Machinery & Equipment MRO June 2009

MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

RCM highlights Domtar’s maintenance strategy Distributor profile: Best Bearings Thermal imaging aids PM of electric motors

Vol. 25, No. 3

JUNE 2009

Infrared inspection update saves mill big money Using a CMMS to track your KPIs

THERMOGRAPHY HANDS-ON REPORTS FOCUS ON

CASTERS

MOTORS

BONUS: INDUSTRIAL LUBRICATION

P r o d u c t

sp tlight

Machinery & Equipment MRO

Motor line meets high efficiency requirements

to infinity. Measuring range is minus 20°C to 350°C (minus 4°F to 662°F); operating temperature range is minus 15°C to 50°C (5°F to 122°F). The SD card, USB and video output capability allow for quick analysis of the JPEG-format data.

LumaSense Technologies

Reader Service Card No. 386

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t

Thermal imager is fullfeatured at low price

higher efficiency levels than previously allowed. General-purpose motors that today meet EPACT levels will need to meet premium efficiency levels, and motors that were exempt from EPACT because of voltage, mounting, etc., will need to meet EPACT. Leeson stocks a wide variety of energy-efficient solutions, such as

The affordable MikroShot thermal imaging camera has been introduced by LumaSense Technologies.

This pocket-sized, fully radiometric camera allows for radiometric temperature data to be displayed directly on the visible image. Weighing only 10.5 oz, it uses off-the-shelf batteries and comes with an AC adapter. Features include a 2.7-in. display and 160- by 120-pixel image resolution for clear images, colour alarm and autofocus at distances from 1.3 m (1.4 yd)

Auxiliary bearing cover offers extra protection

QM Bearings has introduced a line of auxiliary covers for its Blue Brute bearings. In addition to the standard urethane secondary covers, stamped heavy-gauge steel secondary covers are available in sizes ranging from 1-1/16 in. to 5 in. The steel covers are available in both closedend and open-end configurations. Designed for extremely demanding applications, the covers are for use in industries such as aggregate, mining and steel, in applications where external impacts to

the cover are possible.

Black oxide finish is standard for extreme corrosion and chemical resistance. Grease fittings allow the option of filling the cover cavity with grease for an extra contamination barrier.

QM Bearings

t

Leeson Electric’s products meet or exceed U.S. NEMA premium-efficiency requirements that will be in place in 2010. The U.S. Energy Independence and Securities Act that will be enforced beginning December 2010 requires new motors to have

motors, gear reducers and drives, including Wattsaver premium efficient motors ranging from 1 hp to 200 hp, severe-duty IEEE 841 motors through 100 hp, AC inverters through 150 hp and high-efficiency gear reducers up to 125 hp.

Leeson Electric

June 2009

Reader Service Card No. 388

Low-profile caster supports mega-weights

Mini-Mite casters from Hamilton Caster are designed for applications that demand an extremely low overall height and an extremely high capacity. Each caster stands only 6 in. tall and supports up to 10,000 lb. This strength was accomplished using kingpin-less swivel construction with a 6-in.diameter raceway. The raceways are CNC-machined and hardened to handle the extra capacity. The outside diameter of the ring is 7-1/4 in. and the caster wheel is a 4-in.-by-3-in.-wide 1045 steel roller with four precision bearings inside — two needle thrust and two needle roller. The rig and wheel are painted battleship grey.

Hamilton Caster Reader Service Card No. 389

Hydraulic internal/external puller is versatile

Posi Lock’s hydraulic product line has been expanded to include a three-jaw, 25ton internal/external puller. The PH113IE puller features internal puller jaws that have a reach from 63.5 mm to 177.8 mm (2.5 in. to 7 in.) and a spread from 203.2 mm to 533.4 mm (8 in. to 21 in.).

The external jaws have a reach of 305 mm (12 in.) and a spread of 64 mm to 457 mm (2.5 in. to 18 in.) with standard jaws. Optional long jaws are available. Replacing the jaws is a question of simply removing the ball lock pins and inserting the desired jaws. These hydraulic pullers are useful for the removal of gears, bearings and other press fit items in diverse industries.

Posi Lock Puller Reader Service Card No. 390

New electric motor is efficient and tough

The development of the new W22 electric motor from WEG was based on high efficiency and low cost of ownership throughout the entire motor lifetime. Features include: excellent cost benefit ratio, optimization of energy resources, noise level reduction, easier maintenance, updated electrical features and vibration level reduction. The W22 platform is available with NEMA Premium efficiencies. The exclusive WISE insulation system increases winding dielectric resistance, thus allowing VFD operation up to 575 V without further modification. W22 motors are built using cast iron at WEG’s own foundries, assuring durability in aggressive conditions.

V.J. Pamensky Reader Service Card No. 115

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MRO

Solutions Drive Success Drives was built on the experience, hard work and the intuitive nature of its founders. It is with unmatched dedication and commitment to producing quality products that Drives has continued this tradition of excellence.

People are our most important asset. We believe that by building our people we will build our company. We must strive each day to be the best in quality and service.

Strive each day to bring “what is” closer to “what it should be”.

Today, Drives manufactures the most comprehensive line of superior quality power transmission roller chains, attachment chains and engineered conveyor chains for the world’s toughest applications. With over 100 years of advanced engineering knowledge and experience, Drives relentlessly delivers leading edge solutions that set the standard for quality in the industry.

Fulton, IL/USA • 800-435-0782 Toronto, ON/Canada • 877-625-2358 www.drivesinc.com

American Petroleum Institute AMERICAN CHAIN ASSOCIATION

LICENSED UNDER SPEC 7F-0022

Reader Service Card No. 116

c o n t e n t s

Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2009

features Decade of change makes mill a leader / 15

Case Study: Reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) and other improvement programs have profoundly affected the way this Domtar paper mill’s employees relate to their equipment.

Profile: Best Bearings / 16

As one of the few industrial suppliers in Canada with women at the helm, Best Bearings goes serenely about its business.

Industrial Lubrication / 17

Lubrication, hydraulics and tribology are featured in this special eight-page supplement.

Cover story: Heat Seeker / 25

Using thermal imaging as an effective tool for the preventive maintenance of electric motors.

p15

departments

Infrared inspection update saves big money / 26

Paper mill’s IR window program saves almost $40,000 on energized equipment inspections.

Editor’s Notebook / 6 Industry Newswatch / 8 Company Briefs / 12

Speeds important in mill motor / 27

p25

Reliability a top priority at MDF plant.

Bearing specialists elect new leaders / 38

Mr. O, The Problem Solver / 14 The Safety File / 28 CMMS Solutions / 29 Maintenance Management / 30 MRO On The Road / 37-38

Bearing distributors and manufacturers gather for business sessions and networking.

Product News Product Spotlight / 2

columns

Focus on Motors & Drives / 32 Focus on Thermography / 33

Beware safety issues when importing equipment / 28

Focus on Casters / 34

The Safety File: Buying new equipment outside of Canada can cause frustrating problems when local safety regulations apply.

MRO Components / 35

Tracking your KPIs / 29

CMMS Solutions: There are several important steps to take before your CMMS can provide results regarding Key Performance Indicators when using Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM).

No wrong decisions / 30

p34

Maintenance Management: Follow along with Step 27 in a journey to World-Class Maintenance at the Plentya Paper Company.

Cover Š iStockphoto.com/Vladimir

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choosing outdated drive systems. Enhance productivity by switching to industry-leading NORD Gear drive systems.

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It all adds up to lower total cost of ownership.

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KEEPING YOUR BUSINESS UP TO SPEED.

e d i t o r’ s

N o t e b o o k

Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2009

Good news hits home

F

irst off, we’d like to pass along a bit of good news of our own. Our long-serving technical editor, Lloyd (Tex) Leugner of Cochrane, AB, has won yet another award in the annual Kenneth R. Wilson Awards competition organized by the Canadian Business Press. Leugner’s article, Understanding Coupling Failures — the cover feature in our December 2008 issue — won a Top Five award in the Best Technology/Industrial/Manufacturing article category of the competition. In all, there were about 500 entries this year in various categories.

Leugner had won a Gold Award (first place) in the Wilson awards the previous year for his article entitled

Troubleshooter’s Guide to Test & Measurement Technology.

Congratulations to Tex for helping make MRO Magazine one of Canada’s top trade magazines. Like all of our print content, his articles are archived online at mromagazine.com.

We also want to point out a change in the format of our biannual supplement, Industrial Lubrication, which can be found in this issue following page 16.

This publication usually is printed in a standard magazine size and polybagged with our June and December issues.

However, we decided this year to make it the same tabloid size as MRO Magazine, and to bind it into our regular issues.

Please let us know what you think of the new format, and also be sure to pass along this issue to any of your colleagues who specialize in machinery and equipment lubrication.

This edition is also a great read for anyone interested in learning more about reliability centred maintenance (RCM), as our lead case study — Decade of Change Makes Mill a Leader — tells about its application at Domtar’s paper mill in Windsor, QC. And in CMMS Solutions, Peter Phillips explains several important steps to take before your CMMS can provide results regarding Key Performance Indicators when using RCM. We’ve also begun an occasional series of articles profiling industrial distributors in Canada, and this issue features the story behind Best Bearings, one of the country’s few shops run by women.

Other topics in this issue include infrared thermography, electric motor reli-

ability, and a look at what’s new in casters and wheels. And don’t miss this issue’s Safety File column, which warns of the problems of getting imported equipment certified to be safely operated in Canada.

We’ve also been travelling around to several conferences and trade shows of late. A few are highlighted in our MRO On The Road pages near the back of this issue. In particular, we bring you photo essays from ISA Calgary, PMDS Montreal, and the Bearing Specialists Association annual convention.

We’d like to wrap up by once again asking you to forward any good news stories you can share with us in this tough economy. If you feel good about your job, your accomplishments or your industry, let us know. Write to broebuck@mromagazine.com. Your comments will be sincerely appreciated.

Bill Roebuck, Editor & Associate Publisher

machinery and equipment

maintenance, repair and operations

JunE 2009 Volume 25, No. 3 Established 1985 www.mromagazine.com Editorial Bill roebuck, Editor & associate Publisher 416-510-6749 broebuck@mromagazine.com Ellie robinson, art director Contributing Editors Richard G. Ensman Jr., Simon Fridlyand, Lloyd Leugner, Carroll McCormick, Peter Phillips, Angela Webb, Cliff Williams BusinEss nick naunheimer, Publisher 416-510-6868 nnaunheimer@mromagazine.com Eric achilles Cousineau, adv. sales Manager 416-510-6803 eachilles@mromagazine.com John desroche, advertising Production 416-510-6756 dorothy tan, subscription Enquiries 416-442-5600 x3554 Machinery & Equipment MRO is published six times a year to help improve the effectiveness, productivity and practical knowledge of maintenance professionals in Canada’s manufacturing, utilities and resource industries.

Editorial & sales offices: 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M3C 4J2; tel: 416-510-6868, 1-800-268-7742; fax: 416-510-5134.

Subscription rates. Canada: 1 year $55.95, 2 years $88.95.

United States: 1 year $82.95. Elsewhere: 1 year $82.95. Single copies $10 (Canada), $16.50 (U.S.), $21.50 (other). Add 5% GST to all rates. On occasion, our subscription list is made available to organizations whose products or services may be of interest to our readers. If you would prefer not to receive such information please contact us via one of the following methods — phone: 1-800-668-2374, e-mail: privacyofficer@businessinformationgroup.ca, fax: 416-442-2191, mail to Privacy Officer-Business Information Group, 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, ON Canada M3C 4J2. ©2009. Contents of this publication are copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without written consent of the publisher. The publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of claims in items reported or advertised.

Machinery & Equipment MRO is published by Business Information Group, a division of Glacier Ventures International Corp. Bruce Creighton, president, BIG; Alex Papanou, vice-president, BIG. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240. Return postage guaranteed.

ISSN 0831-8603. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses and change of address notices to: MRO Circulation Dept., 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M3C 4J2 .

MRO, USPS 012-846 is published six times per year by Business Information Group.

US office of publication: 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY 14304-0357.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Niagara Falls, NY. US postmater: Send address changes to Machinery and Equipment MRO, PO Box 1118, Niagara Falls NY 14304.

Audit Bureau of Circulations Member/Canadian Business Press support acknowledge the financial

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I N D U S T R Y

N E W S W A T C H

Machinery & Equipment MRO

Super glue sets new world record Avon, OH — Loctite Super Glue has secured a spot in the record books, earning the Guinness World Record, the world authority on record-breaking achievements, for the ‘heaviest vehicle ever lifted with a commercially available glue.’

Using only nine drops of Super Glue,

June 2009

motion control equipment experienced a drop in sales in March 2009, according to data released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA). Confidence in the market (as measured on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being most optimistic) has also eroded, holding a current position between 4.6 and 4.9.

Following a negligible increase in sales in February 2009, US manufacturers’ sales dropped by 4.2% in March 2009. Compared to the same period last year, sales in March 2009 were down 24.9%. Orders in March 2009 continue to drop with a 7.8% decrease over February 2009 sales.

Canadian manufacturers’ sales were down 7.9% compared to February 2009.

Sales were down 29.0% when compared to the same period last year.

Sales between February 2009 and March 2009 in specific product categories reflect the change in sales experienced by US and Canadian manufacturers. Most product categories for US manufacturers posted a decrease in sales.

The Market Outlook Report is published monthly by the PTDA. The full report includes US and Canadian manufacturer data for sales and order trends for mounted bearings, unmounted bearings, standard industrial motors, variable speed drives, positioning systems/linear motion products, gear products, clutches and brakes, shaft couplings and mechanical drive systems, and other PT products.

Year-end data for 2007 and 2008 is available in a complete report. The monthly data is available by subscription via e-mail or mail. To order the report, visit ptda.org/store or call PTDA at 312516-2100.

ciate and association information, the annual directory provides names and information for industry contacts.

A comprehensive alphabetical distributor listing includes complete company contact information; top executive contacts; number and location of branches; and manufacturers’ lines represented by the firm.

The manufacturer section includes company contact information; top-level management contacts; and product categories manufactured. A quick-reference index of manufacturers by product also is included.

Other directory highlights include an associate member listing with contact information and a company description; an overview of the products and services available; phone and e-mail contact information for key executives and PTDA volunteer leaders; and an advertiser index.

The 2009 Membership Directory is available to PTDA members for US$30 per copy, and to non-members for $250 per copy. The directory also is available in electronic format to members only for $100.

To purchase the directory, order online at www.ptda.org/store or call PTDA at 312-516-2100.

above those of the typical firm.

• With respect to the bottom line, the typical PTDA distributor member generated pre-tax profit of 4.1% on annual sales of $30.1 million, compared to highprofit firms that produced an average profit of 6.8% on sales of $44.6 million (all figures in US dollars).

• While the typical firm experienced an increase of 1.7% in sales in 2008, high-profit distributors reported a 3.7% gain in sales growth over the same period.

• High-profit firms reported a pre-tax return on assets (ROA) of 20.4%, while the typical It only took nine drops of Loctite Super Glue for the Loctite new book deTails uses PT/MC distributor brand to earn the world record for the heaviest vehicle ever of TherMal iMaging To reported an ROA lifted with a commercially available glue.

CuT MainTenanCe CosTs of only 11.9%.

The PT DisMississauga, ON — Fluke Corporation, a tributor Performance Report, conducted Henkel Corporation’s Loctite brand sucsupplier of portable electronic test and meacessfully lifted a full-size Ford F350 Dually annually for PTDA by Profit Planning surement and thermal imaging technology, Crew Cab pickup truck, with a Smart ForGroup of Boulder, CO, is a compilation has introduced a new 72-page book filled two compact car in its bed, and suspended of operational statistics from 49 PTDA with the latest information on the basics of members throughout North America. thermography, and the safe, efficient, and it in the air for an hour, meeting the worldThis resource examines five-year dispractical use of thermal imagers. record requirement. The overall weight of PTda 2009 MeMbershiP The new book, Introduction to Thertributor performance trends in return the vehicles was 5.02 tons — nearly one ton direCTory is ouT now mography Principles, is co-written by on investment, income statement, and more than the previous record.

Chicago, IL — A listing of more than 400 Fluke and the Snell Group, and published balance sheet line items and examines Like most of the Loctite consumer distributors and manufacturers of power in cooperation with American Techniproducts, this consumer glue product had financial ratios, asset productivity ratios, transmission/motion control products cal Publishers. It depicts and describes originally been developed for industrial growth and cash sufficiency ratios and can be found in the new Power Transmany thermal images of electrical, elecuse. However, in the development phase, employee productivity ratios. mission Distributors Association (PTDA) tro-mechanical, HVAC, process, and Data is reported for typical PT/MC disit became obvious that consumers should 2009 Membership Directory. building inspection applications. The tributors and high-profit firms (top 25% of be able to use the benefits of the rubberA resource for any company seeking book includes 122 illustrations and gives firms based on ROA). Data also is reported infused technology. current distributor, manufacturer, assothe reader an excellent overview of the for five U.S. regions (Eastern, Southern, For more information about Loctite power of thermal imaging as Midwest, South Central and super glues, visit loctiteproducts.com. an everyday maintenance and Western) and Canada, and Canadian manufacturer per cent change in product sales PT/MC disTribuTors exPeriinspection tool. four sales volume categories, (March 2009 vs. February 2009) enCed soMe growTh in 2008 Real-world examples illusranging from less than $10 trate commercial, industrial, Chicago, IL — The Power Transmission million to over $75 million.

Product Per cent change municipal and residential enviDistributors Association (PTDA) recentAdditional breakouts Shaft Couplings -62.7% ronments and applications. ly announced the results of its 2009 PT include machinery repair In addition, the book provides Distributor Performance Report (based and operations (MRO) Standard Industrial Motors -40.7% information on thermography on 2008 data). Revealing the profit chalemphasis versus original Positioning Systems/Linear Motion Products -26.7% analysis, reporting, documenlenges and opportunities in the power equipment manufacturer Clutches & Brakes -18.7% tation, return on investment transmission/motion control (PT/MC) (OEM) emphasis, and prodindustry, the report indicates that the resources, and related techuct mix (percentage of sales Mechanical Drive Systems & Other PT Products -6.6% typical PT/MC distributor experienced nologies. by bearings, power transMounted Bearings -5.2% an increase in gross margins but slowThermal imagers have mission and other). er sales growth than anticipated at the become more important tools The report is designed for Unmounted Bearings 1.8% beginning of the year. as they help identify potential distributors seeking inforVariable Speed Drives 2.9% When asked in October 2007 to foreproblems that when fixed can mation to benchmark their cast sales for 2008, just over 50% of distriimprove sustainability and procompany’s performance Gear Products 17.9% bution firms anticipated growth in sales ductivity, and save money. Theragainst that of the industry, of between 5.0% and 14.9%. The actual mal imagers help detect unexas well as manufacturers U.S. manufacturer per cent change in product sales sales growth rate for the median PTDA pected moisture and inadequate looking to obtain insight into (March 2009 vs. February 2009) distributor, as reported in the 2009 PT insulation in walls and ceilings, the operational and business Distributor Performance Report, was find air leaks and identify areas needs of their distributors.

Product Per cent change lower than anticipated at 1.7%. of potential energy loss.

The report is available Variable Speed Drives -25.8% As for gross margins, 80% forecasted Used as everyday troublefor purchase to PTDA memgrowth in gross margins in the range shooting and maintenance bers for US$169.95 and to Shaft Couplings -15.1% of 0.0% to 1.9%. According to the data tools, thermal imagers can non-members for $299.95.

Mounted Bearings -13.3% collected for the PT Distributor Perforreveal hot spots on electrical For more information, conmance Report, gross margins as a per and mechanical equipment tact PTDA at 312-516-2100 Gear Products -12.8% cent of net sales beat expectations with that may indicate problems or visit ptda.org/store.

Standard Industrial Motors -12.5% an increase of 3.0%. ahead. They are ideal for prosales Took a big hiT The 2009 PT Distributor Performance fessionals, including plant Clutches & Brakes -1.8% in MarCh for PT/MC Report also provides a comparison of the electricians, field service techMechanical Drive Systems and Other PT Products -0.3% ManufaCTurers median ‘high profit’ distribution firm vernicians, facilities maintenance sus the median ‘typical’ firm. The results Chicago, IL — Both US and supervisors and technicians, Unmounted Bearings 8.6% suggest the most successful firms continCanadian manufacturers process technicians, roofing Positioning Systems/Linear Motion Products 8.9% ue to exhibit critical profit variables well of power transmission and specialists, weatherization spe-

I N D U S T R Y June 2009

cialists, energy auditors, and other building professionals.

