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“...we extended drain intervals from every 15 days to every three months AND reduced engine repairs and replacements.” Luis Garza Kingfisher Marine Most efforts to improve operating efficiency and lower maintenance costs are labor intensive and involve painful cultural changes. Numerous progressive companies have experienced significant cost savings simply by upgrading lubricants. You can learn how by reading the special report ‘Lowest Total Cost of Ownership’. This special report includes extensive case studies that document real-world savings through lubricant upgrades. Get your FREE copy of the ‘Lowest Total Cost of Ownership’ today by calling 866-447-5173 . . .
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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.
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Contents
FEBRUARY 2010 • VOL 23, NO 2 • WWW.MT-ONLINE.COM
M A I N T E N A N C E
TECHNOLOGY
®
YEARS
Your Source For CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS
© MYKOLA VELYCHKO—FOTOLIA.COM; © XANDROS—FOTOLIA.COM
FEATURES CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS 14
Human Centered Design Supports Improved Job Performance Putting it as simply as possible, application of new design principles in capacityassurance technologies is boosting usability and productivity. Adam Lund, Emerson Process Management
ON THE ROAD TO EXCELLENCE 20
Inpro/Seal Takes It One Part At A Time This Illinois-based manufacturer has built a global niche by producing custom-fitted bearing isolators, 24-hour turnaround and top-tier customer service. Rick Carter, Executive Editor
THE FUNDAMENTALS 24
How To Begin Measuring Maintenance Effectiveness: Part IV Lucky you! There is one KPI that comes close to taking into account almost all variables in a production process. What is it? Raymond L. Atkins, Contributing Editor
SPECIAL PUMP MAINTENANCE PRIMER 28
■ What You Need To Know About “Self-Priming” Centrifugal Pumps ■ Pump Bearing Reliability: 4 Installation Procedures To Maximize Performance ■ Fluid-Handling Matters
Registration Is Now Open!
DEPARTMENTS 6 8 12 27 39 44 45 46 46 47 48
My Take Uptime For On The Floor Lubrication Checkup The Green Edge Solution Spotlight Marketplace Classified Information Highway Supplier Index Viewpoint
MAINTENANCE and RELIABILITY TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT
April 27-30, 2010 Hyatt Regency O’Hare • Rosemont (Chicago), IL
www.MARTSconference.com FEBRUARY 2010
MT-ONLINE.COM | 3
M A I N T E N A N C E
TECHNOLOGY
®
YEARS
Your Source For CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS
February 2010 • Volume 23, No. 2 ARTHUR L. RICE President/CEO arice@atpnetwork.com
BILL KIESEL Executive Vice President/Publisher bkiesel@atpnetwork.com
JANE ALEXANDER Editor-In-Chief jalexander@atpnetwork.com
Innovative technology in the Fixturlaser XA and GO means there’s no faster way to complete alignment! Innovations like over-sized digital detectors, line lasers, and True Position Sensing (TPS). TPS allows the XA and the GO to compensate for both intended AND unintended movements of the moveable
RICK CARTER Executive Editor rcarter@atpnetwork.com
machine made during the alignment process. The result? Alignments usually can be completed in just one set of horizontal and vertical moves without re-measurement in between. Now that’s fast.
ROBERT “BOB” WILLIAMSON KENNETH E. BANNISTER RAYMOND L. ATKINS Contributing Editors
RANDY BUTTSTADT Director of Creative Services rbuttstadt@atpnetwork.com
GREG PIETRAS Editorial/Production Assistant gpietras@atpnetwork.com
ELLEN SANDKAM Direct Mail 800-223-3423, ext. 110 esandkam@atplists.com
Contact VibrAlign today to see how fast alignment can be.
EDWARD KANE
www.vibralign.com 800-379-2250
Reprint Manager 800-382-0808, ext. 131 ekane@fostereprints.com
Editorial Office:
©2010 Vibralign, Inc.
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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.
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Make
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MY TAKE
Jane Alexander, Editor-In-Chief
Spring Is On The Way… Whatcha’ Been Up To?
T
he lake next to our home is frozen solid. I’ve been slipping and sliding out to my old Jeep each morning—and all the way back again each night—for what seems like way too long. Here it is, the day after this year’s (to my way of thinking) super-exciting Super Bowl. We’re on standby in Chicagoland for yet another substantial snowfall accompanied by “blizzard quality” winds. I hate to complain, though, about the brutality of it all, given the monster snow- and ice-events that have whipped across the South and East of late. Folks up here are supposed to be accustomed to frigid conditions and everything they bring. I am not. A transplanted South-Texan, I’m totally out of my league when it comes to harsh winters. Having spent most of my life in a semitropical climate with a year-round growing season, as far as I’m concerned, springtime anywhere can never come too soon. That’s why I’ve been seriously checking and doublechecking the giant willow trees outside our windows daily—for weeks and weeks—looking for a little hint of new green life. The farmer’s daughter in me knows that those buds have got to be in there somewhere, getting ready to get down to business in a big way. I’m not just hopeful; I’m confident. It’s something that’s kept me going through the long, dark, dreary, messy days of winter ever since I moved up this way several years ago. And, now, for the point of this column: My certainty that nature will eventually reawaken each spring is not much different than the palpable belief in a coming economic recovery that I’ve recently been sensing (and hearing about) with more and more suppliers to industry. They know that better times, like the coming spring, are just around the corner, and that their organizations need to be getting ready to get down to business in a real big way! Sensing and hearing about this confidence is one thing. Actually seeing it is another. That’s what I had the pleasure of doing down in Concord, NC, the first week of February. Despite a horrendous ice storm that had shut down much of the region around Charlotte a couple of days earlier, I, along with editors from several other publications, joined Ingersoll Rand (which had just hosted hundreds of its distributors and sales team members) for what the company was calling an “Innovation Showcase.” While there, we learned about a number of things the company had been doing as the recession raged. Remarkably, it introduced 50 new products in 2009. Spell that “fifty.” New compressors and compressor components, filtration technologies, pumps, lubrication-related devices, controllers, tools, services, etc., all of these new offerings are aimed at giving you exactly what you’ve been telling us for a long time—and what you have been telling Ingersoll Rand in extensive user surveys—that you’ve been looking for: improved reliability, efficiency and productivity. (As an example, see this month’s Solution Spotlight on page 44.) Clearly, Ingersoll Rand is not the only company that’s been working away through the downturn to have in-demand-type capacity-assurance solutions ready for the marketplace come spring—make that “as better times begin to roll.” We’ll try to bring more of them to your attention, soon. In the meantime, what have you and your company been doing to gear up for “spring?” Let us know! jalexander@atpnetwork.com
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MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
FEBRUARY 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
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abs09003_anz_knowledge_us_200_3x273_1.indd 1
11.08.2009 11:24:51 Uhr
UPTIME
Bob Williamson, Contributing Editor
Put The People-Factor Back Into Maintenance My contention that we can “Beat China” when it comes to manufacturing sets the stage for this month’s column. In my December 2009 column, I listed the seven “strengths” of American industry that we need to exploit now. Let’s review: ■ Advanced manufacturing technology—but it must be reliable, first time, every time. ■ Market proximity—but we must deliver on time. ■ Workmanship—but we must attract and retain a skilled, competent workforce. ■ Productivity—but we have to do our very best, the first time, every time. ■ Widespread electric power and utilities—but they, too, must be reliable. ■ Responsiveness—but we must listen to our customers and be agile enough to respond to market changes quickly. ■ Capitalism—but we must drive waste, fraud and abuse from the system at all levels. Note these words: “reliable”…”agile”…”competent”… “our very best”…”on time.” Regrettably, these admirable qualities do not come about automatically. The simple, yet powerful, motto that I suggested— “Do it right the first time”—is truly a competitive advantage. But printing this rallying cry on a poster, sending it out in e-mails to all employees or wearing “DIRTFT” buttons will not make it happen. The concept must become woven into the fabric of the work culture. This “work culture” can be simply defined as the “collective behaviors of people on the job.” All of this begs the question: How do we change or align the “work culture” to become more reliable, more agile, more customer-responsive? What we’re talking about here is the “soft side” of competitiveness. From the top down, senior executives, management and front-line leadership have to drive changes 8|
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
in the work culture in order to address competitive pressures head on. Then, the entire workforce must be engaged to make things happen. In our profession—the profession of maintenance and reliability—we are real good at focusing on what it takes to maintain EQUIPMENT. We are also real good at developing WORK PROCESSES that define the procedures and methods for getting maintenance and reliability work accomplished properly. The bottom line is that PEOPLE must be engaged to make equipment reliable using these work processes! Sometimes we are not so good at that. Thus, we must put the people-factor back into maintenance to make our businesses competitive and financially successful. How others have done it Here are a couple of examples of the PEOPLE-side of improving competitiveness from the early days of successful American companies. McCormick and Company… Developing a prescription for struggling times: Let’s go back to the 1930s and look into what grew into the world’s largest spice company. In 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, Charles P. McCormick instituted a new business philosophy. His guiding belief was that a company, whatever its products or services, was nothing without its workforce, and an empowered workforce made for an empowered, efficient and successful company. This original 1932 corporate philosophy and system of participative management was formally published as Multiple Management in 1938. McCormick’s main theme was “business is people.” Interestingly, McCormick led the successful culture change of a struggling company he had inherited (upon the sudden death of his uncle) in 1932, after the stock market crash and at the height of the Depression. Within a year of taking up the head position, cutting weekly work hours from 56 to 45, increasing wages 10% and establishing his “Multiple Management” philosophy, he saw the company return to profitability. (FYI: In 1949, an updated and expanded version of the Multiple Management book was published under the title The Power of the People. It’s a great read!) FEBRUARY 2010
UPTIME
Ford Motor Company… Setting a new industry standard: Henry Ford built his first car in 1896. In 1903, he founded the Ford Motor Company, based on his vision to revolutionize the automobile manufacturing industry. In 1924, Ford produced its 10-millionth car. Then in 1926, in his book Today and Tomorrow (reprinted by Productivity Press, 1988), Ford detailed what most experts today describe as the foundations of the Toyota Production System (more than 50 years ahead of Toyota’s breakthrough). In his 1926 writings, Ford described his equipment reliability philosophy: “Machines do not often break down because there is continuous cleaning and repair work on every bit of machinery on the place…It is the fault of management if a machine or a series of machines leaves anything to be done by hand.” He continued with his philosophy on abolishing central tool rooms: “A man (men) cannot be paid high wages for standing around waiting for tools…New tools are brought to (him) them.” (Amazingly progressive for 1926!) Henry Ford led a radical work culture change in the motor vehicle manufacturing business with something called the “Ford Principles of Management.” They are: 1. Do the job in the most direct fashion, without bothering with red tape or any of the ordinary divisions of authority. 2. Pay every man well…and see that he is employed all the time through 48 hours a week and no longer. 3. Put all machinery in the best possible condition, keep it that way and insist upon absolute cleanliness everywhere in order that a man may learn to respect his tools, his surroundings and himself. As president of the company, Ford set clear expectations for how work was to get done, people were to be treated and equipment was to be maintained. And it worked extremely well. Decline of the British auto industry Unfortunately, the British auto manufacturing industry was unable (or unwilling) to adopt Ford’s proven manufacturing methods. For example, in 1913, on the eve of World War I, Ford’s American plant produced over 200,000 vehicles, compared to 5000 that year at Peugeot (France’s largest automaker), and 3000 at Wolseley Motor Company (Britain’s largest). By 1924, Ford was producing his Model T in England—advertising it as “92% British built.” FEBRUARY 2010
A great debate subsequently ensued in England over “Fordism and the British system of mass production.” The less-productive, higher-cost British system of piecework and mass production prevailed. Combining this type of system with powerful trade-union stewards, management apathy, government labor protection, government wage controls and the 1975 government takeover finally led to the demise of the British motor vehicle industry. Productivity (and quality) suffered. In 1976, England produced 5.5 equivalent motor vehicles per employee; Germany produced 7.9. U.S. autoworkers, however, produced 26.1 vehicles per employee—a rate nearly five times that of their British counterparts! This classic example of failure to address competitive opportunities (or challenges) through WORK CULTURE CHANGE is documented in Roy Church’s book, The Rise and Decline of the British Motor Industry (Cambridge University Press, 1994). It’s another timely read. Dawn of the quality movement Six decades ago, (c. 1950), an American, Edwards Deming, introduced the “Quality Movement” to post-war Japanese industries. Their success later led (in the 1980s) to U.S. business leaders recognizing the power of engaging (and “empowering”) all employees to build quality into every step they perform. Total Quality Control evolved into Total Quality Management and small group problemsolving activities. Accordingly, while Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) departments specify and communicate quality standards, it was now up to people, their equipment and tools to build quality products every step of the way. The prior decades-old approach of turning out quantities of products and inspecting for defects at the end of the process or at key points along the way had led to high scrap and rework rates that increased the cost per unit produced. International quality standards surfaced in the 1990s. ISO 9000 quality standards, and QS 9000 for the U.S. “Big Three” auto industry suppliers, were developed for the purposes of standardizing, documenting and assuring use of quality-first methods. Yet, despite documented procedures and methods, it was still up to people, their equipment and tools to build quality into every step. This dependence on people to build quality in, as opposed to inspecting defects out, relied on a significant WORK CULTURE CHANGE. The business case for improving quality was so compelling that senior executives set new expectations for defect-free production. A radical paradigm shift in the WORK PROCESSES represented a new requirement in the competitive marketplace. The QA/QC department alone could not have accomplished that culture change. MT-ONLINE.COM | 9
