M AINTENANCE aand nd RRELIABILITY ELIABILITY TTECHNOLOGY ECHNOLOGY SSUMMIT UMMIT
What is MARTS? The Maintenance & Reliability Technology Summit is a four-day educational experience and professional development opportunity for maintenance and reliability professionals working in industry. Components include two days of full-day Workshops, two days of one-hour Conferences, two Professional Development Courses and Certification Examination opportunities. All sessions are presented by practitioners and other industry experts who have signed on to share their knowledge about industrial skills, not to sell products or services. Attendees interested in learning about products and services have ample opportunity to meet with MARTS exhibitors, located in common areas. For exhibition opportunities, contact Tom Madding: 847.382.8100 x108
MARTS 2010 Basics Location: Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Rosemont, IL www.ohare.hyatt.com Dates: Tuesday through Friday, April 27-30, 2010 Workshop Days: Tuesday and Friday (17 full-day Workshops offered) Conference Days: Wednesday and Thursday (32 one-hour Conferences offered; see schedule on next page) Professional Development Course 1: Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS) Review, Tuesday through Thursday Professional Development Course 2: Taking Command of Your Maintenance Process: Is to provide a comprehensive from Certifieducational cation to Implementation, training, and professional Tuesday and Wednesday development opportunity for Certifi cation Exam Day (for technicians, CLS and CMRP): maintenance and reliability Friday engineers, supervisors and managers Note: interested in takingfacilities. an exam must in allIndividuals industries and major register directly with STLE (CLS) and SMRP (CMRP). Link to these sites at www.MARTSconference.com
30 TECHNOLOGY 30|| MAINTENANCE 30 L LUBR UBRICA UBR BR RICA CATIO CATIO CA TION T IION MANAGEMENT MANA M ANA ANA AG GEMENT GEM GE EM EMENT EN & TECHNOLOGY TECHNO T TEC ECHNOLOG ECHNO LOGY O Y LUBRICATION
MARTS 2010 Workshops Workshops are full-day, intense explorations of a given topic. Most run from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with an hour for lunch (included in price). See www.MARTSconference.com for addition details and to register.
Pre-Conference Workshops: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 Lean Equipment Management: The Prescription for Rapid and Sustainable Gains Robert M. Williamson, Founder, Strategic Work Systems, Inc. Liquid Gold: Implementing a Winning Lube Strategy for Maximum Gain Ken Bannister, Principal Consultant, Engtech Industries, Inc. Fundamentals of Mechanical Seals / Mechanical Seal Division of the Fluid Sealing Association (FSA) Best Practices in Compression Packing & Gasketing / Compression Packing and Gasket Divisions of the Fluid Sealing Association (FSA) Leading Organizational Change / Scott Franklin, Principal Consultant, Life Cycle Engineering Getting Started with Predictive Maintenance / Mike Gilley and Mike Dixon, Principals, Fox River Systems Reliability Centered Maintenance / Anthony “Mac” Smith, Senior Consultant, AMS Associates 4 Lean Tools to Revolutionize Your Maintenance System (Part I) / Ed Stanek, President, LAI Reliability Special Spanish-Language Workshop: How to Prevent or Revert Failure in Your TPM Implementation / Enrique Mora, President, LeanExpertise.com
Post-Conference Workshops: Friday, April 30, 2010 Lubrication for Profit: Best Practices for Lube Selection and Application on Process Machinery / Ray Thibault, CLS, OMA I & II; Lubrication Training & Consulting Motor System Maintenance and Management / Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP; Vice President, Engineering and Reliability, Dreisilker Electric Motors, Inc. Contractor Management Strategy / Dirk Frame, Managing Partner, and Jerry Wanichko, Manager, T.A. Cook Consultants, Inc. Ensuring Reliability Through Systematic Work Control / Dave Krings, CMRP, BSME; President, Nobreakdowns.com Using SMED to Transform Your Lean Enterprise / Enrique Mora, President, LeanExpertise.com Maintenance Planning and Scheduling / R. D. (Doc) Palmer, PE, CMRP; Partner, People and Processes, Inc. IR Thermography for Electrical and Mechanical Systems / R. James Seffrin, Director, Infraspection Institute 4 Lean Tools to Revolutionize Your Maintenance System (Part II) / Ed Stanek, President, LAI Reliability MARCH JAN ANUAR UAR ARY/F Y/FEBR EBRUAR EBR BR B RUAR UARY2010 UARY 2010 10 0 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010
The Capacity Assurance Conference! MARTS 2010 Conferences
Conferences are one-hour presentations, given by an expert in the field. Accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation, they include ample time for Q&A, and are divided into six categories: Data Management Lubrication Strategy Green Maintenance & Reliability Technology