Introduction to Thermography Principles is available in English at a list price of $25. Additional languages are planned. The book is available from Fluke Electronics Canada distributors.

new TroubleshooTing and ManageMenT Tools helP PlanT engineers Manage indusTrial eTherneT Mississauga, ON — Fluke Networks, a provider of network solutions for the testing, monitoring and analysis of enterprise and telecommunications networks, has announced the availability of a wide range of troubleshooting and management tool sets for the industrial Ethernet market.

Fluke Networks’ industrial Ethernet solutions, along with electrical test solutions from sister company Fluke Corporation, help plant maintenance professionals quickly troubleshoot industrial network issues, prevent reoccurrence of these issues and improve uptime and plant productivity.

Industrial Ethernet use is projected to grow 50% each year for the next five years, replacing an assortment of analogue devices and vendor-proprietary communication links that perform critical plant automation and process management tasks. This transition offers lower costs and simpler operation through standardized components and a mature, proven technology.

But it also creates a challenge. Ethernet was developed in relatively clean office settings, and now must perform in the harsh environment of the factory.

This puts increased importance on the quality of the installation, as well as ongoing monitoring for degradation from heat, corrosion and vibration.

Ethernet also adds a new technology segment to the plant maintenance professional’s growing list of responsibilities.

Responding to comments from current industrial Ethernet users, such as “downtime is $3,500 per hour” and “I need to check the cabling before making the expensive call to the integrator,” Fluke and Fluke Networks have assembled a set of industrial Ethernet test and measurement tools that address the new responsibilities placed on plant maintenance professionals. Now maintenance staff can troubleshoot problems ranging from electrical wiring and discrete devices to cable degradation, signal interference and network traffic issues.

These new industrial Ethernet solutions cover three primary areas where industrial networking issues can occur: the network, electrical signalling, and cabling infrastructure. Specific problems addressed by these industrial Ethernet solutions include: • Discovery and documentation of devices, connectivity and network segmentation plus management of active network traffic with the EtherScope Series II Network Assistant.

• Device troubleshooting and analogue signal analysis by the Fluke 225 and 125 Industrial Network Test ScopeMeters.

• Troubleshooting and certification of physical layer network cabling, including connectivity and cable throughput, using

N E W S W A T C H Machinery & Equipment MRO

www.nskmaxuptime.com

the DTX CableAnalyzer Series.

• Certification of new fibre links and troubleshooting of poorly performing fibre links using the OptiFiber Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR).

The industrial Ethernet solutions from Fluke and Fluke Networks are supported by an online Solution Centre that offers quick links to troubleshooting guides, white papers and training information. More information can be found at flukenetworks.com/industrial.

learning abouT fluid Power CoMPonenTs Made easier Through Classes and Training equiPMenT Eden Prairie, MN — Industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation is making understanding fluid power components and hydraulic systems easier with the addition of multi-lingual fluid conveyance products courses and electro-hydraulic training aids at its Hydraulics Training Services in Maumee, OH. Both of Eaton’s popular 200-level courses — the Aeroquip Fluid Conveying Products School and the Weatherhead Fluid Conveying Products School — will be available in French, Spanish and English.

“By taking classes in a student’s native language, participants will be able to better understand fluid power components and their application in hydraulic systems,” said Tom Blansett, manager, Eaton’s Training Services.

Eaton continues to emphasize electrohydraulics through class laboratory work with its new Programmable Motion-Control Training (PMCT) System and redesigned Portable Electrohydraulic Training Simulator (PETS).

The PMCT electronic controls trainer facilitates legacy-style electrohydraulic training, as well a s pr o g r a m m a ble control of hydraulic and pneumatic components. Eaton’s new EFX controller and a PID proportional amplifier card are housed in the unit, along with all

Eaton’s Programmable Motion Control Training System facilitates legacy-style electro-hydraulic training.

necessary support electronics to control and monitor system operation. When coupled to a computer, the programmable controller is easily configured through Eaton’s Control F(x) software.

“Since the EFX controller can be programmed in five widely used languages, the open-architecture platform gives us a great deal of flexibility in teaching control systems,” Blansett said. “We are able to demonstrate how programs can be checked for operational correctness prior to running on a machine application.”

Eaton instructors use the patented PETS simulator to teach proper wiring, adjustment and troubleshooting procedures for any DIN-standard Eurocard amplifier. Because PETS is a highly effective electro-hydraulics teaching aid, Eaton is making the low-cost, lightweight unit available to distributors and educators to support in-house training on electro-hydraulic systems.

For information on French or Spanish course offerings or on PETS, contact Eaton Training Services at 1-800413-8809 or visit eaton.com. continued on page 10

When you think “Value”, you think about maximizing productivity and reducing costs. We think about maximizing your investment by lowering your maintenance costs and increasing bearing life. Supported by 24-hour service and worldwide distribution, NSK spherical bearings keep you working. So, when it comes to getting more than you paid for, Think NSK.

BALL BEARINGS

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LINEAR MOTION PRODUCTS

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TECHNICAL SERVICES

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2009

continued from page 9

such as the company’s Vibxpert, and can be evaluated with DBSpectra and Omnitrend software. Dominant noise sources can be identified using third octave or narrow-band spectra.

For further information, e-mail a request to diagnostic@pruftechnik.com.

CondiTion MoniToring helPs in reduCing noise in gear drives Hannover, Germany — Recent European legislation has reduced allowable noise levels in industry by 5 dB and now requires machine and system manufacturers to provide information about noise radiation. As a result, machine operators are required to purchase low-noise machines and monitor noise levels.

“Achievable noise reductions, e.g. in gear drives, can be up to 5 dB through measures on housings; up to 7 dB through measures on rotors, toothing and housings; and up to 10 dB through secondary noise shields or enclosures,” says Dr. Edwin Becker, manager, service and diagnostic centre for Prueftechnik Condition Monitoring GmbH. In practice, noise data are not always consistent, he notes. Noise at machines can stem from unknown sources. It is impor-

follow The advenTures of ‘haCkMan’ The Vibxpert data analyzer helps identify noise emissions.

tant to know what noise levels can be found in the system and what causes them.

Pruftechnik Condition Monitoring performs acceptance measurements of noise emissions and compares the results with the latest standards. If necessary, suitable measures for noise reduction are identified and recommended. Measurements are made with data analyzers

East Longmeadow, MA — The 2009 Hackman World Tour has begun. Lee ‘Hackman’ Breton, 65, is hitting the road to spread the word about new reciprocating saw blades and hacksaw blades. The tour is sponsored by Lenox, a manufacturer of power tool accessories, hand tools, torches, solder and band saw blades.

Throughout 2009, Hackman will be travelling the globe, making stops around the US, South America, Europe, Asia and Canada. At each stop, he will demonstrate the strength of the Lenox T2 Technology with a trademark vehicle cut appropriate

for each location, including a double-decker bus in the UK, a Zamboni in Canada, and a Jeepney in the Philippines.

In support of the tour, Lenox is launching cutsomething.com. The website takes visitors on a virtual tour of the Lenox factory, where they can learn about the new Lenox T2 Technology through videos, demos and sampling. The site also allows them to follow Hackman around on his world tour.

In the cutsomething.com virtual T2 Test Lab, visitors can find out which blade is right for the job, watch blade comparison videos, try the T2 blade with a virtual cut and view a 3D animated tour of the T2 reciprocating saw blade features.

Lee ‘Hackman’ Breton cut a police car in half to launch his world tour.

The website’s warehouse takes users through the Cutting Hall of Fame to see all of the cuts Hackman has done throughout his more than 25-year cutting career. At the loading dock, visitors can ship a free blade to themselves.

The Hackman World Tour kicked off on Feb. 26, 2009, at the Lenox factory in East Longmeadow, MA, where Hackman cut a police car. It runs through to November 2009. Canadian stops included Vancouver, BC, on April 1, and Dartmouth, NS, on May 25. Forthcoming visits will be in Toronto on August 13 and Ottawa on Sept. 14.

bsa releases new bearing brief on sPeCial CoaTings and MaTerials

A Case for NTN Tapered Roller Bearings

Special Features

Crowned rollers provide lower friction and smooth operation through even load distribution.

Case carburized steel enhances long life operation and improves shock loading capabilities.

Preferred by leading manufacturers, NTN tapered roller bearings are renowned for their ability to operate reliably in some of the world’s harshest environments. NTN tapered

Soft Core

roller bearings are ideally suited for heavy duty applications ranging from rail to aggregate and mining equipment, where marginal lubrication, vibration and impact loads are considered

Hardened Surface Layer

the norm. NTN tapered roller bearings are made to meet or exceed industry standards and feature case carburized steel.

Optimized roller/rib interface promotes lubrication and lowers bearing running torque.

Honed raceways ensure low friction for trouble free operation.

Carburizing hardens the steel from the surface to the proper depth, leaving a relatively soft core, improved durability and longer life. These results make the material ideal for shock loading and extreme conditions. Like all our products, NTN tapered roller bearings are backed by our knowledgeable technical support team, competitive pricing, 24/7 service and

Creative Solutions... Delivering Value

unmatched inventory capability.

Better Support Makes a Better Bearing

• In depth bearing failure and machine troubleshooting

As an integral part of after-sales service and support, NTN provides an engineering and service staff across Canada to assist customers in gaining maximum service from the life of their bearings

• Bearing (re)selection and machine redesign to prolong bearing life and up time • Liaison with original equipment manufacturers and third party suppliers • Preparation or review of maintenance schedules and procedures • End user in-house training seminars

www.ntn.ca

• Accurate part number crossover to one of NTN’s complete range of products

Reader Service Card No. 122

Glen Ellyn, IL — The Bearing Specialists Association (BSA) has released a new Bearing Brief: Special Coatings and Materials to Enhance Bearing Performance.

Designed by BSA distributor members and participating manufacturers to deliver expertise to meet the needs of the end user as well as bearing industry professionals, Special Coatings and Materials to Enhance Bearing Performance addresses the recent advances in material science that have allowed that very essential element — the bearing — to last longer and perform better than ever before.

Recent higher quality bearing steel, new alloys and platings, heat treatments and microstructure control for improved service life have encouraged the use of bearings. Special Coatings and Materials to Enhance Bearing Performance details the coatings that protect bearings from corrosion, wear and electrical conductivity with a series of easy-to-view charts.

Bearing Briefs are a program of BSA’s Educational Services Committee. These special bulletins present summarized information on topics of interest to the bearings industry. BSA extends special thanks to committee member David Zoesch, director, marketing distribution, the Schaeffler Group USA, for his considerable contributions to this publication.

It is available free, as are all Bearing Briefs, from the BSA website at bsahome.org, under the ‘Tools You Can Use’ heading.

MRO Editor’s note: More detailed versions of many of these stories can be found at mromagazine. com. Simply type the topic into the search box near the top of the home page.

Reader Service Card No. 123

12

I N D U S T R Y

N E W S W A T C H

Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2009

Company Briefs

News and views about companies, staff, product lines and more.

• As it enters its 90th year of business in Canada, Renold Canada of Brantford, ON, a supplier of chain and power transmission products, has announced a “restructure” that will enhance its service to customers across the country.

According to Rick Hamilton, president, the major components of the restructure include: 1) The addition of Advantage Sales Network Corp., Brampton, ON, to complement existing sales efforts on chain, coupling, sprag clutch and spindle products across Canada; 2) Consolidation of Renold Canada’s customer service group and warehouse into the existing Montreal, QC, location; and 3) Adding two additional warehouse operations at Advantage Sales’ locations in Brampton,

ON, and Edmonton, AB. “This restructure is all about serving our customers better,” said Hamilton.

• Wood Dale, IL, based Thomson has launched ThomsonPrecisionBall.com, a website focused exclusively on its family of standard precision balls and application-specific precision balls. The site delivers detailed product features, specifications and relevant applications for each available type of precision ball, as well as providing educational reference information. Thomson specializes in chrome steel balls and stainless steel balls, and also manufactures precision balls in a range of other materials and non-standard configurations, including distinctively shaped balls, drilled

Reader Service Card No. 124

Website has balls to the walls.

balls, coated balls and hollow balls.

• Ian Goodland, the British Columbiabased Canadian business manager for ITW Devcon, Danvers, MA, has been promoted to international business manager. He now heads up all of Devcon’s international and inter-company business, as well as retaining his duties and responsibilities for Canada. ITW

Devcon supplies adhesive technology and products for industrial OEM assembly and maintenance/ repair (MRO) applications. The company’s brands include Devcon and Permatex.

• Reliable Controls, Victoria, BC, has entered into a vendor relationship with Dwyer Instruments, Michigan City, IN. As a manufacturer in the controls and instrumentation industry, Reliable serves markets such as HVAC, chemical, food, oil and gas, and pollution control. At the forefront of its product offerings are the Magnesense, Magnehelic, Photohelic, and Digihelic pressure gauges.

• Darcor Casters’ website, darcor.com, simplifies the process of selecting the right caster by creating a state-of-theart, virtual ‘touch and feel’ experience for visitors that ensures they can easily select the correct product for a specific need, load and environment. Visitors can also access in-depth information through tools such as a webinar series and webbased interactive seminars. In addition, the website features a caster selector tool that makes it easy to choose the right caster for the job. The tool is focused on solving a current challenge (such as overexertion injuries or noise) and then making a selection based on criteria, including industry type and application.

If a custom design is required, the site provides a human interface through an immediate link to the Toronto-based company’s engineering department.

Many products also feature detailed mounting configurations and downloadable 3-D CAD models.

• Drives LLC, Fulton, IL, has named John Almarez as managing director, sales and operations, for Latin America and Mexico. Almarez previously held the position at Drives as director, industrial distribution sales John Almarez, and marketing. He Drives LLC. has been involved in the power transmission industry for over 30 years, previously serving as vice-president of conveyor sales at a major sprocket and gear manufacturer.

• Project management has become a hot topic within any industry today as customers seek suppliers having the project management professional (PMP) certification to manage their large project orders. Industrial drive supplier Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America (SMA), Chesapeake, VA, recognizes the need and currently has two individuals who recently became PMP certified. Sara Zimmerman, project management supervisor, received her PMP certification in April 2009, and Chester Chen, applications engineer, received his certification in SMA’s Chester Chen.

November 2008.

These certif ications strengthen Sumitomo’s ability to execute projects on time and within budget.

• The Colson Group reached agreement with Hickory Hardware Inc. to purchase certain assets of the Faultless caster and wheel brand. The agreement became effective at the start of 2009. continued on page 14

CYCLO®

Technology

Teeth Are Overrated

Cyclo® Drive’s toothless design takes a bite out of downtime and maintenance.

Teeth break. The Sumitomo Cyclo® Drive has unique design advantages over any speed reducer using common tooth gears. Unlike gear teeth with limited contact points, a Cyclo® drive has two thirds of its reduction components in contact at all times. And Cyclo® components operate in compression, not in shear, so they can withstand shock loads five times their ratings. For exceptional reliability and the industry’s best warranty, think Sumitomo.

Toronto 905-469-1050 Vancouver 604-525-5403 Montreal 450-686-8808

www.smcyclo.com Reader Service Card No. 125

14

I N D U S T R Y

N E W S W A T C H

Machinery & Equipment MRO

continued from page 12 • Danaher Motion, Wood Dale, IL, has appointed Ron Meyer as president of Thomson, a Danaher Motion company.

Meyer will drive the strategy and management of Thomson’s global organization of facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.

• Algood Casters Ltd., Toronto, plans to release its newest caster catalogue in July 2009, Ron Meyer is the coinciding with its new president of Thomson.

40th anniversary. As well, the company’s 10th Annual Max Guttmann Memorial Golf Tournament has been scheduled for July 14, 2009. The event raises money for local charities. To date, Algood has raised more than $555,000 through the tournament. For details, contact Craig at craig@algood.com.

June 2009

• Pruftechnik Condition Monitoring GmbH, Ismaning, Germany, has appointed Robert Schmaus, 42, to the newly formed position as manager, international sales and marketing.

He is responsible for the development and expansion of business worldwide.

Schmaus started with Pruftechnik five years ago and in his previous position had been responsible for sales in Spain and Latin A mer ica. With this organizational change, Pruftechnik’s Pruftechnik reports it Robert is reacting to growing Schmaus. international demand.

• The Toronto-based Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), the licensing body for professional engineers in the province of Ontario, installed Catherine Karakatsanis, P.Eng., as its 90th president during its annual

general meeting on May 9, 2009, in Mississauga, ON. Karakatsanis succeeds J. David Adams, P. E n g. , a n d w i l l lead PEO’s 71,500 members and 4,900 interns and chair Catherine its Council in 20092010. She is the Karakatsanis now heads PEO. fourth woman to be elected president of the association. Karakatsanis is a senior vice-president and board member at Morrison Hershfield, a consulting engineering and management firm with 12 offices across North America and over 700 employees. She heads up the building and facilities division, which provides multidisciplinary engineering expertise to the commercial, institutional, residential, industrial and public sectors.

• Lincoln Electric, Cleveland, OH, has

launched an ‘Are You Ready?’ awareness campaign to educate employers and the general welding community about the new Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) regulations in the US, including the hexavalent chromium standards going into effect on May 31, 2010.

The campaign promotes effective welding fume control and safety practices, offering access to a comprehensive one-stop shop of reference materials, tools and product solutions. For details, visit lincolnelectric. com/weld-fume-control.

MRO Editor’s note: More detailed versions of many of these stories can be found online at mromagazine.com. Simply type the topic into the search box near the top of our home page.

Mr.0 The Practical Problem Solver

Tips on caster greasing Problem: We tend to ignore our casters, and then they give us trouble. Should we be lubricating them?

Solution: Greasing both the caster swivel and the wheel serves three purposes: it prevents rusting of the balls and raceways, prevents galling and reduces noise.

In situations involving only a few casters, the grease, a No. 2 bearing grease, can be smeared on with a finger with the wheels still in place.

Otherwise, the wheels should be removed and the head regreased, either through the grease nipple, if fitted, or by a needletip fitting on a grease gun. Two full squirts are usually adequate.

The axle bushing should be checked for wear and replaced if heavily worn, then smeared with about a teaspoon of grease along the inside of the wheel bearing (the grease should be forced up into the rollers). The axle bushing should then be reinserted carefully into the roller bearing wheel, and the wheel reassembled into the caster.

The swivel assemblies should not require any adjustment throughout their operating life. Any slackness present in wheel bearings can often be improved by replacing the axle bushing, and, if necessary, the bearings can be replaced as well. Often, simply regreasing B-type bearings is enough. Sealed precision Q-type bearings seldom wear sufficiently to need attention.

Polyurethane wheels usually outlast any trolley to which they are fitted.

Regarding tube fittings, it is advisable that any tube fitting on expanding stem casters be checked after the first three months, and then annually.

Mr. O’s thanks for this tip go to Fallshaw Pty Ltd., Victoria, Australia, whose casters are distributed in North America by Albion Inc., an affiliate of Colson Associates Inc. Do you have a solution for a maintenance problem? Send it in and if it’s published, we’ll send you a Mr. O Problem Solver T-shirt. Include your address, telephone number, print complete details and, if possible, add a sketch to help explain your tip. Send your tips to Mr. O, Machinery & Equipment MRO, 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M3C 4J2.

Reader Service Card No. 126

C A S E

S T U D Y

June 2009

15 Machinery & Equipment MRO

Decade of change makes mill a leader

d

BY CARROLL MCCORMICK

omtar’s huge paper mill in Windsor, QC, has gone through many changes in the past decade, including improved productivity, reduced maintenance costs, reduced overtime (from 12% to just 7%), fewer emergencies and improved safety. Other changes include higher employee qualifications, improved communications between maintenance and operators, and a complete overhaul of the maintenance program.

These improvements result from Domtar having completely re-engineered its maintenance strategy following the implementation of reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) in 1998-99, along with many other improvement programs. The genesis of these improvements, however, can be traced to the years after Domtar started up the new mill in 1987, which eventually replaced its Windsor-based Watopéka and St. Francis mills, closed in 1992.

Engineers drew up preventive maintenance (PM) programs for the new mill, but, recalls Alain Richard, maintenance superintendent, finishing and converting, “We had so many emergencies during those first years that there were many reasons to skip PM tasks. Workers did the routes that they believed were good, but gradually dropped the PM program.”

Those were the days of ‘each man for himself’ maintenance: each worker did his own planning; e.g., inspections, work preparation, repairs, and parts ordering and pick-up. They would go back to the machines that required work and ask the operators to shut them down.

There were no minimum educational requirements for many trades and operating positions. A quarter of the mechanics had no high school trades diplomas — they came from apprenticeship programs; half had high school trades degrees and a quarter had specialized, college-level trades degrees. This made implementing new maintenance practices challenging.

“Maintenance people with high school diplomas mostly are action people and do not like taking measurements,” Richard says.

The decision to implement RCM started a profound change to the plant’s maintenance culture and training requirements.

Of several versions of RCM, the Windsor mill uses the original by John Moubray.

