April 24, 2008
PM Optimization with PMO2000
Time is money.
PMO2000 can help you rationalize and manage your current maintenance strategy in 1/6th of the time of conventional Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM).
April 24, 2008
Maintenance Tip
The Heart and Sole of Equipment Maintenance – “SPECIFICATIONS”
Written by John Day (Alumax - Mt Holly) and told by Ricky Smith, CMRP, Allied Reliability
If we shift our defining thoughts to maintenance in the pure sense, we force ourselves to deal with keeping, preserving, and protecting. But what are we to keep, protect, or preserve? You may think that it is the machine, equipment, or plant, and that is true. But how are you to define the level to which the machine, equipment, or plant is to be kept. One way would be to say - “keep it like new”. At face value the concept sounds good, but it is more subjective than objective. The answer to maintenance levels must be defined by a specification.
A specification is a detailed precise presentation of that which is required. We must have a specification for the maintenance of equipment and plant. In actual usage today the specification, if it exists, is not detailed or precise. A specification usually does exist informally in the mind of the mechanic or management member even though they may be unable to recite it. This means that at best, it is a variable, general -type specification. This kind of specification is defined in terms of and is dependent upon time available, personnel training level, pressure to produce a current order now, money allocated or available, or management opinion. Obviously, a specification like this will not qualify as a true specification, nor will it qualify as a supporting component of the act of maintaining. The true maintenance specification may be a vendor specification, a design specification, or an internally developed specification. The specification must be precise and objective in its requirements. The maintenance system and organization must be designed to support a concept based on rational specifications. Detailed work plans and schedules may be constructed to provide the specification requirement at the maintenance level. In the maintaining context, the specification is not a goal. It is a requirement that must be met. The maintenance system must be designed to meet this requirement. The specification must be accepted as the “floor” or minimum acceptable maintenance level. Variation that does occur should be above the specification level or floor. The specifications will probably be stated in terms of attributes and capacity.
In reference to maintenance specifications, included are individual equipment specifications, process specifications, and plant performance specifications.
This section was from Chapter 1 of Ricky’s and Keith Mobley’s new book “Rules of Thumb for Maintenance and Reliability Engineers” which can been found on http://www.Amazon.com
Join Ricky Smith for a KPI Web Workshop Friday April 25 at 11 am EDT
April 24, 2008
ID Fans can be critical to keeping your process running
Are you stopping for unscheduled maintenance or to clean and balance them?
LORD can help…Ask Us How
April 24, 2008
CMMS Tip
In Conjunction to Your Maintenance Activities, Populate your CMMS with Current and Accurate Foundational Asset Data
Supplement your CMMS asset information in conjunction with maintenance activities. All too often, basic asset information such as manufacturer, model, serial number and additional characteristics are not included in a facility’s CMMS. In addition, spare parts lists for these assets are typically non-existent or are sparsely populated. Upon completion of maintenance activities, take a few minutes to capture asset nameplate information as well as any spare parts used during the repair and add the information to the hardcopy work order. Planners and/or CMMS administrators should review the asset details within the CMMS and perform updates to this information as required. This simple practice will help to ensure your CMMS is populated with current and accurate foundational asset data in support of further Reliability initiatives.
Tip provided by Steven Cyr, CMRP,
Management Resources Group, Inc.,
http://www.mrginc.net
April 24, 2008
Motor Testing Tip
Seeing the recent motor testing tip on broken rotor bars in the 17 April edition of Maintenance Tips reminded me of a problem that I encountered at my previous place of employ.
This facility has 52 330kW motors driving centrifugal fans with a mass of approximately 1 metric ton and a diameter of ±1,2 meters. The motors unfortunately take quite a strain as they are started DOL and take approximately 15 seconds to get the fans from standstill to full running speed of ±1485rpm (even with the fans inlet dampers closed). The result was that the die cast aluminium rotors bars in the rotors used to fail on a reasonably regular basis due to the combination of the high fan inertia and heating caused by the relatively long starting time.
At first, the motors were sent back to the manufacturer for repair, who confirmed the existence of broken rotor bars by putting the motor on a dynamometer and testing the full load running speed against the value obtained during the pre-delivery test for each individual motor. However, as they were charging exorbitant prices for the overhauls, a decision was taken to send the motors to an reputable independent motor repair workshop for overhaul.
A couple of motors were sent to this repair workshop with known broken rotor bar (from the vibration data - pole pass frequency sidebands around the running speed harmonics), but when they were tested, the repair workshop could find nothing wrong with the rotors using the standard growler test. When these motors were returned to site and installed again, the vibration data showed clearly that the rotor was still defective despite having been declared sound by the growler test.
