July 27, 2005
Vibration Analysis Tip
Obtaining reliable speed info from the machinery nameplate is made difficult (often due to the lack of nameplate) as time goes on.
In the interest of supporting your reliability department (or reducing the time that your outsourced engineer spends onsite) a small spreadsheet should be compiled where all known machinery details can be retained for future reference.
All sites may not a CMMS system, but for those sites that do, this information should be retained against those assets listed.
Speeds, bearings, frame sizes, power, model and serial numbers are all immediately beneficial details to the generation of a condition monitoring program.
Reader Tip provided by Scott D.J. Robertson
Principal Diagnostic Engineer
Commtest Instruments Limited
Christchurch New Zealand
http://www.commtest.com/
Thanks Scott - your Maintenance-Tips hat is on the way!
July 27, 2005
Airborne Ultrasound Tip
Valve Leak Detection
Airborne ultrasound is a great tool for listening to valves for leakage. Say your valve is closed but, you suspect it is leaking on the closure side. You can set-up a four point check of the valve to listen for leakage. Point (A) is upstream of the valve, Point (B) is at the valve inlet side, Point (C) is at the valve outlet side and Point (D) is downstream of the valve. Point A & B are typically the same value or close, Point C will always be louder than point D if the valve is leaking past its seats. If point D is ever louder than C, there is a problem downstream causing D to be louder. You may also want to take the contact probe and move around the valve to pinpoint were the leak is. Remember the closer to the source (short wave signal) the louder or more intense the leak will be.
Tip provided by Jim Hall
Ultra-Sound Technologies LLC
(770) 517-8747
http://www.Ultra-SoundTech.com
July 21, 2005
Infrared 101 - Getting Started with Infrared Thermography
Pre-Conference Workshop by John Snell
Predictive Maintenance Technology Conference & Expo
September 19-22, 2005
Atlanta, Georgia
Reliability managers and technicians should attend this one day course to learn more about infrared thermography. Whether you already own equipment, are “shopping around,” deciding to add the technology or just want to find out more, spending a day to learn about infrared will pay large returns. Some of the topics John Snell will discuss include:
· Why companies are using thermography
· What thermography will not do
· What equipment, new and old, can be used
· Basic theory behind using the technology
· What are the primary applications and how do they work
· Safety issues
· Setting up a successful program
· Personnel certification
Snell Infrared is independent of equipment sales ensuring you will get an honest, informed presentation with straight facts and no fluff. Time for questions and answers will also be available.
Attendees will leave with information that will enable them to decide whether or not this is a technology they should pursue. In addition, those who participate will develop a solid foundation for selecting equipment, a clear understanding of what the technology can and cannot accomplish and an outline of a path to success.
The workbook for this course consists of the presentation slides (in color) and several useful background articles.
Call toll free in the USA (888) 575-1245 or (305) 735-3746 International or…
July 21, 2005
Maintenance Tip
When an Allen Head screw seems to have the head stripped out, it is almost impossible to remove. Use a new standard Allen wrench, lightly tap the wrench into the head with a hammer. This will seat the wrench in the undamaged portion of the socket head for easy removal.
Reader tip provided by Mark Hoisington
Manufacturing Engineering Tech
The Sorin Group
Arvada Colorado
Thanks Mark - your Maintenance-Tips hat is on the way!
July 21, 2005
Planner/Scheduler Training
This five-day course provides Best Practice instruction on the roles and responsibilities of planners and supervisors to perform effective job planning, work scheduling, and related support tasks.
The first day-and-a-half are delivered in seminar format and are designed to indoctrinate varied members of the organization to the breadth, depth, and scope of the Integrated Maintenance Management Partnership with Operations. Each function’s relationship with as well as responsibility and contribution to the Operational Reliability Process are clarified.
The training is tailored to address everyday problems confronted by plant or facility maintenance personnel.
Practical exercises are used to demonstrate and provide insight on key concepts and principles.
For space availability and registration, please call Life Cycle Engineering toll free at 1.800.556.9589 or…
July 21, 2005
Motor Testing Tip
A single test using Motor Circuit Analysis (MCA) instruments that utilize a low voltage, sinusoidal output allow the user to detect developing winding shorts within a 3-phase AC induction motor. Measurements of phase angle (Fi) and current frequency response (I/F) will detect developing turn-to-turn, coil-to-coil, and phase-to-phase shorts without the need for previous test data or temperature correction of the measurement values. Moreover, for a motor application using a VFD the measurement can be made with the drive connected, unless an insulation to ground measurement is being made.