Richard explains the basics: “RCM is a process used to determine what must be done to ensure that any physical asset continues to do what its users want it to in its present operating context. First, you find failure modes, that is, causes of equipment failure; a piece of equipment might have a few, or hundreds of failure modes, depending on its complexity.

“The next step is to define the actions or tasks that will prevent or reduce the consequences of each failure mode. Consequences can impact safety, the environment, customers and costs, such as those due to production and maintenance losses.

Most actions are basic maintenance tasks, such as lubrication and cleaning, and condition-based maintenance; e.g., monitoring the condition of equipment and doing repairs when required.”

Reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) and other improvement programs have profoundly affected the way this Domtar paper mill’s employees relate to their equipment.

Above: The 1.5-km-long mill runs 24/7/365 to produce 560,000 tonnes of paper annually. Right: RCM analysis identified over 500 failure modes in this extremely complex wrapping machine. Far right: Alain Richard, maintenance superintendent, finishing and converting, has been on the hunt for better maintenance since 1988.

Photos by Carroll McCormick

A failure mode on a gearbox might be described as “Seal on shaft damaged by normal wear.” The defined action would be “Check for oil leak from seal every two weeks.” Doing this prevents the consequence: “Broken equipment caused by oil missing.”

Another gearbox failure mode might be “Bearing seized by normal wear,” with the defined action described as “Take a vibration measurement every three weeks.” If abnormal vibration is measured, mechanics, having been forewarned that a failure could occur anytime, can do a planned repair, rather than an emergency repair that could be from three to 10 times as expensive.

RCM also covers protective — or hidden — functions. For these, actions can be defined that stimulate the protective device to see if it is functioning properly; e.g., start a by-pass pump or test a relief valve.

Doing an RCM analysis on a piece of equipment is a team effort that brings together personnel from different departments; e.g., maintenance workers, operators and supervisors. A team of five or six normally takes 10 days to do an analysis, but a complex piece of equipment might require weeks to analyze. For this reason, the mill has targeted complex equipment that is subject to frequent failures and high consequences.

The time invested doing RCM analyses is well spent, Richard says. “RCM is good training for your people. The day you finish your analysis, your employees know your equipment much better.”

Richard has deliberately used RCM, with the detailed familiarization with equipment that it demands, as a substitute for formal equipment training. Immedi-

ately after an RCM exercise, with the extensive analysis of failure modes and the equipment functions it requires, the operation of the equipment will be improved and maintenance costs will decrease.

Other programs in the mill’s maintenance revolution have allowed equipment operators to become much more involved and lend their expertise to the development of maintenance strategies. The Operations/Maintenance Services program is a good example: It brought operations and maintenance personnel together to rethink all of the processes involved in preparing for maintenance activities: ordering parts, preparing shutdowns, identifying problems, determining the availability of equipment slated for maintenance, estimated downtime required, parts and heavy equipment needed, execution of work and by whom, and followup and evaluation of the work.

For many pieces of equipment where RCM analyses would be overkill, the mill has chosen Preventative Maintenance Optimization (PMO), which is a simpler methodology requiring less personnel time, Richard explains.

“We use PMO when the criticality of the equipment is moderate to low. You can review a lot of equipment in a very little time, [doing] a PMO of a small department in a couple of weeks, with the operators, maintenance workers and [the mining of our] history of failures.

“We feel that we can solve 80% of our problems with 20% of our failure modes.

When you have thousands of pieces of equipment, you need shortcuts. RCM, PMO, and root cause analysis each has its place. You have to choose the right one.”

The mill also makes extensive use of condition-based maintenance to detect the signs that failures could be imminent.

It installed Ivara EXP in 2004-2005, a software package that manages and monitors the condition of mill assets.

These asset conditions are termed ‘indicators’, of which there are many different types. The most used is descriptive, e.g., visual belt condition. Others are numerical, calculated, counter, and logical.

Each indicator, of which the mill monitors about 38,000, has its own criteria for when an alarm will be generated. Once the alarm is verified, maintenance will generally prepare a work order to fix the abnormal condition.

Some indicators are collected automatically from a process data archiver software called The PI System, from OSI Software. Employees collect others on their routes using handheld computers, using everything from their own senses to tools such as strobes, infrared, vibration and ultrasonic probes.

This ability to predict failures has made just-in-time ordering of parts possible, with less money tied up in fewer spares.

This revolution has entered its second decade. The many benefits include more motivated employees, better communication between better-trained maintenance and more self-reliant operators, fewer bottlenecks and better understanding of the equipment, making this mill a leader in equipment reliability among all of MRO Domtar’s mills.

Montreal-based Carroll McCormick is the senior contributing editor for Machinery & Equipment MRO.

16

F O C U S

O N

B E A R I N G S

Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2009

More than just ‘bearing’ it

ENJOYING EVERY MINUTE! As one of the few industrial suppliers in Canada with women at the helm, Best Bearings goes serenely about its business.

Sisters Barbara (left) and Laura Birch work hand-in-hand at their company, Best Bearings, serving customers in a variety of industries.

H

ow does an industrial supply business grow? Through energy, intelligence, hard work and a sense of fun, that’s how. As long as the products and service levels are top rate and in demand, it’s a sure-fire formula for success.

Other qualities help too, such as listening, caring and trusting your instincts — traits that are reputed to flow more freely from the female half of the population. Perhaps that is why Best Bearings Co. Ltd. — one of the only bearing suppliers in Eastern Canada with women at the helm — has become such a success since it was started up by Laura Birch at modest premises in westend Toronto in 1995.

Within a year, Laura was joined by her sister Barbara Birch, and today their company services the whole of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and beyond with a range of products that includes bearings, belting, motors and power transmission products, including name brands such as WEG, Nachi and Jason.

In the intervening years, Best Bearings has built up a high level of expertise servicing all industries but particularly the food industry, most notably the bakery subsector.

Laura Birch already had a background in industry, having worked for several years with bearing suppliers and looking after such key accounts as the Jane Parker bakery division of A&P, famous for its specialty cakes for over 100 years.

To the solid technical foundation laid

by Laura, Barbara brought sound business acumen based on previous management success and a background in economics and political science.

The sisters, just two years apart in age, quickly learned from one another and how to augment each other’s talents.

It’s obvious to see that they continue to work together in a spirit of cooperation and good humour.

Today, both women are well versed in all aspects of the industry, with expertise that also extends to fabrication and conveying.

“There are two things which we decided on very early and which we have maintained over the years,” says Barbara. “They are to keep the business lean and to look after our customers really well. We go beyond just processing orders; we actually go out to the customers’ sites, if needed, to see exactly what they need, both to be helpful and to research other opportunities to be of service.”

The transition from being a supplier of such products as bearings, gearboxes, chains and belting, to being a company that also undertakes equipment fabrication and the design/build of conveyor systems, was a natural one, and Best Bearings consummated it through the creation of Best Conveyors & Fabrication.

The division also services conveyor systems of all types.

“A breakdown can cost a company big dollars in downtime,” Barbara says. “If an immediate permanent repair is impossible, we can get it up and running on a temporary basis till it can be fixed. You can do anything with dedication and a flexible attitude.”

Conveyors in the bakery business are unlike those for most other industries, not just in how they are fabricated but why they are used. Rather than serve a material handling or packaging function, they tend to be used for accumulating product fresh from the oven until it is cool enough to be handled.

“We have helped companies get more from their real estate by building conveyor lines that reverse on themselves or go more than one tier high, or by hanging the conveyors from the ceiling and freeing up floor space. While we started out mainly servicing bakeries, we now custom-build for all industries.”

To illustrate her point, Barbara points to a range of pictures on the wall of her office showing the progress of projects on the go. “By the time the projects are complete and signed off, the wall will be covered with pictures showing all phases,” she says with a smile — a smile almost as warm as the one she reserves for the pictures on the opposite wall, those of her three children. Both Barbara and Laura are married with families and both women chose to retain their original surname.

Spiral conveyors are another widely used device for cooling, and Best Conveyors has custom-built spirals that suit the customer’s specific needs. Along the way, Best has acquired some redundant or unwanted equipment and today runs an active used-equipment division, buying and selling such industrial items as mixers, drill presses, stainless-steel hoppers, silos, augers and more.

“From being a strictly bearing and power transmission company, we have transitioned to being a full-service supplier,” Barbara says. “It is very important to be adaptable in this kind of business.

The wide variety of services and products we supply lends itself to a healthy wordof-mouth type of advertising. Assisted by an effective website, bestbearings.ca, we are able to get our name out there. It also helps that we are well known throughout the industry because, yes, we are the ‘gals’ in the business.”

Asked whether her gender is a benefit or a disadvantage in the industrial world, Barbara thinks for a while before responding. “I think I can state that we tend to be more philosophical in our attitude than most men. We see our industry as ever-changing and we respond to that.

We want to grow and adapt with the economy. We take on all challenges with optimism and try to take everything in our stride.

BY RICHARD RIX

“The bearings business in particular is very male-oriented, with lots of ‘type A’ personalities in it. It is high pressure, high stress. It can cost thousands of dollars an hour when a line goes down and you might be dealing with someone who’s in a panic, which is likely to send their blood pressure and yours through the roof.

“On the whole, we try to be calm and direction-oriented by paying attention to details and dealing with little problems before they become big problems. We just ran into a snag on a big project, so to help that company keep running at full capacity, we provided a temporary fix until a scheduled shutdown, when we’ll install a permanent solution.”

The fact that the sisters are obviously great friends also ensures a high level of mutual support and empathy in both their professional and personal lives.

While Barbara is more on the day-today operations side, when it comes to the complete MRO side of the business, the sisters don’t hesitate to call on subcontractors who are experts in their field, such as specialists in hydraulics, pneumatics, installation and repairs.

“We have an awesome network of contacts in all areas,” Barbara says, “and they seem to enjoy working with us. It wasn’t easy getting things going in the early days, though.

“We had to get where we are on our own, with no friends or relatives in the business, just sheer determination. We succeeded by being hard-working and honest.” Then, with a twinkle in her eye, she adds. “And maybe by using a little stealth.”

Barbara recollects that companies that did help in the early days include V.J. Pamensky and Nachi Canada, and their support has been reciprocated over the years.

“We believe in karma — what goes around comes around, that kind of thing,” says Barbara, “and we try to be helpful.”

As to the future, the sisters say they want their company to grow. “We’ll continue to take everything in our stride,” Barbara says. “We’ll continue to build on our strengths: customer service, our willingness to go above and beyond, and our strong commitment to listening to our clients.

“On the conveyor side, we are getting into wider and wider ranges and upgrading older facilities. Also, when we custom build or upgrade conveyor systems, we always ensure they are maintenancefriendly. We take everything into account to keep things standardized for each and every customer.”

If Barbara has a pet peeve, it’s the way people tend to pigeonhole her and her company.

“It has its pluses and minuses and there’s no doubt that our best customers are in the bakery business and we love it.

But our customer list includes several hundred companies that are nothing to do with bakeries, and we’re very happy servicing them as well. In fact, we believe MRO the more variety, the better.”

Freelance writer Richard Rix is based in Toronto and may be reached by e-mail at richardrix@sympatico.ca.

Reader Service Card No. 398

Summer 2009

FOOD CONTAMINATION THREATS AND FOOD GRADE LUBRICANTS WORLD MARKET FOR LUBRICANTS WHAT’S BEHIND ULTRASONIC INSPECTION? THE 3 BIGGEST PROBLEMS IN LUBRICATION

Industrial Lubrication

Lubrication, Tribology and Hydraulics

effective

oil analysis Tips for improving condition monitoring

industry news

Worldwide lubricant market approaches $50 billion Cleveland, OH — Global lubricant demand is forecast to reach 40.5 million metric tons in 2012, according to a 428-page study published earlier this year by the Freedonia Group Inc., World Lubricants to 2012.

The study analyzes the US$48.8 billion world lubricant industry. It presents historical demand data for the years 1997, 2002 and 2007, and forecasts for 2012 and 2017 by lubricant formulation (e.g., petroleum, synthetic, re-refined, vegetablebased), product (e.g., engine oils, process oils, hydraulic fluids, metalworking fluids), market (e.g., motor vehicle aftermarket, manufacturing), world region, and for 31 countries.

The study also considers market environment factors, details industry structure, evaluates company market share and profiles 31 industry players, including Shell, Exxon Mobil and BP. Market gains will be strongest in the Asia/ Pacific, Africa/Mideast and Latin American

regions due to ongoing rapid industrialization and rising car ownership rates. Engine oils will remain the largest segment of the lubricant market, while process oils will grow the fastest, according to Freedonia.

The full study costs US$5,700. For details, visit freedonia.com.

ExxonMobil breaks ground on technology centre in China Beijing, China — ExxonMobil Chemical has broken ground on a technology centre in Shanghai, China, at the Shanghai Zizhu Science-based Industrial Park.

“This new centre in Shanghai is an important step towards supporting the tremendous growth we anticipate in sales of our premium products.

It will expand our ability to deliver innovative solutions to our customers in the region,” said Steve Pryor, president, ExxonMobil Chemical

Company. “It also signifies our long-term commitment to China and the region.” The new centre will provide product applications support and strengthen ExxonMobil’s ability to serve its customers in China and the region.

“Building on ExxonMobil’s long history in China, we are very proud that ExxonMobil Chemical has selected China as the location for this new technology centre,” said Paul Theys, chairman, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd. “We would like to thank the Chinese government for the trust and confidence it has shown in helping to make this project possible. We are pleased to support its vision for multinational companies to invest and support technology development in China.”

The new 27,000 sq m facility will be built and operated by ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Research & Development Co. Ltd. The initial investment in the technology centre

and related equipment is US$70 million.

The facility will house laboratories and product demonstration facilities, providing applications technical service and a range of application development capabilities for ExxonMobil’s polymer products and plasticizers.

Initial employment will be approximately 200 people. The facility is expected to be operational in 2010.

The true cost of oil leaks Toronto, ON — Lubricant losses from circulating oil systems can be expensive, according to research from Chevron Global Lubricants, a member of STLE’s Toronto Chapter. Not only must the actual cost of the lubricant be considered, but there’s also the time and expense to clean it up and replace it. Labour, supplies such as rags and floor sweep, and the disposal cost of the oily waste must be included.

Safety is an additional consideration if an oil spill were to lead to a fall and personal injury. Lost production of finished products due to oil contamination is another possibility.

Note that a drop of oil is approximately 0.05 ml in volume. The annual cost of loss is conservatively estimated at $8/litre. This includes lubricant cost, labour to clean and replace, clean-up materials and disposal.

IL

Industrial Lubrication Lubrication, Tribology and Hydraulics

Summer 2009 Vol. 7, No. 1 Editor Bill Roebuck 416-510-6749 broebuck@mromagazine.com Publisher Nick Naunheimer 416-510-6868 nnaunheimer@mromagazine.com Advertising Sales Eric Achilles Cousineau 416-510-6803 eachilles@mromagazine.com Art Director Ellie Robinson 416-442-5600 x3590 erobinson@bizinfogroup.ca Production Co-ordinator John Desroche 416-510-6756 jdesroche@businessinformationgroup.ca Industrial Lubrication magazine is a biannual supplement to Machinery & Equipment MRO, 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M3C 4J2, tel. 416-510-6868, fax 416-510-5134. © 2009 Business Information Group, a division of Glacier Ventures International Corp.

Contents may not be reproduced in whole Reader Service No. 127

or in part in any form without the written consent of the publisher.

tech report

Setting up an effective oil analysis program Oil analysis, combined with vibration analysis and other techniques, such as thermography and ultrasonic sound testing, can become the most powerful condition monitoring ‘tool kit’ in any Total Equipment Management program.

BY LLOYD (TEX) LEUGNER

I

mplementation and training costs are extremely low compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that will be saved by predicting when problems may occur and then effectively planning and scheduling machine repairs.

Overcoming corporate or plant culture is another obstacle to the proper application of condition monitoring techniques like oil analysis. We’ve all heard the comment; “We’ve been doing our maintenance this way for 30 years.

Why should we apply oil analysis (or any other predictive maintenance technology) now?”

Some plants have vibration analysis programs that are very sophisticated, yet oil analysis is barely, if ever, used. Many plant personnel are not aware that oil analysis is actually more effective than vibration analysis in condition monitoring of equipment such as reciprocating machinery, slow-speed rotating equipment and hydraulic systems. But oil analysis should not be limited to this equipment, since oil analysis ‘sees’ the machine’s condition from a totally new perspective — if the right testing program is designed for the appropriate machines.

The following suggestions will help you to establish an effective program.

Know the critical equipment and its lubrication requirements. It is true that many technicians and engineers know very little about the lubrication requirements of much of their machinery, other than to change oil and filters at the scheduled PM interval.

These personnel must become familiar with lubricant specifications, the temperature and environmental conditions that might a f f e c t t h e m a c h i n e ’s lubrication system, and they must also familiarize themselves with the metallurgical makeup of the appropriate equipment.

Research the specifications on your critical equipment as they apply to oil analysis wear limits, suggested alarm levels and contamination limits. For example, most hydraulic equipment manufacturers publish ISO cleanliness code contamination limit specifications for their equipment. Plant personnel must become familiar with these specifications and learn how to compare them with the oil analysis results.

Understand the lubricants in your plant.

Have your lubricant supplier carry out a complete and thorough lubricant survey for all of the equipment in the plant. There is usually no charge for this service and if you pay attention, you will learn a great deal about the lubricants specified.

Obtain a current set of specification data sheets or a product information book from your supplier. This information will provide the basis for comparing oil analysis test results with the appropriate specifications provided by the oil supplier. Study these materials, understand the specifications and what each represents and

Above: The Spectro FT-IR Oil Analyzer provides an early warning of lubricant degradation and contamination.

Left: The FluidScan from Spectro is a handheld condition-based maintenance monitor that protects machinery by determining when a lubricant needs to be changed due to excessive contamination or degradation.

share t h i s information with everyone in the plant who may be involved in greasing machinery, changing or topping off oils, or taking oil samples.

Send samples of all new oil types to a laboratory for analysis (based on the tests that you have selected for each critical machine). The results of these new oil samples will establish a baseline for trending each oil type.

Understand oil analysis testing. Become familiar with each of the techniques that are selected for the appropriate machines on your oil analysis program. Visit the lab of your choice and familiarize yourself with the techniques used. Above all, insist that the laboratory carry out the selected tests based on ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) test methods. This way, you will be confident that oil analysis test results from the lab can be effectively compared with the specifications listed in the product information book that was provided to you by your lubricant supplier.

Learn to correctly interpret the oil analysis

results, look for anomalies and changes in the trended data and record the limits of wear and contamination, based on your plant and machine conditions.

In other words, do not immediately react to a set of data which may be higher than that suggested by your equipment manufacturer or by the laboratory. Keep this important point in mind: It is not a set of high numbers that is important. It is a dramatic increase or change in a set of oil analysis report numbers that is important. There may not be a potential problem if the results are within the trend, even though the trend itself is higher than that indicated by the equipment manufacturer.

Tr a i n p e r s o n n e l to sample oil carefully using approved methods. These methods can include the use of devices such as handheld suction guns or permanently mounted sampling valves installed on the appropriate machines. Remember that oil samples are to be taken while the machine is running (if possible) or immediately after it has been shut down. Samples should also be taken from the same location each time and obtained on a regularly scheduled basis (i.e. every 500 hours).

Following these simple guidelines consistently will ensure that used oil samples will be representative of the lubricant in the machine and will provide the best chance of repeatable results.

Carefully maintain complete records.

Include the operating hours for each selected machine. Statistical trending cannot be effectively established if oil samples are taken

at random operating periods, or if the sampling schedule is too long, such as every two months or more. Whenever possible, install hour meters or tachometers on every critical machine assigned to the oil analysis program.

Also keep a careful record of the amount of oil that is added between oil samples. Large quantities of top-up oil can dilute the wear or contamination levels, resulting in a potential problem being overlooked.

Establish baseline trends by sampling each machine at least three times at the same interval. Once a baseline trend has been established, a decision may be made regarding the sampling frequency for each piece of machinery. Be careful to factor in machine criticality so that you obtain the biggest bang for your oil analysis buck. If a potential problem does arise, the sampling frequency can be increased.

The application of oil analysis, together with other predictive maintenance technologies to accurately provide information on critical equipment problems, will make it impossible for the plant manager to say “no” to a shutdown when the results confirm that a catastrophic failure is about to occur.

IL

Many plant personnel are not aware that oil analysis is actually more effective than vibration analysis ...

Lloyd (Tex) Leugner is an Alberta-based specialist in maintenance and lubrication problems, author, and an award-winning contributor to this magazine. References used for this article include: The Practical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication, 3rd Edition, L. Leugner; Lubricant Properties, Analysis & Testing, J. Denis, J. Briant, J.C. Hipeaux; and Reliability Centered Maintenance, 2nd Edition, John Moubray.

