It is estimated that as much as 60 percent of total power generation capacity of the United States is consumed by electric motors. An EPA study completed in 1996 found that the 1 billion electric motors in the United States consume 1700 billion kWh per year. Of this total consumption, more than 80 percent is utilized by motors greater than 20 horse power; these large motors represent less than 1 percent of all motors in use.

As energy costs continue to rise, industry has great incentive to reduce operational costs by optimizing energy consumption. Obvious candidates for this optimization are large inductive motor systems, as these are the greatest single segment of total power budget for most industries.

Get more information and download a white paper

The Avoidance Trap

Few leaders wake up thinking, “Oh good, I get to go in and chew somebody out today!” How about you?

When you face the prospect of confronting someone about a performance problem, do you dread it…worry about it…get stressed-out? If your answer is yes, you’re not alone! Most managers agree that “taking disciplinary action” is the absolute worst part of their jobs. Many hate it so much that they look for every excuse to avoid it altogether. And they justify their inaction with all-too-common rationalizations like…

• The employee’s performance really isn’t THAT bad.
WRONG! If it’s negatively affecting people or results (which it probably is) – if it’s bothering you and causing you some level of discomfort (which it obviously is) – then it’s “bad” enough to require corrective action.

• Eventually, the problem will go away on its own.
WRONG! If the problem isn’t addressed and corrected, chances are greater that it will continue…or get even worse.

• I’m too busy. I don’t have time to deal with it.
WRONG! Even if you’re busy (as most leaders are), you have to make the time. Like the old saying goes: You can pay now, or you can pay later…with interest!

• It’s not MY problem. My boss, HR, or someone else should handle it.
WRONG! That’s looking for a scapegoat and shirking leadership responsibility. Addressing performance problems of the people you lead is a critical part of your job.

• I’m not sure what to do…I don’t know how.
COULD BE!

Only one of these rationalizations (excuses) has real validity: I don’t know how.

A leader’s lack of problem-solving skills and techniques can cause discomfort, diminish confidence, and ultimately lead to poor results. It’s just plain hard to do a good job when you don’t have the right “tools.” Fact is, far too many leaders are ill prepared to effectively address employee performance problems…and it shows. It takes its toll – on their organizations and the leaders themselves. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

Tip excerpted from Positive Discipline: How to Resolve Tough Performance Problems Quickly…and Permanently
by Paul Sims and Eric Harvey

For more information on this resource and other high-impact Leadership publications

PdM-2008
Predictive Maintenance Technology Conference
September 15-18, 2008
Qwest Center - Omaha Nebraska

Learn why best practice companies have a competitive edge because of machinery condition monitoring technologies like:

-Vibration Analysis
-Infrared Thermography
-Ultrasonic Detection
-Electric Motor Testing
-Oil Analysis

* Heinz Bloch Keynote Address

* 7 Preconference Certificate Workshops

* Over 45 Predictive Maintenance Case Studies for all levels including PdM beginner and PdM advanced

* Hand’s On Vibration Analysis Learning Lab

* PdM-2008 Expo with 70 Leading Predictive Maintenance Vendors

* 5 Post Conference Bonus Workshops included at no cost

* Association for Maintenance Professionals Breakthrough Benchmarking

* Co-located with LubricationWorld - 2 events - 1 price

* Meet Uptime Magazine’s PdM Program of the Year Winners for 2008

Please join us in Omaha!

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Pipe strain

Ensure that suction or discharge piping is not causing strain on the machines before attempting shaft alignment.

Strain coming from suction or discharge piping can cause excessive stresses in the machine. These stresses get transmitted to the equipment body. As the equipment rotates, stresses within the body keep changing. This also tends to change the internal alignment of the shaft. If the shaft doesn’t maintain its location within the housing while the equipment is running, shaft alignment will continuously change during operation, even if it was set right at the stationary condition.

Tip provided by Paul Berberian
Alignment Supplies, Inc
(419) 708-5177

iPresentation Invitation: Introduction to Shaft Alignment

Digital Noise Reduction.

Occasionally one hears a unusual buzz or rattle coming from an electric motor. On several occasions we have found this coming from a name plate or similar which is generally a thin metal plate pop-rivetted on to the motor housing. The test is to put your digit (finger) on the name plate, if the culprit, the noise will instantly disappear. A more permanent “fix” can then be found.

Tip provided by Simon Hurricks
Machine Dynamics Engineer
Genesis Energy Ltd
Huntly Power Station
Huntly Waikato
New Zealand

Thanks Simon - your stainless steel diamond plate coffee mug is on the way.

Send in your own Maintenance Tips for publishing and get a free stainless steel diamond plate coffee mug

Intellinova® is an online condition monitoring system where well-proven methods and modern technology meet to ensure the highest possible uptime of critical assets. A multifunctional backbone of any condition monitoring program, Intellinova implements farsighted solutions, ensuring a durable and scalable system.

Find out more about Intellinova

Controlling Maintenance Spending

Tracking daily maintenance spending is a valuable tool when working with a tight budget. If your enterprise asset management system does not have a daily spending report for maintenance you may be able to quickly generate one. Ask your information technology support if the system has a disaster recovery folder. This folder typically contains files of daily transactions such as stock issues, approved purchase orders, and stores receipts. In the event of a system failure, these files would be used to restore the database. Since these files are updated and overwritten daily it is possible to build a daily query to totalize the daily cost of stock issues, approved purchase orders, and stores receipts. This could give you and your staff the needed information to control your maintenance spending.

Tip provided by Jim Hudson
Trico Corp.
Tel: 262.691.9336

Get Trico Technical Bulletins

In the use of off-line kidney loops to filter oil, one often over looked detail is pump piping. The objective is to make the filter the point of restriction in the loop, rather then the lines themselves. With warm hydraulic oil and lines that are sized the same - the pump may not pose much of a problem.

When the equation changes to a slow speed gearbox operating in cold weather using mineral oil, then the required equipment can change significantly. In instances such as these, piping to the suction side of the pump in particular may need to go up one pipe size or more than the pump itself. This may also be true as well to a smaller degree on the discharge. This obviously depends on the original size of the pump. Some may be sufficient as produced.

This can make the difference on whether or not target limits are met. Don’t hesitate to contact the manufacturer of your equipment for recommendations when such obstacles appear. Gear oils do present a different set of challenges but with a little attention to detail, need not be so frustrating.

Tip provided by Allied Reliability, Inc.
Tel: +1 843-414-5760
http://www.alliedreliability.com

Find out more about LubricationWorld - Sept 15-18 - Omaha Nebraska