See the schedule below for Conference offerings and other Conference-Day activities: WEDNESDAY APRIL 28 (17 Conferences) 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Keynote Address John Ratzenberger, actor, director, author and spokesperson for the Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs Foundation 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Break / Exhibits 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Data Management Interoperability Between Plant Design and Other Systems for Reduced OPEX and Improved Maintenance, Turnarounds and Reliability Adrian Park, Intergraph Process, Power & Marine Green The Two New Legs of Lean Bill Adams, Blue Strategies Group, and Bill Livoti, Baldor Electric Co. Strategy Reliability and Maintenance Management: From Good to Great Christer Idhammar, IDCON, Inc. 10:40 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. Technology Understanding Torque Measurements and Torsional Analysis Trent Martz, IVC Technologies Maintenance & Reliability Where’s Your Reliability Policy? Robert M. Williamson, Strategic Work Systems, Inc. Strategy Forward to the Basics! (Designed for the Rocket Scientists and Over-Achievers Among Us!) Jeff Shiver, People and Processes 11:40 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch / Exhibits
MARCH JANUARY/FEBRUARY J JAN AN ANUAR UAR UA AR2010 Y//FEBR Y/ Y/F EBR EB RUAR UA U UARY A AR RY 2010 2 20 010 01 010 0
THURSDAY APRIL 29 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lubrication How to Kill a Bearing / Ken Bannister, Engtech Industries, Inc. Green World-Class Companies Need World-Class Motor Management and Maintenance Noah Bethel, PdMA Corp. Strategy 5 Guaranteed Ways to Cut Costs While Shooting Your Maintenance Effort in the Foot Ray Atkins, MT Contributing Editor Maintenance & Reliability Total Process Reliability the ‘Columbia Way’ Gregory Folts, Marshall Institute, Inc. 2:10 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. Technology Ultrasound for Condition-Based Monitoring and Energy-Efficiency Improvement / Mike Gilley and Mike Dixon, Fox River Systems Maintenance & Reliability How to Make Your TPM Implementation a Total Success Enrique Mora, Leanexpertise.com Strategy Planning Maintenance With Production Support / John Crossan and Randy Quick, Manufacturing Solutions, Intl. 3:10 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. Break / Exhibits 3:40 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. Maintenance & Reliability RCM Lessons Learned: An Update Mac Smith, AMS Associates, and Joe Saba, JMS Software Green How to Reduce the Payback Period for Energy Efficiency Projects / Ralph Semyck, Siemens Industry, Inc. Strategy Change Behavior to Achieve Results: High Impact Learning Tara Denton, Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) Strategy Life Cycle Costing Management for WorldClass Asset Managers / Ali Zuashkiani, Centre for Maintenance Optimization and Reliability Engineering, University of Toronto 4:40 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Reception / Exhibits
(15 Conferences)
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Maintenance & Reliability Plant Floor Reliability: A Four Senses Approach / David Rosenthal, MEMC Electronic Materials
Continental Breakfast 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Keynote Address Bob Chernow, Futurist/ financial expert 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Break / Exhibits 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Strategy Using Web 2.0 Technologies and Social Media to Continuously Improve Maintenance and Reliability Jeff Shiver, People and Processes Maintenance & Reliability The Development of Condition-Based Maintenance in a Service Company Howard Penrose, Dreisilker Electric Motors Green Topic TBA Hugh Blackwood, U.S. Navy (retired) Strategy The Right Part at the Right Time at Cost-effective Prices Richard R. Rosales, ABB 10:40 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. Maintenance & Reliability Prospering in a Lean Maintenance Environment Ed Stanek, LAI Reliability Systems Green An Easy Approach for Applying Today’s AC Drives / James Mullinix, Vacon Strategy O&M Peer Networking Bob Gibson, Scientech
Strategy Maximizing Human Resources Performance within the Maintenance Organization / Michael Gehloff, General Physics Corp. Lubrication Benchmark Your Lube Program Through Oil Analysis Stacy Heston, POLARIS Laboratories Open Discussion Group Topic TBA / Bob Williamson 2:10 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. Data Management How to Make Your CMMS Interoperate With the Real-Time Enterprise C.C. (Cliff ) Pedersen, Pedersen Enterprises Inc. Technology Infrared Thermography: What’s Hot in PdM / Jim Seffrin, Infraspection Institute Strategy Applying Disruptive Learning Techniques in a Manufacturing Environment Mitch Stansloski, Pioneer Engineering Strategy Trends in Turnarounds / John Elliott and Jerry Wanichko, T.A.Cook Consultants, Inc. 3:10 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Break / Exhibits 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Plenary Session / Closing Remarks
