January 31, 2008 Maintenance Tip
Out of sight, out of mind – A Maintenance Tip
Do you know the age of your Maintenance storeroom inventory and if the oldest parts are being utilized first? Many parts have an established shelf life and require maintenance or replacement if the shelf life is exceeded. For example, bearings require that the lubricating film be reapplied to prevent metal to metal contact after approximately seven years. A simple rubber date stamp identifying the date of receipt can be applied to the item or on a tag attached to the item when the part is received into the storeroom. Once parts are being dated, developing and enforcing a First in, First out procedure can ensure that the oldest parts are utilized first. So, where are you at with your storeroom procedures?
Tip provided by Debbi Gray
People and Processes, Inc.
Telephone: (800) 930-4276
January 31, 2008 Why Risk Arc Flash?
Arc Flash accidents send more than 2,000 US & Canadian workers to burn centers for treatment each year.
Use of Infrared Viewing Panes can eliminate 99.9% of Arc Flash triggers during Infrared inspection of switch gear and
other electrical panels.
January 31, 2008 Top 10 Common Sense Fallacies in Maintenance
#10: There no time for Preventive Maintenance
There is high emergency work and no time for Preventive Maintenance. If preventive maintenance was performed properly then emergency work would be rare. In order to get out of emergency work you must identify high priority assets first and restore them to where they can be maintained then you apply PM Procedures on a disciplined schedule. You will never stop emergency maintenance until you get preventive maintenance under control.
Tip by Ricky Smith, Asset Reliability Advocate
Co-author Rules of Thumb for Maintenance and Reliability Engineers
Find our more about Ricky Smith’s new book Rules of Thumb for Maintenance and Reliability Engineers
January 31, 2008 Application Note: Nuclear Pump Bearing Testing
Nuclear power plants depend on electric motor-driven pumps to circulate coolant through a closed system of pipes to help dissipate excess heat. These machines, called reactor coolant pumps, RCPs, must be monitored continuously to ensure dependable operation. RTDs located on the pump’s bearings measure temperature and send the signal to an automatic alarm and control system that quickly alerts operators of any change in status. RCP bearings are likely suspects for failures...More
January 31, 2008 Balancing Tip
Precision Balancing
Balance technicians use a rotating reference to complete balancing of fan rotors. The shaft area for the phase angles is small compared to the fan diameter. While this reference is OK for placing the Trial weight, after the trial run the shaft phase reference should be abandoned and use the following for final weight placement:
Information needed: Degrees between blades (10 Blade=36degrees)
Measure the Distance between Blades (inches) Measure the corrected angle from the Trial vector or Write down the Final Weight angle from the Analyzer.
Now use the formula: (Degrees to be Moved)/(Degrees per Blade)X(inches per blade)= Inches to be moved for Final Weight placement.
This method produces excellent results.
Reader tip provided by Bill Wolfe
Senior Generation Specialist
First Energy Sammis Plant
Stratton Ohio
Thank you Bill - Your Stainless steel, diamond plate, Reliabilityweb.com coffee mug is on the way.
January 31, 2008 RCM/EAM-2008 Early Bird Ends Feb 1
-Reliability Centered Maintenance Managers’ Forum
-Enterprise Asset Management Summit
- New! Maintenance Training Conference
March 18-20, 2008 Las Vegas Nevada
FREE Bonus Workshops March 17
Certificate Workshops include:
• Advancing Reliability and Maintenance
• PM Optimization Workshop
• Establishing a Competency Based Maintenance Training Program
• Planning and (Re) Implementing An EAM System
• Maintenance Planning and Scheduling
• Developing Effective Maintenance Work Processes and Solid Equipment Reliability Programs for SAP-PM
FREE Bonus Workshops include:
• Introduction to RCM Blitz
• The Manufacturing Game®
• The Reliability Game®
• Breakthrough Session - Reliability Initiative Leadership
Case Studies presented by Holcim, Cargill, Dofasco ArcelorMittal, CHESF - Brazil, Seattle Tacoma Intl Airport, Mainnovation, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), Johnson Controls,Sappi, Harley Davidson, US Air Force, Charleston Water System, Catalyst Paper, United Technology, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, GE Aviation Supply Chain, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Graphics Packaging, Lockheed Martin, Royal Commission for Jubail, Saudi Arabia, Preops Integrated Solutions, Coors, US Postal Service, University of Tennessee, Oracle, Peabody Energy, MPact Learning Center, Trico, Jacobs Engineering, Plant Engineering and Maintenance Society of Canada, Signum Group, AssetPoint and more.
Register for a 3 day Pass and get an optional Bonus Workshop FREE!
Save $200 with Early Bird registration and get 4 Star $70/night Hotel rooms BEFORE FEBRUARY 1.
We are so sure you find ways to make your maintenance and reliability program work at this event that Reliabilityweb.com offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee or your money back.
Please call toll free (888) 575-1245 or…
January 31, 2008 Infrared Tip
Magnetic Fields and Hotspots
When we do Thermography there are a lot of things we can focus on, such as: a route, MCC’s and disconnects, or lighting, receptacle and electrical control panels. That’s good, but we might want to also watch for hotspots that can be created by magnetic fields.
Many industrial and commercial facilities have electrical equipment and conductors that use or carry large amounts of current. Often times, conduit, other raceways, or anything installed, running near, or through the magnetic fields created by these items, can or will have current induced into them. Magnetic fields create heat! So, there is plenty of opportunity for hotspots to occur in what may seem like some unlikely places.
For example, we might have one leg of a conductor that is carrying 6000 amps. It lays in some kind of raceway on its way to feed an intended target. Sometimes, the very brackets that hold this raceway in place will also be very close to this same conductor. The support brackets carrying this conductor can extend down below to unistrut that has other conduits. It is interesting to thermally see the heat induced into some of these support rods and brackets. These support rods will then induce the same magnetic field into the conduit closest to the support rod.
We have thermally examined magnetic fields at our facility. We have found some of the brackets and conduits in close proximity to, or running through magnetic fields, to be 400-500 degrees.
So, there are a few important things to keep in mind about magnetic fields:
• Thermally watch for magnetic fields and hotspots
• Many electricians, and even some electrical engineers, do not think about the magnetic field effect when running brackets, conduit, or designing systems.
Reader Tip provided by Nick Bohonik
Johns Manville
Reliability - Thermography Group
Past Winner - Uptime PdM Program of the Year Award - Best Infrared Program
Nominate your program for the Uptime Magazine PdM Program of the Year
January 31, 2008 Leadership Tip
Let Them Know How They’re Doing
It’s been said that “feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Well, if that’s true, then a lot of employees out there are going hungry. And it’s time they got fed!
Ask any group of people how often they receive detailed feedback on their performance at work and it’s not unusual to hear: “Only at annual review time…or if I really screw up bad.” And that’s truly unfortunate. It’s unfair for those team members who are left in the dark, and it’s yet another self-inflicted wound by leaders who are blowing opportunities to help their people achieve and succeed.
The more employees know how they stack up against your expectations, the easier it is for them to keep their performance on track.
That’s why providing specific, detailed feedback needs to be an ongoing process rather than a once-a-year “event.” Failure to do that makes about as much sense as a professional sports coach telling his or her players: “I’ll let you know how you’re doing with those plays at the end of the season.” Not only would that be a ridiculous thing for a coach to do, it would also be CAREER LIMITING!
Tip excerpted from Start Right, Stay Right...LEAD Right - Every Leader’s Straight-Talk Guide to Job Success
by Steve Ventura