UPTIME
A reliability culture must be led from the top, with new expectations and accountabilities. People at all levels MUST be engaged and empowered to sustain equipment performance and improve equipment reliability. Culture change is about people No matter how well our processes, equipment and facilities are designed, built and installed, they must be properly operated and maintained throughout their life cycle for business success. The culture of maintenance and reliability is MUCH MORE than the maintenance department can handle by itself. As I’ve said before, Reliability Culture must be led from the top with new expectations and accountabilities. People at all levels in the business MUST be engaged and empowered to sustain equipment performance and improve equipment reliability. There are countless historical examples of creating highperforming and productive work cultures. Consider (as I have,
since the late 1980s) the original principles of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) as documented and taught by its founder Seiichi Nakajima. Here you will discover elements of and methods for creating a work culture that leads to the highest levels of equipment performance and reliability. Sadly, TPM has been grossly misinterpreted and poorly implemented by many in America as a result of its “not invented here” factor. Could this ignorance of and resistance to implementing proven people-side methodologies and approaches in maintenance and reliability be taking us down the same dark road as the British auto industries? We can’t afford to gamble. Let’s put the people-factor back into maintenance in 2010. MT RobertMW2@cs.com
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FEBRUARY 2010
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FOR ON THE FLOOR An outlet for the views of today’s capacity assurance professionals Rick Carter, Executive Editor
Less Flavor, More Pressure Had a group of maintenance pros been asked 25 years ago about their knowledge of and preference for various maintenance improvement strategies, I’m not sure there would have been great depth of response. While programs such as PdM, RCM, TPM, SMED, RCFA and others were not unknown, they were not used to the extent they are today. “Flavors of the Month” would probably have been a common answer. By contrast, when asked the above question recently, Maintenance Technology Reader Panelists provided detailed answers that indicate both their familiarity with such strategies, and their practical understanding of where and how each works best. With regard to implementation, however, modern concerns place many Panelists in a bind. Fluctuating production needs and working conditions caused by an unstable economy, for example, now demand that maintenance crews be flexible. While these conditions seem to have reduced experimentation (flavor of the month), they have ushered in a more hardboiled approach that Panelists say is as likely to invite strategic implementation as it is to shut it down. The long and winding road “I’ve used RCM, TPM and SMED much more than RCFA,” says a maintenance technician in the Midwest. “But I believe that each of these works best per its application.” Success, he believes, also depends on the level of maturity of each manufacturing environment. In other words, is the company setting benchmarks or is it in the red trying to become profitable? “I have no doubt,” he says, “that SMED or eliminating wastes would be [used] most heavily in companies that are not mature, less profitable or below a benchmark.” He adds that SMED could be viewed as a fundamental building block that must never be removed. Or, he notes, “every other method will collapse.”
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MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
This Panelist reports that significant personnel changes across all departments at his operation have caused his employer to take a “shotgun” approach to maintenance. Despite his experience in TPM and RCM gained from a previous employer, he says, “we are still making improvements in SMED.” Another Panelist also finds himself in the position of having more experience in maintenance improvement than his company can (or chooses to) use. “I have used parts of TPM, and liked it,” says a food-industry maintenance supervisor in the Upper Midwest. “I have also worked with a noncomputer-based PM system, using hand-written PM forms. But selling PM is tough, because payback is not immediate.” He adds that while he’s seen many maintenance systems evolve into strong, high-performance programs, without the support of upper management, “it’s a waste of time and money.” Despite computerized systems, he laments, the organization doesn’t have enough skilled people to do all that needs to be done. At his current company, the maintenance team has been reduced to the fire department and not much more. “We now mostly run to failure,” he observes. “It is a very high-pressure environment to work in.” A maintenance journeyman for a utility in the Northeast deals with the same disturbing trend. As he puts it, “I have seen systems and methods come and go, and my opinion is that PM is the best. But, even if a machine is scheduled out of service, the company wants it back as soon as possible. [This can be difficult] if there is an unexpected problem, as there is bound to be as equipment gets older.” He believes this is where real-world issues get in the way of potential maintenance gains. “Welcome to the field-expediency world of today,” he says. “Now we must do more with less people, and we are unable to stock parts because the company is
FEBRUARY 2010
FOR ON THE FLOOR
“Convincing senior plant or corporate management of the benefits of [maintenance] programs and selling the up-front cost layout is critical to their success.” taxed on the value of these parts.” His company’s CMMS, which, he reports, showed promise, has been rendered only partly useful because they keep wanting to stretch the recommended times between maintenance. “The run-to-failure mode seems to be the one we almost always fall back into,” he adds, noting that performing maintenance tasks on a running machine “just isn’t economically feasible.” Sticking with PMs Yet another Panelist notes that while he has seen many programs chosen, few catch on. “We have used just about all of them,” explains this autoindustry PM leader. One success included shifting time-based PMs to PMs based on parts produced, which improved production uptime by 62%. “So we started to do this process to a number of machines,” he says, “but we did not finish all of them, which was a real shame.” He now guides workshops where maintenance, production and engineering get together and create strategy-based solutions that save money and show increases in production. “But again,” he says, “we start out with good intention, and never follow through.” Today, his faith is in a recently reinvigorated PM program. With this, he believes, improvements again should be seen. A utility-industry mechanical maintenance supervisor in the Upper Midwest also puts stock in his operation’s PM program, which is coupled with PdM and planning and scheduling. “I was involved in developing and championing this program,” he recalls, adding that results include boosting MTBF in process equipment from 1–3 years to 8–10 years. Similarly, the program helped increase his plant’s critical-equipment replacement cycle from 1–6 years to 5–12. And, while maintenance costs have increased, he reports that they’ve done so “at an average of 7% below the rate of inflation for the past 26 years.” This Panelist also
FEBRUARY 2010
notes that the program’s success has created a harmonious working relationship between operations and maintenance, and has enabled the 38-year-old facility to set production and availability records. “This facility consistently ranks among the top low-cost generating plants” in the company, he says. Strategy, with Culture Change While some Panelists have had the opportunity to fully implement maintenance programs and shepherd them to success, others report frustration in these efforts. Often they blame a lack of management commitment. A former practitioner who is now a consultant based in the Southwest points to this outcome being the result of a culture that does not accept strategies like equipment ownership as fundamentally important. Steering cultures in this direction “is always a challenge,” he says. “However, convincing senior plant or corporate management of the benefits of these programs and selling the up-front cost layout is critical to their success.” Like most Panelists, this consultant also believes “that different concepts are necessary for different situations.” Though he does have a favorite approach (“real-time condition-based monitoring, coupled with a good predictive program and TPM equipment-ownership philosophy”), he knows that this, too, will fail without other elements firmly in place. “It must be used in an organization with good maintenance engineering and planning and scheduling,” he observes, “and where maintenance is accepted as a profit contributor, not a cost center.” MT
What’s on your mind? Have a question or comment on what you’ve just read in this column? Have a suggestion for a future Reader Panel question? Let us hear from you. E-mail: rcarter@atpnetwork.com
MT-ONLINE.COM | 13
CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS
Putting it as simply as possible, application of new design principles in capacity-assurance technologies is boosting usability and productivity.
Adam Lund Emerson Process Management
14 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
I
t’s a fact of life. Tools of the capacity-assurance trade have grown increasingly complex over the years. Advanced handheld field communicators, vibration analyzers and predictive maintenance software provide a wonderful means for managing automation systems and the assets they control in order to prevent breakdowns and avoid unexpected shutdowns. At the same time, it’s often been difficult for users to understand— and respond appropriately in a timely manner to—ever-growing streams of information that come out of many advanced technologies. The application of new, human centered design techniques to these tools, though, is changing all that. Applying such principles in the tools’ design can lead to easier commissioning, configuring and maintaining of plant assets than ever before.
FEBRUARY 2010
CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS
Identifying and delivering the essentials The human centered design concept is aimed at identifying the information most needed by plant personnel and getting it to them in an easy-to-use format. This requires understanding the tasks frequently performed by end-users and presenting helpful information in a consistent fashion. Years of professional analysis of industry work practices show that personnel are often overwhelmed with multiple systems and user interfaces, making it difficult to find critical information, especially while on a job in the field. The need for easier access to the diagnostics available in smart field instrumentation was apparent, along with clear presentation of that information and reliable troubleshooting procedures to follow in case trouble is indicated. Human centered solutions now New device dashboards. . . Emerson’s commitment to human centered design and reducing product complexity (see Sidebars) is evident in intuitively designed interfaces known as Device Dashboards for more than 50 field devices. The new screens for our AMS™ Suite: Intelligent Device Manager PdM software give workers an instant view of the critical items they need to evaluate, diagnose, and configure each device. Expert guidance is also provided to streamline the most important and frequently performed tasks by plant operations, engineering and maintenance personnel. Powered by enhanced Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL), these human-centric dashboards function independent of communications protocols such as HART®, WirelessHART™ and FOUNDATION™ fieldbus. Their role is simple: Provide a framework for the uniform display of device information to make complex information easier to understand.
Creating the basic structure for the new graphical interface (shown in Fig. 1) was a major step in implementing the human centered design concept to aid maintenance personnel. Following identification of the most common tasks performed by technicians in the field, application of human centered design principles led to screen displays that provide information on 80% of those common tasks by telling if the device is working (or not), if alerts are present and if the device is communicating and providing access to calibration functions. The information presented is simple to understand—with no confusing technical jargon to interpret. The design of the new dashboards features noticeable improvements in the navigation structure, which has been revamped to group information and functions into three primary areas: “Overview,” “Configure” or “Service Tools” (depending on the job at hand). When first checking out a device, a technician will see the “Overview” screen that contains the “Status” condition of the selected device. If the status displays as “Good,” he/she knows there is no problem with that device, but can also check the gauges in the “Primary Purpose Variables” area to confirm that the device is operational. A “Shortcuts” section provides more information and links to commonly used device capabilities, such as “Calibration” methods. If there is a problem (as shown in Fig. 2), the word “Maintenance” will appear in the “Device” box, along with a button for further evaluation. This will provide guidance for further action to determine the nature of the problem and whether the device needs to be replaced or repaired. In this case, the temperature transmitter indicates that it automatically switched to a back-up sensor when the primary sensor failed—and a pop-up window is available with problem-solving instructions.