Summer 2009 Industrial Lubrication 19

tech report

The biggest lube problems Automatic systems can solve many of the issues related to manual lubrication methods.

BY BILL ROEBUCK

T

he biggest problems regarding industrial lubrication were identified in a recent interview with Mike Deckert, vice-president at Flo Components Ltd., Mississauga, ON, an automatic greasing systems specialist and a supplier of lubrication solutions to major manufacturers in Ontario.

Deckert, a member of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) who has taught part-time at the Lubrication School at Mohawk College in Hamilton, ON, for the past 15 years, has witnessed an increase in the number of ‘lubricators’ employed by forward-thinking companies, from steel mills to food plants to large aggregates firms. Despite this, he says, many companies don’t give lubrication the respect it deserves.

According to Deckert, lack of knowledge about lubrication, lack of knowledge about lubricants, and a lack of concern among companies about the importance of lubrication issues are the top three problems with industrial lubrication today.

“In North America, lubrication is like a necessary evil,” he says. For example, in Europe, automatic lubrication systems are much more accepted than here. Deckert estimates 85% of lubrication systems in use in North America are still manual.

He hears about concerns that automatic systems will put people out of work, but says that isn’t the case. “It doesn’t replace somebody, it just replaces the grease gun.” Automatic systems solve the problem with manual methods, for example, of using too much grease in bearings, and the uneven and irregular application of the correct amount of grease. This can result in early bearing failures.

“With manual methods, you get peaks and valleys of lubricant in a bearing. Manual lubrication can mean feast or famine conditions, especially when lubrication is done only ‘when there’s time’. As soon as there’s a void, heat builds up and problems start.

“Automatic systems put in smaller, measured amounts of lubricant at frequent intervals while the equipment is operating, maintaining the correct amount of grease in bearings at all times. As well, contamination is constantly being moved out.”

However, there is a disadvantage to an automatic system, Deckert points out. “People think that it looks after itself. But no, it’s just another tool. Somebody still has to check the lines and look for leaks. It’s not a total solution. Someone needs to take ownership of the system.”

The lack of knowledge about lubricant products, and oil and grease compatibility in particular, is another major problem Deckert sees.

“If incompatible lubricants are used, you can get plugged lines, sticking metering valves, and so on. These problems can shut down a whole series system. And in a parallel setup, the system will work around the problem until it’s too late.”

Lubrication is an afterthought in many companies, Deckert has noted. “They don’t recognize the significance lubrication plays.

Even in some schools, it doesn’t get the attention it deserves. For example, a millwright training program might only discuss lubrication for one day, and that generally is about using a grease gun and grease fittings. Lubrication typically isn’t given relevance.”

Deckert suggests that employers should talk to government officials responsible for skills training and apprenticeships to encourage better training in lubrication.

Suppliers can help companies justify the cost of automatic systems by showing the return

20 Industrial Lubrication Summer 2009

be caused by contamination of bushings by dust, dirt and moisture, inadequate amounts of lubricant applied to bearings, or over-lubrication of key pivot points.

Direct costs from inadequate lubrication include replacement bearings, labour to repair or replace bearings, and unscheduled downtime. Indirect costs include work safety and housekeeping issues, wasted lube, environmental issues, and higher labour costs related to inefficient manual lubrication practices.

“An automatic lubrication system helps eliminate these unplanned and unnecessary expenses,” says Deckert.

IL on investment, through reduced downtime and energy savings, he notes.

Deckert cites a study that showed improper

lubrication accounted for 53% of all bearing failures for a major component manufacturer.

The majority of failures were determined to

Bill Roebuck is the editor of Industrial Lubrication.

For further information, visit flocomponents.com.

Reader Service Card No. 426

Ultrasonic system listens and measures Equipment tells the operator when to grease and how much grease to apply, and helps avoid over-greasing during re-greasing.

A

ccording to bearing manufacturers, lubrication problems account for 36% of bearing failures — and overlubrication is a more frequent cause of these failures than under-lubrication. As a result, several technology companies are providing simple tools to ensure that a bearing gets the right amount of lubrication at the right time.

A relatively recent innovation in bearing lubrication is an ultrasonic device that monitors what’s happening as a technician greases a bearing in order to prevent over-lubrication. According to Allan Rienstra, president of the company behind the device, SDT North America, Cobourg, ON, the development of an acoustic grease gun adaptor was the result of customer demand.

The device helps solve issues with lubrication. “In the past, most companies were working on a time-based schedule, relied on oil analysis samples, or just greased when the time suited them,” said Rienstra. “Most of these systems did not work well because there are too many variables between locations.

“Many of our customers already had digital ultrasonic data collectors and asked us if we could make an interface directly from their ultrasound sensor to any standard grease gun. We were able to provide this solution and allow our customers to continue to use the equipment they already owned and were familiar with,” he said.

The SDT equipment functions on the principle of acoustic vibration monitoring, which measures ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonic waves are high-frequency acoustic vibrations that rely on media — solids, liquids or gases — to transport themselves. These vibrations are sound pressure waves and are produced by rubbing, friction and turbulence. The equipment detects and measures them with high-frequency piezoquartz crystals. The measurement used by SDT is decibels/microvolt (dBµV).

The ultrasonic system measures the level of friction produced by a bearing and stores it in a database for trending, alarming and scheduling. As lubrication conditions change, so do friction levels, which are best measured in the ultrasonic range.

"The SDT system works by both listening and digital measurement," says Rienstra. "It tells the operator when to grease, how much

Ultrasonic dBµV readings show when motor bearings need greasing.

grease to apply, and helps avoid over-greasing during re-greasing.

"The only way to maintain an accurate condition-based lubrication program is to measure and trend. Listen-only systems are too subjective."

For those who already own an SDT ultrasonic system, they only need purchase an ultrawave lube tech kit consisting of an acoustic grease gun adaptor, a mechanical interface between the ultrasonic sensor and the meter. All ultrawaves come with an internal airborne sensor, so when lubricators are not using the equipment, it can still be used for air leak surveys, electrical inspections, steam trap checks, etc.

"Lubrication problems begin to make noise in the 40+ kHz range," said Rienstra. "As the problem progresses, the lower frequency harmonics kick in. Most units that are dedicated for lubrication are what we call wide-band detectors. Some are even listening to audible sound. SDT employs a 2 kHz filter centred near 40 kHz, which blocks parasite noises that would otherwise interfere with the lubrication process.

We combine a wide band sensor with a tunable filter, which provides extremely fine tuning."

Case studies “We’ve talked to one company that had stopped greasing motor bearings altogether.

When asked why, the staff replied that lubricators had no idea how much grease the

bearing needed. They would just keep adding shots without guidance.

“As a result, seals were getting blown, shields were pressurized into the rolling elements of the bearings, and grease was entering the windings of the motor. The company decided it was cheaper to let the bearings fail than to ruin the entire motor.

“In another case, at a General Mills plant in the US that makes cereal, a lot of the bearings on the cooking lines run on very close tolerances and with a lot of heat. One of the problems for grease in high-temperature environments is the separation of the oils from the carrier. Once this begins to happen, the carrier becomes waxy and hard. It forms a layer around the cage of the bearing, shielding the rolling elements from new grease.

The bearings are left to run dry until they fail — a few hours to a day at best.”

By using the ultrasound equipment, lube techs at the plant were able to listen to the bearing as it was greased and measure its friction value, which identified a problem bearing with a waxy buildup on the cage.

The problem could not have been discovered using conventional methods — including temperature — because the ambient temperature was already quite high.

IL For more information, visit sdtnorthamerica.com.

Reader Service Card No. 427

tech report

Food contamination threats and food-grade lubricants Synthetic lubricants can be specifically designed for high performance, whether for the extreme low temperatures of freezers or for the high temperatures of ovens.

L

ubricant contamination has always been a concern in the food and beverage processing industry. A major accident could cause a company to make a massive recall that could be devastating to its brand reputation. There are many things to think about when running a food manufacturing or processing business, and concern over food contamination from lubricants should be one of them.

It is essential for food and beverage companies to use lubricants that are not only in compliance with or exceed government standards, but that also protect brand equity. A quality food-grade lubricant will add to profitability by reducing maintenance costs and lubricant consumption.

For non food-grade lubricants, the US FDA allows zero amounts of lubricant to come into contact with food. Any food that comes accidentally in contact with lubricants must be discarded. If the plant uses food-grade (H-1) lubricants, they have to be nontoxic, odourless and tasteless. The FDA limits lubrication contamination to 10 parts per million (10 ppm).

For these lubricants, NSF International maintains the class H-1 list as lubricants compliant with CFR 178.3570.

Most major food producing companies have begun using the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system for achieving food safety standards and have recognized the importance of a lubrication survey to ensure H-1 lubricants are used wherever possible.

The HACCP program focuses on preventing hazards that may result in an unsafe food supply by applying science-based controls such as analyzing potential hazards, identifying critical control points, incorporating preventive measures, taking corrective actions and good recordkeeping.

Implementing a high-quality NSF H-1 lubricant is a proactive step companies can take toward meeting HACCP guidelines, which require assessment at each contact point of the lubricant and critical equipment used for food processing as a means to prevent contamination and protect quality.

Using an H-1 food-grade lubricant in food processing machines safely supports brand quality without affecting productivity. Once in place, the right high-quality lubricant can bring additional benefits, including maximized return on investment (ROI), increased uptime and cost savings.

A plant’s operating conditions and environment will generally determine whether to choose a high-performance synthetic foodgrade lubricant over a mineral-based lubricant product. Today’s trend is toward higher-performance synthetic lubricant products, which are playing a key role in maximizing equipment life, decreasing maintenance expenditures and reducing the need for frequent lubrication of bearings and gear components.

Food manufacturers can choose from a range of mineral and synthetic oils and greases, but quality differences

between them are significant.

General industrial fluids and greases historically have been used in food and beverage manufacturing, but the potential for contact with consumable goods make them less than ideal for these applications.

Common food-grade mineral oil based products have helped companies meet USDA and NSF H-1 requirements, but they often fall short of the lubrication performance requirements of modern food processing equipment.

Synthetic lubricants can be specifically designed for high performance, whether for the extreme low temperatures of freezers or for the high temperatures of ovens. The increased oxidation and thermal stability of a synthetic lubricant compared to a mineral or white-oil based product make them more effective.

Synthetics need to be changed less often, reducing the potential of spills and the disruption of production lines.

Lubricated systems under high stress benefit from improved fluid stability, viscosimetric and film formation properties, which minimize the rate of component wear, leading to improved component longevity.

However, the selection of the most competent food-grade lubricant provider is just as important as selecting the correct lubricant. It is essential to choose a lubricant supplier with a full range of products and services who also understands the customer’s business needs and maintenance obstacles.

IL

A quality food-grade lubricant will add to profitability by reducing maintenance costs and lubricant consumption.

This article was prepared by Dow Corning. For more information, visit dowcorning.com.

Reader Service Card No. 425

Using an H-1 food-grade lubricant in food processing machines safely supports brand quality without affecting productivity.

INCREASE ROI ON YOUR PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT AUTOMATIC LUBE SYSTEMS É… 3FEVDF 6OQMBOOFE %PXOUJNF É… *ODSFBTF -JGF PG $PNQPOFOUT É… -PXFS 0QFSBUJOH $PTUT É… *ODSFBTF 1MBOU "VUPNBUJPO É… 0VS .PCJMF 8PSLTIPQT $PNF UP :PV 'PS 5PUBM -VCF 4PMVUJPOT

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Reader Service No. 128

Reader Service No. 129

product news

CFIA approves greases for food processing facilities

Lubricant line protects the environment

SKF carries a broad line of industrial bearing greases. LGAP 0, LGAP 1 and LGAP 2 general-purpose, industrial and automotive bearing greases consist of a mineral-oil-based lithium soap thickened grease with good thermal stability. The LGFA 00, LGFA 0, LGFA 1 and LGFA 2 clean, non-toxic, food-compatible

Petro-Canada has announced the EcoSia brand, a suite of products from its current line-up that possess environmentally friendly characteristics. Inherently or readily biodegradable and not environmentally toxic, the product offering spans a wide range of applications, including lubricants and fluids for general manufacturing, mining, drilling, construction, agriculture and forestry. The EcoSia line includes products from many of the company’s existing brands, including Environ hydraulic fluids, Puredrill drilling mud base fluids, Calflo specialty heat transfer fluids, select Purity FG food-grade lubricants, Puretol white oils, select Compro compressor fluids and Luminol electrical insulating fluids.

Trico Tel.: 416-439-9425 Website: tricocorp.com

Reader Service Card No. 407

Gear lubricant helps prevent wear Mobilgear 600 XP industrial gear lubricant from ExxonMobil withstands the most demanding operating conditions, surpassing

Petro-Canada Tel.: 800-268-5850 Website: www.lubricants.petro-canada.ca

Lubrication units are suitable for hygienic conditions

bearing greases are formulated using medical white oil and aluminium complex soap, and are authorized by the National Sanitation Foundation for category H1 service. Lastly, LGEL 2 high-load, extreme-pressure bearing grease is a mineral-oil-based lithium soap thickened grease with extreme pressure additives, designed for operating temperatures from minus 20°C to 110°C (minus 5°F to 230°F).

These food-compatible grease products also have received acceptance for use in food processing facilities by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

SKF Canada Tel.: 866-832-6753 Website: www.skf.ca

Reader Service Card No. 403

Mechanical material provides high-temperature lubrication Metallized Carbon has introduced Metcar grades M-343 and M-346 high-temperature mechanical materials. These carbon/graphite Antimony impregnated materials are designed to operate in difficult environments where oil and grease lubrication cannot be used due to temperature limitations. The Antimony impregnation provides good wear resistance and

Reader Service Card No. 410 such specifications as Flender BA Table 7300 A, DIN 51517 Part 3 and AGMA 9005 E02.

Formulated to minimize wear and enhance the performance of all critical gearbox components, the lubricant helps control micro-pitting and other forms of gear wear. Its balanced formulation improves bearing and corrosion protection while remaining compatible with commonly used gearbox sealing materials. In addition, it is designed to reduce the formation of oil degradation byproducts.

An eco-friendly line of absorbent pads made of natural plant byproducts has been introduced by Oil Eater. Featuring woven construction, the pads are designed to provide a safe, clean workplace and help companies to meet OSHA and EPA requirements. The line includes oil-only pads and rolls, universal pads and rolls and absorbent

Tel.: 800-662-4525 Website: www.mobil.com

Reader Service Card No. 408

incorporate porous synthetic resins that retain a large quantity of lubricating oil to ensure steady application as the unit moves along the rail or shaft surface. The moulded design prevents oil from being dispersed into surrounding areas. Lubrication is provided for five years or 10,000 km. The units are available only on NSK linear motion components, including linear guides, ball screws, linear actuators and Cartesian robots.

Drum filling shelf cuts risk of spills New Pig has introduced the Pig drum filling shelf to facilitate the transfer of fluids from storage drums. The product allows users to position fluid-dispensing containers close to drum pumps to reduce risks of spill and drips.

Adjustable steel strap brackets attach securely to the drum and can accommodate a variety of container sizes, weights and configurations.

socks. The pads absorb up to 20% more than melt-blown polypropylene pads, yet cost less. All are available in a variety of weights and finishes.

Sizes range from 16 in. by 18 in. to 28 in. by 150ft rolls. Applications include production lines, industrial and maintenance facility floors, loading docks, paint shop floors and more.

NSK Precision America Tel.: 317-738-5089 E-mail: passerd@nskprecision.com Website: www.nskprecision.com

Oil Eater Tel.: 800-528-0334 E-Mail: sales@oileater.com Website: www.oileater.com

Reader Service Card No. 405

Reader Service Card No. 413

Disposable funnel prevents messy spills

Synthetic fluid offers protection in grinding applications

The bright orange shelf, which will not rust, dent or corrode, features a ribbed top that can contain up to 32 oz. of minor spills and drips. In addition, its polyethylene construction makes it chemically resistant and easy to clean. The shelf fits 30- gal and 55-gal steel drums as well as most 55-gal poly drums.

Metallized Carbon Tel.: 914-941-3738 Website: www.metcar.com

New Pig Tel.: 800-468-4647 E-mail: hothogs@newpig.com Website: www.newpig.com

Reader Service Card No. 404

Reader Service Card No. 414

22 Industrial Lubrication Summer 2009

Absorbent pad line is made of plant material

ExxonMobil

Made from coated, heavy-grade paper stock and intended for one-time use, Trico’s industrial Fast Funnels remain clean and compact until separated from the header and opened. They

enhanced lubrication for bearings and thrust washers operating in both submerged and dry environments. Operating at temperatures up to 370°C (700°F), the bearings are self-lubricating, non-galling and dimensionally stable, have high compressive strength and provide continuous lubrication for their service life.

Spectroline has developed a Micro Discharge Light ultraviolet lamp that enables plant maintenance technicians to quickly and accurately identify even the t i n i e s t refrigerant and industrial fluid leaks. The Maxima ML3500 series lamp is claimed to deliver up to 10 times the UV-A output of high intensity discharge lamps. The lamp can be used with fluorescent dyes to detect leaks in lubrication, fuel, ATF, power steering, coolant, hydraulic and air conditioning/refrigeration systems. It has an inspection range of up to 30 ft and functions efficiently in direct sunlight. Also available are the ML-3500RS and ML-3500FL models. All models are available in 120-V, 230-V, 240-V and 100-V versions. A battery-operated version also is available.

Spectroline Tel.: 800-274-8888 E-mail: info@spectroline.com Website: www.spectroline.com

Reader Service Card No. 400

NSK’s food and medical K1 lubrication units act as a maintenance-free lubricant for NSK ball screws or linear guides and are FDAapproved for use in food processing equipment and medical devices. These lubrication units

Powerful UV lamp detects miniscule leaks

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What’s new in greases, oils and hydraulics

can be used with most liquids or powders and fit a wide variety of orifices, even as small as 3/4 in. in diameter. This one-time use means that particle contamination and fluid cross-contamination are virtually eliminated. The funnels are packaged in handy three-packs and store easily in a toolbox, cabinet, pocket, etc.

The Grindex line of water-miscible, mineraloil-free synthetic grinding fluids from Blaser Swisslube provides the rinsing and settling behaviour required in modern grinding operations. Running at low concentrations, the product is best suited for steel and iron. Two versions are available, Grindex 10 and Grindex 10CO, which is highly inhibited for carbide grinding to prevent cobalt leaching. Offering effective corrosion protection and transparent when mixed in water, the fluids are engineered to ensure good washing action and foam protection. They are suited for use with all wheels and any level of grit.

Blaser Swisslube Website: www.blaser.com

Reader Service Card No. 411

product news t

Zebra Skimmers Tel.: 888-249-4855 E-mail: Meg@Zebra Skimmers.com Website: www.Zebra Skimmers.com

Reader Service Card No. 401

Silicones keep wind turbines turning Dow Corning silicones play a significant part in producing wind power. Converting wind energy to electricity strains components such as hydraulic circuits, brakes, blades and bearings. Friction between wind turbine components can drastically reduce efficiency, making proper lubrication and maintenance essential to maximize energy output. Specially formulated silicone lubricants, such as the company’s Molykote brand lubricants, are designed to meet these demands, and help reduce the carbon footprint of wind farms.

Dow Corning Tel.: 989-496-4400 Website: www.dowcorning.com

Reader Service Card No. 415

Kit detects all fluid leaks The Spectroline OPK-340 industrial leak detection kit pinpoints the exact source of all fluid leaks in hydraulic equipment, compressors, engines, gearboxes, and fuel- and water-based systems. The cordless, super-high-intensity, super-bright Optimax 3000 blue light LED flashlight has an inspection range of up to 6.1 m (20 ft). Powered by a rechargeable NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) battery, the unit has an LED life of 50,000 hours. Also included in the kit are a 16-oz, twin-necked bottle of Oil-Glo 44 concentrated fluorescent oil dye and a similar bottle of WD-802 concentrated fluorescent

ergonomic styling provides comfort and balance. The grease gun’s 30-in., high-pressure hose with coupler and attachment clip provides easy access to lube points. Operating on shop air ranging from 40 to 150 psi, the Model 1162 supplies high flow rates at low and medium pressures for quick filling or high pressures for tight joints, clogged fittings and track adjustments.

Krylon Products Group Tel.: 800-777-2966 Website: www.kpg-industrial.com

Lincoln Industrial Tel.: 1-314-679-4200, ext. 4410 Website: www.lincolnindustrial.com.

