May 08, 2008
Motor Testing Tip
Testing motors OFF Line that have PFCC (Power Factor Correction Capacitors)
Motors that have PFCC (Power Factor Correction Capacitors) wired into the motor circuit can be very dangerous!
Description/Definition: PFCC (Power Factor Correction Capacitors) Induction electrical equipment takes more power from the electrical supply system than is necessary to produce the work required. Power factor is a term used to describe or measure the amount of energy needed by an electrical induction system to establish the magnetic fields that enable the motor to do work. Power factor is defined as the ratio of the true power used in an electrical circuit, to the power which is apparently being drawn from the source.
Power Factor Correction Capacitors are used on motors to correct the power factor. A properly sized capacitor will offset most of the lagging current of a motor and raise its power factor to about 95%.
If the capacitors do not discharge properly, the potential for an electrical shock is there. These capacitors wires coming to the starter are not very large, and sometimes difficult to recognize especially in an under lit area. Always conduct your plants lockout procedure and confirm again no power present. Always discharge the capacitors with your plants procedure, and then separate the capacitor circuit from the motor circuit. Take an OFF LINE test and save results for evaluation of the health of the motor. Know since you have PFCC (Power Factor Correction Capacitors) wired into the motor circuit you need to check the PFCC. Test the in line fuses to capacitors, test the discharging resistor, inspect visually the capacitor enclosure for any abnormalities and then test capacitors for stated rating that on name plate. PFCC (Power Factor Correction Capacitors) can save about 60% on a utility bill for the motor. Our managers are worried about turning off lights and fans, but the real savings is maintaining your PFCC (Power Factor Correction Capacitors). I suggest creating a PM in your RCM software and keep them up that way.
Reader tip provided by Dave Humphrey
Technology Group Electrician
Allison Transmission
Anderson Indiana
Thanks Dave - your stainless steel - diamond plate - Reliabilityweb.com coffee mug is on the way.
Join the Motor Testing Special Interest Group at the Association for Maintenance Professionals
May 08, 2008
Get Control of Your Maintenance Costs While Reducing Equipment Failures
1. TabWare’s equipment history coupled with TabWare Analytics can help you reduce unplanned equipment downtime.
2. TabWare’s work planning and scheduling provides quick and easy features to help you identify parts, specify labor requirements, specify safety instructions and job requirements so your maintenance work force productivity increases.
3. TabWare’s Event Management Module lets you input history, shift notes, inspections and record events in your plant without having to open a work order!
May 08, 2008
Lubrication Tip
When starting a new oil analysis program the test results can reveal an overwhelming number of problems with the lubricants in your machinery. One key to making progress in correcting your lubrication troubles is to prioritize your remediation efforts.
Start slow and localize your early efforts to one area of your plant. If sample ports, breathers, filtering connections, and sight glass modifications are planned get those started before your sampling program begins and build your routes as the equipment is retrofit.
If nearly all of your equipment seems to be in a critical state according to your sample results prioritize your remediation efforts also. Consider focusing on Chemistry and Wear problems first. Your first work orders are written to change out the sour oil, oil with water contamination and filtering to reduce or eliminate wear debris before filtering just for contamination. Trend wear debris, with other technologies (vibration, ultrasound, and thermography data) to determine which equipment needs inspection repair or replacement.
Build your program in stages starting in your highest priority area and systematically work you way through. Early success builds confidence and enthusiasm
Tip provided by Allied Reliability
USA Phone: 843-414-5760
Find out more about Small Plant Best Practice Reliability Model from Allied Reliability
May 08, 2008
Maintenance Tip
Work Instructions by Equipment or by Task?
When developing work instructions at some point the question arises as to if the tasks should be grouped so that one piece of equipment is worked on, or, one type of task is performed on multiple items of equipment.
For example:
(A)- Check belt tensions on all conveyors
Or
(B) - Check belt tension, rollers, scrapers etc on conveyor CV004
Obviously we need to set up work instructions to facilitate least possible total shutdown requirements AND most cost effective method AND effectiveness of task.
There are pros and cons for both methods, but some general observations are :
Per Item of Equipment
Pros
-Less ‘ramp time’
-Greater potential for ‘other’ potential problems to be identified and acted upon
Cons
-Greater potential for individual check tasks to get ‘missed’ (seen as not important)
-Greater potential for lower quality of ‘check’ on some components
-Potential increased ‘tool time’ due to unfamiliarity of individual tasks
-Potential increased ‘tool time’ as maintainer may not have all required tools on him for all tasks
Per Type of Task
Pros
-Higher quality of ‘check’ task on that individual task
-Less potential for ‘check’ task to be ‘missed’ (importance implied)
-Potential reduced ‘tool time’ due to familiarity / repetition of task
-Potential reduced ‘tool time’ as maintainer will have all required / correct tools on him (after first one)
Cons
-Increased ‘ramp time’
-Greater potential for ‘tunnel vision’ can occur
The weighting / likelihood of the above pros and cons varies for different businesses / workforces, and considering these can help make the right decision.
