February 23, 2006
Bearing Tip
EAM-2006/RCM-2006 Maintenance-Tip Challenge 3rd Place Winner
Prevention of Scuff-Marks when assembling Cylindrical Roller Bearings.
Before assembly the inner race is located on its journal on the shaft. The outer race, containing the roller elements, is inserted in the bearing housing which is part of the end shield ( in case of a motor or generator ). The end shield is suspended from a crane. When slipping the outer race over the inner race the end shield must be positioned perfectly perpendicular to the shaft which is in general difficult to achieve. If it is not perfectly perpendicular the leading edges of the rolling elements can ( and often will ) produce scuff marks and scratches in the exposed surface of the inner race. To avoid this kind of damage , which will remain undetected until the machine is put into operation, we machined a sleeve from a solid block of white nylon. Using a lathe, a hole is drilled to match the shaft diameter for a snug fit. The outer dimension of the sleeve is machined to match the outer diameter of the bearing’s inner race ( perhaps a few thousands of an inch larger ). The finished sleeve is pushed over the shaft extension until it touches the inner race. Now, when assembling the two halves of the bearing, the rolling elements are gently guided by the sleeve into a perfectly perpendicular position, and when the leading edges of the rollers touch the inner race they cannot cause any scuffs or scratches.
Winning Tip provided by Horst Unger, P.Eng. Maintenance Engineer, Greater Vancouver Regional District, Burnaby BC Canada
February 23, 2006
Oil Analysis Tip
EAM-2006/RCM-2006 Maintenance-Tip Challenge 3rd Place Winner
Before taking a large number of oil samples using prelabeled bottles, mark the bottle caps with enough information to enable quick recognition of which bottle you need to pull out for sample points. This procedure enables you to go directly to the correct sample bottle without having to search through the entire box looking at labels to find the right one. This saves a lot of time and helps eliminate using the wrong bottle.
Winning tip provided by Bob Gelow, Equipment Condition Specialist, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Springs, CO
February 23, 2006
RCM-2006 and EAM-2006 In Las Vegas
Reliability Centered Maintenance Managers’ Forum Co-located with The Enterprise Asset Management Summit March 8-10 Orleans Hotel and Casino Las Vegas ====================================
Do you want to learn more about eliminating failures?
Does your CMMS/EAM work for you?
Please join Reliabilityweb.com for 3 days of learning about Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM/CMMS)
Reliabilityweb.com are not designed as “Conference as Usual”. Our events are different!
This conferences bring the best subject matter experts and experienced professionals together to share knowledge and experience about achieving reliability and making your computerized maintenance management system work for you.
You will learn:
• How to begin the process of change
• How to get employee buy in
• How to get management buy in
• How to make a business case
• How to successfully implement (or re-implement) your RCM program and your CMMS program
• How to move from a reactive program to a pro-active program
You will also learn:
• What maintenance information you need to track
• What maintenance work adds value
You will also meet over 40 solution providers in the RCM-2006 and EAM-2006 Expo.
What is 3 days worth to set your maintenance and reliability program back on the right track?
Seating is limited and workshops are filling fast.
February 23, 2006
Ultrasound Tip
Long Distance Inspection of Steam Traps
Conventional inspection of steam traps located in hard to reach areas requires either a ladder or a scissor lift to provide accessibility to inspectors. This adds time to the inspection and introduces an additional safety factor. Therefore these traps often get overlooked. One way to inspect traps from safely is to use an ultrasound sensor that can aim and focus specific ultrasound over long distances.
A parabola designed to capture ultrasound pressure waves exclusively need not be large and bulky since ultrasound waves are characterized by short periods (less than 5/8”) and low amplitude. A 10” diameter parabola calculated for ultrasound waves will suffice, especially if equipped with aiming features such as a laser pointer and cross-hair. A Parabolic Sensor gathers ultrasound waves from a distant source and focuses them onto an ultrasonic sensor. The result is a finely tuned, directional signal, over a long distance.
Guide your inspection by illuminating the laser on the upstream and downstream side of the steam trap. You will assess the condition of the trap just as you were using a conventional contact probe or magnetic sensor.
This tip supplied by SDT North America
http://www.sdtnorthamerica.com
1-800-667-LEAK (5325)
February 23, 2006
Vibration Analysis Tip
If there is a dramatic change in the amplitude of your vibration readings, a rotor rub could be the suspect. A rubbing rotor may change the stiffness of the rotor, thereby changing the natural frequency. The equipment may now be running in a resonant condition due to this change in natural frequency.
