UPTIME MAGAZINE

feb/mar 19
for reliability leaders and asset managers
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

uptimemagazine.com
“I love disconnected
data.”
— said no one ever

Learn more: fluke.com/reliability ©2019 Fluke Corporation. 01/2019 6011909a-en

Connected Reliability bridges the gaps between assets,

systems, and people. Do more with your data.
 The

Conference ™

Co-located with
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Digitalization Forum

MAY 6-10, 2019 • Seattle, Washington

SAVE reliabilityconference.com

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RON MOORE
Featured Reliability Leader

Receives Award from Reliabilityweb.com

Reliabilityweb.com honored Ron Moore with the Lifetime

Achievement Award for his contribution to the industry at the
International Maintenance Conference (IMC-2018), December
12, in beautiful Bonita Springs, Florida. A self-proclaimed
“hillbilly,” Ron is an internationally recognized authority on
strategies and practices for manufacturing and operational
excellence. His work has touched thousands and has reached
around the world to companies big and small. As Terrence
O’Hanlon stated, “In our community, Ron is our version of
Juran. Our version of Deming.”

Ron is the author of several books, including Making Common

Sense Common Practice: Models for Operational Excellence, 5th
Edition and What Tool? When? A Management Guide
for Selecting the Right Improvement Tools. He is currently
working on publishing his next book, with the working title, A
Common Sense Approach to Defect Elimination, due to be
released Spring of 2019. For more information: mro-zone.com

Thank you, Ron, for everything you have done for this
industry, and from Reliabilityweb.com, thank you for your
support and friendship. Congratulations!

BOOKS BY RON MOORE

• Making Common Sense Common Practice
• What Tool? When? A Management Guide for
Selecting the Right Improvement Tools
• Business Fables & Foibles
• Where Do We Start Our Improvement Program?

reliabilityweb.com/booktore

feb/mar 19 1
 NONE OF US
IS AS SMART AS
ALL OF US

THERE’S A NEW WAY TO GET RELIABILITY

ROI • VALUES • COMMUNITY • NETWORK • JOURNEY

Reliability Partners Vision:

Advance the industry toward ZERO
• Accidents • Downtime* • Waste
through a holistic reliability framework.

A Powerful Community of Reliability Partners to Advance

Reliability and Asset Management with You

fsd

For more information: reliabilityweb.com/directory *Unplanned

 Contents

UPTIME MAGAZINE
®

feb/mar 19
for reliability leaders and asset managers

for reliability leaders and

asset managers

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
ON THE COVER
Can you find the hidden Uptime

february/march 2019
logo on the cover?
uptimemagazine.com

AM FEATURES
1R

10 R
Specify
2R
Implementing an Reliability Leader Feature
1
Manage Design

Ron Moore....................................................................................................................................
9R 3R Effective Asset
Editorial............................................................................................................................. 5
Dispose/

Management Process
Source
Decommission

8R
Improve/
Modify
4R
Build/
Fabricate
to Improve Reliability In the News.................................................................................................................. 6
Ramesh Gulati and
7R 5R
2018 Uptime Awards.................................................................................. 7
Terrence O’Hanlon
Maintain Install/
Commission
6R

18
Operate

Q&A with Industry Leader

Natasha Ravinand...................................................................................................................... 62

ARTICLES
Defect Elimination Asset Management
De 10 Steps to Precision Maintenance AM Opening the Lid of the Asset
Reliability Success Manager’s Toolbox, Part 1
Phil Hendrix and Bill Yantz............................................ 22 Grahame Fogel and Dean Griffin................................ 36

Operational Excellence Vibration Analysis

Opx Leadership Is Vital to Success Vib Visualizing Flying Horses and
Roger D. Lee....................................................................... 28 Vibrating Machines: Slow-Motion
Amplified Video
Asset Condition Information Chad Pasho......................................................................... 40
Aci Emerging Industrial Internet
Technology Can Reduce Costs and Risk Management
Ri
Dangers in Steam Systems Work Safety, Part 2
Brian Alessi.......................................................................... 32 Joel Levitt............................................................................ 44

