CONDITION MONITORING Proactive maintenance can save money and time.
Predicting the future Harnessing the power of digitalisation has allowed Schaeffler to make precise forecasts about proactive maintenance. PLANT MAINTENANCE PROCESSES are designed to keep everything running as smoothly as possible, but they are not always adhered to. Mark Ciechanowicz, Schaeffler’s Industrial Services Manager, says this can happen when companies focus limited resources into other streams. “When processes are not adhered to is when things start to go wrong. Incorrectly selected lubrication and dosage rates, contamination, structural looseness, imbalance and misalignment are where most plants come undone,” he says. “Maintenance can be labour intensive, so it is important to develop practices that centre reliability and criticality to get the most value for money.” Traditionally, maintenance and condition monitoring has been done manually through visual inspections or running equipment to failure and then replacing components when necessary.
This method can lead to unexpected downtime from undetected faults, cutting into a bulk handling plant’s profits. Digitalisation has facilitated and enabled site personnel to approach maintenance in a proactive manner. For example, instead of detecting a problem with an asset and overhauling the entire process, sensors can detect the remaining useful life of assets to better control the exact nature of the problem, inventory and timing of maintenance work required. Ciechanowicz says proactivity helps prolong the life of components, as they can be run to their full life instead of being replaced prematurely. “Even if the digital condition monitoring system detects a fault in a component, it can do so earlier than human inspection could, allowing more time to prepare replacement parts. It also helps from an inventory point of view, Schaeffler treats each application as bespoke.
38 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2020
as less stock needs to be kept on hand thanks to better predictions,” he says. Schaeffler offers turn-key solutions for specific bulk handling applications which use a combination of wireless and cabled systems depending on the speed variability, surface temperature and rotations per minute. The company treats each application as bespoke, as every site has different requirements. A cement plant in Victoria will have different needs compared with one in Queensland, depending on regulation, cement type or applications. Ciechanowicz says each of Schaeffler’s customers have different resources available to them, so the company’s specialists work closely to identify priorities. “Our customers may not have the manpower or knowledge to carry out the installations, commissioning or analysis, so we will work with them to take that headache away,” he says. “We not only provide the equipment, but also offer engineering services such as site testing and online monitoring if they don’t have access to that expertise. “It’s part of our strategy to form partnerships with our clients instead of selling something and moving on. Long term support builds a reputation of trust, which allows us to use the strengths of everyone involved. Customers know more about their own operations and we can help them become more reliable.” Different markets also have different needs. For example, the agricultural industry has a competitive price point that required systems that can work
