September 20, 2007
Calculate the Return on your EAM Investment with Lawson Opportunity Analyzer
Are you in the process of selecting an enterprise asset management (EAM) system and need help in calculating the project’s return on investment? Lawson Opportunity analyzer (OA) can help you to set practical business performance targets and identify, in advance, potential financial and non-financial gains.
Find Out More About Calculating the Return on your EAM Investment
September 20, 2007
Vibration Analysis Tip
Use proper minimum frequency and maximum frequency for early Bearing Defect Detection
The use of proper minimum frequency and maximum frequency (hereinafter referred to as f-min and f-max) is crucial in order to have an adequate frequency range for seeing and identifying frequencies for the faults of interest, such as rolling element defects, rotor bar and stator slot pass, vane pass on turbo-machinery wheels, etc. Normally, setting an f-max around 50× turning speed for equipment running 30hz/1800 rpm or less, and 70× turning speed for equipment running 60hz/3600 rpm is adequate. The reason is that one would normally want to see at least the 6th or 7th harmonic of the highest generated bearing frequency, which is the ball pass frequency inner race, which is around 12 to 16× turning speed typical. This is usually the highest frequency of interest.
Tip provided by LUDECA, INC.
ALIGNMENT * VIBRATION * BALANCING
http://www.ludeca.com
Tel: 305-591-8935
More resources on the Alignment, Balancing and Vibration Forum
September 20, 2007
Plant Turnaround Tip
Reflections on Plant Turnarounds in the Refining Industry
The development of a plant turnaround philosophy is formal recognition of the plant turnaround’s impact on the corporate business plan. Once formally recognized, the philosophy can be integrated with the corporate vision and mission statements as part of the overall corporate philosophy. The recognition of plant turnarounds is the first step in maximizing the benefits and reducing the costs when taking the plant off-line for a major scheduled outage.
Philosophies do not have to be complicated and can be applied to all types and sizes of facilities, such as single boiler units with simple piping systems found in apartment buildings and hospitals; batch or continuous manufacturing and assembly plants; and major industrial process facilities.
The philosophy should be clear and concise with a descriptor of both plant turnaround management and plant shutdown. Different groups interpret the definition of a plant shutdown in their own ways. Operations may consider the plant shutdown to be “feed in to feed out”; marketing will look at the “loss of salable product” days; and maintenance usually quotes in “mechanical days.”
In the end, the owner or senior management team now turns the philosophy into action by developing the plant turnaround management process to achieve world class execution and start-up with good results.
Reader tip provided by Euclides Prieto
Senior Maintenance Supervisor
PDVSA Amuay Refinery
Judibana, Venezuela
Thank you Sr. Prieto - your Stainless Steel Diamond Plate Reliabilityweb.com Coffee Mug is on the way!
September 20, 2007
Thermal Solutions - the conference for professional thermographers
Attend Thermal Solutions, the conference for professional thermographers, motor circuit analysis technicians and reliability leaders, January 21-24, 2008 in Sarasota, Florida.
Learn best practices from a variety of paper presentations, educational short courses and countless networking opportunities while exploring the latest technologies in the conference exhibit hall.
September 20, 2007
Preventive Maintenance Tip
We use the following definition of preventive maintenance (PM):
Preventive maintenance is the performance of inspection and/or servicing tasks that have been preplanned (i.e., scheduled) for accomplishment at specific points in time to retain the functional capabilities of operating equipment or systems.
The word “preplanned” is the key element in developing a proactive maintenance mode and culture. In fact, this now provides us with a very clear and concise way to define corrective maintenance (CM):
Corrective maintenance is the performance of unplanned (i.e., unexpected) maintenance tasks to restore the functional capabilities of failed or malfunctioning equipment or systems.As viewed by the authors, the entire world of maintenance activity is fully encompassed in these two definitions.
Tip provided by Anthony “Mac” Smith, Author, RCM - Gateway to World Class Maintenance, Butterworth-Heinemann, ISBN-10: 075067461X
Learn to develop effective PMs from Mac Smith’s RCM Workshop on DVD
September 20, 2007
Maintenance Tip
Six Tactical Responses to making sure your improvement initiative succeeds:
1. Position your improvement initiative as a strategic business initiative that will transform the organization. This approach should integrate all the functional managers as drivers for success. Relegating the implementation to maintenance alone sends the signal that it is a maintenance project and the rest of the organization will resist the re-engineered processes.
2. Provide strong, passionate and committed leadership. Commit resources and remove barriers that invariably crop up as processes are re-engineered and integrated across organizational boundaries.
3. Provide strong project management. Improvement initiatives are equivalent to capital improvement projects and should be treated accordingly. It requires adept skills in project management methodology set forth by the Project Management Institute, particularly in the areas of communication, risk management and earned value management.
4. Provide strong communication throughout the project. The most fundamental change management strategy is to keep the information flowing. Communicate both the status of the project and the status of the benefits as they are attained.
5. Provide adequate training to ensure the knowledge, skills and abilities to execute the re-engineering. Avoid the urge to be “efficient” and cutting back on the time to train.
6. Don’t underestimate the human side of the equation – the non-technical challenges are the difficult challenges. Be prepared for the organization, people and change problems that inevitably arise when implementing a strategic business initiative.
Tip Provided by Mike Aroney
Life Cycle Engineering, Inc.
http://www.lce.com
iPresentation Invitation “The Non-Technical Side of Reliability"
September 13, 2007
Get knowledge at IMC-2007
The 22nd International Maintenance Conference
Dec 4-7, 2007
Daytona Beach, Florida
Many conferences provide information – IMC-2007 provides knowledge based on 14 points adapted from and inspired by Dr. W. Edwards Deming!