28 52

22
feb/mar 19 3
Contents [Continued] CEO/PUBLISHER
Terrence O’Hanlon
Preventive Maintenance [email protected]
Pm Technologies That Make Asset FOUNDER
Kelly Rigg O’Hanlon
Monitoring Boring (In a Good Way) EDITOR
Brett Burger....................................................................................................... 48 Jenny Brunson
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Operational Excellence Dave Reiber, Jeff Smith
Opx What Hides Behind the Term: CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Brian Alessi, Brett Burger, Bryan Christiansen,
“Lean Maintenance” Grahame Fogel, Dean Griffin, Ramesh Gulati, Phil
Bryan Christiansen ......................................................................................... 52 Hendrix, Roger D. Lee, Joel Levitt, Ron Moore,
Terrence O’Hanlon, Chad Pasho, Natasha Ravinand,
Danielle White, Bill Yantz
Corporate Responsibility
Cr Choose to Reuse: Environmental
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Sean Flack
Benefits of Reconditioned SF6 DESIGNER
Danielle White.................................................................................................. 56 Jocelyn Brown
PLANNER AND SCHEDULER
Lisa Imparato
RELIABILITY PARTNERS PAGE 2 [email protected]
SALES & ADVERTISING
A powerful ecosystem of Reliability Partners who support the Uptime Elements Framework. Amy Harlan
Client Growth Specialist
Banetti...........................................................55 Lubrication Engineers.............Back Cover [email protected]
Bentley Systems.........................................16 LUDECA....................................................30, 50 EDITORIAL INFORMATION
Condition Monitoring International...54 PRÜFTECHNIK ..............Inside Back Cover Please address submissions of case studies,
procedures, practical tips and other
FLUKE............................. Inside Front Cover Quartic.ai......................................................17
correspondence to Terrence O’Hanlon
Hendrix Precision......................................31 SDMyers........................................................59 [email protected]
IRISS................................................................64 SDT..................................................................51 ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
JMS Software..............................................27 Technical Associates of Charlotte........43 [email protected]
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Ca Rsd Aci Vib Fa Pm Ps Es Opx Sp Cr Samp

criticality
analysis
reliability
strategy
asset
condition
vibration
analysis
fluid
analysis
preventive
maintenance
planning and
scheduling
executive
sponsorship
operational
excellence
strategy and
plans
corporate
responsibility
strategic asset
management
Uptime Magazine
is a founding member of
development information plan

Re
reliability
Rca
root cause
Ut
ultrasound
Ir
infrared
Mtmotor
Odr Mro
operator driven mro-spares
Hcm Cbl Ri Ak Alm ™

human capital competency risk asset asset lifecycle

engineering analysis testing thermal testing reliability management management based management knowledge management
imaging learning

Cp Rcd Ab Ndt Lu De Cmms computerized

Int Rj Dm Pi Ci
capital reliability alignment and non machinery defect maintenance decision performance continuous
project
management
centered
design
balancing destructive
testing
lubrication elimination management
system
integrity reliability
journey making indicators improvement Copyright© 2019, Reliabilityweb.com.
All rights reserved.

No part of Uptime® Magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in

A Reliability Framework and Asset Management System™ any form or by any means without the prior express written consent
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Operate Uptime® Magazine (ISSN 1557-0193) is published bimonthly by
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Needs Analysis Design Create/Acquire Maintain Dispose/Renew
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publication of Reliabilityweb.com. The opinions expressed herein
Asset Lifecycle are not necessarily those of Reliabilityweb.com.
Copyright 2016-2019, Reliabilityweb.com. All rights reserved. No part of this graphic may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior express written consent of Reliabilityweb.com. Reliabilityweb.com®, POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
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4 feb/mar 19
 Editorial

The Difference Between an

Idea and a Vision

I
just finished participating in a collaborative and energetic My real point is not to leave you with an explanation you need
meeting with a group of special people we call Reliability to get an answer to, but to leave you with a possibility, to leave
Partners™. This is a group of Certified Reliability Leaders® you with an opening that you can stand on nothing FOR some-
who share a deep understanding of the same language and thing. There is nothing else required but the stand. That kind of
practice of Reliability Leadership®, who place human values as leadership takes practice.
a cornerstone of reliability culture and who spend their work
lives advancing reliability and asset management using Up- Stand on nothing for
time® Elements — A Reliability Framework and Asset Manage-
ment System™. something. You will be
There were several great ideas developed during the meeting, unstoppable.
but the work we were engaged in was far too important to stop
at ideas. Ideas are vulnerable and dependent, and do not al- Stand on nothing for something. You will be unstoppable.
ways create the change we want to see in the world. Find out how you can stand for zero accidents, zero downtime,
zero waste at your organization by sending me a message at
If I came to you with an idea to end equipment failures, you
[email protected].
would want to know what evidence I could provide to assure
the results, what circumstances could affect the outcomes and If you think what you always thought and do what you always
what basis formed my idea. do – you will get what you always got. Discover new ideas in the
pages Uptime, then contribute to the next issue!
Ideas are totally dependent upon the argument they are built
on. If any part of the argument falls, the idea falls. Create a new future,

If I came to you with a vision that we could achieve zero acci-

dents, zero downtime and zero waste, you would have a choice.
Join us or not. That is the invitation that the Reliability Partners’
vision is offering.