Tip provided by ALL TEST Pro
http://www.alltestpro.com
800-952-8776
July 21, 2005
Maintenance Tip
Building Bills of Material (BOM’s) for equipment is labor intensive. Many sites try to do it with internal resources “part-time”. This is inefficient, and the work almost never gets completed. It makes sense to hire outside help for this, as they are faster and often cheaper in the end. And, you get the BOM’s done so people can find parts!
Tip provided by Dave Krings, CMRP
Author - 5 Pillars: Maintenance & Reliability Professional review course on CD
MasteringMaintenance.com
July 21, 2005
Controlling Fan Vibration with Active Balancing to Solve Series Reliability and Maintenance Problems
A Sponsored White Paper by Andrew J. Winzenz, LORD Corporation
Ever since centrifugal fans have been manufactured they have been subject to vibration related problems. These problems range from simple unbalance conditions caused by mass variations on the fan rotor to much more complex issues related to shaft alignment, bearing fatigue, or resonance issues. In many cases excessive vibration levels in fans lead to unplanned forced outages to perform maintenance. While these outages are necessary to maintain safe operation of fans, they typically are costly both from a maintenance and lost production standpoint.
This paper will discuss common vibration problems experienced on large centrifugal fans that lead to forced outages and unscheduled maintenance. This paper describes the use of an Active Fan Balancing System used to control unbalance related vibration levels in fans. The paper will also detail several active balancing installations and describe the benefits these users have experienced.
July 21, 2005
Lubrication Tip
In lubricating an electric motor bearing, long grease purge pipes create backpressure, which increases the chance of grease being forced into windings or excess grease remaining in the bearing. Therefore, drain pipes should be as short as possible and not have any turns if possible.
Submitted to Ludeca for Reliabilityweb.com by Garry Villamil of TRILUX ELECTRONICS & LUMINAIRES, INC.
LUDECA, INC.
ALIGNMENT * VIBRATION * BALANCING
http://www.ludeca.com
Tel: 305-591-8935
July 21, 2005
Inventory and Purchasing Maintenance Tip
Inventory and Purchasing Maintenance Tips to
Enhance Maintenance Planning and Scheduling
(Tip 6 of 6 in a series) Archived at
http://maintenancetalk.com/blog.php/tipsblog
CMMS/ EAM Usage and Integration
When the maintenance management system (CMMS/EAM) is properly utilized, the maintenance planning will work extensively with the inventory and purchasing module of the system. This is due to the fact that the plainer will be required to:
• Check on the availability of spare parts
• Check on the location of spare parts
• Reserve spare parts for work being planner
• Initiate a purchase requisition for spare parts
• Initiate a purchase order to purchase spare parts (in some plants)
• Check on pricing for the spare parts requested
• Check on the expected delivery date
• Receive spare parts
• Issue spare parts to the work order
• Return spare parts not used to inventory
While this list is not all inclusive, it still highlights the high level of interaction the maintenance planner must have with the inventory and purchasing information, if they are to be successful in planning maintenance work.
What are the consequences when the maintenance organization uses a CMMS/ EAM system, yet the inventory and purchasing department utilizes another system? If this is the case, it usually follows one of these scenarios:
• The two systems are operated independently
• The two systems are partially interfaced
• An attempt is made at integrated the two different systems
If the two systems are operated independently, the information in the two systems is never in full synchronization. The planner will be force to operate two systems, constantly referring to the inventory and purchasing system when planning maintenance work to insure part availability.
If the two systems are partially interfaced, the planner will have access to some of the inventory and purchasing information, but not always in a real time mode. In other words, files are passed between the systems, but it is usually in a batch mode. This delay will still have an impact on the planer’s ability to plan work in a timely manner.
If an attempt is made to integrate the two systems, it is usually expensive. The Information Systems department must constantly upgrade both systems. When this occurs, the interface usually needs to be rewritten. This is costly and time consuming.
After considering the alternatives, it is usually best for maintenance and inventory and purchasing to use the same computerized system. While each department will probably have to concede some small amount of functionality, the benefits of utilizing a fully integrated system will out weigh the functionality loss.
Tip provided by Terry Wireman
GenesisSolutions
http://www.GenesisSolutions.com
Tel: (203) 431-0281