Reader Service Card No. 412

Reader Service Card No. 417

Fluorescent dye pinpoints leaks

Tags prevent lubricant crosscontamination

A small amount of Spectroline Oil-Glo 22 dye added to a hydraulic system and allowed to circulate for several minutes will reveal any leaks in that system. Wherever there is a leak, the dye escapes with the oil. When the system is scanned with a high-intensity Spectroline ultraviolet or UV/blue light lamp, the dye glows bright yel-

low, clearly revealing each and every leak. After the leaks have been repaired, scanning the system again with the light will indicate whether the leaks were fixed properly. The dye remains safely in the system until the oil is changed.

Spectroline Tel.: 800-274-8888 E-mail: info@spectroline.com Website: www.spectroline.com

Reader Service Card No. 409

Automatic air-operated grease gun is new Lincoln has introduced the new Model 1162 Automatic Pneumatic Grease Gun to simplify the task of lubrication. Designed with a variable speed trigger, the gun provides superior flow control with the convenience of fully automatic operation. It features a patented pump design that ensures uninterrupted grease flow, and its

t

The Oasis portable coalescer from Zebra Skimmers separates tramp oil and fine particles from water-based fluids, such as metalworking fluid. Features include an on/off lever to activate power to the air pump, indicator gauges placed for easy viewing, gauges and filters labelled for easy reference, an odour control capsule to eliminate foul coolant odours, and incorporation of the Sidewinder tube skimmer for effective oil removal.

The components are transported on a rugged, powder-coated steel frame. This system replaces the Snapdragon Deluxe and Adapt models.

pany has implemented a greenhousegas-free program as a step to comply with the goals of the US Climate Action Partnership and the US Environmental Protection Agency Climate Leaders Partners to slow, stop and reverse the growth of greenhouse gas emissions, and is committed to reporting its progress annually to the EPA.

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Portable coalescer extends coolant life

Spectrum tags and labels from Trico provide a simple and fast solution for identifying lubricants from storage to point of use. They can be used for marking everything from storage containers and drums, transport containers, hand pumps, filter carts and transfer carts, to dispensing equipment and tools. The weather-and chemical-resistant tags are made of durable 1/16-in. UV inhibited plastic with a tough, clear laminate that withstands acids, caustics, oils and abrasions. The user simply marks the information on the tag and seals it beneath the laminate sheet to keep it clean and legible.

The labelling system allows the user to create customized labels using various colours, text and optional barcoding. Ten colours are available.

Trico Tel.: 800-558-7008 Website: www.tricocorp.com

Reader Service Card No. 421

Chain saw oils suit severe conditions Shell chain saw oils are formulated specifically to protect the bars and chains of the highperformance professional power saws used in the Canadian woodlands. These saws are subjected to severe operating conditions in high-speed, high-volume logging operations, where the highest factors of performance and reliability are demanded from fuels, lubricants and the saws themselves. Shell chain saw oils are available in two grades, Light and Heavy, for use under all seasonal conditions.

They are blended from HVI base stocks and contain an additive system essential to the

protection of the power saw chain. The oils have a special tackifier that ensures that the film of oil ejected onto the operating chain does not fling off.

Shell Canada Tel.: 403-691-2564 E-mail: solutions@shell.ca Website: www.shell.ca/lubricants

Reader Service Card No. 419

Lubricant is safe for food contact Clean, safe and non-toxic, Lubriplate HSF H-1 lubricants are manufactured in compliance with ISO 21469 guidelines and they also comply with FDA regulations in the United States. In addition, the lubricants meet USDA safety standards and are authorized for use in the United States in federally inspected meat and poultry plants. They are certified OU Kosher Pareve and are Halal registered. The manufacturing process is ISO 9001-2000 registered.

Lubriplate Tel.: 973-465-5700 E-mail: LubeXpert@lubriplate.com Website: www.lubriplate.com

Reader Service Card No. 416

Fittings are designed for aerospace/military industries The line of AS hydraulic lubrication fittings from Alemite is designed and manufactured for aerospace use and also meets stringent military requirements. The fittings meet SAE standard AS35411, which supersedes the previous military standard MIL-F-3541. These corrosion-resistant fittings are available in different configurations, materials and finishes. Finish and material choices range from carbon steel (zinc and zinc-nickel), stainless steel (Passivate) and monel (Bright Dip). The configurations are offered in straight and 30-degree, 45-degree, 65-degree and 90-degree angles.

Alemite Tel.: 800-267-8022 Website: www.alemite.com

Reader Service Card No. 406

Note: The reader service numbers here can be used on the reply cards in Machinery & Equipment MRO.

water dye. Rounding out the kit is an 8-oz spray bottle of Glo-Away dye cleaner, smart AC and DC chargers and fluorescence-enhancing glasses, all packed in a rugged carrying case.

Spectroline Tel.: 800-274-8888 Website: www.spectroline.com

Reader Service Card No. 402

Greenhouse-gas-free products protect the environment Krylon offers more than 1,600 non-ozonedepleting products that are greenhouse gas free, including paints, coatings, lubricants, electronic cleaners and degreasers. Numerous non-aerosol coatings, available in recyclable containers, deliver high-quality performance without greenhouse gas propellants. The comReader Service No. 130

IL

Reader Service No. 131

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Whether you build, produce, manufacture, run or generate, one fact is clear: better lubricants and better lubricant suppliers lead to increased productivity. That’s why Imperial Oil is proud to offer Mobil Industrial Lubricants – recognized worldwide by more than 5000 equipment builders. With the combination of Mobil Industrial Lubricants and Imperial Oil expertise, we don’t just elevate productivity – we help unleash it. Visit www.imperialoil.ca for more information.

Imperial Oil is a trademark of Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil, licensee. Mobil and the Pegasus are trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries, Imperial Oil Licensee.

Reader Service No. 132

C O N D I T I O N

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M O N I T O R I N G

June 2009

Machinery & Equipment MRO

Using thermal imaging as an effective tool for the preventive maintenance of electric motors.

By Colin Plastow lectric motors are the backbone of industry. Alone, they account for 70% of the electricity consumed by industry. An integral part of optimizing motor performance and minimizing downtime is having the ability to capture information on a motor’s temperature profile.

A tried and true tool used by technicians in understanding temperature variations within a piece of equipment is an infrared thermometer. While accurate and extremely useful in specific situations, these instruments have limitations, since they can only capture temperature at a single point.

Thermal imaging using infrared technology, on the other hand, can capture thousands of points at once, for all of the critical components – for example, the motor, shaft coupling, motor and shaft bearings, and the gearbox – to create a more comprehensive temperature profile in a much shorter space of time. This allows technicians to identify and analyze potential problems more safely and effectively, without having to make physical contact with the equipment.

An ounce of prevention Given the speed, efficiency and safety of thermal imaging devices, it is not surprising to see that they are playing an increasingly important role in preventive maintenance programs today. Preventive maintenance is especially important in industrial environments, since any system failure could lead to lost production time and revenues – and ultimately affect a company’s bottom line.

With the ability to accurately capture and assess all aspects of a motor’s surface temperature conditions, it is easier to avert many unexpected motor malfunctions in systems that are critical to manufacturing, commercial and institutional processes.

Regularly scheduled infrared inspections of electric motors can help to identify motors that are starting to overheat and reveal whether a motor is running hotter than a similar motor doing a similar job. This capability not only improves

uptime, but also helps to reduce the cost of repairs significantly.

One thing to keep in mind is that an infrared camera can’t see the inside of the motor, but as heat is generated inside the motor, it will find its way to the outside, generally by conduction. In other words, as the motor gets hotter inside, it also gets hotter outside and the thermal patterns on the exterior surface are usually a good indicator of internal temperatures.

Know the normal operating temperature When working with a thermal imager, an important first step is to check motors when they are running under normal operating conditions. Each motor has a maximum operating temperature that usually appears on its nameplate and represents the maximum allowable rise in temperature of the motor above ambient. Most motors are designed to operate in ambient temperatures that do not exceed 40°C. Generally speaking, each 10°C rise above its rated temperature cuts a motor’s life in half.

It is usually best to create an inspection route that includes all critical motor/ drive combinations. Then, save a thermal image of each one on a computer. This will provide baseline images that can be used for comparison with subsequent images captured later at regular intervals.

This helps determine if any thermal images are unusual or not, and can also help you verify if any repairs that were made were successful.

Troubleshooting overheating Overheating of motors can be a result of a number of issues. Here are some of the common problems and possible actions that can be taken to analyze and/or remedy specific causes of overheating: • Inadequate airflow: If a brief shutdown will not affect the plant process, shut off the motor long enough to perform minor cleaning on the air intake grills, then schedule a thorough motor cleaning during the next planned plant shutdown.

• Unbalanced voltage or an overload: This is often caused by a high-resistance

connection in the switchgear, disconnect or motor connection box. It usually can be pinpointed during a thermographic inspection and confirmed using a multimeter, clamp meter or a power quality analyzer.

• Impending bearing failure: When the thermal images indicate a bearing is overheating, lubricate the bearing or generate a maintenance order as soon as possible. When in doubt, having an expert perform a vibration analysis can help to determine the best course of action.

• Insulation failure: If possible, derate the motor in accordance with NEMA standards. Generate a work order to replace it as soon as possible.

• Shaft misalignment: In most cases, vibration analysis will confirm a misaligned coupling. If a shutdown is possible, misalignment can be corrected using the dial indicators of laser-alignment devices.

Whenever you discover a problem using a thermal imager, make sure you use the associated software to document your findings in a report that includes a thermal image and a digital image of the equipment. This is the best way to communicate the problems you found and the suggested repairs.

The ROI question One additional aspect to consider when deciding about repairs is gaining an understanding of the return on investment (ROI).

In order to determine this, you should perform an analysis based on the cost of the specific motor, the average amount of time a line is down from a motor failure, the labour required to change it out, etc.

Of course, productivity losses from downtime vary from industry to industry. For example, lost production from a papermaking machine can be as much as $3,000 per hour, while in the steel casting industry losses can be as high as $1,000 per minute.

As a critical component of any industrial operation, it is important to ensure

that motors are running at peak efficiency at all times. Using thermal imaging to perform routine checks can play an important role in making sure that your operations stay up and running, and avoiding costly repairs. If and when repairs are needed, an accurate analysis of the problem will go a long way towards helping you determine next steps, and maximize the return on investment.

MRO Colin Plastow has been with Fluke Electronics Canada since 1987 in various support and product management positions and currently is industrial product manager. He may be reached by e-mail at colin.plastow@fluke.com.

Reader Service Card No. 396

Above: Thermal imaging is playing an increasingly important role in preventive maintenance. Far left: Infrared devices can capture thousands of data points at once. Left: Motors should first be checked when they are running under normal operating conditions.

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C O N D I T I O N

M O N I T O R I N G

Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2009

Infrared inspection update

s av e s b i g m o n e y

A

paper mill had a very successful infrared inspection program that its managers wanted to expand. However, the requirements of NFPA 70E regulations were causing the US-based mill to rethink its strategy, since inspections of energized equipment were becoming more restrictive, more time consuming and more costly.

Furthermore, 8% of the mill’s applications had never been surveyed due to switched interlocks (which automatically de-energize the equipment upon opening, thereby preventing access to energized components), or due to incident energy calculations in excess of 100 cal/sq cm on certain equipment (which exceeds personal protective equipment ratings, and would place personnel in extreme danger and open the company to OSHA fines).

In search of alternative methods of conducting safer, standards-compliant inspections, the corporate reliability engineer investigated how infrared inspection windows (commonly referred to as IR windows, viewports or sightglasses) might be used.

It was determined that: • The use of infrared windows for routine inspections of healthy equipment did not require the elevated levels of PPE reTablE 1 application

Quantity

13.8 kV Primary Switch

15

Secondary Switchgear

22

Transformers (13.8 kV)

27

MCC’s

2

Miscellaneous Switchgear

2

Generators

2

Total assemblies

70

Inspection Compartments

147

IR Windows

197

Paper mill’s IR window program saves almost $40,000 on each of its energized equipment inspections.

By Martin roBinson

quired in 70E, since as stated in 70E 100: “Under normal operating conditions, enclosed energized equipment that has been properly installed and maintained is not likely to pose an arc flash hazard.”

In NFPA terms, an IR window maintains an ‘enclosed’ state for the switchgear, motor control centre (MCC), transformer, etc., and maintains energized components and circuit parts in a ‘guarded’ condition.

Therefore, the hazard/risk category would be equal to that of reading a panel meter, using a visual inspection pane for lockout/ tagout confirmations, or walking past enclosed and energized equipment.

• Use of IR windows or sightglasses would eliminate the need for a supporting cast of electricians to remove and reinstall panel covers. Those critical personnel would then be available to perform other tasks, which were often being outsourced.

• The use of IR windows would provide an efficient method to perform inspections. This would make more frequent inspections feasible for critical or suspect

TablE 2 IR Window Supply & Installation Investment Infrared Windows (197 units assorted 3 & 4 inch diameter)

$42,050

Install Costs for 197 IR Windows

$18,910

Total

$60,960

TablE 3 Total Cost of Traditional Inspection with In-House Team Traditional Inspection Time (Hrs. x 2 per team)

294

$36,750

Full PPE suits were needed for each inspection before IR windows were installed.

applications to ensure plant uptime.

• The use of IR windows would provide non-intrusive access to electrical applications. Therefore, surveys could be conducted without elevating risk to plant assets and processes, meaning that inspections could be conducted during peak hours for the best diagnostic data.

• The use of IR windows and closed-panel inspection would eliminate high-risk tasks during inspections and thereby increase safety for thermographers.

The focus of the mill’s initiative was to facilitate inspection of the primary switchgear in its electrical distribution system, which feeds one paper machine and several smaller operations within the plant. An im-

TablE 5 ROI

Windows

Traditional

197 Infrared Windows

$42,050

—

Installation of Windows

$18,910

—

Cost for 1st Inspection Cycle

$ 2,000

$41,375

Total for 1 Cycle

$62,960

$ 41,375

Cost for 2nd Inspection Cycle

$ 2,000

$ 41,375

Total for 2 Cycles

$64,960

$ 82,750

Cost for 3rd Inspection Cycle

$ 2,000

$ 41,375

Total for 3 Cycles

$66,960

$ 124,125

Cost for 4th Inspection Cycle

$ 2,000

$ 41,375

st

PPE Suit-up Time (0.5 hr. x 2 per day x 2 men)

37

$4,625 $41,375

Total

TablE 4 Total Cost of Inspection Using IR Windows

Inspection Time PPE Suit-up Time Total

pending 10-day shutdown increased the sense of urgency, since all windows could be fitted for one machine during that period.

IRISS Inc. was commissioned by the paper mill, located in South Carolina, to conduct a pre-site inspection to ascertain the optimal position and quantity of windows that would give thermographers thorough visibility of the desired targets.

The conclusions from the initial inspection are noted in Table 1.

The customer ordered 200 units of assorted VPFR-75 (3 in. dia.) and VPFR-100 (4 in. dia) infrared inspection windows to complete the installation; 197 windows were later installed at a cost of $42,050. IRISS continued on page 31

16

$2,000

Total for 4 Cycles

$68,960

$165,500

0

$ 0.00

Cost for 5th Inspection Cycle

$ 2,000

$ 41,375

$2,000

Total for 5 Cycles

$70,960

$206,875

ROI

<$ 21,585>

$ 17,790

$ 57,165

$ 96,540

$135,915

F O C U S

O N

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M O T O R S

June 2009

Machinery & Equipment MRO

Wide-ranging speeds important in mill motor

24-hour production line makes motor reliability a top priority at state-of-the-art Plum Creek MDF plant.

T

he largest fibreboard plant in North America and the third largest in the world is owned by Plum Creek Timber Company Inc. Plum Creek project engineer, Jack Hinman, faced a tremendous challenge when he was asked to head up a five-person team to build the new plant and get it operational in less than a year. To accomplish the goal, the team looked for manufacturers that would act as its partner.

Plum Creek operates the second largest private timberland owner in the Unit-

Its US$69 million investment would represent a quantum leap in fibre refining technology, and it selected Reliance as its key motor supplier. Why? With a long history of using Reliance motors, Plum Creek engineers knew they could count on a product that would provide superior performance and reliability. But more importantly, it understood the company now behind the brand, Baldor, would continue to act as its trusted partner.

“It was a very fast track and we had only a limited number of people to work on the project; that’s why we turned to the product and the people we had experience with,” stated Hinman.

“We rely on the company for a lot of support. This Columbia Falls facility has used Reliance motors since 1974, we know the product well, we’ve had good luck with the motors, and that’s why we specified them in the new line.”

The team worked closely with its European OEMs to make sure Downtime costs $2,000 per hour at Plum Creek Timber. they understood why Reliance motors needed to be included on ed States. Its plant is located in the small the equipment that would be installed in town of Columbia Falls, MT, not too far Montana. “Our past successful experifrom Glacier National Park. Plum Creek’s ence using Reliance motors prompted us products include furniture-quality veto specify Reliance as much as we could,” neer logs, proprietary plywood and spestated Hinman. “We told our OEMs overcialty lumber. seas that we wanted equipment we could For years, Plum Creek has held a replace here, and we wanted something leadership position in the medium dense that we had good experience with.” fibreboard, or MDF, business. But back The centrepiece of the facility is a conin 1999 it decided to expand its capabilitinuous press designed to specifically ties to produce an enhanced product line. produce panels almost paper thin, in a In January of 2000 it broke ground and variety of widths and lengths. The probegan constructing a new state-of-thecess control and refining systems are art facility to produce Super-Refined modelled after technology used in the MDF-2, a proprietary engineered wood pulp and paper industry, an exacting panel prized by woodworkers for its manufacturing process that assures a smooth unblemished surface. fine-fibred, quality panel.

AC motors are compact

The Baldor Reliance RPM AC motors offer compact square laminated steel frames for inverter duty and vector duty applications. They are available from stock in totally enclosed fan- or blower-cooled and drip-proof designs from 3 hp through 1,000 hp.

They are designed to handle the most demanding high-performance industrial applications in frame sizes that are up to three times smaller than traditional NEMA or IEC motors.

RPM AC motors feature low-inertia for use on high-response applications and are optimized for use with adjustable speed drives. They offer big power in smaller frame sizes and high efficiency for energy savings.

RG Speed Control Devices Ltd. Reader Service Card No. 399

This is where it uses Reliance 200-hp RPM AC Inverter Duty motors. The press has the capability of making boards from two and a half millimetres up to an inch and a half thick. But the range of speeds required from the motor to produce the different boards is dramatic. To produce the thin material, it needs to run 60 metres per minute, guaranteed throughout the process. The thicker material needs to be run at 10 to 20 metres per minute.

The RPM AC Inverter Duty motor is ideal for this application because it can operate at over 1000:1 constant torque, with special base speeds, and at a wide constant horsepower range. In addition, multiples of these motors can be controlled to operate in a coordinated way.

“It’s critical that the motor provide constant torque at all of the speeds we need for the process,” states Hinman.

“The Reliance product is able to perfectly match the correct speed through the entire system, driven from the press as the master all the way to the end.”

Reliability critical to production This line runs 24 hours a day and produces, on average, 110 ft of board per minute. It’s a highly profitable plant that produces $40 million a year in revenues.

Plum Creek sells everything it makes and it doesn’t keep inventory on the floor.

That means if the line shuts down for

any reason, it loses money at about a rate of $2,000 per hour. In a competitive market with thin margins, a motor failure can cause disaster.

According to John Conner, Plum Creek’s electrician, that’s another reason why it keeps coming back to Reliance motors. “We track downtime with a very sophisticated automated system, so we are always identifying which components are giving us problems,” stated Conner. “Reliability is very critical, we’ve always had a good track record with Reliance motors, and that’s why we are sticking with them.”

Conner views Reliance as a long-term player in the forest industry and a company that is committed to the isolated regions where Plum Creek locates. That’s very important to Conner and other engineers at the plant.

“Who can we call in the middle of the night or on a Sunday afternoon to come help us? There are some folks that will do that, and some folks who aren’t set up to do that,” he adds. “Yes, the products are proven, but it’s the people that are really important. That’s why we keep coming back to Reliance motors.

MRO Baldor’s Reliance RPM AC motor lines are distributed in Canada by RG Speed Control Devices Ltd. For details, visit rgspeed. com or use the reply card number below.

Reader Service Card No. 395

Renew Now! Don’t let your free subscription lapse.

More than ever, we think you’re going to need us in the months ahead.

Machinery & Equipment MRO is a trusted resource for over 18,000 readers serving a wide range of industries across Canada.

Because of your role at your company, it’s available to you at no cost.

But as our circulation list is audited twice a year, we you need to confirm your subscription information.

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T H E

S A F E T Y

F I L E

Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2009

Beware safety issues when importing equipment

Buying new equipment outside of Canada can cause frustrating problems when local safety regulations apply.

BY SIMON FRIDLYAND

I

mporting new equipment from another country isn’t as simple as setting it up and turning it on. Various regulations come into place, particularly regarding the safety of the equipment for those using it and working around it. It’s a problem that can prove very costly to those who ignore it.

