Plant Engineering and Maintenance Show Workshop 4
May 8
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Knoxville Marriott

Most companies that have implemented a condition monitoring program, have overlaid the predictive maintenance program (PdM) onto the preventive maintenance (PM) program. This usually creates a lot of unnecessary work and in some cases, creates a scenario where more harm is done than good. This class will demonstrate how these problems are created and can be avoided by finding the right mixture of PM and PdM.

Having learned about the inefficiencies that can be introduced into a maintenance strategy with a poorly constructed PM/PdM program in the morning session, this session will be dedicated to techniques that can be employed to analyze and correct this specific situation. Preventive maintenance evaluation (PME) is a technique that allows the analysis of PM tasks for the purpose of separating them into value added and non-value added categories. After the PME has been completed, the optimization of the remaining tasks must be performed. This session will demonstrate several techniques for re-engineering those tasks into a format that provides clarity and encourages consistency of execution.

Each workshop participant will get:
* Manual PM Evaluation (PME) Exercise
* Job Plan Mapping Exercise
* PME Flow / Procedure Hierarchy & Procedure Step Poster

Find out more about the Plant Engineering and Maintenance Show

Effective planning, scheduling and coordination of preventative, predictive, and corrective maintenance tasks can help ensure your plant’s reliability and availability is maximized. Our goal is minimize unplanned outages and to maximize system availability.

Here 5-steps I’ve learned that have helped in the achievement of this goal:

1) Implement a computerized work management system (CMMS). This makes the task of organizing, scheduling, and coordinating the work much easier.

2) Set-up a process to continuously monitor new work order requests and setting work priorities. A dedicated Maintenance Planner position is recommended.

3) Document all preventative, predictive and corrective maintenance work performed in the CMMS. This data is very valuable in continuously improving your maintenance program.

4) Implement a Root Cause Analysis Program (RCA). Perform RCA Investigations on all major failures. Develop and implement recommendations from the RCA to prevent a recurrence of the failure.

5) Set aside time to review maintenance plans, failure findings, and RCA results at least annually. Make appropriate changes to your maintenance plan procedures and frequencies in your CMMS based on the factual data gathered in your the maintenance program.

Implement these five steps and you’ll be on way to establishing a maintenance program that will continually improve over time.

Reader tip provided by Randy Sturgill
Director of Operations & Maintenance
Columbia Gas Transmission
St. Albans West Virginia

Thanks Randy - your stainless steel diamond plate Reliabilityweb.com coffee mug is on the way

More maintenance planning resources

Develop a prevention culture in your organization by connecting the lessons from your investigations to specific improvements in your work processes.

April 9-10 – San Antonio, TX

May 14-15 – Las Vegas, NV

June 11-12 – Mt. Olive, NJ

June 25-26 – Houston, TX

Phone: 281-489-2904

Find out more about Cause Mapping Workshops

The most common traps of Motor Current Signature Analysis can be categorized as inadequate personnel training, inconsistent Motor testing program documentation and deficiencies in the testing process.

All of these areas can contribute to the improper collection and/or interpretation of the data which results in incorrect maintenance. Not only will this waste time and money, but will tarnish the benefits and value of the technology.

Regardless of how the program will be resourced it is vital that internal written practices are developed outlining personnel qualifications and testing procedures. These will be framework for establishing how testing will be conducted and who will conduct the testing.

By following these guidelines, your program will avoid many of the common traps that can result in a false start of your motor testing implementation.

Better said: If you do MCA right, document the findings and are consistent, not only will you achieve a greater buy-in from the Maintenance Teams and Management, but you’ll show a Return On Investment that will go a long way to solidifying your PdM Program in the eyes of the folks watching the bottom line.

Tip provided by David Hamilton, CMRP
Program Manager
Allied Reliability, Inc

http://www.alliedreliability.com
888-414-5760

Join the Motor Testing Special Interest Group at the Association for Maintenance Professionals

Are we on the same frequency?

While reviewing Preventive Maintenance (PM) procedures for inclusion into a reliability improvement initiative, numerous discussions around the frequency of execution became a hot topic. After listening to the conversations bounce around the room for a while, I then realized we were not all on the same frequency. The current specified frequency’s left a lot of room for personal interpretation, for example:

Bi-Weekly: Ever other week or twice a week?

Bi Monthly: Every other month or twice a month?

Bi-Annual: Every other year or twice a year?

And my personal favorite:

Thirdly: Three times a year!

Standards were developed by the organization for utilization in the PM program. These standards were documented and shared among the organization, so we all were operating on the same frequency. Some examples of defined frequencies are:

Weekly: Performed every 7-days

Bi-Weekly: Performed every 14-days

Monthly: Performed every 30-days

Quarterly: Performed every 90-days

Semi-Annual: Performed every 180-days

Annual: Performed every 365-days

Regardless of the frequencies you define and utilize, document them, share them, and get your organization on the same frequency.

Tip provided by John Kratz
People and Processes, Inc.

Still not sure where to start? Visit People and Processes web site

You are invited to join us for a complimentary comprehensive introduction to basic reliability principles on Monday, May 5, 2008 at the Commtest Training Facility in Knoxville, TN. Lunch will be included with the presentations, which will start at 8:00 AM and run through 4:00PM.

Applying Reliability and Technology (RaT) fundamentals, PM/PdM best practices and PdM technologies requires the use of specific knowledge to understand and execute. The Reliability and Technology package of UE, Commtest and Allied Reliability or RaT Pack of reliability professionals can help break down the barriers that keep you from a proactive maintenance program.

For more information or to RSVP:
contact Tammi Pickett –

Find our more about Commtest

Auxiliary Lighting and Power During a Shutdown

It’s the day of the plant shut down. Precious minutes are tick-tick-ticking away. You may be one of a dozen or more contractors that are on-site to complete, what is in their opinion, “the most critical project” of the day!!! And you guessed it, they are all competing for a finite resource: auxiliary power and lighting.

Make sure that you have made ample provisions to have the power and light that you need to complete your job. Double-check, and try to have a back-up plan. If you don’t, you might just find yourself and your crew scrambling around in the dark with no power for your tools.

Tip provided by IRISS IR inspection viewing panes
Tel: +1 (941) 907-9128

Why Use IR Windows?

Respect Their Time

It’s true confession time. Do you typically expect employees to stop whatever they’re doing whenever you come to them with a need, a want, or some other item on your agenda? Do you ever conduct meetings that are less-than-productive due to a lack of planning or organization on your part? If you answered yes to either (or both) of those questions, I’ve got three words for you: STOP DOING IT! You’re wasting one of the most precious resources your people have: their time.

I know, I know. Of course there will be occasions when you have a truly pressing ("legitimate") need that must be addressed immediately. But far too often, leaders interrupt employees with issues that aren’t all that significant or important – merely because they want to deal with them NOW and get them off their plates. That’s just plain inconsiderate. And when it comes to unnecessary or poorly organized meetings in which little is accomplished – well, there’s simply no excuse for those, period.

Your people have important work to do. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be there. So, make sure your meetings are necessary and well-managed. And, the next time you feel the need to interrupt someone’s activities, focus, and concentration, ask yourself: Is my issue really more important than what he or she is doing right now? If it is, proceed – if it isn’t, wait…and schedule a more appropriate and convenient opportunity to chat.

Bottom line: if you don’t respect your people’s time, eventually they won’t either. Then, everyone loses.

Tip excerpted from Start RIGHT, Stay RIGHT...LEAD RIGHT

Find out more about Start RIGHT, Stay RIGHT...LEAD RIGHT