February 23, 2005
Asset Basic Care Tip
Delivering Basic Care Information to Operations Staff
One of the keys to success in developing an asset basic care system is to have operations and maintenance work together to develop information collection and reporting procedures that both can live with.
Often, operations have a well-developed system in place to view plant status, using systems such as HMI (human-machine interface) displays and plant data historians (like PI from OSISoft). Acceptance of an electronic asset basic care program can be greatly increased if the data being collected by handheld computer can be automatically routed to the operator’s data system.
One oil refinery converted a very extensive paper-based inspection to an electronic asset basic care program. One of the primary goals was the ability to automatically deliver the asset status information to the operators via their control room software. This was accomplished using information directly collected from handheld electronic units. This allowed the operators to get immediate access to basic care findings without generating and reading reports, or by looking up status information in another software package.
This tip provided by Design Maintenance Systems Inc.
DMSI
http://www.desmaint.com
Canada Tel: (604) 984 3674
February 23, 2005
Oracle and PeopleSoft—Better Together (Webcast)
Combined Companies Launch
On January 18, 2005, Oracle announced, at an event at its headquarters with more than 48,000 joining by Webcast and phone, how the nearly 50,000-strong combined workforce of Oracle and PeopleSoft will provide unparalleled innovation and support to 23,000 applications customers throughout the world.
February 23, 2005
Vibration Tip
Spectrum vs. Cepstrum
When a spectrum contains several sets of sidebands or harmonic series, it can be confusing due to the overlap. Try using a Cepstrum. A cepstrum is a spectrum of a spectrum. In the cepstrum, they will be separated in a way similar to the way in which the spectrum separates repetitive time patterns in the waveform. Try using a cepstrum on your Gearboxes and rolling element bearings.
Tip provided by LUDECA, INC.
Distributor of the new VIBXPERT data collector/vibration analyzer
http://www.ludeca.com/vibxpert.htm
Tel: 305-591-8935
Download the Taking Accurate Vibration Measurements Case Study at Ludeca.com
February 23, 2005
Motor Testing Tip
Understanding and using inductance measurements:
If you measure the inductance of a 3-phase motor with the rotor removed the measurements should be balanced. In an assembled motor, mutual inductance between the stator and rotor causes the inductance to increase. Depending on motor design, there may be an inductance unbalance between phases that can be 20% or higher. Moreover, the measured inductance of each phase and the amount of unbalance will vary with the position of the rotor.
By measuring inductance at 24 or 36 equal rotor positions on all three phases through 360 degrees of rotation, and graphing the results, rotor health can be evaluated for conditions including broken rotor bars, high resistance joints and eccentricity (rotor air gap).
However, since many motors will exhibit inductance unbalance and this unbalance can change with rotor position, inductance alone is a poor indicator of winding health. In Addition, most winding faults in a 3-phase motor will not show a significant inductance unbalance until the winding has developed a short.
Static inductance measurements when combined with impedance measurements from a low-level sine wave instrument are useful for detecting either contaminated or over-heated windings.
Tip provided by ALL-TEST Pro, A Division of BJM Corp http://www.alltestpro.com
Tel: 860.399.5937
February 16, 2005
Running Out Of Time For RCM-2005
Don’t miss this opportunity to spend three focused days in the wide world of Reliability Centered Maintenance.
Reliability Centered Maintenance Managers’ Forum
March 9-11, 2005
Clearwater Beach, Florida
• Learn everything you need to build a world class Reliability Centered Maintenance Program
• Discover exciting new ideas and learn helpful techniques to jumpstart your Reliability Centered Maintenance program
• Learn how Maintenance & Reliability Professionals just like you are creating results with RCM
• Meet leading RCM service providers
• Learn how to track the results of your RCM program
It is Spring Break in Florida and Clearwater Beach Hotels are filling up fast - so please register today at 239-985-0317 or…
February 16, 2005
Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Tip
How to avoid CMMS/EAM System Failures
Failure #9 Inadequate training/documentation
Many companies will still purchase software and try to “learn by the manual.” This is a very costly and time-consuming way to learn how the software functions. It is best to have the vendor’s training personnel train your people. If you allow your people to flounder or to let the vendor’s programmers train your people will spell sure disaster.
It takes a certain type of person to train for software use, and part of the selection process should include the evaluation of the vendor’s training personnel. Again, reviewing the training programs of Companies already using the software will ensure the program produces satisfactory results. Training and documentation also suffer when Companies try to reduce the cost of system implementation. One of the first areas they reduce is the amount of training or the number of sets of documentation. This practice results in poor utilization of the system.