Maintenance & Reliability Classical RCM: Try It, You Are Bound to Like It / Tim Allen, AMS Associates 11:40 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch / Exhibits
MT-ONLINE.COM www www.LMTinfo.com ww w.LMTi L Ti LM Tinfffo Tin o com o.com m | 31 1
The Capacity Assurance Conference! APRIL 27-30, 2010
MAINTENANCE andd RELIABILITYTECHNOLOGY RELIABILITY TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT MARTS 2010 Professional Development Opportunities Two professional development courses are offered at MARTS 2010. These are designed for managers looking for in-depth, focused reviews, and technicians who want to build their skill sets. Courses are held Tuesday through Thursday. Professional exams for Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS) and Certified Maintenance Professional (CMRP) are offered on Friday. Individuals interested in taking an exam must register directly with STLE (CLS) and SMRP (CMRP). Link to these sites at www.MARTSconference.com or see below. 3-Day Review Course: Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS) Review Instructor: Ray Thibault, Lubrication Training & Consulting Dates: Tues., April 27 through Thurs., April 29 Times: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (except Tues., April 27: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) Cost: $1,195 Your designation as a Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS)— one of the most prestigious certifications in industry—not only positions you well in a different environment, it allows you to better resolve lubrication problems in your facility. This course was developed specifically to prepare candidates for the CLS exam. Topics include bearings & gears; pneumatics & fluid power; fluid conditioning & analysis; seals; lubricant programs; and storage & handling. Exam strategies will be addressed and practice exams will be conducted. (Course enrollment does not ensure certification.)
2-Day Review Course: Taking Command of Your Maintenance Process: from Certification to Implementation Instructor: Dave Krings, CMRP, BSME; President, Nobreakdowns.com Dates: Wed., April 28 and Thurs., April 29 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cost: $995 This comprehensive review of the latest maintenance best practices is designed for busy maintenance professionals looking to either prepare for certification exams or integrate these concepts into their maintenance programs. An expanded version of the popular “5 Pillars: Maintenance & Reliability Professional Review Course,” this new session offers more examples of real-life application and provides a general review for various maintenance-industry certifications. (Course enrollment does not ensure certification.)
Exam: Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS) Administered by the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE). Date: Friday, April 30 Time: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Cost: Varies Note: You must register separately with STLE to take this exam at MARTS 2010. Register online at www.stle.org or call 847.825.5536.
Exam: Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional Administered by the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP) Date: Friday, April 30 Time: 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Cost: Varies Note: You must register separately with SMRP to take this exam at MARTS 2010. Register online at www.smrp.org or call 800.950.7354.
MARTS 2010 Fees and Packages Special FSA Package - $ 1,995.00
FSA Workshop Package - $ 695.00
Includes 1 FSA Pre-Conference Workshop, MARTS Conference and 1 Post-Conference Workshop
Includes 1 Pre-Conference FSA Workshop
Special Summit Package - $ 1,550.00
Lubrication for Profit Workshop - $ 545.00
Includes 1 Pre-Conference Workshop, MARTS Conference and special Post-Conference Workshop “Lubrication for Profit”
Includes “Lubrication for Profit” Post-Conference Workshop only
FSA/Conference Package - $ 1,590.00
Includes 3 days intense training based on STLE’s CLS program
Includes 1 FSA Pre-Conference Workshop and MARTS Conference
2-Day Workshop: Taking Command of Your Maintenance Process: from Certification to Implementation- $ 995.00
Summit Package - $ 1,450.00 Includes 1 Pre-Conference Workshop, MARTS Conference and 1 Post-Conference Workshop
3-Day Certified Lubrication Specialist Workshop - $ 1,195.00
Includes 1 Pre or Post-Conference Workshop and MARTS Conference
2-day review of the latest maintenance best practices is designed for busy Maintenance professionals looking to prepare for certification exams or integrate these concepts into their own maintenance optimization programs
Conference Package - $ 895.00
Certification Exams - Costs Vary
Combo Package - $ 1,190.00
Includes MARTS Conference.