The Time Has Come… “In evaluating how people use maintenance tools, we found a common problem,” says Peter Zornio, chief strategic officer at Emerson. “The routine steps required by plant personnel to work through automation system issues were often cumbersome and confusing, and the interfaces were very product and feature oriented instead of task-centric. They assumed the user had a detailed knowledge of the product. Based on the inputs of many process-industry workers, we have initiated an
FEBRUARY 2010
across-the-board overhaul of our products intended to improve the speed and accuracy of their job performance and to increase each individual’s productivity.” According to Zornio, by putting increased emphasis on ease-of-use, Emerson can help its customers meet the demographic challenge as knowledgeable maintenance veterans retire and their places are taken by less experienced personnel. “The time has come,” he says, “for technology to begin serving people.”
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CAPACITY ASSURANCE SOLUTIONS
Fig. 1. In the basic structure for the new graphical interface, application of human centered design principles led to screen displays that provide information on 80% of the most common tasks performed by technicians in the field. These displays tell if a device is working (or not), if alerts are present and if the device is communicating and providing access to calibration functions, with no confusing technical jargon to interpret.
Fig. 2. If there is a problem, the word “Maintenance” appears in the “Device” box, along with a button for further evaluation. This will provide guidance for further action to determine the nature of the problem and if repair or replacement is necessary. Here, a temperature transmitter indicates that it has automatically switched to a back-up sensor upon failure of the primary sensor. A pop-up window leads to problem-solving instructions.
Revised device descriptions. . . Every smart field device stores diagnostics, but not all devices have the same information—which may cause wildly different displays depending on the Device Descriptions (DD) provided by the manufacturer. Device Descriptions are essentially files of field device attributes residing in a host (such as Emerson’s AMS Device Manager PdM software). These DDs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer with respect to how information is extracted and presented. As a result, multiple, often confusing instrument displays confront plant maintenance personnel. Revising the DDs on Emerson field devices has been another part of implementing the human centered design concept. This is especially important in giving the same “look” or appearance to the screens for HART and fieldbus devices. This type of technical achievement will help field personnel be more productive because they can use the 16 |
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same procedures to manage devices regardless of communication protocol. The condition of any field device can be displayed in this way as long as the DD is written according to the guidelines. For us, the principal focus has been to update DDs of smart devices including Rosemount, Fisher, Micro Motion, and CSI branded products. A great deal of effort has gone into this project, and the DDs of the most frequently used devices have already been rewritten and stored in the latest versions of AMS™ Device Manager and the DeltaV™ and Ovation™ digital automation system hosts–and more are underway. The road to human centered design Moving in the direction of human centered design has been a natural and very logical step for our company. Although they invested almost exclusively on technological development over the years, Emerson officials also recognized the FEBRUARY 2010
need to focus on the people who use those technologies and determine ways to accommodate their needs. Having acknowledged the importance of human centered design and made the strategic decision to support its application, company management initiated a relationship with Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA—specifically the university’s Human Computer Interaction Institute, a recognized leader in the study of how humans interact with technology. Dave Parsons, who has extensive human interface design experience, joined Emerson to initiate a new human centered design capability. This led to the study of instrument technician work practices and a greater understanding of their needs. The first project was development of the new dashboard structure, which Parsons called a “significant cultural change because for once technology did not drive the design of a man-machine interface. Basically, we restructured the underlying information architecture so the presentation makes sense to users.” Now, Emerson has established the Human Centered Design (HCD) Institute with a simple goal of making products that aren’t just reliable, compatible and cost-effective; they can also improve usability and increase productivity. “Carnegie Mellon helped us set direction and get started,” say Duane Toavs, director of the HCD Institute. “We have a corporate mandate to interact with the design teams for all of our brands, incorporating human centered design practices in everything they do. We have an ongoing research challenge that we expect will make a profound difference in how people accomplish their tasks when using our technologies.”
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Design and testing During the dashboard project, human centered designers worked with marketing personnel and technologists to create prototype Device Dashboard screens for several of Emerson’s most popular devices, including pressure and temperature transmitters and digital valve controllers. The conceptual dashboards
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Making process control technology easier to use. . . Emerson’s new Human Centered Design Institute was established after more than five years of work-practice analysis, new product development re-engineering and organizational training. The Institute’s goal is to bring about a significant improvement in ease-of-use and workforce productivity products that are reliable, compatible and cost-effective. User work practices and improved task completion (usability or workforce productivity) are at the heart of every new Emerson product. Duane Toavs, director of the Human Centered Design Institute, notes that the corporation had been incubating this HCD process since the early days of its Smart Wireless designs, some years ago. “Collaborating with Carnegie Mellon University helped us set direction and get started, were then introduced to many customers through usability testing to evaluate the product’s straightforwardness of use. This technique helped determine which designs were most helpful to users in completing common maintenance tasks easily and in minimum time. Usability testing differs from other methods of customer review—such as market research—because it shows how
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leading to our staffing of this Human Centered Design Institute that spans design teams for all of our brands,” he says. Human Centered Design is a multi-disciplined science. User Personas and Stakeholder Maps, along with intensive observational research, usability testing, and heuristics analysis are key elements of the practice. They provide the insight to blend the disciplines of industrial, graphical and human interface design into products that are easier to use. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Human Centered Design expert that he is, Toavs quickly (and succinctly) cuts to the chase: “Getting inside the heads of users, including how they interface with each other and our technologies, is the foundation of Human Centered Design.” efficiently users are able to complete tasks instead of relying exclusively on asking for opinions. Usability testing takes customer opinions into account, but is more concerned with comparing what test participants do than what they say. This is an important distinction; a participant might remark that he/she likes the way the screen looks, but if the task could not be completed, the visually appealing screen might actually be hard to use. Usability testing was conducted in a controlled setting with the tests repeated in the same way in order to obtain valid comparisons of multiple users. The data gathered are both quantitative, i.e. task completion rates or the amount of time users spent on certain tasks, and qualitative, including emotional responses, opinions, likes, and dislikes. Usability testing also takes into account the backgrounds and relative levels of experience of the users, and it is important to have a mix of user backgrounds. Video and audio recordings made during usability test sessions were reviewed by design and development staff to pick up anything they might not have observed during a session. (Editor’s Note: A significant round of usability testing was conducted with visitors to the Emerson Exchange in Orlando, FL, in October 2009.)
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Going forward So far, the focus of the HCD Institute has been on the presentation of device information, but revision of the Device Dashboards is just the beginning of Emerson’s work in terms of human centered design. Going forward, this concept will be applied to AMS Suite and the DeltaV and Ovation automation systems with the intention of making every product more intuitive, more specific to the role of each type of user and, overall, simpler to use. MT
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Adam Lund is principal usability engineer with Emerson Process Management.
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Inpro/Seal Takes It One Part At A Time This Illinois-based manufacturer has built a global niche by producing custom-fitted bearing isolators, 24-hour turnaround and top-tier customer service. Rick Carter Executive Editor
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hen it comes to discrete manufacturing, few are more genuinely discrete than Inpro/Seal Co., the Rock Island, IL-based manufacturer of bearing isolators. The company is so discrete it literally often makes only one part at a time. That’s one unique part, not one of a batch. And, no, Inpro/Seal is not two guys with a lathe and some metal stock operating out of a garage. Inpro/Seal is 80 employees working comfortably in a 12-year-old, 84,000sq.-ft. air-conditioned facility turning out more than 400,000 bearing isolators annually, and generating roughly $30 million in annual sales. The company, recently acquired by Waukesha Bearings Corp., a Dover company (see Sidebar), has been at it since 1965. Today, it claims to have 4 million isolators installed in rotating equipment around the world. FEBRUARY 2010
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What’s the catch? This too, hinges on that word “unique.” The bearing isolator began as a pump retrofit part with a unique purpose. Essentially a bearing protection device, it was designed by company founder Dave Orlowski to extend the life of pump bearings by sealing out the elements that destroy them—water, particulates and other undesirables— and sealing in lubrication. Early versions lasted 20 years, quickly saving thousands of dollars in bearing maintenance and replacement costs. New ones, now standard equipment on hundreds of pump and motor models built in the U.S. and around the world, can last virtually forever, as can those retrofitted to older equipment. Success for this novel product wasn’t instant. A big challenge was (and is) the fact that production of its many variants cannot be 100% standardized. Often, one size fits just one—not all. “We are very much an engineer-to-order and customerservice-based company,” says Neil Hoehle, director of sales and engineering. “We look at applications to see what the best possible solution is for that application, and provide it to the customer in the same time frame or less that he could order something out of a parts catalog from somebody else.” This literally means, for example, that an order received by noon or even later on any day can often be in the customer’s hands the following morning. Seeing that this valuable service can be offered successfully— and repeatedly—has been an ongoing mission for Inpro/ Seal and its employees. Hoehle (pronounced “Hailey”) started with Inpro/Seal 28 years ago. He notes that while much has changed in bearing isolators in this time—the product’s recognition, along with its uses and designs—the lack of standardization remains. Even today, most of the company’s 75,000 skus (some 50,000) are made only in quantities of one or two, about 30% of which are not stock items. Numbers like these suggest a few things: that Inpro/Seal charges a premium for its products; that its products are of the highest quality; and third, that the customer service Hoehle referenced is untouchable. As it turns out, all three are essentially true, with particular emphasis on service. “Quite often, we were dealing with companies that had equipment down for repair or emergencies and needed very quick turnaround,” says Hoehle of the company’s formative years. “That was a great opportunity for us to allow the engineer-to-order function and quick response to come together. When companies need us the most,” he says, “we try to be there.” This modestly stated mission translates to not only the same-day-shipment promise for many of its products, but on-site installation assistance for big jobs or companies in dire straits, whether in Illinois, Houston or the Pacific Rim. The quick turnaround While an Inpro/Seal bearing isolator is not overly complex, it nonetheless requires machining, mostly in bronze, on one of the company’s 27 CNC machines (25 lathes, two mills) or 10 manual lathes, followed by final assembly, inspection FEBRUARY 2010
Assembler Carol Ponce puts together an Inpro/Seal bearing isolator, one of 300 she’s likely to complete on a typical work day.
and shipping. For never-before-made parts, accurate on-site measurements are required, usually taken by the customer, which are transmitted to the Rock Island facility. They are then translated into either a new CNC program or a blueprint given to a machinist who will make the part manually. Today, Inpro/Seal can turn orders around in 24 hours or less for 80% of its annual output. Some are delivered from stock the company builds and holds for contract customers; the rest are newly made when the order arrives. Significantly, when new parts are needed, the manufacturing process that once took an average of two hours per unit now takes about 15 minutes. Practically everything else in the process takes longer, including waiting for Fed-Ex pick-up. But quick does not mean easy. “This is something we’ve worked at for years,” says Hoehle.“It wasn’t like we sat down and wrote a plan and there was a magic bullet. It takes continuous cooperation and communication through distribution channels, regional managers, inside customer support, engineering, manufacturing and the manufacturing engineers. Now we’ve gotten pretty good at it,” he says, “but it’s really more of an art than a science.” One advantage, he adds, is that because Inpro/ Seal only makes bearing isolators and a small selection of related products, “we can focus all of our resources on that.” The way team members deliver on the company’s 24-hourturnaround promise is really the “art” that Hoehle talks about. For parts that are routinely measured in tolerances of thousandths of an inch, it’s critical that everyone involved be on the same page. Some companies might need rigid production directives to do that, but Inpro/Seal found another way. “We are integrated through practice, not through policy,” says Hoehle, explaining that his operation is built on valued experience and worker autonomy—not top-down orders or even regular meetings. “We have irregular regular meetings,” Hoehle quips, admitting that many would deem such a strategy untenable. “For us to have quick response,” Hoehle adds, “people must be allowed to operate in a fairly broad zone of freedom. They can’t be waiting for a memo or a decision or having to check with somebody else. At the same time, you want them to know MT-ONLINE.COM | 21
ON THE ROAD TO EXCELLENCE
what they need to do to satisfy the customer, so we define kind of loosely where the gutters are, if you think of it as a bowling alley.” Each bearing isolator is, of course, not completely unique. Common design features exist that allow for a degree of uniformity in production as well as the use of standard work orders that cover much of the production process. Also, modern technology now enables a large portion of the engineering groundwork—compiling standard design information, translating it to CNC programs and storing it for later access—to be completed ahead of time. “One thing that really helped us achieve 24-hour turnaround is when we started using standardized 3D modeling templates,” says engineering manager Mike Becker. “Basically, we have a seal that can vary in different sizes, but instead of drawing it from scratch every time, we created programs where we enter the dimensions, and the program builds a to-scale print automatically from that. I wrote programs for the majority of the models we use, so instead of taking two hours to do a part from scratch,” he says, “we now do it in less than 15 minutes.” Becker adds that having completed engineering drawings for 80% of the company’s output means that “we probably have between 1500 and 2000 parametric programs built into our engineering system.” Becker and his five-member staff stay involved up front to keep the engineering process on track and moving forward. They oversee all incoming orders, which involves confirmation of measurements, making engineering revisions, handling machining and programming issues, and sometimes, simply talking to customers. “Customers can get me on the phone directly,” he says, “and these calls often help get things done quicker.”
