November 29, 2007
Learn from Reliability Leaders at IMC-2007
IMC-2007 - the 22nd International Maintenance Conference
Dec 4-7, 2007
Daytona Beach Hilton Florida
Meet workshop leaders who can show you new methods for reliability like:
• Paul Barringer
• Ron Moore
• Terry Wireman
• Joel Levitt
• Steven Thomas
• Ricky Smith
• Steve Turner
• ...many more at IMC-2007
Call toll free (888) 575-1245 or…
November 29, 2007
Maintenance 101 Tip
The more reactive you are, the more you have to depend on a good storeroom.
The word “reaction” means “a response, as to a stimulus or influence.” Reactive maintenance organizations frequently have to “respond” to the “stimulus” of an equipment breakdown. When this happens, they rarely know what damage they are going to find – or what parts will be needed to return the equipment to service. Therefore, the storeroom must have a wide selection of parts to meet any conceivable circumstance.
On the other hand, organizations that follow a proactive maintenance philosophy place a high degree of emphasis on knowing the condition of their equipment. The definition of proactive is “controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than waiting to respond after it happens.” Proactive organizations “control” a potential breakdown situation by “causing” an equipment inspection to happen, with the purpose of understanding the equipment’s condition. When the scope of the corrective action is small and predictable, this enables them to detect a deteriorating condition before failure occurs, Usually, there is sufficient advance warning that parts can be ordered from the vendors on a “just-in-time” basis and be on site well in advance of the potential failure. There is little need to stock the parts “just in case”.
Think about it – if you were guaranteed that you would never have another unanticipated breakdown, would you need to have a storeroom at all? Obviously, this is an ideal and unrealistic scenario because there are no guarantees. However, with a proactive philosophy, fewer parts need to be stocked, and lower inventories are needed for those that should be stocked due to long lead times. This can have a significant financial benefit because inventory carrying costs are influenced, to a large degree, by inventory value. If you’re proactive, you can reduce inventory without assuming additional risk.
Tip provided by MRG
Telephone: 203.264.0500
http://www.mrginc.net
November 29, 2007
Mikron Infrared, Inc. introduces the M7640
Mikron Infrared, Inc. introduces the M7640, a NEW High-Resolution 640 x 480 Detector Thermal Imager.
The impressive M7640 also features a resolution of
0.06°C (at 30°C 60 Hz), a wide temperature range (-40°C to 2000°C), DualVision image composite functionality, and real-time image recording.
The 7640 offers both a large 5.6” articulating LCD, and a traditional viewfinder, allowing the user to choose the best option based on available light and environmental conditions.
Versatile and easy image transfer is standard--using choice of IEEE 1394 (Firewire®) Technology, USB 2.0, and/or Compact Flash card.
To find out more about the M7640, please call 1-888-506-3900, or ...
November 29, 2007
Preventive Maintenance Tip
Preventive Maintenance Definition
If you ask twenty different people to write their definition of preventive maintenance, you will get twenty different answers.
For the purpose of this text, preventive maintenance is defined as a fundamental, planned maintenance activity designed to improve equipment life and avoid any unplanned maintenance activity.
Tip excerpted from Preventive Maintenance by Terry Wireman
Publisher: Industrial Press, Inc.
See Terry Wireman at IMC-2007 - Dec 4-7 - Daytona Beach Florida
November 29, 2007
Alignment Tip
Configuring a gearbox with three feet
When dealing with a gearbox that has 3 feet, there are two possibilities:
a) If the feet are located under the shaft and bearing housings, view the gearbox as a normal 4 foot machine. This will give you inboard and outboard corrections for the feet. The end that has the 2 feet should be corrected evenly, and the 3rd foot should be corrected as per the screen.
b) If the feet are on the sides of the gearbox, or NOT under that shaft or bearing housings, then configure the gearbox as a 6 foot machine. This will give you corrections for the inboard, middle and outboard feet. Correct accordingly at each foot.
Tip provided by LUDECA, INC.
ALIGNMENT * VIBRATION * BALANCING
http://www.ludeca.com
Tel: 305-591-8935
November 29, 2007
NEW! Reliability Engineering Series training program
NEW! Reliability Engineering Series training program provides the knowledge and skills needed for Reliability Engineers in today’s competitive industrial environment.