Two Workshop Package - $ 890.00 Includes 1 Pre-Conference and 1 Post-Conference Workshop only
One Workshop Package - $ 495.00 Includes 1 Pre or Post-Conference Post Conference Workshopp
Individuals interested in taking the CLS exam or the CMRP exam must register directly with STLE (CLS) and SMRP (CMRP). Links are available at www.martsconference.com and are also listed on page 30 All packages include continental breakfast, lunch and Wednesday night’s MARTS Reception. For Group Rates, call 847.382.8100 x108.
APRIL 27-30, 2010 www.MARTSconference.com Or Call Tom Madding: 847.382.8100 x108 For more info, enter 74 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
32 | MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY& TECHNOLOGY LUBRICATION MANAGEMENT
MARCH 2010 JANUARY/FEBRUARY
IR SHOWCASE
Pinpointing some of today’s “hottest” capacity-assurance tools, services and sources
Infrared Technologies 30 years of independent training and certification for thermographers...
Infraspection Institute
2
010 marks Infraspection Institute’s 30th anniversary. We’ve been providing training, certification and support services for thousands of thermographers worldwide since 1980. We also publish software, Standards and technical articles for thermographers and NDT professionals. Our capabilities and expertise are without equal. Our services are provided on a vendor-neutral base; we do not manufacture or sell infrared equipment. Staffed by highly experienced, Level III Certified Infrared Thermographers, we provide real-world solutions for today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. Reflecting on our past three decades of success, we at Infraspection Institute wish to thank our staff, associates and colleagues for their countless contributions, and our many clients and graduates for their strong friendship and support. We look forward to serving your Infrared needs for another 30 years. Infraspection Institute Burlington, NJ
For more info, enter 30 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
MARCH 2010
MT-ONLINE.COM | 33
IR SHOWCASE Permanent access for infrared inspections....
The Square D H.VIR Comet Infrared Window
S
quare D Services offers a range of solutions to support any manufacturer’s electrical distribution equipment, including the H.VIR Comet Infrared Window®. It’s a patented transparent window that enables permanent access for inspection—both infrared and visual—of electrical components without disturbing operations. Specially developed for infrared inspections (medium- and high-voltage), the window is made of a glass-like material that’s transparent to infrared rays and allows hot spots to be registered by a thermographic camera. It’s UL approved, NML tested and compatible with either shortwave or longwave transmissions from any infrared camera. These windows can be supplied in new Square D equipment or quickly installed into any brand of existing electrical equipment via locking rings (no small mounting screws). Schneider Electric Palatine, IL
For more info, enter 31 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
A full-service infrared company. . .
Monroe Infrared Technology
W
ith offices in Maine, Michigan and Florida, Monroe Infrared Technology (MITI) is a leading provider of quality infrared cameras, imaging systems and professional thermal imaging application services. Whatever your specialized thermal imaging requirement is, MITI has the practical experience and resources to take it from project initiation through final implementation. We are thermographers in the field of solving problems—we’ve been doing it for years. You can leverage that experience to help your organization. Supplying infrared cameras and equipment since 1984, MITI is strongly committed to the maximum implementation of infrared imaging technology in science and industry. That includes offering lease options when a purchase of its infrared camera systems is not justified.
Infrared technologies are just part of it...