About Waukesha Bearings Founded in 1946, Waukesha Bearings joined Dover in 1977. The company is a leading designer and manufacturer of hydrodynamic bearings and magnetic bearing systems for high-performing turbomachinery in oil & gas, power-generation, marine and industrial markets. Typical applications include gas-, steam- and hydro-turbines, centrifugal gas compressors, gearboxes, pumps and motors. Headquartered in Pewaukee, WI, Waukesha has facilities in the U.S., UK, Mexico, Russia, India and Japan, and localized sales representation around the world. The acquisition of Inpro/Seal in December 2009 added an adjacent product to Waukesha’s custom-engineered bearing solutions for the oil & gas and power-gen markets. The companies share a real commitment to providing innovative solutions and superior service to their customers. As the originator of bearing isolator technology, Inpro/Seal brand has a strong history, especially in North America. The addition of Waukesha’s global footprint provides significant opportunities for growth internationally, allowing Inpro/Seal to better serve a global customer base with customized bearing- and systemprotection products.
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Production expert Donnie Ogle has responsibility for helping new hires get up to speed and keeping shopfloor veterans up to date.
The human touch The path to quick turnaround, though, is not always high-tech, especially in a company that determined it wouldn’t outsource any of its operations. “We automate as much as we can,” says Hoehle, “but to offer customers the response they require, we sometimes need the flexibility to make something one-off right from scratch. For this, or for a small run, the time it would take to program and set up the CNC is sometimes longer than it would take for an experienced manual lathe operator to just make one himself. In our organization and with our strategy,” he adds, “I think this manual component will always be there.” It’s this component that not only keeps one wall of Inpro/ Seal’s facility looking like a traditional machine shop, but ensures the company’s ongoing need for experienced machinists. “The most difficult thing to deal with in the past two or three years is what you could call our custom shop,” says Hoehle. “Because we do so many one-offs and customized parts, we still have people running manual lathes and manual mills. But to kids getting out of school today, even tech-school graduates, manual milling is like something from the Stone Age. Actually getting people who can take a manual lathe in a mill and a piece of raw material and a print, and give you a finished product at the end of the day is almost a lost art. We’ve pretty much determined,” he says, “that to get people where we need them to be in manufacturing, we have to train them ourselves.” This is where Donnie Ogle fits in. One of Inpro/Seal’s most experienced employees, Ogle has been at the company nearly as long as Hoehle. In that time, he has served in virtually every production capacity and knows as much or more than anyone on site about bearing isolators. In June, he assumed the title of Trainer after it was decided no one was better qualified to pass this information on to a new generation of workers. One of Ogle’s first tasks was to create an all-encompassing in-house training manual. “We call it a training binder,” says Ogle, “and it covers measuring, metrology, and will soon include a blueprintreading course.” Ogle is also the go-to person for information about company history and where Inpro/Seal products are used. “I’ve heard people here say they didn’t know what a FEBRUARY 2010
ON THE ROAD TO EXCELLENCE
certain piece of equipment was for or where our products are used,” says Ogle. “So one thing I really like doing is giving new hires a well-rounded orientation before they get to the shop floor, so they know what they’re doing out there and what they’re part of.” Not surprisingly, Ogle is also the shop-floor problem solver, the communication bridge between shifts, and the coordinator of on-the-job operator training. Inpro/Seal also relies on Ogle to helps guide its 6S (with safety) program as part of the company’s lean initiative. His 6S duties include surprise audits, after which Ogle awards flags (green, yellow or red) that reflect the 6S status of each area audited. “I’ve taught our people that 6S is part of lean,” he says, “but it takes maintenance and a mindset.” The company’s well-tenured workforce is “getting used to doing it daily,” he adds, “but you can’t ever quit following up.” Full speed ahead Inpro/Seal’s upcoming challenges naturally include competitors, says Hoehle, but also the company’s ability to continue serving a diverse range of bearing-protection needs. “And this will come from having that communication channel open,” he says. “Customers will tell you what their problems are if you ask them the right questions. This is where a lot of our new products come from: just listening. That’s
A green flag signifies this workstation’s passing grade in a 6S inspection.
vital information. Any time a customer tells you he’s got a problem,” Hoehle asserts, “you ought to be listening.” And, if things go as Inpro/Seal expects, there should be plenty of listening to do. Despite its long-running success, the company and its new owners believe Inpro/Seal has captured only about 1% of the total available market for its products. Fed-Ex, take note. MT For more info, enter 2 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
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Recapping Parts I – III
How To Begin Measuring Maintenance Effectiveness Part IV Lucky you! There is one KPI that comes close to taking into account almost all variables in a production process. What is it? Read on.
Raymond L. Atkins Contributing Editor
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e have discussed several KPIs over the course of this series, each of which has measured one or more components in the overall production process. These various metrics have been presented as the tools management can use in measuring the health of portions of the process. Still, the question arises: Is there a single metric that takes into account all of the variables in a given production process? There is one that comes close. It’s known as “TEEP,” which stands for Total Effective Equipment Productivity. TEEP is an ideal or best-case benchmark against which a production process is measured. It is the comparison between the theoretical capacity of a machine versus that machine’s actual performance. TEEP uses as its litmus test the hypothetical output of a machine if it ran perfectly, all the time. As an example, suppose you have a machine in your process that is rated to produce one part per hour. TEEP assumes that if it were to run continuously at the capacity determined by the machine manufacturer’s OEM specifications, this equipment would produce 24 parts per day, 365 days per year—and that this benchmark is the number against which your actual performance should be measured. Consider the number to be an absolute (whether it can actually be obtained), like absolute zero or the speed of light. The formula for this calculation is Actual Parts per Unit of Time X Total Time/Theoretical Parts per Unit of Time = TEEP. FEBRUARY 2010
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As we’ve noted throughout this series, key performance indicators (KPIs) are the metrics that an organization chooses to use as their measures of process performance. They can vary among industries and among individual processes. To begin managing by metrics, an organization must first collect meaningful and pertinent data—information that is important to the operation of the business—which is then converted into one or more KPIs. These tools can be used to immediately evaluate the performance of a process variable, as well as provide a means for tracking that variable over time.
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TEEP is not for everyone. It’s a strategic measure that is used in, among other things, determining the need for capital outlay. Now, don’t throw the magazine away and reach for the television remote. It’s not as difficult as it sounds. I’ll say it in English this time: TEEP is the number of good widgets you are making in a given time period compared to the total number of widgets the machine is capable of making if it ran perfectly at its rated capacity during that same period of time. Let’s look at the machine we just referenced. You have a process that produces widgets, and your primary machine is an old, but well-maintained widget-maker that is rated at one unit per hour. Your plant works two eight-hour shifts each day over a five-day work week, with the weekend being devoted to maintenance efforts. Your process continually achieves uptimes above 90%, and you seldom have any quality issues. Last week, the plant produced a total of 77 widgets at this machine center during your 80 planned production hours. The TEEP percentage for this rather rosy scenario would be as follows: 77 actual widgets produced X 168 total hours in the week/168 possible widgets = 77%. What does this number tell us? Basically, a TEEP percentage of 77% indicates that 23% of this particular process capacity was unrealized—even though this same process is running exceptionally well when evaluated by less stringent measures. (FYI: a handy TEEP calculator is available to you at http://www.downtimecentral.com/oee.shtml.) By the way, if your particular process is achieving a TEEP percentage above 75%, that is an excellent number, and you may take a moment to congratulate yourself. “But wait,” you say. “I don’t want to run three shifts, seven days a week. I’m producing between 70 and 80 widgets per week. That’s world-class output within my particular industry, especially considering the equipment I have, and that’s all the widgets I can sell, anyway. So why would I want to compare myself to a standard that makes no sense for me?” Why, indeed? TEEP is not for everyone. It’s a strategic measure that is used in, among other things, determining the need for capital outlay. Suppose that the giant widget plant down the road—your main competition, perhaps—has a big fire or some other issue that causes a serious curtailment in its ability to turn out product. This leads to a widget shortage, and the price per unit skyrockets. At last, you can sell as many of the things as you can produce—and pretty much get your own price. Your unfortunate competitor will be limping along for at least a year, and as you look for ways FEBRUARY 2010
to take advantage of what could be an extremely profitable time for your business, your eyes might drift to and linger upon the 23% of your unrealized capacity (as determined by your 77% TEEP). There are several options open to you at this point. You can weed out the few rejects and breakdowns you have and push your TEEP to 80%. You can add a third shift and increase your TEEP or add an extra production day to do the same. You can go to a seven-day/24-hour schedule if you have high confidence in your maintenance program’s ability to work around the extra demands you are placing upon the process. You can even attempt to speed up your widget-maker—if such an action can be undertaken economically, and provided you keep in mind that there are often unforeseen consequences to running a process in excess of its rated capacity. Regardless of what you do, the TEEP measure is the benchmark that lets you know how much additional production is available without additional capital expenditure (such as adding more machines, replacing older equipment, etc.). Benchmarking against what? Since we are on the subject, we should spend a few moments discussing the concept of benchmarks, which are those standards—sometimes theoretical—against which we measure and track our own performances. What should these numbers be? What is “world-class?” Who decides? There is a consensus among maintenance consultants and scholars alike that benchmarks should be challenging but achievable—and I agree with that guideline. As for the actual numbers, however, there is little agreement. Benchmarks differ across industries, across plants and across machine centers. Take uptime as an example. For years, a production uptime percentage above 80% was considered to be a good effort, and 85% was thought to be outstanding. As maintenance practices and machine technology have improved, the best of the best have continued to ease their uptimes in the direction of 88%, then 90% and finally to 95% or higher. The issue for each plant and for every manager is to benchmark their own processes against achievable goals— and to encourage small but steady increments of improvement in their own unique process. Aspiring to a challenging benchmark should be a positive experience for the entire organization. To illustrate this point, let’s go back to the widget industry for a moment. MT-ONLINE.COM | 25
A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
Suppose you are the production manager for the original widget plant in your organization (the old workhorse), and you have the task of operating technologically obsolete machinery that has been poorly maintained for much of its history. The factory runs uptimes in the mid-70s and makes a small profit. Further assume that upper management has determined that large capital outlays are not in your facility’s future. Times are hard, and they’ll continue to run the plant as long as it pays to do so. But, if you drop into the red, that may be all she wrote. Under conditions such as these, it is probably not wise to benchmark yourself against the leading plant in your industry—a brand-new, technological marvel that consistently posts uptime percentages in the mid- to high-90s. It’s not a case of never being able to get there from here. If you establish a proper PM (preventive maintenance regimen), initiate PdM (predictive maintenance) as budgets allow, do realistic, honest root-cause analyses (RCAs) for every process failure, work safely and begin a conscientious training program, you can wash away most sins over time. There is, however, another component you must consider. If you are consistently running uptime percentages in the mid-70s and are benchmarking against a goal of 95%, you may find that your rate of improvement drops over time. Specifically, your organization may develop a morale problem, because the goal is perceived as being out of reach. If your process has consistently run uptimes in the 75th percentile and through world-class techniques you are
Reliability GivesVoice To
Autism at MARTS 2010
For more details, including information on sponsorship opportunities, visit:
www.MARTSconference.com w
able to raise this average to 80%, you have achieved a huge gain in effectiveness. Conversely, if the new and improved 80% uptime is compared to a 95% goal, it still seems as if the organization has an impossibly long way to go. If, though, the benchmark were 85%, then your people have moved halfway toward their goal—a goal they perceive as being reasonable and achievable. Remember, as goals are reached, new, higher ones can be set. Thus, by making each new goal plateau achievable, you are not limiting the longterm potential of the company, particularly if you reward the attainment of these plateaus as they are reached. Use your metrics effectively To manage by metrics, you must first make the conscious decision to gather accurate data that is meaningful to your organization. The accuracy of your data is the critical component of the process. You must then convert the data into KPIs that your organization is capable of maintaining. Put simply, the gathering and manipulation of data into a useable form is an important job that must be performed by personnel who realize this fact and who are capable of performing the task. Finally, your KPIs should be benchmarked against realistic numbers. You must learn to walk before you can begin to run. MT Ray Atkins is based in Rome, GA. E-mail: raymondlatkins@ aol.com; visit his Website: www.raymondlatkins.com; or hear him speak at MARTS 2010 (www.MARTSconference.com)
Applied Technology Publications, SUCCESS by DESIGN and the Autism Society of Illinois are joining together in an effort to give voice to autism during MARTS 2010. Originally planned as a publishing awards event, we have expanded the scope of this occasion to raise awareness and funds for autism, a growing disorder that has already touched the hearts and lives of countless professionals in the industrial engineering, reliability, maintenance, energy and environmental sectors. Collaboration with the Autism Society was specific in that this organization is out on the front line 24/7, providing immediate support and services to families affected by autism. It’s a type of challenging endeavor with which MARTS attendees can well identify as they, themselves are on the front line keeping critical infrastructure and industrial operations up and running no matter what. Kicking Off MARTS 2010 With A Worthy Cause These “Reliability Gives Voice To Autism” activities will take place at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare on the evening of April, 27, 2010, starting with a cocktail reception at 5 p.m, followed by a gala charity dinner, live entertainment and door prizes. You won’t want to miss this exciting and worthy event, which also helps kick off MARTS 2010!