After some discussion, it was decided that I would personally go to the repair workshop and test a motor which I had picked up broken rotor bar(s) on and that they had tested to be OK using a growler. Luckily, this repair shop also has a dynamometer large enough to fully load these motors, and so a load test was duly done on the motor. Lo and behold, when the motor was loaded to nearly full load, the broken rotor bar problem appeared audibly evident. The problem was also confirmed by vibration readings which I took.
What appears to happen with these motors with aluminium die cast rotors is that the break in the rotor is short circuited enough by the lack of insulation between the rotor bars and the rotor core laminations not to show up when tested with a growler (even when two large growlers are used), but not enough to carry the rotor current when the motor is under full load.
After this, the repair workshop undertook to include (at our cost) a full load vibration test to check for the presence of broken rotor bars in the set of test performed on these motors. Since then until I moved to another company recently, they successfully picked out every motor with broken rotor bars and consequently no motors were returned to site with broken rotor bars.
Reader tip provided by Brian Plowes
Condition Monitoring Specialist
Foskor (Pty) Ltd Richards Bay Division
Richards Bay KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa
Thank you Brian - your Stainless Steel - Diamond Plate - Reliabilityweb.com coffee mug is on the way to South Africa!
Join the Motor Testing Special Interest Group at the Association for Maintenance Professionals
April 24, 2008
Mikron Infrared and Airborne Ultrasound in one package
Mikron’s DualVision/Ultra System represents another milestone in Mikron’s innovative ThermalSpection 724 Remote Thermal Monitoring line of products. This system is the first to combine visual imagery with infrared and airborne ultrasound technologies to continuously monitor substations and electrical switchgear – all in a single intranet/internet-enabled package.
April 24, 2008
Infrared Window Tip
Prepare your working Areas
The installation of infrared windows involves using drills, hole saws, hydraulic cutters, files, etc to cut and clean holes in panel doors. This process will produce metal shavings (swarf) and other waste that you do not want in your switchgear or other electrical cabinets!!!
Set up a work area outside the switch room in a safe, controllable area. Use that work area to make all of your cuts and filings. Doing so will ensure that no metal waste ends up in the switchgear or other electrical cabinets. It also gives you better control over the installation process in a safe area.
Like most safety precautions and best practices, you will probably never know if this extra step of keeping the metal scarps, shavings and filings away from electrical cabinets will save you or your customer from an arc flash. But why would you ever want to risk causing one by taking a couple short cuts?
Tip provided by IRISS Inc
Sarasota Florida
Tel: +1 (941) 907-9128
Email:
April 24, 2008
Asset Optimization Tip
Correction and Proper Acknowledgment of Tip published April 3, 2008
Tip should have been credited to SKF Reliability Systems
http://www.skf.com/reliability
Four Key Elements of Asset Efficiency Optimization (AEO)
The AEO concept encompasses four key elements: strategy, identification, control and execution. Within each of these elements, the coordination and participation of three essential factors within the organization - process, culture, and technology - is paramount to the overall success of the AEO concept.
1. Maintenance strategy involves the evaluation of work activities in relationship to a facility’s business objectives, a procedure that creates the documented basis for the maintenance program.
2. Work identification is where “work” is identified from the evaluation of a comprehensive flow of data in conjunction with an integrated decision-making process. Key to the success of identification is a comprehensive CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System).
3. Work control involves establishing procedures for planning and scheduling the work identified by the CMMS. Tasks are organized based on several parameters, including time and condition; job plans or procedures; man-hours required; data feedback; special requirements and many other factors.
4. Work execution is where identified, planned and scheduled work is performed. Once work is completed, feedback from the field plays a key role in measuring the overall effectiveness of the AEO concept and making refinements for even greater efficiency in the future.
One facet on its own cannot achieve success. For example, in the identification element, a facility can have state-of-the-art data collection technology; however, if the people and organization are not aligned to make maximum use of the data and information, or if they do not follow a formal process (procedure), the chances of failure greatly increase. Thus, when discussing each element of AEO, it is crucial for one to always consider and include the three facets of people, process and technology for success.
Also, one element on its own cannot create success in work management. All elements are needed for success. A facility that is mostly reactive has a work management process that is essentially very good in repairing failed equipment.
Find out more about Asset Efficiency Optimization from SKF Reliability Systems
April 17, 2008
Maintenance Tip
A well maintained backlog of maintenance work orders good. A backlog allows you to identify the types and numbers of craft skills required to complete the work and it allows you to take advantage of operating schedules and assists in the prioritization of work.
Tip provided by Verl Davis
AssetPoint
Phone: (864) 458-3333
April 17, 2008
IOtech Web Events On Demand: Electrical Measurements
Part 1 (24 Min.)
• DC Voltage
• AC Voltage
• Current
Part 2 (19 Min.)
• Resistance
• Wheatstone Bridges
• Single-Ended and Differential Measurements
• Kelvin Connections