Grainger’s 2010 Catalog
G
rainger has announced the release of its 2010 catalog with more than 300,000 maintenance, repair and operating products (including a number of leading infrared thermographic imaging technologies). It’s the company’s largest offering yet. In fact, customer feedback drove the addition of nearly 85,000 new items this year. Many products will help organizations address some of their toughest operating challenges, including sustainability, safety and business continuity. As with past editions, Grainger’s 2010 catalog features product and technical information with tools to help customers quickly find just what they need to keep their facilities up and running. Beyond the product expansion to the catalog, the company continuously adds offerings on its Website, with almost 500,000 available online. Grainger Lake Forest, IL
Monroe Infrared Technology Kennebunk, ME
For more info, enter 32 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
34 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
For more info, enter 33 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
MARCH 2010
Get more done Rugged, powerful and so affordable...
The Fluke Ti32 Thermal Imager
A
ccording to Fluke, its new Ti32 Thermal Imager delivers unprecedented performance for troubleshooting and preventive maintenance of electrical installations, electro-mechanical equipment, process equipment, HVAC/R equipment and more. Ti32 is the first imager under $9,000 to incorporate a powerful 320x240 sensor to provide crisp, detailed images. Using Fluke’s IR-Fusion® technology, users can marry highprecision thermal images with visual images in full-screen, picture-in-picture or blended views for enhanced problem detection and analysis. IR-Fusion is the only solution available with physical parallax correction, which enables perfect alignment, pixel by pixel, of both infrared and visible images.
Rugged, reliable, affordable
New Ti32 Thermal Imager Amazing 320 x 240 clarity at an affordable price!
Available for the fi rst time ever—an affordable imager that will help you fi nd problems fast. In these tough times, helping you get more done is worth its weight in gold. Schedule a demo by March 31, 2010 and receive a FREE Fluke hardhat. Your job is tough—your tools should be too. Call 1-800-760-4523
Fluke Corporation Everett, WA
For more info, enter 34 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
©2009-2010 Fluke Corporation. 3622761A
Continued on Page 36
For more info, enter 75 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MT-ONLINE.COM | 35
MARCH 2010 3622761A_MainTech.indd 1
1/13/10 1:03 PM
IR SHOWCASE
Breaking new ground. . .
The Process Sensors PTI-170L
N
ew PTI-170L High-Resolution Thermal Imaging Cameras with Dual Vision from Process Sensors has enhanced capabilities that blend (picture-in-picture) high-resolution thermal and visible light images together on one screen. Lightweight, yet rugged, the PTI-170L sports manually focusable optics adjustable from 300mm to infinity and an onboard full-color CCD camera. Video output is PAL and NTSC. A distance-adjustable laser pointer is standard, as is a high-resolution large 3.5� LCD, color VGA digital backlit display. This series of thermal imaging products offers extended temperature ranges from -20 C to + 1500 C (-4 F to +2732 F) and includes a 2G removable SD card for storing up to 3000 IR images. Process Sensors Corporation Milford, MA
For more info, enter 35 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
PIRM half page ad 7x4.875 03.01.Page 1 3/2/2010 9:28:37 AM
For more info, enter 77 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
36 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
MARCH 2010
SOLUTION SPOTLIGHT
Wireless Temperature Monitoring Of Electrical Enclosures
T
he heartbeat of a building is its electrical distribution system, which regulates water pressure, climate, communication and lighting. Without this heartbeat, all services stop—along with the business conducted in the facility. Delta T Alert, a patented device developed by Delta T Engineering, magnetically attaches to electrical equipment covers, monitoring the Delta T (temperature differential) between the interior of an electrical enclosure and the ambient temperature of the room in which the enclosure is located. According to the manufacturer, whether your panels are in a hot switchgear room in Manhattan, a frigid warehouse in Alaska or a comfortably cool data center in Tuscaloosa, the Delta T Alert monitoring system will warn of excessive temperature rise within an electrical enclosure, well before serious problems occur. Users can adjust the device to collect data on a daily basis, at chosen time intervals. The information is then transmitted wirelessly to an onsite computer for analysis and trending. Delta T Engineering, LLC Metuchen, NJ
For more info, enter 36 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
The future of manufacturing is in the hands of today’s young people. Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Int’l is focused on securing the future of manufacturing, innovation and invention in North America. This happens when young people are introduced to the joy and pride of “tinkering”. When a young person learns they can make something useful and practical with their own hands, they’ve taken the first step to a career. Hundreds of students learn this each year at NBT summer manufacturing camps. High school grads can apply for NBT scholarships to study at technical schools or colleges and prepare for the highly skilled manufacturing jobs of the future.