Or contact:
Bill Kiesel, Publisher of Maintenance Technology and Lubrication Management & Technology magazines at: bkiesel@atpnetwork.com; or: 847.382.8100 x116
We look forward to having you join us and others across the Reliability Community in giving “Voice To Autism” at MARTS 2010!
For more info, enter 75 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
26 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
FEBRUARY 2010
Lubrication Checkup
I]Z EdlZg id EgZY^Xi EgdYjXi^k^in Today, more and more companies are seeking to intensify predictive maintenance practices — increasingly depending on oil analysis to ensure equipment reliability and reduce costs.
Alarm Limits For TAN By Dr. Lube, aka Ken Bannister
Symptom: “What’s the best way to set alarm limits for TAN in lube oil analysis? Also, if a TAN alarm is exceeded, how fast do we need to react, and is there a difference between conventional and synthetic TAN limits?”
Diagnosis: TAN (Total Acid Number) defines the amount of acid and acid-like materials present in oil. Measured in milligrams of potassium hydroxide per gram, 1 mg KOH/g is the equivalent of one acid number. Depending on an oil’s use, acidic components caused by water, rust, corrosion and oxidation accumulate over time, causing acidity and its corresponding TAN # to increase. Unattended, these acids will continue to deplete oil additives, corrode surfaces, reduce pumpability and deposit themselves as lacquers on hot surfaces. Critical TAN numbers are dependant on the oil type. Typically, light duty industrial and R & O (rust and oxidation inhibited) oils have a maximum TAN # of 2. Antiwear and EP (extreme pressure) oils have allowable maximum levels up to 4 before they must be changed. While the thermal- and oxidationstability and natural detergency of synthetics give them an advantage over conventional lubricants, their TAN # limits will still vary depending on the type of synthetic.
ExxonMobil’s state-of-the-art Signum Oil Analysis program—available exclusively to ExxonMobil customers —is specifically tailored to monitor critical indicators in used oil. Based on leading equipment builder specifications and international standards, this program delivers the knowledg e you need to better understand the condition of your company’s lubricants and equipment. What’s more, Signum Oil Analysis is convenient: Our technically advanced o i l - a n a l y s i s p r o g r a m includes capabilities that can be accessed online. Discover how Signum Oil Analysis can translate into more than costsaving benefits. This pacesetting program, supported by experienced ExxonMobil lubrication professionals, can help your operation soar to greater heights. For more information, go to signumoilanalysis.com.
A single test rarely gives us the picture we are looking for; such is the case with TAN testing. An oil’s acidity level will decrease initially, then eventually rise as the oil ages and additives deplete, requiring us to trend monitor the TAN # over time and in numerous samples. We must also read the TAN # in conjunction with other results. For example, an increase in acidity will manifest as an increase in viscosity. A rapid rise in the number also could indicate a rise in the oil’s water content. Conversely, depletion of rust inhibitor, detergent and antiwear additives will increase the TAN #. In combustion-engine oil, the combination of a rise in TAN # and a fall in TBN # (Total Base Number or alkalinity level) is used to determine an oil-change condition. Oil type, ambient conditions and oil-use factors all combine to dictate the required oil analysis test(s) and setting of critical TAN # limits. This information is best obtained by working with a single lab that will perform the same test consistently over the oil’s life span and assist the user in determining the correct limits for the application. Once a pre-determined alarm or critical state is recognized, action must be taken ASAP (within 24-48 hrs). Lubrication questions? E-mail: doctorlube@atpnetwork.com (Dr. Lube, aka Ken Bannister, will be a featured part of MARTS 2010. To register for and/or learn more about his value-added pre-conference workshop “Liquid Gold: Implementing a Winning Lube Strategy for Maximum Gain,” visit www.MARTSconference.com) For more info, enter 3 at www.MT-freeinfo.com FEBRUARY 2010
©2009 Exxon Mobil Corporation. The ExxonMobil logotype and Pegasus design are registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries.
Prescription:
For more info, enter 76 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MT-ONLINE.COM | 27
SPECIAL PUMP MAINTENANCE PRIMER
Secondary eductor pump creates the vacuum.
Discharge check valve closes so a vacuum can be created in the volume.
What You Need To Know About ‘Self-Priming’ Centrifugal Pumps
Fig. 1. Use of a secondary priming pump (courtesy of Godwin Pumps)
Savvy pump users will want to consider these approaches, remember these tips and, by all means, heed these cautions. Gene Vogel Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA)
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M MAIN MAINTENANCE AINTEN AIN TENANC TEN ANCE ANC E TECH T TECHNOLOGY ECHNOL ECH NOLOGY NOL OGY
M
ost maintenance and operations personnel who work with centrifugal pumps have been warned to never start a pump unless it is primed. They have been warned that a pump that is started when loaded with air may cause the seal or packing to be scorched and permanently damaged, and that when the suction liquid level is below the pump (suction lift), the pump would not begin to pump. Then they encounter a pump that is said to be self-priming. At this point, they begin to question if all that caution is necessary.
The real scoop The fact is that no centrifugal pump is truly self-priming in suction lift situations. Furthermore, there actually are several approaches where a pump may be started when loaded with air. First, though, in all cases the seal must be protected from overheating. That requires more than just a cooling mechanism, since mechanical seals and packing depend on some small amount of liquid to migrate between the stationary and rotating members to lubricate them. FEBRU FE FEBRUARY BRUARY BRU ARY 20 2010 10
SPECIAL PUMP MAINTENANCE PRIMER
Protecting the seals A properly primed pump would have the seal vented—ensuring that the seal is supplied with pumpage or flush liquid for cooling and lubrication. Centrifugal pumps classified as “selfpriming” are most often equipped with double seals that have a barrier fluid in the chamber between the two seals. This barrier fluid supplies the necessary cooling and lubrication to protect the seals from scorching when the pump is started dry. (See the “API Seal Plans” for more information on double seals and barrier fluids, or contact your seal distributor.) Assuming the seal has been provided with adequate cooling and lubrication, the concern now is whether the fluid is above (flooded suction) or below (suction lift) the pump. The problem, of course, is with suction lift. The task is to create sufficient suction to lift the liquid into the pump. The impeller can’t do that. The impeller is designed to develop a pressure differential with liquid in the impeller and pump housing. Common liquids are more than 800 times as dense as air. Centrifugal pumps won’t pump air.
Suction nozzle
Discharge nozzle
Anti-siphon flapper valve
Fig. 2. An example of a re-priming pump
Finding a solution There are two common approaches to the problem. The most straightforward is to provide the pump with an auxiliary pumping device that will evacuate the air out of the pump and draw the liquid in (see Fig. 1). It is assumed the suction line is submersed in the liquid, forming an air seal. Similarly, the discharge must also have an air seal, which is usually provided by means of a ball- or flapper-type check valve that prevents air from being drawn into the pump housing from the discharge line. The secondary “air pump” may be a diaphragm- or eductor-type unit, and electrically, mechanically or pneumatically driven. With the pump suction and discharge sealed, the secondary pump will pump the air out and draw the liquid in. When the liquid is drawn up to the level of the impeller, the impeller begins to pump, forcing open the discharge check valve. A pressure switch will then shut down the secondary air pump. A second approach is to build the pump housing in such a way that liquid will remain in the housing when both suction and discharge lines are drained. Suction and discharge nozzles may be located well above the impeller, creating a “tank” below that houses the impeller and volute (see Fig. 2). A ball or flapper check valve on suction or discharge may prevent siphoning of the liquid in the tank when the pump is stopped. When the pump is restarted, the fluid in the tank is sufficient to develop suction lift and draw FEBRUA FEB FEBRUARY RUARY RUA RY 2010 2010
fluid into the pump, tank and impeller, and to purge the air out the discharge. The pump is said to “digest” the air. This approach requires that on initial installation of a new or rebuilt pump, there must be an initial prime loaded into it. If, for any reason, the pump tank is drained, the unit will not begin to pump—thus, the self-priming feature of this pump is only effective after an initial prime. This style of equipment may be referred to as a “re-priming” pump. Secondary air-pump example For an interesting example of a pump that uses a secondary air pump for priming, visit http://www.loyno.edu/history/ journal/1995-6/haydel.htm to read an article about the drainage pumps in New Orleans, LA. They have both suction and discharge submersed, so a discharge check valve is not required. For an example of pumps that use the re-prime approach, visit the Websites of WEMCO, Gorman-Rupp, ITT Goulds or other pump manufacturers. MT Gene Vogel is a pump and vibration specialist with the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, Inc. (EASA), based in St. Louis, MO. EASA is an international trade organization of over 2100 electromechanical sales and service firms in 58 countries. This article is based on one that first ran in the association’s May 2009 Currents publication. For more info, enter 4 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MT-ONL MT MT-ONLINE.COM ONLINE ONL INE.COM COM | 29
SPECIAL PUMP MAINTENANCE PRIMER
Protecting your slurry-handling pumps. . .
