Benchmark your Predictive Maintenance Management and Asset Health Program

Bonus Workshop at PdM-2008
Predictive Maintenance Technology Conference
Sept 15-18, 2008
Qwest Center Omaha Nebraska

Benchmark your Predictive Maintenance Management and Asset Health Program at PdM-2008

From Which Reliability Tool should I use? By H. Paul Barringer

Reliability tools exist by the dozens: what are the tools, why use the tools, when should I use the tools, and where should I use the tools?

Each tip will explain a reliability tool. The details about these tools will be brief as books are written about each item. Think of the presentations below as hors d’oeuvres (a little snack food or starters)—not the main course.

Contracting For Reliability-

What: Say what you want and want what you say to your vendors. Provide explanations of the objectives in contracts in terms the vendors will understand.

Why: If you can’t spell clearly spell-out the requirements for availability, reliability, and maintainability the contractors cannot make these issues features of the design. Thus it is important to be specific in the features the design must manifest. Explanations such as: “You know what I want and what I need, just do it quickly” are self defeating expressions of vague generalities that lead to inferior designs and constant arguments. Be specific about requirements for building reliability block diagrams, using quality function deployment, performing failure mode and effects analysis, conducting fault tree analysis and finally conducting design reviews for reliability.

When: Write the specifications before procurement begins. Plant to spend time with your own Purchasing Department to explain the details and sell the team on the financial advantages for including reliability requirements into the specifications; and likewise, spend time selling your vendors on the requirements and why they are stated.

Where: These are up front decisions to avoid replication of previous problems that are built into previous designs and never corrected.

From Which Reliability Tool should I use?

Using SpectraQuest Machinery Fault Simulators

The objectives of this course are:

• To develop an understanding of how to configure, setup, and design experiments using the SpectraQuest Machinery Fault Simulator (MFS) to support controlled vibration studies; and

• To provide tools and techniques for analyzing and correcting machinery malfunction

Please telephone (804) 261-3300 for details about the October course in Richmond VA

Find out more about SpectraQuest Vibration Analysis Training

Attitude, Aptitude and Ignorance

Before embarking on an elaborate training program, ask yourself the question, what is the cause for lack of performance? If you think you have an answer, how do you know? Is there evidence, or do you just have suspicions? You might need some support to determine whether you are facing an attitude, aptitude, or ignorance issue. The strategies for dealing with each are quite different.

There are three general causes for inadequate performance:

• Attitude problems
• Attitude problems
• Ignorance or lack of knowledge

The core question is, does this person need training, or some kind of counseling, or are they unsuited or unable to do the job? Some performance problems come from bad personal attitude. Bad attitudes are thought to be more common than they actually are. Studies show that 92% of performance problems come from either inadequate training or lack of ability such as strength, reach or intelligence (which cannot be overcome even with practice or training, unless you are willing and able to accommodate the job to the capabilities of the individual). To make the diagnosis decision more difficult, many people develop attitude problems as a defense mechanism against feelings of ignorance or incompetence.

Tip excerpted from Lean Maintenance by Joel Levitt (Industrial Press)

Find out more about Lean Maintenance by Joel Levitt

Is it possible to increase reliability by simply enhancing or focusing on planning and scheduling? I don’t think so.

I remember the old saying “which comes first the chicken or the egg”? Most people, including myself until a couple of years ago, would have said that in order to achieve results quickly, planning and scheduling have to be a major focus.

Look closely at the P-F Curve. Where along that curve your PM/PdM program detected a failure or a defect determines whether any true scheduling and planning can take place.

When you know a defect has been introduced and a failure is imminent, do you find it so close to failure that true planning and scheduling has little chance to work?

The best way to make planning and scheduling truly work effectively is to implement a maintenance strategy that identifies the start of equipment failure, or as some call a “defect” as soon as possible using some type of Predictive Technology. Review the graphic below and see where you think would be the best place to plan a job.

If it takes an organization 2-7 weeks to plan a job, depending on their maturity in planning, and another 2-6 weeks to schedule, depending on operations scheduled, can you see that you are not supporting a Proactive Maintenance Plan?

You are supporting a Run-to-Failure Maintenance plan without even meaning to. Most companies implement and focus efforts in planning and scheduling yet still experience frustration with this issue. Stop wasting time with a maintenance program that is ineffective and drive your planning and scheduling success by first improving your earlier identification of defects and work through proactive Condition Monitoring. Only then will planning and scheduling allow you to reap massive rewards.

If you like to talk to me about this topic call me at 843-725-8378.

Tip provided by Ricky Smith, CMRP
Allied Reliability
http://www.alliedreliability.com

Participate in Allied Reliability’s 3 day Roadmap to PdM Excellence at PdM-2008

Bearing condition at your fingertips

Small and lightweight, Bearing Checker is a unique instrument designed for swift, on-site condition monitoring of all kinds of ball and roller bearings.

Maintenance technicians and mechanics can assess bearing condition and identify sources of potential machine problems without specialized training.

Bearing Checker makes a proactive approach to maintenance economically feasible for everyone. Provide your maintenance personnel with an easy-to-use, cost effective instrument for bearing monitoring.

Read more about Bearing Checker

Why are Phase-to-Phase Resistance Measurements Important?

Phase-to-phase resistance measurements test the circuit and the stator coils for resistance and calculates resistance imbalance. High resistance imbalances indicate possible hot spots, poor solder connections, poor lug connections, or coil shorting in the stator. When left unchecked, these conditions create excess heat leading to premature motor failure. To accurately assess winding resistance, it is important to use equipment that offers a four-wire bridge for measurement.

Tip provided by PdMA MCE Division
Tel: 813-621-6463
http://www.pdma.com

Download: World-Class Companies Need World-Class Motor Management and Maintenance (PDF)

To Maintenance Tips readers:

I have never had a problem getting the reflective tape to stick to a shaft after I have lightly cleaned the shaft, either with a paper shop towel or in conjunction with a mild degreaser (such as acetone or “Goof Off” stain remover).

Getting the paper off the back of the tape isn’t that difficult either. Try bending the tape backwards, which will leave a crease in the tape which you can then pry off easily.

For picking up speed, I normally use a LED tachometer from Monarch Instrument (Model ROS-P part of a Tach-4AR kit) that is not bothered by shiny shaft surfaces. Lasers do have trouble with this and it is totally related to contrast. If you aim the laser directly at the shaft the contrast will not be very good between the shaft and reflective tape. Try aiming the laser at an angle to the shaft, i. e., not perpendicular, and the contrast will improve.

Finally, DO NOT EVER USE A KNIFE AGAINST A SHAFT. This will leave a score mark that could create a fatigue crack initiation site.

Reader tip response provided by
Lyn Greenhill, P. E.
President
DynaTech Engineering, Inc.
Roseville, CA 95661
Tel: 916-783-2400 x11

http://www.dynatechengr.com

Lyn - Thank you for clearing up some of the information we included last week. I am confident that all Maintenance Tips readers appreciate that you shared your knowledge and experience. Your Maintenance Tips hat and stainless steel, diamond plate Reliabilityweb.com coffee mug is on the way. Thank you again.

Maintenance Tips Archives