Recently we were involved in a PreStart Health and Safety Review (PSR) for a printing press. The press was manufactured in Germany and was destined

for installation in Ontario.

As far as the PSR was concerned, it covered machine guarding, flammable liquids and potentially explosive issues.

Since the inks in the process were flammable, the PSR required a review from the point of view of the flammable liquids and the potentially explosive processes.

As the equipment was manufactured in Germany, a special inspection needed to be arranged for a field evaluation of the electrical/electronic equipment on be-

half of the provincial Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) by a certification organization or an inspection agency recognized by the regulatory authority.

This process is outlined in the Canadian Standards Association’s SPE-100099, Model Code for the Field Evaluation of Electrical Equipment. The service provides the means for evaluating products on location and, if found in compliance with stated technical requirements, such equipment may be marked with a Special Inspection service label.

Special Inspections of electrical equipment involve a safety evaluation that is limited in scope to essential safety considerations, such as electrical shock and other hazards that would expose a user or operator to danger. In other words it addresses the minimum requirements for equipment as they pertain to electrical safety, but no more.

Special Inspections are primarily conducted on:

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the yves landry foundation and the ontario Government want to help your business reach its full potential through a new grant program called aiME (achieving innovation & Manufacturing Excellence). aiME provides up to $50,000 to any ontario manufacturer to help with skills training related to the introduction of innovative new processes or products. we know that when we invest in ontario’s workforce, we’re investing in the future of manufacturing. if you have an innovative idea that will make your business more competitive and need assistance upgrading your employees’ skills to make your initiative a reality, we want to hear from you.

Visit yveslandryfoundation.com or call 416-620-5464 to learn more about aiME and how to apply for grant funding.

Don’t wait; Grant applications are being accepteD now.

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Reader Service Card No. 134

5/19/2009 3:39:27 PM

• custom-built equipment for special applications • equipment manufactured on a non-repetitive basis • equipment sold in limited quantities • equipment not obtainable as ‘certified’ under a regular certification program • equipment already installed and awaiting acceptance by the regulatory authority • complete systems or subassemblies that are all available for examination and testing during the evaluation process, and • other electrical equipment as determined by the AHJ. A Special Inspection of electrical equipment may take place at various locations. The site may be the factory where the equipment is produced, a warehouse or distribution centre where the equipment is stored, or the actual site where the equipment is to be installed.

There are also limitations to which Special Inspections are applicable, as follows.

The Ontario Electrical Code does not apply to the field evaluation of: • wire and cable products • wiring devices • equipment for use in hazardous locations • electro-medical, radiation-emitting, and laboratory equipment used in health care facilities • components that will require further evaluation as part of a complete assembly, such as switches, relays and timers • any equipment that is not permitted to be field-evaluated as directed by a regulatory body (such as air cleaning equipment that intentionally produces ozone).

Since the printing press under consideration used flammable inks, areas where flammable vapours are present would be classified as a hazardous location. Electrical equipment and wiring would need to possess certain qualities so as to not produce sparks or overheat to ignite the vapours. The Ontario Electrical Code stipulates the requirements for labelling electrical equipment that is destined to be located in hazardous locations.

Hazardous-location electrical equipment is often of a unique nature or is custom-built for a specific application. The testing required to assess the safety of hazardous-location equipment is at a level that SPE-1000 does not cover.

In addition, hazardous-location equipment is outside the scope of accreditation for inspection bodies under the program accepted by the Standards Council of Canada and the province of Ontario.

As you can see, the PSR process includes flammable liquids and potentially explosive processes that require a Hazardous Location Classification for electrical equipment and wiring. Unfortunately, for the people who bought this printing press, the electrical equipment located in the classified area did not meet the Code requirements. Such a mistake is extremely costly to fix.

However, the process could have been easily managed had the issue of hazardous-location classification been addressed during the design stage. A PSR provider could have advised the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the local requirements and assisted in specifying the correct electrical components and wiring for the classified areas.

Since the hazardous-location classification relates to the fire issue, there is no equivalency between the hazardous classifications in Europe and Canada. MRO Simon Fridlyand, P.Eng., is president of S.A.F.E. Engineering Inc. He can be reached 416-447-9757 or simonf@safeengineering.ca. For more information, visit safeengineering.ca.

C M M S June 2009

T

he maintenance of equipment drive system components, which include motors and gearboxes, can benefit from the use of a computerized maintenance management system. Breaking down your equipment list into parent and child relationships can help track maintenance on these critical drive components.

Also, proper data entry into the CMMS will allow you to create reports that accurately identify areas performing well and areas needing improvements. A reliability centred maintenance (RCM) program, as discussed in this issue’s pulp and paper industry case study (see page 15) can use this information to plan corrective actions.

In order for your CMMS to return meaningful reports — commonly known as KPIs (key performance indicators) — you need to do several things: 1. Have a comprehensive equipment list 2. Develop detailed PM procedures 3. Maintain a spare parts list 4. Determine your KPIs 5. Create a business process flow for your CMMS to return valid reports.

Let’s examine each of these five items in order.

1. First up is a comprehensive equipment list. We need this list to accurately report on critical equipment components. Breakdown repairs and preventive maintenance (PM) frequencies that are recorded in your CMMS must be specific to the equipment. A poorly constructed equipment list will not give you the maintenance history you need to make educated decisions on component reliability.

When developing your equipment list for your software, first you need to understand what constitutes a piece of equipment and what are its parent and child relationships.

When creating an equipment list, you should break them down into three sections — parent equipment, subassemblies and components. When considering the equipment list, take into account the following criteria: • Problematic areas will have a more detailed equipment list.

• If equipment components will use Time-Based Maintenance (TBM), they will have an equipment number.

Section 1. Parent equipment: This is defined as a machine with a single discrete function related to a process, for example, a blast furnace, mixer, silo or compressor.

Section 2. Subassemblies: This is a logical grouping of components that carry out a unique function within a piece of equipment, for example, conveyors, pump sets or drive assemblies.

Section 3. Components: A component is a wear item that is defi ned as a part, and this is at the level where the maintenance strategy considers it for TBR. If it can be replaced, it is a component.

Examples include motors, gearboxes and pumps.

We also construct a naming convention to follow our equipment parent and child relationships.

Example 1: DL-E010-S010. Here we have the product line with a silo as the parent equipment and a sifter as the subassembly or child. (DL = Donut Line, E010 = Stone Ground Flour Silo, S010 = Stone Ground Flour Silo Sifter. The equipment description would be ‘Donut Line - Stone Ground Flour Silo Sifter’.)

Example 2: DL-E140-S101-C010. Here we have the same production line. The oven is the parent and the motor is the

29

S O L U T I O N S

Machinery & Equipment MRO

TRACKING YOUR KPIs There are several important steps to take before your CMMS can provide results regarding Key Performance Indicators when using Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM).

BY PETER PHILLIPS

subassembly. In this case, the brake on the motor is considered for TBM so it has an equipment number. The motor and brake are both children of the oven. (DL = Donut Line, E140 = Acme Bake Oven, S101 = Drive Motor for Oven, C010 = Brake for Oven Drive Motor. The equipment description is ‘Donut Line - Bake Oven Drive Motor Brake’.

As you can see from this list, components such as motors and gearboxes are identified as children of the parent equipment.

The children records in the CMMS will show the detailed specifications for the part, as well as the complete work order history.

Drive systems make up the majority of our children records. A piece of equipment does not do much unless it has a drive unit. Breaking down the equipment list to parent and children allows work orders to be created for the exact equipment the work was performed on, thus creating a detailed maintenance history on motors, gearboxes and other components.

Tracking equipment history helps determine reliability and knowing its specifications and the vendor makes it much easier to order a replacement. All this information will be stored in the software.

2. The second area on our report creation list is to develop detailed PM procedures. To keep equipment reliable, there are certain maintenance activities we absolutely must do without fail. These specific tasks have been identified as critical procedures that keep the equipment from failing. Maintaining these components is key for RCM. Many PMs will be predictive. However, in order to predict when a component will fail, we need to build some equipment history.

Many maintenance departments fail to achieve 100% PM compliance. In other words, they don’t get their PMs done on time, or not at all. Identifying in your CMMS that a PM was closed but not completed is an important KPI. 3. The third item on our list is maintaining a spare parts list. It is impossible to keep equipment in service when you don’t have the parts to repair it. Identifying a critical spare parts list is another essential ingredient for RCM. Many spare parts in reliability centred maintenance are simple replacement parts. They can be as common as filters, oil, grease, etc.

Many failures are a direct result of

not performing simple tasks. Studies have shown that a lack of lubrication is one of the major causes of equipment breakdown. As a result, maintenance departments are building comprehensive lubrication schedules.

Maintenance departments also are adopting time-based replacement of wear parts. To keep equipment reliable, motors, gearboxes and other components are changed out at regular intervals. For example, your equipment history identifies that a specific part has failed at approximately every 8,000 hours of operation. A time-based replacement schedule would replace this part every 7,000 hours, therefore avoiding a breakdown condition.

4. The fourth item on our list is determining your KPIs. Key Performance Indicators plot your progress towards your maintenance goals. Some indicators you’ll want to calculate will be such things as MTBF (mean time between failures), PMC (preventive maintenance compliance) and BRKH (breakdown hours).

A CMMS can display the results of your KPIs in different formats. Most programs have comprehensive report and

graph functions. More sophisticated software packages have what are called dashboards that display virtual gauges or other symbols that graphically show your maintenance efforts.

5. KPIs are extremely important for RCM. Capturing the data to report KPIs leads me to the fifth item on our list: Create a business process flow for your CMMS. Although this item is number five on the list, it is a crucial part of pulling your maintenance activities and your CMMS together.

So what is a business process flow for your CMMS? It’s a detailed map of how you will use your CMMS. This is one of the first exercises we give our customers.

Normally we get all the key software users together, and on a whiteboard we map out the process flow for work orders, parts management and purchasing.

The work order process flow details the route a work order will take from the time it is created in the software until it is closed.

The process flow is like a map of the countryside. It will visually show points of interest. Work order directions depend upon the type of work order. Is it a PM, repair or project? Its route will also change if it needs parts, materials or engineering, etc.

Every person in the process will know his or her responsibility to get the work order to the next step. When properly populated with data, the work order can be closed. The work order road trip is now complete and memories of its adventure have been stored in the CMMS. Keeping all your work orders in a CMMS allows your maintenance staff to analyze every piece of equipment. A reliability plan can then be put into place to counteract failures. Drive system parts can be properly identified and detailed records can be created in the software.

Indeed, a CMMS is a key ingredient in a successful maintenance plan. It marries all the relevant information into one MRO prefect union.

Peter Phillips of Trailwalk Holdings, a CMMS consulting and training company, can be reached at 902-798-3601 or by email at peter@trailwalk.ca.

We call it our core competency.

RG knows “Speed Control” From our roots in mechanical speed drives and variable speed pulley systems, we have progressed to bring the latest general purpose, high efficiency, and top performance vector drives and motors to our valued customers.

All sold and serviced by a one-source capable company.

Please visit our new 2009 website www.rgspeed.com

Reader Service Card No. 135

30 Machinery & Equipment MRO

This article is part of an ongoing series.

The introduction appeared in Machin‑ ery & Equipment MRO’s February 2005 issue and the series has run in every issue since. Previous instalments are archived online at mromagazine.com. In this issue, we pick up where we left off in the April 2009 edition, as maintenance manager Bob Edwards and members of his team visit a US paper mill.

A

fter lunch, Alan, the US mill’s mechanical team lead, took us back to the maintenance complex where we found a group standing in the shop.

“These are some of our maintenance technicians and they’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have,” he said.

Stan, our millwright, jumped right in, “How do you find working here? Lots of freedom, lots of responsibility — isn’t it a bit scary?”

“Not at all — we all like the way things are here.”

“Of course you’re going to like things with this gentleman standing here,” I laughed, pointing to Alan.

“Hey, there’s an easy way to eliminate that influence. I’ll be upstairs when you’re done,” Alan said as he turned and headed to his office.

“Okay guys, what’s it really like, now that he’s gone?”

“As we said, we all like the way things operate around here. It’s completely different to other places any of us have worked — but different in a good way.

We do have a lot of responsibilities but we also have the freedom and authority to meet those responsibilities. As long as we can deliver profits, there’s no reason to imagine that we’ll change.”

This supported what Alan had told us over lunch.

“What do you mean by responsibilities and authorities?” Stan asked.

“Well let’s take the off-shifts — there is no real supervisor. The paper machine operator has the ultimate responsibility for reporting any major upsets, but that is usually done through our online log book. We only call management if the mill has been down for more than four hours and we’re still not certain when we’ll be back up. If we’re down for eight hours, we call the production manager to inform him of what we’re doing and what we’re going to do.”

I wondered what Fred, our production manager, would think of this, since he insisted on being called for every little thing. I decided that this approach was a result of everything else they were doing at the mill and not a tool to achieve it. We had a lot of work to do before we got to that stage.

“We used to have two millwrights, an electrician and an instrument technician on shift, but now we have just one millwright and the electrician, and their responsibility is simple — keep

NO

M A I N T E N A N C E

M A N A G E M E N T

WRONG

DECISIONS

Follow along with Step 27 in a journey to World-Class Maintenance at the Plentya Paper Company as the team makes further progress towards its goals.

BY CLIFF WILLIAMS

the mill running — not just on their shift but the next shift as well. In the rare occurrences that they need help, the guys have the authority to call in whoever it is they need, whether it’s our people or contractors.

“Whenever we do a breakdown analysis, we always include the people who worked on the shift prior to the breakdown so we can find out if there was any change that led to the breakdown.

If there is something, we incorporate it into our checklists.

“The same applies to parts, as we part-

ner a lot with our suppliers and they hold a lot of stock for us, so the shift guys just call when it’s necessary. Although that worked pretty well for us in keeping our inventory down, we have just modified the program.”

Carol seemed really interested in this and asked, “When you say you’ve kept inventory down, do you have any idea what your inventory turn was last year? ” That was something we’d been trying to get to grips with back in Toronto.

“We can do better than that,” and we were guided towards the big KPI (key

Reader Service Card No. 136

June 2009

performance indicator) board.

On the board was a section for stores where they had the monthly spending itemized by area of the mill, along with a year of trending data. Then we saw the inventory total for each month and a running inventory turn measure. We could see that the number had improved from a decent turn of 2.2, to the last month where they had an excellent 3.2 turn.

“We started out at around 1.5 turns when we first did the calculations, but when we began partnering with suppliers, it jumped significantly. So we’ve been adding items to the partnering and started to move towards single suppliers.

That’s how we got to 3.2.”

“You said you were modifying the system? Why, as it seems to be working spectacularly?” It was Carol again.

“The danger in using any measurement in isolation is that you don’t always see the impact elsewhere, but we’ve never done that here. We always look at the measures we have as a whole and we noticed that there was a slight increase in call-outs for parts on the off-shift.

They didn’t incur much more downtime, as our suppliers have a better delivery record than Pizza Pizza! But the potential was there — we were relying on our suppliers to be efficient in helping our efficiency and any slip-up on their part would adversely affect us, so that was declared an unacceptable risk.”

The way the guys talked about the plant, the efficiency and the measures totally re-enforced the idea of ownership and pride in being part of the organization. This made me feel jealous and motivated at the same time. I couldn’t wait to get back to Toronto.

“We had a couple of brainstorming sessions around how we could mitigate the risk of not having a part on the shelf but still increase our inventory turns. When one of the operators mentioned that his wife ran a Previously Enjoyed Clothing Store and she stocked her shelves but never paid for anything until it was sold, he got our attention. We had never discussed the idea with our suppliers of having parts on consignment, and when we did, they were a little bit sceptical at first. However, I think we’ve got most of the agreements set up now, so we’ll end up with all of our parts on site and all it costs us is some real estate.”

You could almost see Carol’s brain turning over. She had mentioned the possibility of partnering with suppliers a few weeks ago, but now she was clearly invigorated by what she had just heard. When I caught her attention, she just nodded and smiled.

Stan hadn’t said much since he’d asked about responsibilities, but I could see that he had something on his mind, so I asked. “Have you got something you want to know, Stan?”

“Well, Bob and Carol know that I’m a very recent convert to our improvement program and I guess I still have some

M A I N T E N A N C E June 2009

small doubts. You guys say you make all of the decisions yourselves. What happens if you make the wrong one?”

“That’s a good question, Stan, but let’s clear up something first. There are some decisions we don’t make. In fact, there are three forms of decisions made here. The first is that we have input and have responsibility for making the decision. The second is when we have input, but the ultimate decision lies with someone else — someone like Alan. And the third is when the decision is made by someone else and we only get to learn the rationale behind it.

“Now, about making the wrong decisions, there’s really only one rule about decision making — make one! Again, as we don’t operate in isolation, we get the facts and opinions, and make the decision based on those.

“If it turns out not to be the best decision, we don’t call them wrong; we just figure out why it happened and try and make sure it doesn’t happen again. It may take training, knowledge transfer or just more information, but what is not acceptable is that people continue to make ‘not best’ decisions. That’s an indicator that the system is failing or we have someone in a position with the wrong ‘fit’.

“The whole focus is to have the decision makers as close as possible to the issues. That’s why we’re heavily involved — we’re on the front line. There’s no stigma attached to making a ‘not best’ decision, as we share all of them throughout the mill, and we view them as great tools for preventing similar circumstances.”

At this point, Alan came down the stairs. “I think you’ve got just about enough time to see the rest of the mill before you have to leave — if you want to catch your flight.”

We thanked everyone and followed Alan as he headed toward the paper machine. As we had come to expect, everything was spotless and in its place. I noticed that everything was not just in its place, but its location also was the optimum for its use, so I mentioned this to Alan.

“5S is not just about housekeeping, although that’s a mistake many people make. It’s also about having things where it makes sense to have them and that’s where you use them, so when we do floor plans, we always take that into consideration.”

Every area we walked through exuded pride and care. The control rooms were bright and airy, each with a number of information boards. The satellite lunch rooms had everything found in a modern kitchen. But perhaps the most telling was the people. Everyone had a smile on their face and seemed keen to talk with us about how successful the mill was and how the bottom line was what counted. A couple of them talked about how well they were treated. It was clear that the message that the operating model was to make a profit had been loudly communicated.

As we said our goodbyes to Alan, he commented: “Now don’t forget to invite us up to Canada when you’ve made all of the changes you’ve been thinking about, as there’s nothing more rewarding for the guys than going to see how their ideas have helped elsewhere.”

I didn’t know when that would take place, but I made a mental note to do MRO just that.

Cliff Williams is the corporate main‑ tenance manager at Erco Worldwide in Toronto, ON, and a consultant with TMS ‑ Total Maintenance Solutions Inc., Markham, ON. He can be reached by e‑mail at williamscliff@rogers.com.

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

Infrared inspection update saves big money

the efficiencies gained through the use of infrared windows.

Installations

continued from page 26

during normal

was also retained to supply a team to perform the installation of the IR windows.

Installation costs (Table 2) were calculated using the following assumptions: A two-person installation team at $6,250 each per day (total cost $1,300 per day) x 10 days = $13,000; $30 per window installation charge x 197 windows = $5,910.

The total cost for the project amounted to $60,960.

The installation Installation of the infrared inspection panes was conducted during three nights and three days during the 10-day shutdown.

Some installations were completed on live gear using additional safety measures; however, the vast majority was conducted on de-energized equipment in what NFPA terms an ‘electrically safe work condition.’

Although the plan allowed for 12-hour shifts, installers were quickly and safely moving at a rate of about six window installations per hour, and were finishing the plant on the night shifts within six hours. Installations during normal business hours allowed much more flexibility, therefore all ‘live works’ were completed during these periods.

When the clients’ electricians assisted with the installations, the installation rates were also faster than originally planned (seven to eight windows per hour). All window installations were completed well within the allotted timelines.

Inspection cost analysis Prior to the installation of the IR windows, all infrared inspections were completed on open, energized gear. Therefore, PPE, live works procedures, risk assessments, permits, etc., were required for all inspections, and as noted earlier, several applications had never been surveyed due to safety restrictions.

The paper mill had previously invested in its own infrared camera and a staff thermographer. The thermographer was trained and qualified to assist in opening panels on energized gear. Therefore, some efficiencies were already in place when compared to a

business hours allowed much m o r e f l e x i b i l i t y, therefore all ‘live works’ were completed during these periods. typical crew of a single thermographer and two electricians. Consequently, the manhour calculations for the traditional inspection are actually conservative.