Pump Bearing Reliability: 4 Installation Procedures To Maximize Performance In tough working environments, where contaminants constantly threaten bearings and other pump components, keeping equipment up and running poses a real challenge. Slurry-handling operations are that type of place. Special to MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY From NSK
N
SK engineers devote their attention to the needs of bearings in the real-life applications and wide range of challenging environments in which they will be used. One such application is an impeller slurry pump. It’s a category of machinery that often sees substantial downtime, high maintenance costs and high levels of premature bearing failure.
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MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
FEBRUARY 2010
SPECIAL PUMP MAINTENANCE PRIMER
In the case of one cement producer, centrifugal, slurryhandling screw-pump downtime due to failed bearings was resulting in high costs for bearing replacement, maintenance and line downtime—something the company couldn’t afford to ignore. Screw pumps operating in a cement plant are going to be subjected to extreme levels of cement dust and dirt. While maintenance practices in these operations can be less than desirable, in this particular case, dust contamination was determined to be the root cause of the bearing failures. With hardening concrete ready to pump and pour, an unexpected pump failure is a major issue. Centrifugal, slurry-handling screw pumps call for specific bearing installation practices to ensure they achieve top performance under contaminated conditions:
■ Lubrication has a significant impact on the operation of machinery and its bearings. This is especially true in contaminated environments. For slurry pumps, highquality EP (extreme-pressure) greases are the best option. Bentone-based greases, suitable for antifriction bearing lubrication at temperatures from 0 F to +300 F, are preferred.
■ The bearing inner ring for this type of pump is not held in place by the fit between the shaft, sleeve and bearing. It is mounted on a screw bushing assembly bolted to the end of the pump shaft. Metric bolts are utilized in the bearing assembly and they need to be installed to the correct torque specification. Thread locker must also be used on these bolts to help maintain their position. This practice ensures that the bearing assembly does not spin on the shaft. If your bearing is slipping on the screw bushing and/or the screw bushing is slipping on the shaft, the bolts holding the plate against the bearing inner ring are the wrong type, wrong torque—or both.
■ Operating temperatures can be used as a guide for re-lubrication. A sustained temperature drop after adding grease could indicate insufficient lubrication was initially supplied. Conversely, a noticeable rise in operating temperatures could indicate excess grease supply.
■ Maintenance and re-lubrication are also vital to the life of your bearings. For screw pumps that operate continuously, monthly re-lubrication is recommended, as is monthly preventive maintenance. During the re-lubrication process, check the grease for oiliness and dirt contamination, and adjust the re-lube schedule accordingly.
Applications such as this demand not only correct maintenance and installation practices, but the right components as well. NSK can provide answers. The attached chart lists our general recommendations for centrifugal pump bearings. MT For more info, enter 5 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
NSK General Recommendations For Centrifugal Pumps* BEARING BORE SIZE
SHAFT DIAMETER TOLERANCE METRIC (MM)
INCH
SHAFT STRAIGHTNESS AND ALIGNMENT** METRIC (MM)
INCH
BORE SYMBOL
BORE (mm)
BORE (inch)
+MAX
+MIN
+MAX
+MIN
STRAIGHT
ALIGN
STRAIGHT
ALIGN
02 03 04 05
15 17 20 25
0.5906 0.6693 0.7874 0.9843
0.009 0.009 0.011 0.011
0.0001 0.0001 0.0002 0.0002
0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004
0.0000 0.0000 0.0001 0.0001
0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013
0.051 0.051 0.051 0.051
0.0005 0.0005 0.0005 0.0005
0.002 0.002 0.002 0.002
06 07 08 09
30 35 40 45
1.1811 1.3780 1.5748 1.7717
0.011 0.013 0.013 0.013
0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002
0.0004 0.0005 0.0005 0.0005
0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001
0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013
0.051 0.051 0.051 0.051
0.0005 0.0005 0.0005 0.0005
0.002 0.002 0.002 0.002
10 11 12 13
50 55 60 65
1.9685 2.1654 2.3622 2.5591
0.013 0.015 0.015 0.015
0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002
0.0005 0.0006 0.0006 0.0006
0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001
0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013
0.051 0.051 0.051 0.051
0.0005 0.0005 0.0005 0.0005
0.002 0.002 0.002 0.002
14 15 16 17
70 75 80 85
2.7559 2.9528 3.1496 3.3465
0.015 0.015 0.015 0.018
0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 0.0003
0.0006 0.0006 0.0006 0.0007
0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001
0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013
0.051 0.051 0.051 0.051
0.0005 0.0005 0.0005 0.0005
0.002 0.002 0.002 0.002
18 19 20 21
90 95 100 105
3.5433 3.7402 3.9370 4.1339
0.018 0.025 0.025 0.028
0.0003 0.0003 0.0003 0.0013
0.0007 0.0010 0.0010 0.0011
0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.0005
0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013
0.051 0.051 0.051 0.051
0.0005 0.0005 0.0005 0.0005
0.002 0.002 0.002 0.002
22 24 26 28
110 120 130 140
4.3307 4.7244 5.1181 5.5118
0.028 0.028 0.033 0.033
0.0013 0.0013 0.0015 0.0015
0.0011 0.0011 0.0013 0.0013
0.0005 0.0005 0.0006 0.0006
0.018 0.018 0.018 0.018
0.076 0.076 0.076 0.076
0.0007 0.0007 0.0007 0.0007
0.003 0.003 0.003 0.003
FEBRUARY 2010
* For Ball Bearings And Cylindrical Roller Bearings ** TIR= Total Indicator Runout (for alignment it means both parallel and angular readings) Shafts from 18 to 100mm use k5 and k6 fit Shafts from 100 to 140mm use M5 and M6 fit Housing for held bearing use K7 fit Housing for float bearing use J7
MT-ONLINE.COM | 31
SPECIAL PUMP MAINTENANCE PRIMER Fluid-Handling Matters…
Calling Centrifugal Pump Users & Specifiers
T
he Hydraulic Institute (HI), under the approval of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is seeking qualified individuals in North America to participate in the review
process for the draft updated Standard ANSI/HI 1.4 Rotodynamic (Centrifugal) Pumps for Manuals Describing Installation, Operation, and Maintenance. Interested individuals and organiza-
tions directly and materially affected by this standard, including pump users and specifiers, are asked to e-mail Karen Anderson, at kanderson@pumps.org, or call (973) 267-9700 x123.
Gas-Lubricated Seals
C
Nothing gets by us. Don’t Plan for Contamination – Avoid It Keep contamination where it belongs – outside your machines. Des-Case desiccant breathers keep out air, water and air particles as small as 0.3 microns. Most importantly, they keep you away from unnecessary downtime and costly repairs.
TM
Keeping contamination under control®
(615) 672-8800 sales@descase.com
Get Started Now with a Free Sample Breather!
entrifugal pump users can install EagleBurgmann’s double Cartex® GSDN bi-directional gas-lubricated seals to standardize new units or recondition existing ones that have conventional stuffing box packings or liquid-lubricated mechanical seals. This new product line has been designed so that seat and shaft sleeve rotate along with the pump shaft, while the springs remain stationary. Internal pressurization together with centrifugal forces create a self-cleaning effect at the sliding faces during ongoing operation. This prevents harmful contamination and increases operational reliability, especially in applications where the media contains solids. The manufacturer notes that these seals remain closed and balanced, even in critical situations during startup and shutdown, as well as if a fault occurs in the buffer gas supply. EagleBurgmann Industries LP Houston, TX
Request yours: www.descase.com/sample For more info, enter 85 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
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MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
For more info, enter 161 at www.MT-freeinfo.com FEBRUARY 2010
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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 FEBRUARY 2010
PRESENTED BY: ®
MT-ONLINE.COM | 35
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 (30 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
36 TECHNOLOGY 36|| MAINTENANCE 36 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 / John Elliott, Senior Consultant 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 of Infraspection Institute 4 Lean Tools to Revolutionize Your Maintenance System (Part II) / Ed Stanek, President, LAI Reliability FEBRUARY 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 (15 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, Flowserve, 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
FEBRUARY JANUARY/FEBRUARY J JAN AN ANUAR UAR UA ARY/F Y//F2010 Y/ EBR EB EBR 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 20 Sure-Fire Ways to Shoot Your Maintenance Effort in the Foot / Ray Atkins, contributing editor Maintenace & 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 Strategy Life Cycle Costing Management Ali Zuashkiani, University of Toronto 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 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 Maintenance & Reliability Title TBA / T.A.Cook Consulting, 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
Strategy O&M Peer Networking Bob Gibson, Scientech 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 | 37 7
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 Attendees of this course learn how to evaluate and select lubricants, recommend changes, consolidate inventories, conduct a lube survey, and create and manage a used-lubricant analysis program. Technologies covered include bearings and gears, pneumatics and fluid power, fluid conditioning and analysis, and seals. The course was developed specifically to prepare candidates for the Certified Lubrication Specialist exam. (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, Times: 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: 9:00 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: 9:00 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 36 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 87 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
38 | MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY& TECHNOLOGY LUBRICATION MANAGEMENT
FEBRUARY 2010 JANUARY/FEBRUARY
TTHE HE G GREEN REEN EEDGE DGE
Little Things Add Up For Green-Minded Companies © PKAZMERCYK—FOTOLIA.COM; © KMIT—FOTOLIA.COM
Thinking small is not always bad.
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reen workspace alterations come in all stripes, from big ones that can help produce significant savings i after a payback period to smaller adjustments that can generate savings immediately—and cost little or nothing upfront. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently explored and tracked a number of facility and workspace green alterations to determine their effectiveness and savings. While the GSA study focused on federal office space, the strategies it followed are effective in nearly any work environment, including industrial space. Tiny tweaks capture big benefits The first suggestion by the study’s
authors—which involves turning up the thermostat in summer—is something that any business can easily do. By adjusting summer HVAC output from 74 to 78 F, average energy costs for cooling were cut by 4%, or 10.6 cents per sq. ft. annually in the GSA sample. A side benefit was that the change also increased employee satisfaction: More than 60% of employees said they were uncomfortable working in the colder temperature. Another easy, cost-saving measure involved replacing HVAC-system filters on schedule, and with highperformance filters. The GSA study estimates that 30% of the facilities examined inspected their filters too infrequently. By checking maintenance records to ensure proper replacement,
and using filters with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value rating of 13 or above, the GSA study predicts these facilities would cut overall HVAC energy expenditures by 2%. Finally, by replacing bulky CRT monitors with LCD units, businesses can quickly cut their energy use. CRT monitors draw nearly three times the energy of LCDs: 75 watts compared with 20-25 watts of peak energy. LCD screens were also found to produce appropriate brightness levels more consistently—something that current research suggests might improve performance of visual tasks. For additional information about the study and other energy-saving alterations for the workplace, visit www.gsa.gov MT
DOES YOUR COMPANY HAVE A GREEN EDGE? E-mail your product and service news to: gpietras@atpnetwork.com For information on advertising in the Green Edge section, contact KATHY JAROS at: Phone: (847) 382-8100 ext. 117 / Fax: (847) 304-8603 / E-mail: kjaros@atpnetwork.com
FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 2010 2010
MT-ONLINE.COM MT-ONLINE.COM || 39 39
TTHE HE GREEN GREEN EEDGE DGE
Fuel-Cell Industry Could Generate More Than 1M New Green Jobs
Filter Technology That Reduces Backwash Wastewater
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orsta Filters claims that its GreenClean technology can help to reduce backwash wastewater by as much as 75% for industrial users. Without interrupting system flow during backwash, the products’ smaller flush valves minimize the volume of water required to remove buildup on a filter element. Using internal vacuum nozzles, the Green-Clean system scans and removes debris from the filter in 15 seconds or less. Forsta offers a full line of self-cleaning water filters in 1-36” flange size, with screen elements ranging from 5 to 4000 micron. The company’s full line of all-stainless steel self-cleaning water filters is designed to provide long-term solutions to a wide range of industrial and municipal applications.
he global fuel-cell industry could create 700,000 green manufacturing jobs over the next decade, according to “Fuel Cells: Sustainability,” an Industry Review from Fuel Cell Today (FCT), an organization that gathers market-based intelligence on the fuel-cell industry. The group further predicts that more than a million total new jobs could be created during this period to accommodate fuel-cell installation, servicing and maintenance. FCT projects that Asia will dominate in terms of manufacturing over the next decade, while key adopter regions, including Europe and North America, will be the prime locations for installation and maintenance jobs. The study also raises a number of issues for the fuel-cell industry itself, which, if not addressed, could be a barrier to fuelcell adoption, including education, skills and training and supply-chain development. Fuel Cell Today Hertfordshire, United Kingdom For more info, enter 31 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
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Forsta Filters, Inc. Los Angeles, CA For more info, enter 32 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
ENGTECH Industries Inc.