The RE Series includes core course content that every reliability engineer can apply at their plant. Core classes include: Introduction to Reliability Engineering Series, Introduction to Statistics, Life Cycle Costing for Maintenance and Reliability (LCC), Introduction to Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), Introduction to Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and Introduction to Condition Based Monitoring (CBM). For more information contact Amy at: 888-414-5760 or e-mail . Allied Reliability helps companies build wealth and competitive advantage through world-class reliability across a global manufacturing network.
November 29, 2007
Preventive Maintenance (PM) Tip
So why do you do preventive maintenance?
The overwhelming majority of maintenance and plant engineering personnel will respond “To prevent equipment failures.” Would that have been your response? If so, you are correct — but not complete in your viewpoint.
Unfortunately, we are not yet smart enough to prevent all equipment failures. But that does not mean that our ability to perform meaningful preventive maintenance tasks must end there.
In fact, there are three additional and important options to consider. First, while we may not know how to prevent a failure, frequently we do know how to detect the onset of failure. And our knowledge of how to do this is increasing every day, and is creating a whole new discipline called predictive maintenance. Second, even though we may not be able to prevent or detect the onset of failure, we often can check to see if a failure has occurred before equipment is called into service. Various standby and special purpose equipments (whose operational state is often hidden from the operator’s view until it is too late) are candidates for this area. Thus, discovery of hidden failures is yet another PM option available to us.
There are also situations in a well planned PM program where economics and/or technical limitations can dictate a decision to do nothing — he appropriately labeled Run-To-Failure (RTF) option. This RTF option is not to be confused with the more general situation of missing potentially useful PM actions due to oversight or lack of attention to PM planning.
Tip provided by Anthony “Mac” Smith, Author, RCM - Gateway to World Class Maintenance, Butterworth-Heinemann, ISBN-10: 075067461X
Find out more about Mac Smith’s Reliability Centered Maintenance Training Seminar DVD
November 29, 2007
Oil Analysis Tip
2. Silicon is frequently a difficult element to assess, and should not be categorized as abrasive every time it appears. It has numerous sources and forms, e.g.:
a. Abrasives: commonly as silicon dioxide (“sand”)
b. Seals: as a silicone
c. Oil Additive (defoamant): as a siloxane in polymer form
d. Coolant chemistries in diesel engines: as a silicate
The first order of the day is to ascertain which of the above, or combinations of the above, exists.
Wear that occurs proportionate to silicon definitely suggests abrasives as one of the significant forms of silicon present, however, this conclusion should not be automatic. Abrasion in reciprocating engines usually occurs upon entry of ‘dirt’ through the air intake. At that time the dirt particles are fairly large and not necessarily detectable via standard spectrometric methods. Until the particles are ground into smaller sizes one could see significant wear increases (Fe, Al, Cr) from the cylinder region, but only token increases in silicon. Caveat, silicon!
Tip provided by Jack Poley, CMI
Tel: 305.669.5181
http://www.cmiglobal.biz
November 15, 2007
Training Tip
Maximizing Training Effectiveness
Getting the most out of an investment in training requires more than choosing a class from a catalog or a website. For starters, you need to consider this question: Are training and education always the solution to performance problems? The answer is no. Training and education are only part of the picture. You really need to look at what’s driving the performance issue. Does the person have the skills and knowledge? Do they want to do the job? If they want to do the job, but don’t have the knowledge or skill then it’s a training issue. But if someone already knows how to do something and isn’t motivated to perform well, then no amount of training will change that. Trying to send someone to training without carefully considering performance is like prescribing a medication without diagnosing the condition that underlies the symptoms.
Tip provided by the Life Cycle Institute
800-556-9589
http://www.LCE.com
November 15, 2007
Asset Management Tip
Is your Asset fully covered?
Three fundamental processes that cover every asset:
1. Monitoring Process:
The process covers what asset data needs to be captured to manage the asset effectively. It includes technical specifications, as-built data, failure modes, process impact metrics (time before failure modes become service failures), preventive maintenance schedules and condition/performance assessments. The process can recommend monitoring devices suitable for a particular installation (specified as design templates).
2. Reactive Process:
The reactive process describes what actions are necessary after an asset breaks down, so that the effects of failure are contained before they affect service to process.
3. Proactive Process:
This process spells out what actions need to be taken to preempt failure such as inspections (and their frequency), performance analysis, economic life analysis and process impact analysis.
Reader tip provided by Pramod Tiwari
Tata Consultancy Services
London UK
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