You can be for something with NO dependency. Terrence O’Hanlon, CMRP

About.me/reliability
The Reliability Partners’ vision depends on nothing. If one is CEO and Publisher
a Reliability Leader who practices life “being” the stand that Reliabilityweb.com®
one takes rather than the way one feels, a vision stands on her Uptime® Magazine
word. http://reliability.rocks

feb/mar 19 5
 LER

RELIABILITY® is a registered trademark of Reliabilityweb.com.

The

Conference ™

Reliability Leadership Institute Hosts SDMyers’

Transformer Management Training
Reliability Leadership Institute® hosted the 3-day workshop,

KEYNOTE
Transformer Management Essentials. Attendees left the event with
a foundational understanding of the internal and external elements
of the transformer, the essentials of transformer operation and

JUST ANNOUNCED! maintenance implementation and related industry standards.

SDMyers is an approved Reliability Partner that supports the
Uptime Elements Framework and the 4 Fundamentals of Integrity,
Rob Wilson, Innovator, Authenticity, Responsibility and Aim. For more information:
Entrepreneur, Leader reliabilityweb.com/directory/details/sdmyers

The Innovator’s Lifestyle: Harnessing

Innovation for Fun & Fortune!

INNOVATORS NEEDED!
Do you want to:
Solve Problems Faster

Recognize Opportunities
 Reliability Partners Create a Vision
Handle Change Easier

In their first meeting of 2019, Reliabilityweb.com’s
Boost Your Self-Esteem

Reliability Partners gathered at the Reliability Leadership
Gain Greater Comfort with Risk

Institute to collaborate on their role to advance reliability
In this highly entertaining and interactive presentation, and asset management. As discussions circled around words
Rob Wilson will show you how to generate powerful such as solution, ownership, a common voice, one clear message
ideas for your business. Through his captivating stories, was heard: There is a new way to get reliability!
he provides real-world content that you can immediately Reliability Partners see their role as more than only solution providers.
apply to get better results in your business and in your They are partners who value the Uptime Elements Framework and
personal life. build on its foundation. The organizations that form the community
of Reliability Partners are proud to state their shared vision:

SAVE REGISTER TODAY AND To advance the industry toward

ZERO Accidents — ZERO Downtime — ZERO Waste

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RESERVE YOUR SEAT!
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through a holistic reliability framework.
To see a full list of Reliability Partners, turn to page 2.
For more information, contact: [email protected]

6 feb/mar 19
 2018
RECOGNIZING THE
BEST OF THE BEST!
Uptime magazine congratulates the following outstanding programs
for their commitment to and execution of high quality Predictive Maintenance
and Condition Monitoring Programs.

Uptime Awards Submissions: Open April 2019!

Visit: uptimeawards.com
feb/mar 19 7
 Best Overall Program 
SOUTHERN GARDENS CITRUS PROCESSING
A partnership with operations was created to foster cooperation and
the development of operator-driven reliability, introducing operators
to the philosophy of reliability. The engineering function has been
adjusted to eliminate failure modes as early and cost-effectively as
possible, by engineering the investigation/design phase by collabo-
rating with other departments.

With the introduction of ISO55000, a strategic asset management

plan was developed and is presided over and reviewed by execu-
tive management. The latest objective is the development of SGC’s

S
outhern Gardens Citrus (SGC) is a global supplier of premi- network to create their own Internet of Things.
um, not-from-concentrate (NFC) Florida orange juice. The All of these processes are routinely audited to assure their integrity
plant was built in 1994 and can process up to 180 million and to identify any potential opportunities for improvement. SGC
pounds of oranges annually, store 56 million gallons aseptically, believes that reliability should be designed into assets to minimize
and ship and receive over 100,000 tankers annually. SGC’s mis- maintenance needs.
sion is: “Continuously improve and become the low-cost supplier
of high-quality citrus products to our customers, while maximizing As stated in our mission, continuous improvement is a cornerstone
returns to our shareholders.” of the culture, and SGC has since adopted the philosophy of:

SGC’s reliability journey started in 1995 to create a continuum with “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you
the aim of improving reliability. Management attended mainte- know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou
nance conferences to benchmark and learn about maintenance SGC firmly believes in continuous improvement. The compa-
best practices. From there, a gap analysis was conducted and ny-wide engagement demands providing low-cost reliable assets,
used to create a business case to support maintenance and re- ensuring the safety of employees, protecting the environment, and
liability. This case was presented to executive management and meeting the needs of production. The results have been numerous,
approved. but include increased uptime, lowered costs and improved rela-
A process- and procedure-oriented culture was established when tions with operations.
SGC achieved ISO9000 certification. With the help of consultants,
the basics of planning, scheduling, and metrics were introduced.
Processes were established to build on our gains and improve
MRO, work identification & control, reliability engineering, and
capital project management. The establishment of programs, such
as management of change, condition-based maintenance, pre-
ventive maintenance optimization, and root cause analysis, further
moved SGC down the path of reliability.