Tip provided by LUDECA, INC.
ALIGNMENT * VIBRATION * BALANCING
http://www.ludeca.com
Tel: 305-591-8935
February 23, 2006
Interested in increasing productivity by reducing unscheduled downtime?
If so, consider LORD Corporation’s balancing solution - a permanently mounted system that continuously monitors vibration levels and corrects unbalance while the rotating piece of equipment is in operation. Unlike conventional “off-line” manual balancing where you have to stop the piece of equipment to make a balance correction, a Lord Balancing System can automatically make the balance correction without having to stop the piece of equipment and make the balance correction in as little as 3 to 120 seconds depending upon the type of the rotating equipment.
To find out more about reducing your downtime, visit http://www.lord.com or call 800-929-3218.
LORD Corporation World Headquarters
111 Lord Drive
Cary, NC 27512
Tel: 919/468-5981
Toll Free: 800/929-3218
Fax: 919/469-5811
February 23, 2006
Motor Testing Tip
Voltage distribution on motor startup
Of electrical failures in motors, the vast majority of problems begin in the winding insulation, not the groundwall insulation. Everyone owns a meg-ohm meter but may not realize its shortcomings. A meg-ohm meter puts an even voltage across motor windings and will basically tell you if the motor is grounded or not. It is extremely limited as a predictive maintenance tool. You can drive a nail through the copper windings and not detect this with a meg-ohm meter unless it interferes with the groundwall insulation. During startup, a motor experiences voltages 3-5 times operating voltage due to contactor bouncing and other reasons for a vfd application. How many times have you witnessed a motor fail on startup? This voltage decays exponentially as it travels through the motor windings, thus causing a voltage difference between copper windings. The highest voltages are near the lead terminal and the ONLY way to duplicate this phenomenon as far as voltage amplitude and rise-time is the surge test. Surge testers output a fraction of the actual current a motor sees during startup. Find arcing problems early on with the surge test weeks or months before it turns into a shorted turn. Once a shorted turn is present, you will have a failed motor before you finish your lunch.
Tip provided by Baker Instrument
Tel: (800) 752-8272
http://www.bakerinst.com
February 23, 2006
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Tip
Uncovering Latent Root s in RCA is a sensitive subject, however as analysts we must realize that facts are facts. Part of being a RCA analyst is sticking by your guns. If we have done our homework correctly, what we have concluded is based on hard evidence – it is true. Therefore, it is non-negotiable the fact that it happened.
The solutions may be negotiable, but our findings are not. Sweeping sensitive Latent Roots under the carpet does not make them go away, it just makes them hidden where they will surface again possibly hurting or killing someone.
Tip provided by the Reliability Center Inc.
http://www.reliability.com
Tel: 804-458-0645
February 16, 2006
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Tip
Walking the Talk in the Blame Game
When “blaming” people for failures has been a part of a plant culture that can be a difficult environment to implement RCA. This is often because everyone will see this as a fancy tool to help blame more people (when we know that this is not the case).
When faced with trying to get people to buy-in to your new RCA efforts, you must prove your intentions with actions and not words. The first high visibility failure that occurs, where in the past the normal protocol would be to discipline someone associated with the incident, DON’T!
Let the RCA follow its natural course and identify the Latent or Organization root causes that led to poor decisions being made. Then have someone important present these findings publicly and accept some responsibility on behalf of the organization as a contributor to the event. Then, maybe, people will begin to think management is serious about RCA!
Tip provided by the Reliability Center Inc.
http://www.reliability.com
Tel: 804-458-0645
iPresentation Invitation: The Essential Elements of Root Cause Analysis
February 16, 2006
Ultrasound Tip
SCAN OVERHEAD LIGHTS DURING COMPRESSED AIR ENERGY AUDITS WITH ULTRASOUND
Ever walk into the plant and wonder where the low pitch audible sound is coming from? Especially, if a bulb is missing from the light, the ballast is still energized and wasting energy.
Whenever performing a compressed air energy audit and using an airborne ultrasonic receiver, parabolic dish and/or a long range cone to spot air leaks in the overhead piping, you should scan those light fixtures emitting the sound of dollars going down the drain.
Tip provided by Jim Hall
Ultra-Sound Technologies
Tel: (770) 517-8747