The man-hour costs for infrared surveys using in-house staff without infrared windows or viewports were calculated as follows: Total man-hours per inspection of ‘inspectable’ equipment: 331 hours (23 days); staff electrician internal chargeout rate at $125 per hour; staff thermographer to assist with panel removal, etc. (a two-man task); PPE suit-ups, twice per day, per man (30 minutes per man per suit-up); one man-hour per compartment panel for safe removal, etc. (x two for twoman teams); and 147 individual panels to inspect (see Table 3). Using these figures, the cost of traditional inspections with the in-house team totalled $41,375.

After the infrared windows were installed, and there was no requirement to remove panels or wear increased levels of PPE, the task became a oneman job. The increased efficiency and economies of motion and manpower that infrared windows provided significantly decreased the time required to complete a survey to just two eight-hour days for a total of 16 man-hours.

The costs associated with an infrared survey using the IR windows were as follows: Inspection time (16 man-hours) — $2,000; PPE suit-up time — no cost; total — $2,000 (Table 4).

Compared to the costs of traditional inspections, the paper mill now saves $39,375 per inspection cycle because of

Return on investment Table 5 combines the data to illustrate the ROI for the paper mill based on the initial investment of the IR windows, the investment in installation and the costs to perform surveys using the windows, compared with the mill’s traditional costs of using its in-house team when not using any windows.

The application of infrared windows pays dividends as early as mid-way into the second inspection cycle, yielding almost $18,000 in savings, which can be put back into the budget by the end of the second cycle. In just five inspection cycles, the mill shows a savings of over $135,000.

Moreover, because inspections can be completed with greater ease and without increased risk to the plant, personnel and processes, the frequency of inspection cycles has been increased to quarterly, reflecting best-practices recommendations that were previously not feasible and thought to be unattainable.

The new inspection cycle brings ROI to the plant in just one quarter, while reducing the risk of catastrophic failure among the plant’s critical power distribution systems, which will in turn minimize production losses due to equipment failure.

Additional window installations were planned and scheduled for the facility’s next shutdown. Because the customer’s in-house electricians were trained to install the windows, the installation costs for future windows will be a fraction of the cost for the original installation, saving even more money and accelerating the ROI for the additional windows.

A portion of the financial savings were used to continue to build and strengthen the mill’s predictive maintenance program through the purchase of a second IR camera for the maintenance electricians, further underscoring the mill’s commitment to the practical use of technology to ensure uptime while enhancing MRO the safety of its workers.

Martin Robinson is a Level III thermog‑ rapher with IRISS Inc. For more informa‑ tion, visit www.iriss.com.

Reader Service Card No. 397

Precious Metal.

To the untrained eye. it’s simply metal. But the more you learn about NACHI spherical bearings, the more likely you are to call it engineering genius. Because NACHI uses their own tooling, their own machine tools, and their own steel, it’s easier for them to hold their spherical bearings to the industry’s highest quality standards including Deming, QS, and ISO. They are manufactured in virtually any design and configuration necessary for your application, while their capacity exceeds that of any bearing on the market. Some may call NACHI spherical bearings nothing but a bunch of metal, but their beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Keeping your world up and running (period) All the test tools you need to get you there.

INCREDIBLE QUALITY

Nachi Canada Inc. 1-800-387-9188 www.nachi.com

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For Inquiry's please contact rjwatson@nachicanada.com

Reader Service Card No. 137

General

Reader Service Card No. 138

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

What’s new in motors & drives Metric stainless steel motor withstands washdown

The range of metric stainless steel motors from Lafert is suitable for the food processing and pharmaceutical industries, particularly in situations where

Synchronous drive offers flexible design

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high-pressure washing, as well as paint flaking, is a concern. Reduced edges, such as etched nameplates, make washdown an easy process. The motors are equipped with drain holes in all four quadrants, at both ends of the motor, to allow for the lowest point to have an open drain hole. Produced in 304 stainless steel, the motors are available in fractional to 5 hp in two, four and six poles.

Metric C and D flanges also are offered.

Lafert North America Reader Service Card No. 302

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DC motor and control package is compact

Baldor’s BSM25C and BSM33C DC brushless motors feature high torque and power in a small package, with low maintenance requirements and quiet operation. The BMC series controls require no programming and are simple to operate. The combination of motor and control is adjustable to cover a wide speed range to 7,000 rpm, provides adjustable acceleration time from 0.1 sec to 30 secs, and comes in a fully protected package.

Equipped with standard NEMA face/foot mount, the motors range from 0.18 kW to 2.2 kW (1/4 hp to 3 hp).

Baldor Electric Reader Service Card No. 303

Dynamometer system is versatile

The Accudyne family of AC motoring dynamometers from Sakor offers a flexible dynamometer system that is compatible with a broad range of testing applications, including conventional engine and powertrain systems, hybrid vehicle drives, electric motors and rotary components, such as alternators, generators, pumps, compressors and more. The system provides true four-quadrant capability, with seamless crossover between motoring and

loading modes. It is available in sizes ranging from fractional to over 2,000 hp and speeds in excess of 30,000 rpm.

Sakor Technologies Reader Service Card No. 304

Selection guide covers planetary gearheads

Available from Danaher Motion, the product selection guide for Micron True planetary gearheads details the range of NemaTrue, DuraTrue, UltraTrue and EverTrue gearheads, and includes complete product features, benefits, specifications and ordering information. The guide introduces the ValueTrue high-perform-

Parallel shaft gearmotor comes in four models

Bison Gear has added a parallel shaft AC gearmotor to its line of Van Weise drop-in replacement gearmotors. Offered in four standard models, the VWDIR104 AC gearmotors are available with either 74.5-watt or 49.2-watt (1/10-hp or 1/15-hp), 115/230-V, 60/50-Hz permanent split capacitor electric motors. The compact, integral gear reducers feature hardened steel helical and spur gearing, with ratios ranging from 108:1 to 266:1. Corresponding fixed output speeds are from 15 rpm to 6 rpm, with continuous torque ratings from 38.4 Nm to 56.5 Nm (340 in-lb to 500 in-lb). Designed for high-torque, single-phase applications such as in food service, conveying equipment, and office and medical equipment, the gearmotors feature built-in face mounting that is compatible with Genesis mounts and overhung load capability up to 181.8 kg (400 lb).

Bison Gear Reader Service Card No. 305

nections, including e-stop and trip devices, presence-sensing devices, gate interlocks, twohand controls and drives with integrated safety functionality.

Rockwell Automation Reader Service Card No. 301

Corrosion-resistant speed reducer built to last

Boston Gear’s stainless steel 700 series worm gear speed reducer, made for food and beverage processing and packaging applications, can withstand the rigours of frequent caustic washdowns.

The housings, motor f lange and carrier are crafted from 316 stainless steel, while the integral input wor m a nd sha f t are made from highstrength, case-hardened alloy steel. The rounded housing design, plastic hardware covers and two-piece mounting base prevent particle accumulation or fluid pooling under the unit. The speed reducer features a large internal oil reservoir that is filled with H1 foodgrade lubricant and sealed for life.

Altra Industrial Motion

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TB Wood’s Synchronous Plus drives offer a dual sprocket design that features both metric- and standard-tapped holes coupled with a high-capacity Synchronous Plus belt. As a result, the drive is claimed to deliver 50% more horsepower than standard-construction, high-torque drives, and allows for the use of smaller, lighter-weight sprockets. The helically wound glassfibre cords are designed for length stability, flexibility and high tensile strength and shock loads, while the teeth are moulded integrally with the backing that protects the tensile members. Load capacities are available for a wide range of torque loads. The drive is suitable for use in precision applications in material handling, packaging and high-speed printing and for machine tools such as indexers, drill presses and boring mills.

Altra Industrial Motion

June 2009

New hybrid motors use less space and save big on running costs

What happens when you take the latest in AC induction motor technology and combine it with established brushless permanent magnet motor principles?

The Lafert HP series technology answers this question with a motor that can produce savings of up to 80% in energy costs, while offering the capability of significant frame size reductions and weight savings of approximately 50%.

Integrating these technologies provides substantial efficiency advantages over conventional AC induction motors. Stator currents are lower, generating lower losses due to low current demand, which in turn reduces temperature in the windings and bearings. These low-temperature rises can eliminate the need for a cooling fan and its related losses, there-

Reader Service Card No. 308

High-voltage DC drive built for heavy industry

ance, helical-crowned planetary gearhead, which is designed to be a low-cost drop-in replacement for most common helical gearheads. Also included are a technology overview, selection guidelines and an application analysis form to help determine the right product for the application.

Danaher Motion

Sprint Electric has increased its range of PLX digital DC drives up to 800 kW/1,080 hp (1,850 A). Available in two-quadrant and four-quadrant options, the drives

are used to control DC motors in heavy industry applications such as mining, metalworking or the cement industry.

These high-voltage models are available for supplies up to 690 VAC to enable control of DC motors up to 750 VDC. Fully configurable by the user, the drive comes equipped with a comprehensive suite of application blocks. Features include a four-button keypad, large alpha-numeric display, a variety of fieldbus communications options and a configuration and monitoring software package. All models are compatible with drive.web.

MDA Controls

by allowing higher running speeds and extending bearing life.

Furthermore, when the motor is combined with a Lafert sensorless drive, the motor’s operation can be tuned to match an application’s specific requirements to further maximize efficiency. The performance characteristics of this hybrid motor make it ideal for continuous duty applications while delivering constant torque and superior efficiency across the whole speed range.

In essence, the new Lafert HP series offers the possibility of achieving significant savings on running costs, in smaller frames that will run cooler and quieter, reducing space demands and enhancing the work environment.

The HP series is particularly suited for applications involving pumps, fans and compressors. The range includes single-phase power ratings of 0.75 kW to 2.2 kW and three-phase supply versions of 0.75 kW to 22 kW in both 50 Hz and 60 Hz applications. These units are available with a built-in drive or as a standalone unit that is compatible with most other manufacturer’s drives.

Lafert North America

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System improves safety in winding applications

Rockwell Automation has introduced the Allen-Bradley wind-up and let-off preconfigured safety control solution to help tire, metal and paper manufacturers better protect employees while maintaining productivity. The modular and scaleable system features the AllenBradley GuardLogix safety controller or the Allen-Bradley SmartGuard 600 compact programmable safety controller, which allows for a wide variety of open connectivity options. The system can be used in stand-alone mode or be integrated with existing system architecture. Preconfigured, standardized software supports plug-in device con-

MRO

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June 2009

What’s new in infrared thermography Flir Systems has introduced a compact, economically priced, point-shoot-detect thermal camera. The Flir i5 is a lightweight, multi-purpose handheld infrared

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Infrared thermometer clips on to a pocket

Dwyer Instruments has introduced the model PIT pocket-size infrared thermometer. This portable instrument attaches to any pant or shirt pocket with a sturdy mounting clip. It can be field-selected to read in °F or °C, and its compact size and single-button operation allow users to take quick, accurate temperature readings. Features include measurement range of minus 33°C to 220°C (minus 27°F to 428°F), accuracy of plus or minus 2%, resolution of 0.1°F or °C, distance-to-target ratio of 1:1, and emissivity fixed at 0.95. Weight is 113.4 g (4 oz).

ITM Instruments Reader Service Card No. 316

Inspection viewing pane focuses on safety

The Viz-IR infrared and visual inspection viewing pane from Iriss allows companies to conduct infrared surveys and visual inspection of energized electrical conductors and circuits, from a single impact-resistant inspection panel, while keeping panel covers and doors closed. It complies with IEEE

Thermal imager tracks hottest, coldest temperatures

An affordable, easy-to-use thermography solution for the predictive maintenance of electrical and mechanical systems, the handheld HeatSeeker thermal imager from Ideal Industries is designed to meet stringent performance standards.

The device incorporates an auto hot/cold tracker, which automatically pinpoints both the hottest and the coldest temperatures within a single

Thermal imager detects component problems

Fluke’s Ti55 IR FlexCam thermal imager features 320 by 240 detectors with excellent thermal sensitivity for high-resolution and high-quality images.

Temperatures are displayed live on the large, 5-in. colour display, at a 60-Hz detector acquisition rate. The product features IR-Fusion technology, which captures a visible light image in addition to the infrared image to help identify and report suspect components, and to enable the repair to be carried out efficiently.

Fluke Electronics Canada Reader Service Card No. 320

screen, identifying immediately current or potential problems such as overloaded circuits, inefficient heat transfer, etc.

A digital photo of the subject can be blended with a full infrared picture to provide added detail to the image under review. Both digital and thermal images can be displayed simultaneously. Surface temperature variations ranging from 14°F to 660°F can be measured, and 1,849 measurements can be viewed live on the LCD. Ideal Industries Reader Service Card No. 319

Thermal imaging software has 3D capability

Fluke has released a 2.0 version of its SmartView software for Fluke thermal imagers, featuring 3D imaging capability. The enhanced, easier-touse software gives users new options for optimizing and organizing thermal images and creating professional reports. The software is a modular suite of tools for viewing, annotating, editing and analyzing infrared images and creating illustrated, customized reports. The reporting capabilities also have been upgraded to enable users to output reports

directly in Microsoft Word or pdf formats.

In addition, users can now customize or create and save report templates to meet their specific job requirements. The software comes standard with all the company’s thermal imagers.

Fluke Electronics Canada Reader Service Card No. 317

IR thermometer has integral thermocouple probe

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camera, weighing just 340 g and only 22 cm long. It produces instant point-andshoot JPEG infrared imagery that carries required temperature data and that can be stored internally or externally, or sent and analyzed. It measures temperatures up to 250°C and detects temperature differences as small as 0.10°C, displayed on a bright 2.8-in. LCD display. A long-life battery ensures up to five hours of continuous operation. The camera comes with QuickReport software, a 512Mb mini SD card, a lithium ion rechargeable battery with charger, USB cable, hand strap, manual and user CD. Flir Systems

C37.20.2 standards.

As the device maintains an enclosed and guarded condition between thermographer and energized components, elevated levels of PPE are not required. An optional factory-fitted ultrasound port, for use with ultrasound detectors, detects corona and tracking faults.

Using the viewing pane eliminates the introduction of triggers of an arc flash or other catastrophic electrical events associated with open-panel inspections.

All installation hardware is concealed behind the panel door for safety.

Iriss

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Point-and-shoot thermal camera carries low pricetag

Machinery & Equipment MRO

The Reed model ST8835 infrared thermometer, available from ITM Instruments, is equipped with an integral type K thermocouple input.

A built-in laser pointer identifies the target area and digitally adjustable emissivity from 0.10 to 1.0. Features include a 30:1 distance-to-spot size ratio, T/C temperature range of minus 50°C to 1,370°C (minus 58°F to 2,498°F), IR temperature range of minus 50°C to 1,050°C (minus 58°F to 1,922°F) and 20 data points of memory. In addition to the type K thermocouple probe, the thermometer also comes with battery and carrying case.

ITM Instruments Reader Service Card No. 318

MRO

YOUR SOURCE FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS Metric Brake Motors & Metric Motors • Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled Motors and Brake Motors • AC or DC Fail Safe Brake • Metric Frame Sizes (IEC) From 56 to 315 • Various Voltages Available • Various Frame Configurations • Inverter Duty

Make no mistake when you put your problems clearly in the picture With Fluke’s patent-pending IR Fusion® technology

CSA Approved

Thermal Imagers

Large Inventory Of Motors And Spare Parts Available For Sameday Shipping Throughout North America

(what you’ll see is what you’ll get)

FAMAC CANADA INC. TEL: 450-929-0947 • FAX: 450-929-2446 info@famaccanada.com www.famaccanada.com Reader Service Card No. 139

800-36-FLUKE www.flukecanada.ca/point 3-3/8 w x 4-7/8 d

Reader Service Card No. 140

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Swivel forks are built to last

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What’s new in casters and wheels

Catalogue showcases casters, wheels, trucks, trailers

The Platinum Edition Catalog No. 300, featuring industrial casters, wheels, trucks and in-plant trailers, has been issued by Hamilton. The 130-page catalogue includes enhanced product layouts, more detailed illustrations, richer graphics, more user-friendly charts and many new photographs. Also detailed is the

Caster adapter offers secure fit

Colson has introduced a single-assembly expanding adapter to replace its previous four-piece model. Three interlocking pieces are incorporated into one solid configuration for ease of installation and enhanced fit and performance.

The adapter features a durable, glass-filled nylon knurled nut and flange bushing, and a rubber expansion tube, which fit over the stem of the caster. When the single-piece adapter unit is placed over the stem and the nut is tightened, the unit expands for a tight, secure fit.

The adapter is made with corrosion-free materials and is available for use on Col-

Low-profile caster makes equipment easy to move

Hickory Hardware has introduced Faultless low-profile casters, providing mobility for height-restricted equipment.

Suitable for use on data storage units, large printers and small- to medium-sized diagnostic equipment, the casters are made to support and move large equipment. Each caster features a double-ball raceway that performs under maximumrated loads, allowing each caster to support between 200 lb and 1,200 lb. Wheels are made from a variety of materials, including high-impact, glass-filled nylon, polypropylene and hard rubber, and are available in 1-5/8-in., 2-in., 2-1/2-in. 2-5/8-in. and 3-in. diameter sizes.

Hickory Hardware Reader Service Card No. 352

son 1 and Colson 2 Series caster models Mini catalogue offers and a full assortment of Colson wheels. caster product snapshots Colson Caster Colson has published a mini product cataReader Service Card No. 355 logue providing a quick overview of the company and its products. The 2009 MiniCompany carries Catalog is a compact, 16-page version of its full-line catalogue. Offering company backbroad range of brands A wide selection of casters, glides and ground, a primer on wheels is available in western Canada selecting the proper from Casterland, including such brands caster and wheel as Bestway Casters, Martin Wheel, Car- types, and a quick lisle, Cluthe, Masterline, Northfield, snapshot of product Darcor Casters, Shepherd Casters and offerings, the threeFaultless Casters. Among the prod- hole-punched, 8-1/2ucts stocked by the distributor are in. by 11-in. catainserts, stems, felt pads, carts, cast- logue can be used for ers for hardwood, chair casters, furni- research, inclusion ture sockets, spanner bushings, levellers, in proposals, and as high-temp wheels, V-groove wheels, an easy reference for foam-filled wheels, flanged wheels, and facility and material neoprene and polyurethane wheels. handling planning Casterland files and project books.

Reader Service Card No. 362 Colson Caster

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Colson’s line of high-performance, long-life 2 Series precision swivel forks, offering low maintenance and lowcost operation, is built from durable stainless steel and features permanently sealed and metal-housed precision bearings.

The stainless steel construction allows operation in the most hostile environments, and the tight, zero-end-play characteristic of the swivel mechanism provides smooth, true running. The swivel forks pair with an assortment of the company’s 5-in. and 6-in. diameter wheel products.

Colson Caster

company’s precision integrated swivel technology (HPI). Many of its forged steel caster series have been upgraded to use this technology and are included in the catalogue. In addition, the catalogue details three new caster series and four new wheel types, including Ultralast wheels.

Hamilton Caster

June 2009

Sturdy caster has no kingpin

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Commando, the kingpinless swivel caster from Darcor Casters, moves heavy loads effortlessly. Fitted with an easy-rolling solid elastomer wheel, this rugged, durable caster features low starting force and rolling resistance, together with good stopping characteristics.

Other wheel materials are available.

The caster is available with 6-in. or 8-in. wheels and can take repeated heavy sideload impacts without suffering damage. Load capacity per caster ranges from 500 lb to 1,300 lb, depending on wheel size and type. The offset double-row ball race with 3/8-in. and 1/4-in. ball bearings comes with a grease nipple for easy lubrication.

Darcor Casters

Shock-absorbing caster offers quiet performance

Available in both swivel and rigid designs, the Stealth line of heavy-duty shock-absorbing casters from Jarvis uses a torsion spring system to provide a quiet, cushioned ride for equipment that may travel over rough and uneven floors, as well as over obstacles such as power cords and doorway thresholds. The casters have a maximum capacity of 1,700 lb each and come with mag-look wheels as standard. A positive-lock brake design is available for swivel models.

Jarvis Caster Reader Service Card No. 359

Caster tips: Regular maintenance prolongs life

Albion’s heavy-duty casters are engineered for loads from 1,500 lb to 20,000 lb in applications including conveyors and heavy-duty power-drawn equipment, aircraft assembly and maintenance equipment, gantries and fuel cell transport. Depending on the series, the casters feature top plates and yokes constructed from cold-formed 1/4-in. steel plate to 1-in.-thick 1045 AISI heat-treated steel plate.

Swivel configurations offer load races from 3 1/4 in. to 11 in. in diameter, and axles range from 1/2 in. to 2 1/2 in. thick. The company offers many bearing and locking wheel/brake options, and various wheel and tread materials. Select models offer antimicrobial wheels.