8 feb/mar 19
 Best Reliability Engineering
for Maintenance Program
CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT

C
entral Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) is an or- tion for operators and maintenance staff, including implementation
ganization providing wastewater collection and treatment for of a district-wide computerized maintenance management system
over 481,600 residents and 3,000 businesses in Contra Costa (CMMS) and development of a geographical data interface. Because
County, CA. Central San’s main facility is a treatment plant in Martinez, of these initiatives, Central San has made tremendous gains in op-
CA, processing an average of 32 million gallons per day of municipal erational reliability and efficiency, allowing the organization to better
wastewater and providing up to 3 million gallons per day of recycled achieve its principal aim - its vision, values, and mission: To protect
water to several businesses in the community. In 2013, Central San public health and the environment.
embarked on a formal asset management program to implement
best management practices. The goal of this program is to minimize HIGHLIGHTS
costs, maximize asset value, and manage risk to serve customers at • Reliability-Centered Maintenance – Program implemented and reli-
Central San’s committed levels of service. As the new asset man- ability-based strategic framework developed from 2016 to 2018.
agement program got underway, it became evident that an effective • District-Wide CMMS – Implementation of a new CMMS software for
reliability-based strategy would be critical to the program’s success. collection system, pump stations, and treatment plant from 2016 to 2017.
To meet these maintenance needs, a comprehensive maintenance • Maintenance Classification – Maintenance work categorized into
strategy was developed, employing predictive, preventative, and reli- reactive maintenance, preventative maintenance, condition-based/
ability-based approaches. Over the next four years, plant maintenance predictive maintenance, corrective maintenance, non-mainte-
was overhauled using best practices, including reliability-centered mainte- nance, and improvement/optimization.
nance, condition assessment, root cause analysis, defect elimination, • Condition-Based and Predictive Maintenance Program Enhance-
maintenance reporting, oil analysis, equipment vibration analysis, and ments – Utilizing several new condition and predictive mainte-
improved data management. Staff development became a renewed nance tools and techniques to complement existing preventative
priority to ensure that operators and technicians would be given the maintenance program.
knowledge and skills needed to achieve their goals and the goals of • Understand the Condition and Cost Associated with Critical Assets –
the plant to a high standard of quality and reliability. In addition, sev- Includes standardized testing, analysis details, and engagement
eral measures were taken to improve accessibility of asset informa- from operations, maintenance and engineering.
• Data and Document Management – Treatment plant geographical
data interface developed to allow easy access to project informa-
tion, O&M manuals, asset management records, and record draw-
ings, to list a few.
• Maintenance Involvement in Capital Projects – Maintenance staff
engagement during planning, design, and construction phases of
Central San’s capital projects.
• Reporting and Monitoring – Easy access to key reports and in-boxes
to allow staff insight on maintenance program effectiveness and a
path for continuous improvement.
• Recruiting, Developing and Retaining a Highly Trained and Safe
Workforce – Several internal and external resources to aid in suc-
cession planning and employ learning and development, such as
supervisory academy, management academy, mentorship, and
technical learning libraries, to list a few.