Insure the future of your industry with a gift. Your corporate pledge, personal donation or legacy gift will launch careers for skilled mechanics, electricians, machinists, engineers, laser operators, and so much more. Donate today at www.nutsandboltsfoundation.org or call 815-381-1338
Don’t Miss Out! Meet Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs founder and spokesperson, actor John Ratzenberger at the MARTS conference. Attend his keynote at 8:00 a.m. April 28, followed by a book signing. Make a $20 donation to NBT and obtain an autographed copy of his book, We’ve Got it Made in America. Visit www.martsconference.com for more information.
For more info, enter 78 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MARCH 2010
MT-ONLINE.COM | 37
INFORMATION HIGHWAY For rate information on advertising in the Information Highway Section Contact your Sales Rep or MIKE ANTELL at: Phone: (978) 282-1959 / Fax: (978) 282-9749 / E-mail: mantell@atpnetwork.com Web Spotlight: LUDECA,
INC.
PIP is a consortium of process plant owners and engineering construction contractors harmonizing member’s internal standards for design, procurement, construction, and maintenance into industry-wide Practices. PIP has published over 450 Practices. A current listing of published Practices is available on the PIP website at: http://pip.org/practices/index.asp. For more info, enter 80 at www.MT-freeinfo.com www.pip.org
LUDECA, INC. - Preventive, Predictive and Corrective Maintenance Solutions including laser shaft alignment, pulley alignment, bore alignment, straightness and flatness measurement, monitoring of thermal growth, online condition monitoring, vibration analysis and balancing equipment as well as software, services and training. For more info, enter 79 at www.MT-freeinfo.com www.ludeca.com
The Maintenance & Reliability Technology Summit is the #1 learning venue and source of practical solutions for anyone concerned with the reliability, maintenance and the overall capacity assurance of critical equipment systems in a plant or facility. Mark your calendars! MARTS 2010 is taking place April 27-30, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, IL. For more info, enter 81 at www.MT-freeinfo.com www.MARTSConference.com
CLASSIFIED Need Help? Need A Job? Contact Lisa – LISA LINEAL:
ATP List Services
LINEAL
Recruiting Services
TOLL FREE 877-386-1091
lisalineal@lineal.com www.lineal.com Electromechanical • Electronic Electrical Service & Systems Specialists
Se Habla Español
RENEW
In order for us to send
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY to you FREE, we are required by the US Post Office to have a completed and signed renewal form once a year.
You may renew online at
www.mt-online.com 38 | MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
Customized, Targeted Lists For Your Marketing Needs www.atplists.com Contact: Ellen Sandkam 847-382-8100 x110 800-223-3423 x110 info@atplists.com esandkam@atplists.com 1300 S. Grove Ave., Suite 105, Barrington, IL 60010
Résumés in the Maintenance & Reliability Engineering arena may require extensive technical writing. The Résumé Lady is the type of industryknowledgeable resource you need to do it. Tailoring it to the position for which you’re qualified, she’ll create or update your résumé to showcase your expertise, talents and potential and help you be viewed as the best candidate for the job.