May 01, 2008
Maintenance Tip
Optimizing Preventive Maintenance Programs to Move Away from Reactionary Maintenance
A common mistake often seen in implementing a reliability strategy is to use reliability tools such as RCM analysis, FMEA and RCFA, while the organization is still in a reactive maintenance mode.
At this stage, these tools can produce some quick results that vanish quickly due to the firefighting nature of an organization.
The key point to remember is that the purpose of setting a reliability strategy is to provide a rational and logical base to Preventive Maintenance programs. Cost savings are a result of effective utilization of maintenance resources with increased equipment availability.
The best approach is to first implement key performance indicators and then monitor the effectiveness of existing Preventive Maintenance programs. Make the necessary adjustments to existing programs until reactive maintenance activities are reduced to 15%-20% of all the maintenance work.
This can result in excessive Preventive Maintenance, but resources saved due to having planned work can be utilized in the second stage of the process. Once an organization is out of the reactive mode, it becomes the right time to implement a reliability program with predictive maintenance technologies in order to reduce the reactive workload to 3%-5% of all the maintenance work.
Tip provided by Burhan Zafar
Management Resources Group, Inc.,
http://www.mrginc.net
May 01, 2008
Optimization Tip
Action = Culture
An organization’s culture is not found in the words that are used but in the actions of all personnel.
Safety and quality are two areas that in the past 30 years have been through significant change in what people do, as opposed to what they say they do. That is taking the actions to keep people safe and/or produce quality products rather than just saying that this is important.
If you want to change the culture with respect to maintenance or other activities in your organization insist on the actions that demonstrate the culture you want. Ultimately, people’s actions influence their mindset and this drives their culture. To apply this principle you must ensure that you are walking the talk.
Tip provided by Phillip Slater
Initiate Action
Australia phone: +61 3 9331 3181
USA and Canada call: (800) 581 7678
http://www.InitiateAction.com
May 01, 2008
Ultrasound Level I Certification Class
The three day level I class is for novice and those wanting a more in depth study and understanding of airborne ultrasound for predictive and preventative maintenance.
Students also receive a 200 page study manual to follow along and use as a future reference resource.
BRING YOUR OWN INSTRUMENT FOR ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING during the breaks and at the end of the day!
Find out more about the next Ultrasound Level I Certification Class
May 01, 2008
Maintenance Metric Tip
Developing Key Performance Indicators – Where to Start?
*Actual questions received on the web:
Q: Ricky, Where do you start with Key Performance Indicators?
A: Well, I guess you need to answer the following questions first…..
1. Does all maintenance work get coded and recorded into the maintenance software?
a. Yes
b. No
2. Are you confident that the data in the maintenance software or some other software system is accurate?
a. Yes
b. No
If you answered no to either of these two questions you have a problem. If you aren’t recording it in a reliable place, consistently, you don’t have good data. Essentially, your data set is not a reliable source for performing analysis and making judgments on your maintenance strategy.
You probably haven’t been doing it because there’s so much to measure you feel overwhelmed. You can’t go from where you are to Best Practice in a month, a quarter or even a year. So, now that the pressure to do it quickly is off…..here’s what I recommend. Begin with a metric everyone can understand: Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF). This metric can be used if you don’t use a software system very well and if you don’t use one at all.
Tip provided by Ricky Smith, CMRP
Allied Reliability
+1-843-725-8378
Watch The AskRicky Web Workshop Series: How to Develop Proactive Key Performance Indicators
May 01, 2008
Motor Testing Tip
Confirming broken rotor bars in the shop after vibration and/or current signature analysis has indicated the problem can be difficult.
I have seen the growler test and the rotor influence check both fail to confirm a problem. This was due to the broken bars having an acceptable connection with the rotor at room temperatures. Applying a high amp source to the rotor, removed from the stator, and scanning the rotor with an IR camera will quickly identify the problems.
This is quicker and a lot less expensive than load testing. It also locates the problem areas during the same test.
Reader tip provided by Ed Johnson
Sr Eng Tech
Progress Energy
Roxboro North Carolina
Thank you Ed - your Stainless Steel, Diamond Plate, Reliabilityweb.com coffee mug is on the way!
May 01, 2008
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