Albion

Proper operation and maintenance of casters and wheels are important for peak performance and long product life. Preventive measures that should be taken include: regularly lubricating the axles and bearings; periodically cleaning dirt and dust particles from the axle swivel and wheel bearings; checking for thread wear and r e p l a c i n g w o r n casters; verifying the swivel head and wheels turn freely and smoothly; verifying that the casters are not bent, that the welding is intact and not broken, and that the kingpin is fastened securely; retightening the axle and/ or any adjustable fittings; using lock washers or lock nuts on all axles; and avoiding the use of cleaning agents that contain corrosive or granular ingredients.

Mr. Roller

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Industrial caster can withstand ultra-heavy loads

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

What’s new…

Handheld device gives early warning of machine failure

in products, systems, components and accessories for machinery and equipment maintenance, repair and operations.

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Auto-darkening welding helmet has stylish look

Cleaner/degreaser line handles many applications

Permatex carries a broad line of cleaners/degreasers. Its Spray Nine multipurpose, non-solvent cleaner, degreaser and disinfectant has been approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency since 1985. It comes in a wide range of sizes, from a 148-ml pump bottle to a 208-l drum. Also available is Grez-Off, a fast-acting, professional-strength degreaser containing water-soluble solvents that features a biodegradable formula without harsh abrasive or caustic chemicals. Earth Soap cleaners, made up of a biodegradable, water-based concentrate, do not contain butyl, petroleum solvents, phosphates, dyes, fragrances or ozone-depleting chemicals. They are suited for pressure washers, floor scrubbers and oil/water separators. Also available from the company is Power Kleen parts wash cleaner, a non-solvent, aqueous cleaning fluid designed for use in parts washers, pressure washers and other automated equipment.

Permatex

Non-adhesive sealing wrap stands up to harsh conditions

Designed for a range of maintenance and repair applications, Loctite insulating and sealing wrap from Henkel is a non-sticking, multi-purpose tape that quickly fuses to itself when stretched and wrapped around a surface.

This highly durable product withstands extreme temperatures, UV light and exposure to salt water, acids and fuels. It can be stretched to three times its size, and tapered edges ensure a uniform wrap thickness. Tensile strength is provided to 700 psi and dielectric strength to 400 vpm. The product is designed to seal and protect against air and water leakage, corrosion and scratches in such applications as electrical insulation, sealing repairs, wrapping and jacketing.

Henkel Canada

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a weight of less than 23 kg (50 lb).

Features include a high-resolution, 307-mm (12.1-in.) colour industrial touch screen and an automatic shield gas control, which simplifies set-up of shielding gas, requiring no use of a separate flow meter.

Built-in languages are English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. The system works with all currently available Swagelock weld heads, and includes four USB ports, Ethernet port, USB device port, VGA output and serial port.

Swagelock

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Lincoln Electric has teamed up with custom car designer Chip Foose to introduce the Vista Hemisfear auto-darkening welding helmet. Inspired by Foose’s 500-hp Hemisfear hot rod, the helmet features the hot rod’s three distinct colours, neon green, black and orange, with a custom silver strip on the side. The lightweight shell design brings the helmet weight to 20 oz or less, depending on configuration.

All helmets include solar-powered autodarkening, grind and TIG modes, four independent arc sensors and different view sizes, and include a soft helmet bag with zip-up pocket, a graphic Lincoln bandana and an owner ID label.

Lincoln Electric

clamps with and without holes, are offered in many pitches to be delivered in less than one week, according to the company. Pulleys are made to DIN standard to match timing belt designs. Many surface treatments and material grades and types are available. Stock pulleys with pilot bores, as well as stock tensioners and tensioning clamps, are available for immediate delivery.

Brecoflex

The SKF Machine Condition Advisor is a rugged, easyto-use, handheld device that measures vibration signals and temperature simultaneously to indicate machine health or bearing damage and provide early warning of costly machine problems. It measures vibration signals from 10 Hz to 1,000 Hz and temperature from minus 20°C to 200°C (minus 4°F to 392°F).

The ergonomically designed device uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery. An alarm is displayed when measurements exceed guidelines, indicating potential bearing damage.

SKF Canada

Reader Service Card No. 373

Orbital welding power supply is easy to use

The Swagelock orbital welding system M200 power supply offers ease of use, portability and 200-A capability, all at

has released device fi rmware for the vbSeries vibration analyzers and vbOnline.

Commtest Reader Service Card No. 369

Solid brass bearing cage has improved design

NKE’s solid brass bearing cages feature an improved design. Their reduced mass helps the cages cut the rolling bearings’ energy absorption and it prevents sliding friction. The company says that it has cut cage mass by nearly onefifth compared to the previous design without affecting roller guidance accuracy. Op-

Reader Service Card No. 376

Vibration analysis software upgrade is released

Commtest has announced that its Ascent 2009 vibration analysis software is available. The product builds on the Ascent 2008 R2 software, offering performance improvements and enhancements. This update provides an extended internationalization engine with expanded language support and an enhanced universal plug-and-play driver for USB Other improvements include the ability to attach external documents, improved reporting options and enhanced database utilities that eliminate duplicate entries. In addition, the company

timization of the cage bar cross-sections has resulted in an improved lubricant distribution in the bearing. This improved design will be gradually phased in for all of the company’s standard bear ings with solid brass cages.

Global Bear Reader Service Card No. 375

continued on page 36

Precision Power Quality

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Custom belt drive metal parts can be delivered in one week

(when perfect power is your thing)

Lead times for the delivery of metal parts for the timing belt industry have been reduced by Brecoflex.

Made-to-order timing pulleys, flat belt pulleys and idlers, as well as

Power analyzing, logging, recording and troubleshooting tools that help you reduce downtime, avoid product damage and save energy while keeping your world up and running.

E<N `e )''0 )'' Kfe ?p[iXlc`Z Glcc\i

800-36-FLUKE www.flukecanada.ca/pq Reader Service Card No. 142

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continued from page 35

Crane and hoist inspection service helps cut downtime

gram that involves many hours of classroom and on-site training.

Konecranes Reader Service Card No. 382

Multi-purpose epoxy is durable in tough environments

Designed for use over prepared steel and masonry surfaces, Krylon industrial multi-purpose epoxy is a modified epoxy phenalkamine suited for structural steel, fabrication, new construction, and water and wastewater treatment facilities. It features a formulation that can withstand the harsh maintenance demands of immersion environments and can be applied at temperatures as low as 0°F. Acceptable for use in federally inspected meat and poultry plants, it performs well in highly corrosive environments. Available colours are white, buff and haze grey.

Krylon Products Group Reader Service Card No. 380

Master battery disconnect switch provides extra safety

Cole Hersee has introduced a master battery disconnect switch for all vehicle electrical systems, including heavy truck, off-road, construction, material handling, mining, emergency vehicles, etc. The switch cuts off all battery power from the vehicle electrical system. It provides an effective emergency power cutoff, protecting vehicles from tampering, theft and battery drain, and can be locked out or tagged out to satisfy OSHA requirements for energy isolation. The waterproof composite engineered polymer housing will not rust or corrode. Also, a large red knob allows for easy operation with gloved hands.

Cole Hersee Reader Service Card No. 381

Thread ID tools save time and money

Thread identification kits and portboards from Parker Hannifin’s Tube Fittings Division take the guesswork out of thread and end-type specification. The MIK-1 thread identification kit is used to identify metric, BSP, SAE and NPT threads, as well as SAE flanges. It includes thread gauges and profiles, calipers and an in-

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formation booklet.

The ITK international thread kit includes LL, L and S series plugs to identif y fema le DIN threads such as EO-style hose ends. Plugs also are provided to identify BSPP hose ends from 1/8 in. to 2 in. The company offers two portboards machined with female threads for quick and easy identification of male ISO, SAE, BSP and NPT ports and port threads.

Parker Hannifin

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Konecranes is offering the MainMan crane and hoist inspection service, a multi-point visual inspection of overhead lifting equipment enhanced by the company’s software. Inspectors identify safety and compliance issues and monitor critical items that can result in equipment downtime. Recommendations for preventive maintenance are prioritized by safety conditions, production risks and inconsequential findings. Inspection results are delivered in a detailed report, which alerts customers of maintenance problems and identifies areas that are not in compliance with regulatory standards. The inspectors must undergo a comprehenIDI/MC7580/MRO 1/30/09 10:25 AM Page 1 sive training pro-

June 2009

Reader Service Card No. 379

System permits access to equipment from all over the globe

Hydac’s HCMS condition monitoring system was developed to enable users to access their equipment from anywhere in the world. This data acquisition system is easily integrated into hydraulic or lubrication systems by connecting any 4-20-mA sensor. Pressure, temperature, flow, per cent water, level, speed, dis-

tance, vibration, current, contamination and many other inputs are available.

Features include web access, data trending and exporting, adjustable alarm limits, 26 inputs, and e-mail and cell phone text messaging on alarms, and local visual warning on display. Optionally available are wireless network connections and 42 inputs.

Hydac Canada Reader Service Card No. 372

Shims retain stability even in moist environments

THE IDI ENTREPRENEURIAL ADVANTAGE

Precision Brand Wedgies are interlocking tapered shims that allow for precise, repeatable and secure adjustments in various shimming applications. Their interlocking surfaces allow them to be stacked so they can conform to irregular shapes and still maintain their lateral and verti-

• Cross Canada coverage • Over 2000 technically trained staff • North American affiliations • Central distribution facility • Supply chain integration • • Local decision making • Technical support & product training • Multiple commodity groups • Electronic catalogue • E-commerce •

PRODUCTS SUPPLIED BY IDI MEMBERS

• Bearings • Industrial supplies • Power transmission products • Fluid power products • Janitorial supplies • Safety supplies •

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONTRACT EXPERIENCE

• E-commerce ordering • Vendor managed inventory • Electronic funds transfer • Activity based costing • Receipt driven payment • • Consolidated billings & single invoicing • Product sourcing consolidation • P-card purchasing • Business process re-engineering • • Electronic communication • Vending machines • FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

IDI Independent Distributors Inc., 6581 Kitimat, Unit 12, Mississauga, ON L5N 3T5 Tel: 905.858.0988 Fax: 905.286.0686 email: info@idiind.com Reader Service Card No. 145

cal stability. Rigid polypropylene shims are used to plumb or stabilize heavier objects, while the flexible vinyl shims conform to the underlying surfaces, protecting and cushioning delicate surfaces. Resistant to shrinking and swelling with changes in moisture, they can be used with machinery, plumbing, HVAC, shelving and more.

Precision Brand Products Reader Service Card No. 384

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M R O Photos: Eric Achilles Cousineau

June 2009

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

PMDS visitors see the light

by Eric AchillEs cousinEAu

Philippe Raptis, Blickle-Bleutec Wheels and Casters Inc.

Sabrina Lin (left) and Eric Arnold, Condor/Canada Europe Ltd.

Alain Danis (left) and Daniel Gelinas, Kaeser Compressors.

Gilles Lanlande, Prolab Technolub.

Greg Bork (left) and Peter Hachey, FLIR Systems Ltd.

Montreal, QC — The Plant Maintenance and Design Engineering Show (PMDS), organized by SME Canada, took place at La Place Bonaventure in Montréal, QC, May 12-14, 2009. The show is designed to help manufacturing professionals from throughout Quebec to find industrial products, services and information.

PMDS gave show attendees the opportunity to evaluate and compare the latest equipment and services in a variety of technology areas, and also gave them the chance to expand their industry knowledge through various technical sessions.

Another new addition to this year’s event was the Green Solutions theme, designated for exhibitors who offered innovative products and processes to help make operations more environmentally friendly. Exhibitors were given the chance to display the green solutions they had to offer, and they could be located through special signage on the show floor.

The overall comments from both show attendees and exhibitors were relatively positive, with a definite sign of a light appearing at the end of the Industrial Tunnel.

MRO

Photos: Stephen H. Hess Photography, Calgary.

ISA Calgary highlights automation innovations by bill roEbuck

Calgary, AB — Canada’s largest instrumentation, systems, automation event brought 200 exhibiting companies and 5,000 attendees to Stampede Park in Calgary, AB, April 22-23, 2009.

Held biennially, the ISA Calgary trade show, organized by DMG World Media of Calgary, gave visitors in this niche market an opportunity to view the latest in systems technology. Machinery & Equipment MRO covered the event with the help of our local photographer, Stephen Hess.

The event encompassed the trade show and two workshops on wireless technology that included presentations on the Wireless World of Wireless HART

by Pat Cashwell of ABB Inc., and the Wireless World of ISA100 by Ian Verhappen of MTL Inc. Other presentations included a Honeywell Case Study by Craig McClure of Honeywell, an Emerson Case Study by Steve Barker of Spartan Controls, and a look at the Future of Wireless by Ian Verhappen of MTL Inc. Question and answer sessions and discussions followed the workshops.

The event also included a unique session entitled Are You Smarter than a 2nd Year Automation Student? Inspired by the hit TV show, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, contestants had the opportunity to test their knowledge against the best and brightest secondyear automation students that the Southern Alberta Institute of TechnoloMRO gy (SAIT) had to offer.

Gary Kozak (left) and Peter Sikora, ASCO Valve Canada.

Richard Beck (left) and Dave Lancaster, CSA International.

Thomas Lichtenberger, Festo Inc.

Stephen Kalau, Davis Controls Ltd.

Richard Lewandowski, Endress + Hauser Canada.

James Wu, Fluke Electronics Canada LP.

Roch Graveline (left) and Dave Yeremy, Brady Canada.

Glenn Hetherington, ABB Inc.

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Bearing specialists elect new leaders for year ahead Bearing distributors and manufacturers gather for business sessions and networking. ings Supply Co. Inc; Bill DuComb, W.C. DuComb Co.; and John Timble, Bearing Headquarters.

Lifetime Achievement Award In what is becoming a tradition at its annual convention, BSA honoured yet another industry leader with a Lifetime Achievement Award: William H. (Hal) Allen, Jr., of Allied Bearings Supply.

In making the presentation, Andy Nations, president, Bearings & Drives, recalled that before joining the industry, Allen, who is a native of Tulsa, OK, served six years in the United States Air Force, with five years as an F4 Phantom jet fighter pilot and a ninemonth tour of duty in Vietnam. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with 1st through 4th Oak Leaf Cluster.

Allen joined Allied Bearings Supply in

1969, was elected vice-president of sales in 1973, executive vice-president and sales manager in 1976, president in 1981 and board chairman and CEO in 1998.

Throughout his career he has been one of the most active members of BSA. He served on many committees and task forces over the years, and chaired the Industry Advisory Committee, the Industry Communications Committee, and is currently chairman of the Distributor Manufacturer Relations Committee. He and his wife Barbara have served on several convention committees. Allen has also served many terms on the BSA board of directors, and he was re-elected to the board in 2008. Allen also served as BSA’s 1982-1983 president.

In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Allen has served with various community and charitable organizations.

For more information on BSA, visit the website at bsahome.org. For a more detailed report on the BSA convention, go to mromagazine.com.

Deborah Deshaies and Tom Karch, SKF Canada.

Paul Meo, NTN Bearing Corp. of Canada, and Yvon Goudreau, Kinecor LP.

Photos: Bill Roebuck

Orlando, FL — At its 2009 annual convention, held May 1-5, 2009, in Orlando, FL, the Bearing Specialists Association (BSA) elected Eduardo Bichara, Baleromex, S.A. de C.V., Mexico City, Mexico, as president for the next year.

Also elected to serve in 2009-2010 were first vice-president Ellen Holladay, Motion Industries Inc.; second vice-president Howard Gainey, Bearings & Drives Inc.; treasurer Geoff Filker, Eastern Bearings Inc.; and chairman of the board Steve Durston, Jamaica Bearings Co. Inc. Gordon Duncan, Kinecor LP; Mitch Bouchard, General Bearing Service Inc.; and Brian Negri, Jamaica Bearings, were each elected to three-year terms on the BSA board of directors. Continuing on the board are Tom Armold, Applied Industrial Technologies; Doug Savage, Bearing Service Inc.; James D. Webster, DXP Enterprises; Hal Allen, Allied Bear-

BSA created the award in 2001 to recognize lifetime achievement within the industry and the association. Recipients must have been a member or participating manufacturer of BSA for at least 25 years, attended BSA events, been actively involved in the affairs of the association, and demonstrated a leadership role within the industry.

In 2001, BSA awarded the first Lifetime Achievement Award to Wendy McDonald of BC Bearing Engineers. In 2004, two additional awards were given to Jim Fitzpatrick, Sr., of Bearings Specialty Co. and John Nations of Bearings & Drives. In 2006, the award was presented to James Martin III, who retired in late 2005 as director, distribution, marketing services and integration, The Timken Company. In 2007, BSA honoured Dennis B. Clark, who retired in 2003 as president of North American Industrial Distribution, SKF, and Richard Gipson, Gipson Bearing Co. BSA is an international service and educational organization of authorized distributors representing nearly 100 companies distributing factory-warranted ball-, roller-, and anti-friction bearings and invited manufacturers of bearings and related products.

MRO

Hal and Barbara Allen. Hal received BSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Kevin and Suzanne Boyle, Loctite.

Lynne and Steve Durston. Steve is BSA’s immediate past president.

Mitch Bouchard, General Bearing Service Inc., Evan Boere, Timken Canada, and Robbie MacPherson, BC Bearing Engineers Ltd., attend BSA’s Canadian Reception.

Cam and Elaine Lawrence, BDI Canada, flank Gus Kontonickas, NSK Americas. Gus is retiring from the industry this year.

Bill Stevens of Motion Industries, on stage while hypnotized, during a fun group session at BSA’s convention.

2009-2010 BSA president Eduardo Bichara (right) attended the convention with his son, Alfredo, and wife, Rosa Maria.

A special gathering of ‘young executives’, hosted by Mitch Bouchard, also included BSA’s outgoing president, Steve Durston (seated).

Tsubaki has written the book on keeping your production line moving, when it matters.

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Tsubaki chains, sprockets and other power transmission products embrace every aspect of food processing. Durable. Reliable. Long-lasting.

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Tsubaki of Canada Limited, 1630 Drew Road, Mississauga, ON L5S 1J6 Tel: 905.676.0400 / Fax: 905.676.0904 / Toll-Free: 1.800.263.7088 e-mail: info@tsubaki.ca Reader Service Card No. 146

UNMATCHED ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE FROM THE SCHAEFFLER GROUP PowerTherm Induction Heaters Many rolling bearings and other rotationally symmetrical parts made from steel have tight fits on the shaft. Larger bearings and parts - in particular - can be mounted more easily if they are heated first.

Induction heating is superior to the conventional methods, and particularly suitable for batch mounting. Heating is carried out on complete bearings, rings for cylindrical roller or needle roller bearings and rotationally symmetrical steel parts such as labyrinth rings, roll couplings, etc.

Advantages • Quick, safe and energy-efficient operation • Environmentally friendly - no disposal required • Uniform, controlled heating • Automatic demagnetization For the mounting of bearings and parts with a mass up to 300 kg, Schaeffler supplies five FAG brand table-top heating devices -

Driven to Extremes The constant evolution of capacity and efficiency in the field of power transmission increases the standard to be achieved in technical product design. And in the selection of technology partners.

Drawing from years of close collaboration with designers and manufacturers, Schaeffler Group implements the latest technology into compact and powerful INA and FAG bearing design solutions.

From industrial gears and transmissions to wind turbines and modern rail applications, Schaeffler is driven by innovation and operational reliability to achieve extreme standards of performance.

SCHAEFFLER GROUP

PowerTherm HEATER10 to 300 - suitable for mobile and/or stationary use. For parts with a mass as great as 3,000 kg, Schaeffler offers and recommends heavy duty standalone devices.

Reader Service Card No’s. 147

Transport and Mounting Tool BEARING.MATE BEARING.MATE is an accessory used for the safe quick and easy handling of medium-sized and large rolling bearings. It can also be used where bearings are heated prior to mounting.

The tool is comprised of two handles and two steel strips. Turning the handles clamps the steel strips firmly on the outer ring of the rolling bearing.

The compact packaging also includes two brackets to be used when handling spherical roller bearings and selfaligning ball bearings. The clamps secure the bearing in order to prevent tilting of the inner rings.

The tool and bearing can either be carried by two people or by crane using slings (ordered separately). If two carrying slings are used, the rolling bearing can be rotated to any position when transported by crane. During heating on an induction heating device, the BEARING.MATE remains mounted on the bearing. The steel strips expand uniformly with the bearing, maintaining optimum tension.

BEARING.MATE is recommended for use in conjunction with bearings weighing as much as 500 kg, and can tolerate heating temperatures as high as 160° C. It is available in three different sizes that can be matched to bearing outside diameters ranging from 250 to 850 mm.

For additional information about PowerTherm induction heaters or BEARING.MATE, contact your local Schaeffler representative or visit www.fis-services.com

INDUSTRIAL

www.schaeffler-group.com

Reader Service Card No’s. 148