The Résumé Lady (843) 284-8316 www.myresumelady.com
For rate information on advertising in the Classified Section Contact your Sales Rep or MIKE ANTELL at: Phone: (978) 282-1959 Fax: (978) 282-9749 e-mail: mantell@atpnetwork.com
MARCH 2010
M A I N T E N A N C E
Index ADVERTISER
TECHNOLOGY
®
YEARS
Your Source For CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS
March 2010 Volume 23, No. 3 •
WEB
RS #
PAGE #
1300 South Grove Avenue, Suite 105 Barrington, IL 60010 PH 847-382-8100 FX 847-304-8603
AB SKF .........................................................www.skf.com/lubrication..........................66 ..............................7 Baker Instument Co...................................www.bakerinst.com ...................................67 ............................10 Baldor Electric Company..........................www.baldor.com ........................................83 ...........................BC Cadick Corporation...................................www.cbm2010.com ...................................71 ............................27 ComRent® International, LLC.................www.comrent.com.....................................64 ..............................4 Dreisilker Electric Motors Inc...................www.dreisilker.com....................................73 ............................28 Energy Summit...........................................www.energysummitonline.com ..............68 ............................11
SALES STAFF OH, KY, TN 135 N. Rocky River Road Berea, OH 44017 440-463-0907; Fax 440-891-1254 JOHN DAVIS jdavis@atpnetwork.com
Eventure Events - STO...............................www.stoconference.com ...........................61 ......................... IFC Eventure Events - SAP ...............................www.sap-centric-eam.com.......................63 ..............................2 Exair Corporation ......................................www.exair.com............................................65 ..............................5 Fluke..............................................................www.fluke.com/newti ...............................75 ............................35 Grainger .......................................................www.grainger.com .....................................62 ..............................1 Ludeca Inc....................................................www.ludeca.com ........................................70,79..................19,38 MARTS- Applied Technologies ...............www.martsconference.com......................74,81............29-32,38 Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs ..................www.nutsandboltsfoundation.org ..........78 ............................37 PdMA Corp.................................................www.pdma.com .........................................69 ............................17
AL, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, SC, PA, VA, WV, DC 1750 Holmes Drive West Chester, PA 19382 610-793-3093; Fax 610-793-3094 JIM HANLEY jhanley@atpnetwork.com
AR, AZ, NV, NM, OK, UT 1300 South Grove Avenue, Suite 105 Barrington, IL 60010 847-382-8100 x116; Fax 847-304-8603 BILL KIESEL bkiesel@atpnetwork.com
PIRM Conference.......................................www.pirmconference.org .........................77 ............................36 Process Industries Practices ......................www.pip.org ................................................72,80..................27,38 University of Toronto.................................www.mie.utoronto.ca/cmore ...................82 .........................IBC
Access MT-freeinfo.com and enter the reader service number of the product in which you are interested, or you can search even deeper and link directly to the advertiser’s Website. 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. Reproduction of Materials: Materials produced by Maintenance Technology may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without permission. For Reprints: Contact the publisher, Bill Kiesel - (847) 382-8100 ext. 116.
M A I N T E N A N C E
TECHNOLOGY
®
YEARS
Your Source For CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS MARCH 2010
CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT, ON, QC P.O. Box 1059 Osterville, MA 02655 508-428-3331; Fax 508-428-2545 VINCENT LeGENDRE vlegendre@atpnetwork.com
IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, OR, TX, WA,WI, BC 1300 South Grove Avenue, Suite 105 Barrington, IL 60010 847-382-8100 x108; Fax 847-304-8603 TOM MADDING tmadding@atpnetwork.com
IA, MT, NE, ND, SD, WY, AB, MB, SK 1300 South Grove Avenue, Suite 105 Barrington, IL 60010 847-382-8100 x106; Fax 847-304-8603 ARTHUR L. RICE arice@atpnetwork.com
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 31 Waterman Road Gloucester, MA 01930 978-282-1959; Fax 978-282-9749 MIKE ANTELL mantell@atpnetwork.com
MT-ONLINE.COM | 39
VIEWPOINT Jay A. Burnette, Vice President, Sales & Engineering Waukesha Bearings Corporation
Raising The Bar
D
