November 10, 2005
Win an Alienware LapTop at IMC-2005
Every IMC-2005 and LubricationWorld Conference attendee will have a chance to win an Alienware Laptop Computer - one of the most reliable laptops available.
Ask for your Alienware Giveaway passport when you check in at registration to read the rules and get a chance to win.
November 10, 2005
Infrared Tip
Calculating the true cost of an infrared camera
The offers for inexpensive cameras is growing and for many users these low price offers are a great way to begin using this valuable technology.
However the true cost of an infrared camera is much more than the purchase price.
Lets begin by comparing the capitalized cost of cameras costing $10,000 and $20,000 over a typical 5-year depreciation period. (Without factoring finance costs)
The $10,000 camera costs $166/month
The $20,000 camera costs $333/month
Differential is $167/month
The fully burdened cost of an camera operator is $35/hour or $73,000/year The $20,000 camera will likely have functions that reduce labor costs (less training, automatic report generation, field data information collection,
etc.)
Assuming a 20 hours/week of use and 3 hours of time-savings using the more expensive camera.
Weekly savings = $700/week or $2800/month
Conclusions
1. Cost of camera is a very small portion of the expense of
thermography program.
2. Always compare the productivity of cameras and their ability to convert field work into work orders
3. Compare the ease of use and costs for new operator training.
4. Labor costs are dominant in thermography PdM program
Tip provided by Electrophysics
USA Based Makers of the new HotShot IR Camera
Register to win a new Harley from Electrophysics
November 10, 2005
Oil Safe® Giveaway by PdMA
Our friends at PdMA offer in-stock inventory at great prices. Now they are offering one lucky Reliabilityweb.com member or web site visitor a complete set of 5 Oil Safe drums, including 5 lids and accessories for storing, dispensing and transporting lubricants!
The Oil Safe® container system is a safe, sure, easy to use method of storing and dispensing lubricants and lubricating fluids in a wide variety of applications.
Click here for rules and to enter before November 30, 2005
November 10, 2005
Maintenance Tips Readers get a free IMC-2005 Expo pass
IMC-2005 Expo Dates and Hours:
Wednesday December 7 - 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thursday December 8 - 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Price: Free for Reliabilityweb.com and Maintenance-Tips subscribers. $25 for general public.
Meet over 100 Reliability Solution Providers at the IMC-2005 and LubricationWorld Expo at the Tampa Convention Center in beautiful Tampa Florida.
Speak with leading vendors, software providers, training organizations and service companies offering:
* Reliability Centered Maintenance
* Root Cause Analysis
* Asset Management
* Total Productive Maintenance
* Predictive Maintenance
* Maintenance Planning
* Vibration Analysis
* Computerized Maintenance Management
* Ultrasonic Detectors
* Infrared Cameras
* Oil Analysis
* MRO Inventory Solutions
* Lubrication
* Motor Testing
* Laser Alignment
* Balancing
November 10, 2005
Tips for Preventing Natural Gas Engine Failure
The following tips are extremely helpful in identifying natural gas engine problems that could result in failure. Keeping in mind that natural gas engines function quite differently than diesel engines, a combination of both oil and coolant analysis and diligent cooling system maintenance can identify problems before they become catastrophic failures.
1. Know the correct operating procedures and schedules for both in-service and standby units. It is important to know at what temperature and how often a particular engine typically runs. Standby engines should be run long enough to reach an operating temperature of 190°F so that any moisture that has accumulated while the engine was idle is burnt off. Moisture can become acidic and form nitric acid which leads to metal pitting.
2. Electrical ground problems can be detected through coolant analysis by monitoring nitrite/nitrate levels. If nitrites drop significantly while nitrates increase, stray electrical current could be present.
3. Closely monitor sulfate and nitrite levels through oil analysis. If flagged, these levels are too high and could be an indication that combustion gases are present.
4. Do not use an automatic battery charger on a natural gas engine with an electrical starter. Stray current can cause significant starter damage.
5. If grounding two starters for a particular engine, be sure to ground them both on one side of the engine to the frame—not to the engine block—to prevent the engine from becoming an electrical conduit.
Tip provided by Polaris Labs
Click here to learn more about oil analysis and cooling system maintenance
November 10, 2005
Tips for Simplifying MRO Inventory Decisions
The only reason for having MRO inventory is to support operations and maintenance in their efforts to sustain safe, efficient production. The objective is to preserve high availability without having excessive inventory. Unfortunately, once overstocks exist typical inventory management systems are not designed to identify them or stop more from being purchased.