Tip provided by GenesisSolutions
Terry Wireman, CPMM
Tel: (203) 431-0281
http://www.GenesisSolutions.com
iPresentation Tutorial Invitation: Conducting an Effective EAM/CMMS Training Program
February 16, 2005
SAP intensifies focus on Enterprise Asset Management - SAP-centric EAM Conference 2005
Software giant SAP (sap.com) is intensifying its focus on the Enterprise Asset Management (Maintenance Management) market.
With the broadest solution for EAM currently on the market, SAP and partners are introducing new functionality in the areas of:
• Planning and Scheduling
• RCM support and integration with the Work Identification – Execution cycle
• Fully integrated Maintenance Cost Budgeting and analysis
• Role-based intuitive portals ensuring easy transaction and information access with visibility on asset condition
• EAM Business intelligence solutions
SAP’s Service and Asset Management unit is taking an aggressive approach to push SAP’s market leadership in this area. As they have shown in CRM (where SAP has now toppled Siebel as market leader), when SAP focuses its attention on a market, its only a matter of time.
Evidence of this new intensity comes in the SAP-centric EAM conference running in Tucson, AZ from March 20-23, 2005 [ http://www.sap-centric-eam.com ]. Organized by event experts Functional Asset Solutions in conjunction with SAP, this event features impressive content from SAP customers in North America, updates on strategic plans from SAP’s Service and Asset Management Unit and showcases new EAM functionality from SAP and its technology partners – NRX, Meridium, Impress and more. The show is rounded out with the key service providers around this space – the “globals” - Accenture and IBM and specialist players such as New Dimension Solutions.
One senses that the SAP juggernaut is rolling in EAM. EAM business processes run across the enterprise – work management touches financials, HR/HCM, materials management/SCM, customer service/CRM and really every part of the enterprise making SAP’s vaunted integration all the more important. SAP’s best-of-breed competitors have relied on slinging mud around usability and esoteric maintenance/reliability functionality. Given these new offerings it appears that SAP has closed any apparent chinks in its armor in these areas and offers huge advantage to new and existing customers in the depth and breadth of value in terms of license fees.
We suggest you kick the tires and the winter blues in Arizona in March – this looks like a very interesting event in a lovely corner of the country (especially in March!)
For more information please visit the conference website at http://www.sap-centric-eam.com or call us at 914-509-5355.
February 16, 2005
Motor Testing Tip
Motor Overheating in VFD Applications
Overheating is one of the primary causes of early motor failure. Variable frequency drives (VFDs) generate pulse width modulated output signals rather than smooth sinusoidal waveforms. The extra harmonic content in these signals is dissipated as heat within the motor. In fact, a VFD driven motor running at nameplate frequency and load will run 10C hotter than the same motor driven by a sinusoidal source. One approach to this type of problem is to derate the motor to compensate for the harmonic heating. Another is to specify an “Inverter Duty” motor.
VFD applications running at frequencies less than nameplate (lower speeds) present another problem; internal fan speed is reduced, resulting in increased motor temperature. Once again, derating may be required to compensate for the increased temperature. Or the addition of an external fan may be necessary. Additionally, some drive manufacturers provide tables to help match a drive to a motor for a particular application.
Tip provided by Baker Instrument
Tel: (800) 752-8272
http://www.bakerinst.com
February 16, 2005
Vibration Analysis Tip
A hazardous environment, as defined with regard to a combustible atmosphere, is one that could burn explosively with the addition of energy sufficient to cause ignition. Hazardous environments are broken down into categories by the National Electrical Code in order to define conditions that can cause ignition of the combustible atmosphere. These categories include combustible gases and suspended dust and particulate. Equipment can be evaluated and certified as Intrinsically safe for operation in various hazardous environments.
Some vibration monitoring applications require the transducer to be installed in a hazardous environment. In these applications, the transducer must be unable to ignite the surrounding atmosphere. A transducer that is intrinsically safe cannot develop enough energy – either through heat energy, or through spark energy – to ignite the hazardous environment, whether operating normally or under fault conditions. A transducer approved as Intrinsically Safe can be installed directly into the hazardous environment.
To learn more about hazardous environments, or Intrinsically Safe vibration monitoring, go to http://www.wilcoxon.com
February 16, 2005
Change Management for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals
A Distance Learning Course by Steve Thomas
Companies initiate change programs all of the time. Some succeed but many more fail to accomplish their stated goals. Previous failure can make future efforts even more difficult due the audience becoming skeptical.
Of all types of change, reliability focused efforts are perhaps the most difficult to initiate and conduct. These initiatives often meet significant resistance because there are always those who did well working in a reactive maintenance environment. Lukewarm support is often the most that can be expected from those changing to the new reliability based approach. How a manager manages the change will be the difference between success and failure.
This course teaches the basic skills required to break down the barriers encountered by reliability focused change efforts.
The next course begins on April 1, 2005 - Register today as number of students is limited.
To register or learn more about courses please email: or call toll free (888) 230-5280 or…