1) Align the aim of maintenance with the greater aims of the company or organization and make sure everyone understands and supports that aim
2) Adopt a new philosophy of proactive reliability and teach it to your employees, suppliers and customers
3) Cease dependence on reactive and time based maintenance
4) End the practice of “low bid” purchasing and use total life cycle cost to calculate value. Move to single suppliers for key purchases of products and services
5) Improve constantly the system of maintenance, planning, scheduling and any other activity. This will improve reliability and productivity will also decrease cost
6) Institute skills training
7) Adopt and institute leadership for the management of people, recognizing their different abilities, capabilities, and aspiration. The aim of leadership should be to help people, machines, and gadgets do a better job.
8) Create a trust-based work environment to foster effective contribution from everyone
9) Tear down virtual walls between maintenance and operation, maintenance and purchasing and maintenance and management. The entire company is one system and must work as a team to accomplish the aim of the system
10) Eliminate the “program of the day” for maintenance improvements and tear down posters with catchy slogans that do not match what actually happens on the plant floor
11) Eliminate management by Key Performance Indicators (KPI). Use them to gain knowledge but substitute leadership for management by numbers
12) Allow people to enjoy their work and take pride in workmanship
13) Institute a vigorous program of training and self- improvement
14) Put everyone in charge of change – it is everyone’s job
Hotel and Early Bird discounts apply now so register early and save.
To learn more please call toll free (888) 575 1245 or…
September 13, 2007
Post Vacation or Holiday Tip
Get Back Into Work Mode After Vacation or Holiday
Think of it this way: there may be worse things in life than the first days back at work after vacation. In fact, there are - lots of them - but somehow they don’t come to mind as Cape Cod, Vermont, London and Singapore fade into the mist and visions of the office become increasingly vivid.
There are basically only two types of people who don’t need to shift gears to return to work. The first are workaholics: they didn’t want to go away in the first place, and their bodies may have made it to Paris but their minds were left behind. The second type is a magnet to vacation misfortune - mislaid baggage, seedy hotels, lousy weather, unfriendly natives - name it, it happens to them. Naturally, these people are ready to get down and kiss the ground, even their desk, when they return.
The necessity of psyching up for re-entry into the real world doesn’t indicate any lack of interest in or disenchantment with a job. It happens to almost everyone, including the men and women who genuinely enjoy working and indeed look forward to it. It’s simply that switching from an almost unfettered life to one with restraints and disciplines takes a certain amount of doing.
1) If possible, take a few afternoons off. Or at least, leave early. Most people, especially after a relatively isolated vacation, find themselves easily distracted and often waste the day away dawdling or worse yet, reminiscing about vacation. After vacations is the best time to exercise your flex time.
2) Take an extra day. Schedule your vacation so that it ends one day before you’re due back into the office. This allows time for you to get back into your regular routine. Pretend it’s Sunday… okay Sunday evening. Unpack, do some laundry, check your email, and rinse that crazy notion of early retirement out of your hair.
3) Extend your vacation. Keep a picture from your vacation in your wallet or taped to the inside of a desk drawer. When work starts getting overwhelming, pull out your little happy place and take a deep breath.
4) Get a massage, because indulgence doesn’t end with vacation.
5) An ounce of prevention. Leave as much information and as few loose ends as possible. Remind others that you are out the following week so that no one is surprised when you’re gone. Sure you’ll be exhausted by the time you leave, but that’s why you’re going on vacation, right?!
6) Alternatively, dive in head first. Don’t leave any time to “decompress” after a vacation, just plunge right in and keep up your momentum as best you can. Insert multiple cups of coffee here.
September 13, 2007
Preventive and Predictive Maintenance Training
Finally, PM and PdM Training with the TOOLS you need to implement a successful PdM program at your facility.
The return on investment for reaching the right balance of preventive and predictive maintenance is clear. PM and PdM offer a rare opportunity to save millions of dollars.
Allied Reliability provides the framework you need to reach best practices in PM and PdM, in the shortest possible time, at the lowest overall cost.
New classes begin October 30th. Sign up before September 28th and receive a special $500.00 discount by calling Amy Campbell at: 888-414-5672 to get more information or…
Find Out More About Preventive and Predictive Maintenance Training
September 13, 2007
Infrared Tip
Get Organized
Inspecting the hundreds of electrical connections, all the rotating equipment and other plant equipment requires planning and organized execution. The best path to a successful IR inspection program is to spend the time upfront and get organized.
Organize your inspections following your specific constraints which might include, skill trades people availability, seasonal load factors, equipment criticality, equipment age, safety compliance or many other factors. Make sure to identify all locations requiring inspection by reviewing a database of assets and equipment (often available from an existing CMMS system). Or create your own asset database and review the items with other supporting equipment lists. Once your equipment is organized, you can organize your inspections into routes that maximize your team’s efficiency delivering more wrench time to maintenance groups always under the gun to do more with less. Make a list of inspection points and sort it as you intend it to be traversed. Note that it is now possible to export your asset data into some thermography program management software packages that integrate directly with portable infrared cameras. Alternatively, manual lists can be useful as a guide during infrared inspections.
• Get organized by using existing asset databases to identify all inspection points (or create your own database)
• Organize your IR inspection into routes built around demand factors not location proximity
• Stay diligent and use the tools consistently
iPresentation Invitation: Improving IR Inspection Programs by Using CMMS/EAM Asset Databases