elivering the right mix of performance, lead time, quality and price, among other benefits, is a delicate balance for suppliers to the rotating-equipment industry. Traditionally, customers have been required to trade one benefit in exchange for another; as an example, accepting longer lead times for Six Sigma quality. In recent years, however, particularly in high-value process industries, end-users have demanded an increasing level of product performance, quality and responsiveness. That’s not always an easy solution to provide—especially with the world growing “smaller” and more competitive by the day. During the 2009 economic downturn, many companies in our industry worked through most, if not all, of their inventory. Entering 2010, the prevailing theme of cautious optimism dictates a conservative approach toward committing valuable cash to inventory, as many fear unstable or unfavorable market conditions. In order to remain flexible and service customer needs, there is increasing pressure throughout the supply chain to provide the right technology, increase responsiveness and reduce lead times. To be a viable participant in our industry and a valued supplier to our customers, we must find ways to respond to this pressure with the right structure and execution. Inpro/Seal Company, a recent acquisition of Waukesha Bearings, exemplifies this type of viable participant. The culture and structure of Inpro/Seal have been built around the idea that customers should not choose between benefits or sacrifice one for another. The company’s value proposition is rooted in providing customers with customized highperforming products and same-day shipments. On the surface, it is clear how same-day shipment capability would benefit a process plant’s reliability engineer. For an original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) that has a planning function and a longer lead-time requirement, traditional views would indicate that a same-day shipment has less value. Today, though, more OEMs are pushing for reduced lead times in order to improve flexibility for their customers and reduce the need to keep a wide array of inventory on hand. Customization and environment are among a number of application variables contributing to the need for last-minute specification changes that can influence product configuration. These challenges, combined with the goal of reducing inventory, are easier to meet with a supply chain that can deliver custom product in 24 hours. So how do we do it? The three-legged stool! First, people make the difference. A corporate culture centered on customer service and a “yes we can” attitude is prevalent throughout the organization. Second, each and every process, from order entry to engineering and design, all the way through manufacturing operations, has been continuously refined to deliver quality and remove waste—significant benefits to speed and responsiveness. And finally, considerable benefits have been realized through the use of higher-technology tools, 3-D design tools, parametric modeling and high-performing multi-axis machine tools. Unfortunately, the application of the threelegged stool is simpler to outline than implement. While the ingredients for doing this are often available—or accessible—to organizations, their combination into a strategy and successful execution is a different matter altogether. Regardless of where you are on the execution curve, one thing is certain: Higher demands from paying customers (and some non-paying!) are ever-increasing. MT Jay Burnette has responsibility for the sales and engineering groups at both Waukesha Bearings and Inpro/Seal Company.
The opinions expressed in this Viewpoint section are those of the author, and don’t necessarily reflect those of the staff and management of MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY magazine.
40 | MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
MARCH 2010
BETTER PHYSICAL ASSET MANAGEMENT. INITIATIVES THAT WORK. AN IMPERATIVE NEW 5 DAY COURSE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO’S
C-MORE CENTRE FOR MAINTENANCE OPTIMIZATION & RELIABILITY ENGINEERING APRIL 12TH TO APRIL 16TH Your Chance to Join the Winner’s Circle.
This Initiatives Program Delivers Extraordinary Value.
Some organizations manage their assets well, and others do not. Why? Why are some outfits good at keeping costs low, reducing stoppages, spotting trouble, achieving greater output, while others aren’t? How can you learn these things? A good place to start is with this stellar five-day program in April. You’ll join a group of like-minded people who are uncondionally-guaranteed to come away with the tools they need to competently and profoundly upgrade their Asset Management practices.
Three world-class instructors — led by Dr. Andrew Jardine, a international authority in the asset management field and a respected consultant, author, teacher and innovator in the area of reliability, replacement and equipment maintenance.
To learn about specific executable maintenance strategies that really work, go to the Initiatives program’s website. Full of details, full of excitement. You’ll be glad you did.
The program combines fundamental need-toknow material with new but already proven leading-edge approaches that have shown measurable pay-offs. Participants at earlier, similar courses at the University’s Faculty of Engineering have come from the world over and from a great mix of commercial industries and government organizations. Their satisfaction with these courses has been impressive. Attendees at the April course will receive five full days of instruction that includes a wide range of case-study examples to show how the principles have been successfully and widely applied.
VISIT THE INITIATIVES WEBSITE NOW:
cmore.mie.utoronto.ca/initiatives
Everyone will come away equipped with complete binder-notes on the sessions’ material plus valuable hard-cover books, not to mention a learning experience that they will probably refer to as “unparalleled”.
For more info, enter 82 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
The New Gearmotor Gold Standard
The new DODGE® QUANTIS® Gold gearmotor combines the Baldor•Reliance® premium efficient Super-E® motor with the superior QUANTIS gearbox, making the QUANTIS Gold the most energy efficient, coolest running gearmotor in the world.
• Energy Efficient • Unmatched Quality
Available as in-line helical or right angle helical bevel c-face units, 1/2 to 10 Hp, the QUANTIS Gold raises gearmotor energy efficiency, quality and reliability to a new gold standard.
• Superior Reliability
dodge-pt.com
• Quickest Delivery Available
baldor.com
©2008 Baldor Electric Company
For more info, enter 83 at www.MT-freeinfo.com