Until now the only way to prevent excess inventory was to rely on the expertise of long-term very knowledgeable employees. But because eighty to ninety percent of MRO items are Low/No Use items with a historical average usage of less than one unit per month, expecting even the most seasoned maintenance professional to prevent overstocks is unrealistic. The low incidence of demand for these items requires unique insights and technology for proper management.
The good news it that there are tools and services proven to help you make better stocking decisions regardless of your experience. By knowing today which items should not be replenished, maintenance can make better stocking in the future.
For an interesting investigation of Murphy’s Law of perpetual overstocks, attend The Prudent Advantage Group (TPAG) International Maintenance Conference learning zone session on Thursday, Dec 8 at 11:00.
http://www.maintenanceconference.com/imc/sessions.htm
November 03, 2005
Lubrication Selection Strategies & Guide for Improving Enclosed Gearbox Reliability
LubricationWorld - Co-located with
The 20th International Maintenance Conference
December 6-9
Tampa Florida
Short Course led by by Lawrence Ludwig, CLS, OMA, CMFS, Schaeffer Mfg.
Gear lubricants must often perform in the presence of large quantities of water, high operating and ambient temperatures or in highly contaminated environments, while still maintaining their ability to protect the enclosed gear drives from wear, especially during high load conditions. OEM design changes have downsized gearboxes, yet they are operating has higher speeds and loads - this results in higher operating temperatures and increased gear and bearing distress. In this short course you will learn about the different types of enclosed gear lubricants, some of the important properties an industrial gear lubricant must possess, and the proper selection of an industrial gear lubricant for an application.
Attend this subject plus 50+ other short courses and learning zone sessions at LubricationWorld.
To register or to request a brochure please call toll free (888) 575-1245 or…
November 03, 2005
Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Tip
Implementation Equals Success in RCM
As I instruct managers and facilitators around the world I like to inform them that in the world of RCM, Implementation is the graveyard of most failed efforts. The best way to ensure your company has a successful RCM effort is to implement the tasks that came out of your RCM analysis. Implementation requires structure and discipline. I offer the following tips assist in implementing your RCM analyses:
• Decide prior to starting your analysis, who will be responsible for tracking the progress of task implementation.
• Set aggressive but realistic goals for completing the RCM tasks.
• Assign each task to a specific individual instead of a group or supervisor.
• Don’t schedule start another RCM in that specific area until at least 80% of the tasks identified
It should be no surprise that the companies who have successful RCM programs are also the same companies that implement the results from their analyses.
Tip provided by Doug Plucknette
Reliability Solutions
Tel: 585-349-7245
http://www.reliabilitysolution.com
November 03, 2005
IR Camera Winner
Mikron recently announced the winner of the “Name that Camera” contest that we ran several months ago.
Omaha Thermographer Wins $20,000+ prize in Mikron Infrared’s Name the Camera Contest
TrueShot™ Name Wins Infrared Camera and Training Valued at more than $20,000
Bryan Dring, president of ThermaScan Solutions in Omaha, NE, is the happy winner of Mikron Infrared’s “Name the Camera” contest, which netted him a new Mikron M7800 thermal imaging camera and Snell Infrared training package with a total value of $20,490. The contest was sponsored by Mikron and Snell to find a memorable name for Mikron’s new line of M7800 high-performance thermal imaging cameras, introduced to the market last summer.
More details at http://www.irimaging.com
Sign Up For Introduction to Infrared Thermography for Managers by John Snell at IMC-2005
November 03, 2005
Data Analysis Tip
Data Analysis Tip Part 3 – Compare Identical Machines
Archived at
http://maintenancetalk.com/blog.php/tipsblog
When troubleshooting or using vibration in a Predictive Maintenance program comparing identical machines to each other is often the best method to diagnose a problem – especially if you suspect a problem exists in one or more of the machines. When vibration data is collected on a bearing housing using an accelerometer, one is not only measuring vibration forces, but also the effect of the structure on these forces. There is no vibration severity guide in existence that accommodates for the effect of the structure and this is one reason why guides are only “guides”. Not only that, the effect of the structure is different at every frequency.
Some small machines normally exhibit high vibration levels while some large machines barely vibrate at all. In either case, they all produce unique patterns. The best comparison one can make therefore is between two identical machines, or between reference data from the same machine from an earlier test date. Always test the machines in the same locations and under the same conditions. (speed, load and configuration). “Normalize” the data and compare them. If troubleshooting, note the test conditions and save the data for later use.
Tip provided by DLI Engineering
http://www.dliengineering.com
Tel: 206-842-7656