Compact, Customizable Modular Motors
A
ccording to Sew-Eurodrive, its new compact, modular DR motor is wellsuited for most any industry, and allows users to specify the exact options needed for any application. Maintenance-friendly modular brakes, encoders and other options help simplify retrofits and field adjustments. Designed to meet and exceed various international energy standards, these units are available in three efficiency levels: DRS Standard Efficiency (IE1), DRE High Efficiency (IE2) and DRP Premium Efficiency (IE3). Sew-Eurodrive Lyman, SC
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40 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
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FEBRUARY 2010
TTHE HE G GREEN REEN EEDGE DGE
Go Lean And Green:
Align The Machine Did you know that approximately 50% of vibration-based damage to rotating equipment involves misalignment issues? When machinery is well-aligned, MTBF increases and power consumption drops. Not a bad way to cut operating costs! Bill Hillman Ludeca, Inc. (Editor’s Note: This article first ran in the Nov./Dec. ‘09 issue of Lubrication Management & Technology magazine.)
FEBRUARY 2010 2009
G
oing green is constantly in the news, and organizations everywhere are rushing to green-up their businesses. Some companies probably become interested in this strategy simply to improve their marketing image. What they soon discover, however, is that going green also helps to reduce manufacturing costs through waste reduction. And, with the current global population topping 6.75 billion, minimizing waste and conserving resources has become crucial to our survival. Going green is not something to be taken lightly. Not only is our livelihood at risk, our very lives may depend on how well we meet the challenges of living green. To cover all the benefits of going green would require multiple, book-length documents; therefore, we will limit this discussion to the green benefits of precision machine alignment. Precision alignment produces these types of benefits in four areas: energy savings, improved machine life, better products and less pollution. Energy savings Eighty percent of the lifetime cost of owning an electric motor is for the electricity purchased for its operation. Knowing this makes it easy to understand why even a small increase in efficiency leads to substantial savings over the life of the machine. You may have heard that precision shaft alignment makes your machines more efficient, thereby reducing power consumption. But just how does it do it? A 4”-diameter shaft mounted in antifriction bearings may have an internal bearing clearance of 0.002” or two mils. A human hair, on average, has a diameter of between two and three mils. Using this example, the free space allowed for shaft movement is smaller than the diameter of a human hair. If this shaft is solidcoupled to another shaft and the misalignment between the two shafts exceeds two mils, the internal bearing clearance can no longer provide free space for shaft movement. Any misalignment greater than the mounted internal bearing clearance will produce increased friction in the machine. The bearings are then subjected to additional loading because of the misalignment. Movement is restricted by the bearings, and some of the rotational energy is converted into vibratory energy. This vibration can sometimes be severe. Such vibration is destructive to the machine—and a waste of energy.
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TTHE HE GREEN GREEN EEDGE DGE We purchase electricity to perform work. The energy converted to vibration is no longer doing useful work. In effect, we are purchasing electricity and converting some of it into a destructive force that destroys machinery. This author remembers being called in to balance a large fan driven by a steam turbine. Vibration tests indicated misalignment—as opposed to imbalance. Movement could be observed in the massive concrete base that supported the machine. There must have been literally thousands of foot-pounds of energy causing the huge structure to shake. The vibratory energy was being converted into heat and pumped back into the earth through the huge base. I can remember thinking that the intention of the plant was surely not to purchase electricity for heating the planet! Many industry officials believe that flexible couplings eliminate most misalignment problems—therefore, their practices allow for varying degrees of nonaligned (or poorly aligned) machines. Our company is aware of an instance where the coupling manufacturer’s tolerance was used as the plant alignment standard. The coupling manufacturer’s tolerance, though, is for preventing damage to the coupling, not the coupled machines. Before a coupling can flex, there must be some degree of shaft misalignment. This flexing equates work and requires energy, preventing flexible couplings from being 100% efficient. Improved machine life On occasion, maintenance or production managers may ask why particular machines fail so often. Why indeed? Let us suppose that the cause of failure on a machine operating at 3600 rpm is shaft misalignment. As noted previously, misalignment places additional loading on bearings, which may result in excessive vibration. This vibration is much like hammer blows to the machine—delivered at a rate equal to the vibration frequency. Misalignment most often produces vibration at a frequency equal to two times shaft speed. In our example this would equate to 7200 hammer blows per minute, or over 10 million impacts every 24 hours. Thus, that typical question asked by the managers would seem to be rather poorly phrased. Instead, they should be wondering how their failing machines have managed to run as long as they have, given the abuse they’ve suffered as a result of shaft misalignment! In addition to high vibration, shaft misalignment also places shafts in a bind, producing additional loads on both shafts and bearings. If the load on a bearing is doubled, the life of the bearing is reduced by a factor of eight. Severe misalignment can result in broken shafts as well as failed bearings and even failed bearing housing. Precision shaft alignment will reduce stresses on couplings, bearings, shafts, machine hold-down fasteners, shaft seals and housings. Putting less stress on these components will result in a more reliable machine and longer machine life. This adds up to a greener machine as resources are not wasted on new machine construction when the original is still running and reliable.
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MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
Better products Smooth-running machines allow for products that meet the customer’s specifications. Rough-running machines are incapable of making smooth products. ■ Smooth-running, reliable machines produce better products because there is less rework. ■ Less rework means less waste. ■ Energy, labor, materials and manufacturing time are all reduced, resulting in a greener company. It is a win/win/win scenario all the way around, since the elimination of rework reduces costs, as well as stress on machinery—which, in turn, increases machine life. Less pollution The leading cause of shaft-seal failure is misalignment. Seal failures can lead to oil, product, water, steam, acid, caustics, dust, air and other types of leaks or spills. The consequences of such events can range from minor to catastrophic. Many leaks contribute to plant safety hazards and degrade plant morale. At best, a leak is a waste of resources that is likely to contaminate other resources. Leaks of one kind or another can result in the permanent shutdown of a plant. In fact, many of us can probably think of at least one instance where a plant—perhaps even a whole company— has been devastated because of some contaminant emission or seepage. Leaks and spills cannot be taken lightly—and precision shaft alignment is essential in helping prevent shaft seal failures. Good shaft-alignment practices will certainly help us conform to environmental standards and are a requirement for any plant that operates rotating equipment. Practicing precision shaft alignment may even help reduce the risk of an operation being subjected to an OSHA investigation. Achieving the benefits A rough alignment is better than no attempt at alignment— but a rough alignment will not achieve the precision required for maximum machine efficiency. Taper gages, rulers, feeler gages and straight edges are simple tools that can be used in performing a rough alignment; however, the use of such tools will not likely achieve the desired precision. Let us consider for a moment the difference between rough and precision shaft alignment. Figure 1 depicts a typical alignment chart showing the tolerances required for an alignment to qualify as a precision shaft alignment. In order to obtain the full green benefits of shaft alignment, tools that can meet or exceed the tolerances shown in Fig. 1 need to be used. Keep in mind that state-of-the-art laser-alignment systems provide more accurate and reliable alignment data than conventional methods—and, thus, save significant time and effort on the part of the end-user.
FEBRUARY 2010
TTHE HE G GREEN REEN EEDGE DGE
Shaft Alignment Tolerances (short couplings) Excellent
Acceptable
RPM
Offset (mils)
Angularity (mils/in)
Offset (mils)
Angularity (mils/in)
600
5.0
1.0
9.0
1.5
900
3.0
0.7
6.0
1.0
1200
2.5
0.5
4.0
0.8
1800
2.0
0.3
3.0
0.5
3600
1.0
0.2
1.5
0.3
7200
0.5
0.1
1.0
0.2
Fig. 1. A typical shaft-alignment-tolerance chart
“Going green” requires having sound operating practices and well-developed procedures in place. Adherence to guidelines where machines are precision-aligned
For more info, enter 80 at www.MT-freeinfo.com FEBRUARY 2010
when they are installed—or anytime that they are unbolted for maintenance—should be a priority within every “green” business. Such procedures should also aim to ensure that the machines remain in alignment during operation. This can be accomplished by periodic alignment checks in conjunction with vibration testing. If operating machines do not remain in alignment, it indicates a fault that demands immediate attention. The cause of such defects should be determined and corrected as quickly as they are diagnosed. By integrating predictive and corrective maintenance technologies, machine reliability can be sustained at a level required by the plant. An added benefit is that healthy machines live longer lives. Keeping machines precision-aligned is a primary factor in making sure that one’s business is operating lean and green. No, precision shaft alignment alone will not make your plant green. But, by the same token, a green plant will be very difficult to achieve without precision shaft alignment. In simple, yet colorful terms, if you want to operate in the black, operate in the green. MT Bill Hillman is a technical contributor for LUDECA, INC., vendor of alignment, vibration-analysis and balancing equipment, including, among other things, the ROTALIGN® ULTRA laser alignment system. Contact him directly at: (903) 927-1962; or e-mail: billcmrp@yahoo.com For more info, enter 34 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
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SOLUTION SPOTLIGHT
Simplicity by design just got better...
New Oil-Free Centrifugal Compressors Delivering What You Asked For...
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ith its new line of C1000 Centac oil-free centrifugal compressors, Ingersoll Rand is continuing a long tradition of simplicity by design and—it appears— outstanding customer responsiveness. According to the company, this recently introduced series incorporates the best of both time-proven and new technologies, including more than 50 design improvements, to deliver the type of reliable, efficient, productive operating capabilities that compressed air users demand. Optimized for superior serviceability, the vertically-split design provides fast access to major components, thus minimizing downtime. Traverse-mounted water-in-tube coolers, for example, can be thoroughly cleaned in place from either side. (Oversized for greater fouling resistance, these coolers provide low CTD and pressure drop to increase compressor efficiency and reliability.) The units have a simplified, leak-free oil system with an integrated oil filter, in addition to pressure and thermal regulation. Leak-free operation is attained using O-ring face seals. Sleeve bearings in the heavy-duty motor reduce maintenance and improve durability. High-quality AMGA-rated gearing is designed for 25-year life. All components are uniform-hardened (as opposed to surface-hardened) to further increase reliability. Ingersoll Rand’s signature reverse backward-leaning impellers maximize turndown and increase efficiency. Field removal is simple and requires no special tools. Flex-pad lobe bearings lead to high load capability and low vibration levels. Tapered land thrust bearings absorb maximum load and are more tolerant to contaminants. Full floating non-contact carbon ring seals minimize air leakage and prevent oil from migrating into the air. According to the manufacturer, single-piece construction provides two to three times better performance than other technologies, which saves valuable compressed air. 44 |
MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
Centac C-Series: C1000 700-1,100 sW (900-1,500 hp)
It’s All About Control...The Right Kind The C1000’s controller features an intuitive highresolution color display that provides a window into all of the compressor’s vital signs. Besides helping ensure peak performance, this controller enables predictive maintenance through continuous monitoring and trending of critical parameters. It has an open Web-page architecture allowing users to remotely interact with the compressor from almost anywhere. For more info, enter 35 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
FEBRUARY 2010
CAPACITY ASSURANCE MARKETPLACE
Near-Laboratory-Quality Viscosity Measurements Made Easy
Printer Offers Hundreds Of Label Options
he SimpleVIS™ system from Cannon Instrument is a specialized semi-automated viscometer that provides quick, reliable kinematic viscosity results with a touch of a finger. According to the company, this portable unit is ideal for any site that needs near-laboratory-quality viscosity measurements. Everything to get started is included; the user provides only sample and solvent. Capable of delivering direct kinematic viscosity measurement, with no need to correlate dynamic viscosity data, the product incorporates a modified cross-arm style tube that works with both transparent and opaque oils.
T
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Cannon Instrument Co. State College, PA
Brady Worldwide, Inc. Milwaukee, WI
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he BMP™71 label printer from Brady features more than 400 varieties of label options and what the company claims is the fastest print speed in the portable printer market. It can print on more than 30 different types of materials, including self-laminating sleeves and flag labels, indoor/outdoor vinyl and raisedpanel labels. Other features include a material-recognition technology that automatically formats a print job according to the inserted cartridge, storage space for 100,000+ label files and a print speed of 1.5” per second.
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Fast, No-Hassle, CMMS “Toolbox”
M
APCON’s On-Demand™ uses cutting-edge SaaS (software-as-aservice) technology to provide companies with comprehensive maintenance management (including work orders and preventive maintenance scheduling tools). According to the manufacturer, On-Demand is delivered “blazingly fast” and economically over the Internet to customer computers, eliminating slowdown that can be associated with using browsers to access information. The application is billed month-to-month, with no contract periods or penalties for upgrades or downgrades. As a standard policy, MAPCON offers a free 30-day software evaluation to potential customers. New On-Demand subscribers are eligible for a free initial month of service. MAPCON Technologies, Inc. Des Moines, IA For more info, enter 37 at www.MT-freeinfo.com FEBRUARY 2010
POWERFUL STATIC ELIMINATORS EXAIR’S Super Ion Air Knife™ removes static electricity from webs, sheet stock and plastic surfaces where dust, tearing, jamming or hazardous shocks are a problem. The balanced laminar airflow of the Super Ion Air Knife effectively eliminates static at distances up to 20 feet away. Production speeds, product quality and surface cleanliness can improve dramatically. Other styles include Ion Air Cannon, Ion Air Gun, Ion Air Jet, Ionizing Bars and Ionizing Point. Applications include web cleaning, prepaint blowoff, bag opening and neutralizing plastic parts. EXAIR CORPORATION 11510 Goldcoast Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45249-1621 Phone 513 671-3322 Toll Free 800 903-9247 Fax 513 671-3363 E-mail: techelp@exair.com Internet: www.exair.com/48/176.htm
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CAPACITY ASSURANCE MARKETPLACE
Easy & Safe UL Classified Temporary Electrical Panel Covers
T
empCovers™ from Grace Engineered Products are designed to serve as temporary protective panelboard ingress barriers for commercial, residential and maintenance electrical panels. UL classified, they meet all applicable OSHA standards and provide easy and safe access to an electrical panel that is being serviced by a licensed and/ or qualified worker. TempCovers™ not only allow the covering and uncovering of a panel in seconds (through the use of non-conductive, shock-reducing magnets), they come with signage indicating high-voltage risk. Puncture- and tear-resistant, they’re rated up to 600 volts.
Grace Engineered Products, Inc. Davenport, IA
Continuous Protection For Commercial Steam & Boiler Applications
M
cDonnell & Miller’s Series 1575 Combination LowWater Cut-Off / Pump Controller is used as a low-watercut-off, feed water control and alarm for boilers, vessels and tanks. It features a 1 hp pump relay along with adjustable burner and pump settings and a wide range of diagnostic capabilities. The manufacturer notes that the product prevents rapid burner and pump cycling; provides constant operation throughout the pressure range; does not require electrical starters for motors up to 1 hp; and lends itself to easy monitoring and troubleshooting. McDonnell & Miller An ITT Brand Morton Grove, IL
For more info, enter 39 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
For more info, enter 40 at www.MT-freeinfo.com
Need Help? Need A Job? Contact Lisa – LISA LINEAL:
LINEALRecruiting Services
PIP is a consortium of process plant owners and engineering construction contractors harmonizing members’ 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 82 at www.MT-freeinfo.com www.pip.org
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lisalineal@lineal.com www.lineal.com Electromechanical • Electronic Electrical Service & Systems Specialists
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Mapcon Technologies, Inc. (MTI) offers three CMMS Software solutions starting at $495 designed to fit different sized operations. Our Maintenance Management Software packages are full-featured Work Order and Preventive Maintenance Software systems integrating Asset Management, Inventory, Purchasing and PDA Technology. For more info, enter 83 at www.MT-freeinfo.com www.mapcon.com
more info, enter at www.MT-freeinfo.com ForFor more info, enter 75 77 at www.MT-freeinfo.com FEBRUARY 2010
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February 2010 Volume 23, No. 2 •
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1300 South Grove Avenue, Suite 105 Barrington, IL 60010 PH 847-382-8100 FX 847-304-8603
AB SKF .................................................. www.skf.com/lubrication .................... 67...........................7 ATP Lists ............................................... www.atplists.com ................................. 71.........................18 Baker Instument Co............................. www.bakerinst.com ............................. 74.........................23
SALES STAFF
Brady Worldwide, Inc. ......................... www.bradyid.com/bmp71 .................. 77.........................33 Castrol Industrial North America Inc. .. www.castrol.com/industrial ................ 66...........................5 CRC Industries..................................... www.crcindustries.com/ei................... 68.........................10 Des-Case Corporation ........................ www.descase.com/sample ................... 85.........................32 Energy Summit .................................... www.energysummitonline.com ......... 73.........................19
OH, KY, TN 135 N. Rocky River Road Berea, OH 44017 440-463-0907; Fax 440-891-1254 JOHN DAVIS jdavis@atpnetwork.com
Engtech Industries Inc......................... www.engtechindustries.com............... 79.........................40 Eventure Events - SAP ......................... www.sap-centric-eam.com ................. 63...........................2 Exair Corporation................................ www.exair.com/48/470.htm................ 69,86 ..............11,45 Fluke ...................................................... www.fluke.com..................................... 70.........................17 Grace Engineered Products. Inc. ........ www.info.graceport.com/tc ................ 61.......................IFC Inpro/Seal Co........................................ www.inpro-seal.com/cdr ..................... 100......................BC
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
IMEC ..................................................... www.cmore.mie.utoronto.ca/initiatives . 84...................... IBC Mapcon Technologies, Inc. ................. www.mapcon.com ............................... 78.........................34 MARTS- Applied Technologies .......... www.martsconference.com................. 75.........................26 Mobil Industrial Lubricants................ www.signumoilanalysis.com .............. 76.........................27 Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs............. www.nutsandboltsfoundation.org ..... 72.........................19
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
Process Industries Practices ................ www.pip.org ......................................... 81,82 ..............43,46 Royal Purple, Inc. ................................. www.royal-purple-industrial.com ..... 62...........................1 Strategic Work Systems, Inc. ............... www.swspitcrew.com........................... 80.........................43 VibrAlign, Inc. ...................................... www.vibralign.com.............................. 64...........................4
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.
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MT-ONLINE.COM | 47
VIEWPOINT Doc Palmer, P.E., MBA, CMRP Managing Partner, Richard Palmer and Associates
Planning & Scheduling Your Troubleshooting
L
et’s talk troubleshooting. How do you plan and schedule it? Sounds difficult, if not impossible. Truth be told, planning and scheduling are practically made for troubleshooting. Therefore, even if we typically don’t plan or schedule much of anything, we should— at least—plan and schedule troubleshooting. Why is that? Planning and scheduling form the basis of controlling maintenance, while troubleshooting is the least predictable of all maintenance activities. If not contained, it can ruin overall maintenance productivity. Planning, though, is not “Plan then execute.” Planning is running a cycle of improvement: We plan, see what we planned wrong and plan better next time, never expecting perfection. Furthermore, weekly scheduling is not dictating when each job and each person will interact next week. Weekly scheduling is allocating enough work to fill available labor hours as a goal to improve productivity. It is “OK” if the plans are not perfect and it is “OK” if we don’t meet the schedule goal. Still, we get better each time, and complete more work than if we did not plan or schedule. How do we plan troubleshooting work orders? We count on the fact that a current work order is not the only time we will hear from a given piece of equipment. Each piece of industrial equipment in our plants has one or two predominant failure modes. If we do not know what is wrong this time, we might simply say “troubleshoot and repair,” and then collect feedback. The next time, we can say “troubleshoot and repair, and the following is what we found out last time.” Faithfully repeating this method over the course of several years yields a troubleshooting guide unique to each piece of equipment—a guide born from the experience of a number of different craftpersons. Thus, we must
plan troubleshooting work if we plan anything at all, because a planning system is about learning and improving, and reducing the unknown. (By the way, parts-information collection is invaluable for troubleshooting. How many times have we all thought, said and/or heard something along the lines of the following? “I don’t know what’s wrong this time, but these are the parts we’ve used in the past.”) How do we schedule troubleshooting? As impractical/unfeasible as it may seem, we must schedule troubleshooting work orders because we must fill all the available crew labor hours for our work goal. If we start setting aside a certain portion of craft time for unknown maintenance, the whole productivity improvement effort falls apart—Parkinson’s Law sets in and all work expands to fill the available time. I once worked (and laughed) with an instrument planner who seemed to have only three job plans: “Troubleshoot and repair 2 hours.” “Troubleshoot and repair 4 hours.” “Troubleshoot and repair 8 hours.” Yet, consider: Any time estimate on a maintenance job keeps the job from expanding unnecessarily, and we can often expect certain troubleshooting to last less than half a day. Why should we default to a mentality of “Come back when you’re finished” and perhaps fuel the idea that these jobs might run all day? Go ahead and take your maintenance program to the next level. Plan and schedule troubleshooting work. MT Doc Palmer is the author of McGraw-Hill’s Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Handbook. Telephone: (904) 228-5700; e-mail: docpalmer@ palmerplanning.com (FYI: He’ll also be presenting a post-conference workshop on “Maintenance Planning and Scheduling” at MARTS 2010. For more details, visit www.MARTSconference.com)
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.
48 | MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY
FEBRUARY 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”.
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Inpro/Seal Company has been in the business of bearing protection for rotating equipment for 32 years and counting. We have been supplying bearing protection for the IEEE-841 motors since they were first introduced. It is only logical that we would expand into the field of motor shaft current mitigation to protect motor bearings. The CDR is:
ROBUST Machined entirely out of solid corrosion resistant
and highly conductive bronze, the CDR/MGS is capable of carrying 12+ continuous amps. They are made exclusively by the Inpro/Seal Company in Rock Island, IL, to ensure consistent quality and same-day shipments when required.
RELIABLE The CDR and MGS (Motor Grounding Seal)
products were developed in our own Research and Experimentation Laboratory and then extensively tested and evaluated by professional motor manufacturing personnel. Our standard guarantee of unconditional customer satisfaction of product performance applies. We stand behind our products.
REALISTIC When you order a CDR or MGS from Inpro/Seal, you are assured of the complete responsibility for technology and performance from a single source. We want to earn the right to be your first choice for complete bearing protection.
For more information visit www.inpro-seal.com/CDR or contact 800-447-0524 for your Inpro/Seal Representative.
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