feb/mar 19 9
 Best Asset Condition
Management Program
LOOP, LLC

L
OOP, LLC, is the nation’s largest privately-owned crude oil In 2013, LOOP established a 5-year goal to reduce energy con-
terminal. Since 1981, LOOP has grown to become a fully di- sumption per barrel of crude oil transported by 15 percent (when
versified crude oil trading and exchange hub, the only facil- compared to 2012 baseline numbers). This was accomplished in
ity of its kind in the world. Shippers can off-load crude oil from less than two years. By the end of 2015, energy consumption had
very large crude carriers (VLCCs), load VLCCs, purchase, sell, ex- decreased over 21.5 percent.
change, store, blend, or deliver crude oil. LOOP handles far more
In 2015, a green initiative was introduced to reduce the quantity of
domestically produced crude oil than international varieties. In
mislabeled waste drums throughout all operating facilities. A 99.88
February 2018, LOOP became the first U.S. facility capable of fully
percent success rate was achieved for proper labeling and char-
loading a VLCC for crude export. 
acterizing waste drums in that same year.
LOOP has won several Uptime® Awards, including 2014’s Best Work
After the first Uptime Award in 2014, LOOP made a commitment
Execution Management Program, 2016’s Best Green Reliability
not to rest on its laurels. Now LOOP is enhancing their condi-
Program, and most recently, 2018’s Best Asset Condition Manage-
tion-based monitoring program for field assets, as well as an en-
ment Program.
hanced warehousing program.
In 2011, LOOP initiated a new vision: “Market Driven and Opera-
In 2018, the recommendations set forth in American Petroleum In-
tionally Excellent.” Related strategies and tactical objectives were
stitute’s (API) RP1173 were implemented for a more structured and
developed and implemented early on, which are continuously en-
integrated pipeline safety management system.
hanced for future successes in the evolving petroleum market. As
the strategic planning process evolved, LOOP identified a specific The 2018 Uptime Award was based, in part, on LOOP’s Risk-Based
strategy to provide dependable and secure execution of services, Asset Management Program and Asset Management Policy, which
which adds value to their customers and its owners. was signed and backed by its president.

In 2015, LOOP handled 875,646,384 barrels of crude (36.8 billion All LOOP employees, owners and strategic contract partners
gallons) at its Clovelly Hub in Galliano, LA — 445,309,410 barrels are once again very proud of their stellar team performance and
“in” and 430,336,974 barrels “out.” Though there were 12 recorded successes. With an embedded pro-active culture, a clear focus
reportable releases that year, the total volume released was only on “getting it right” and a passion for “continuous improvement,”
five ounces, less than a cup. LOOP continues its journey toward Operational Excellence.

10 feb/mar 19
 Best Work Execution
Management Program
STANFORD HEALTH CARE
IMPROVING PATIENT CARE THROUGH OPERATIONAL
EXCELLENCE
Stanford Health Care seeks to heal humanity through science
and compassion, one patient at a time, through its commitment to
care, educate and discover. Stanford Health Care delivers clinical
innovation across its inpatient services, specialty health centers,
physician offices, virtual care offerings and health plan programs.
Using a LEAN technique of “standing in a circle,” the team found
Stanford Health Care is part of Stanford Medicine, a leading aca-
that when a patient was relocated out of an ICU room, and the
demic health system that includes Stanford University School of
room had been identified for cycle cleaning and maintenance, a
Medicine, Stanford Health Care, and Stanford Children’s Health,
series of events would occur in the vacated room that were not
with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Stanford Medicine is re-
always sequenced appropriately. The team also observed that du-
nowned for breakthroughs in treating cancer, heart disease, brain
rations between steps varied and there were gaps in the hand-offs
disorders and surgical and medical conditions.
between teams. For instance, the nurses would contact Environ-
In the summer of 2016, members of the facilities, infrastructure and mental Services to request a room clean; the Environmental Ser-
safety leadership team observed that the organization, in its com- vices team would dispatch staff, working around scheduled work;
mon commitment to serving patients, had some room for improve- the Engineering & Maintenance team would perform a visual in-
ment regarding the process used to deep clean and refurbish hos- spection of the room, note repairs that were required, schedule
pital rooms, specifically in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). and perform the repairs; Environmental, Health & Safety would
conduct industrial hygiene sampling and the Facility Management
Team would visit the room to refresh the paint, flooring and fur-
niture. Before the room could be turned back over to nursing for
the next patient, it would again need to be deep cleaned by the
Environmental Services department.

The interdepartmental collaboration and problem-solving effort

reduced the cycle time for deep cleaning, maintaining and refresh-
The effort to deep clean and refurbish a hospital room is multi- ing ICU rooms down from several days to mere hours. This effort
disciplinary and involves several departments: Hospital Adminis- also resulted in significant industrial hygiene costs that had pre-
tration, Facility Management (FM), Environmental Services (EVS), viously been incurred by rework and the lack of a schedule. As an
Engineering and Maintenance (E&M), Infection Prevention and indirect result, coordination among the teams and quality of work
Control (IPC), and Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S). At the have improved. Most importantly, patient care interruptions have
same time, the hospital was at nearly 100 percent capacity, limiting been minimized. This sequenced approach is now being imple-
the availability of rooms to be down for required work. To complete mented across other SHC interdepartmental initiatives and daily
one suite of ICU rooms, given the initial state of 14 days per room, operational programs.
would have required months to complete.

feb/mar 19 11
 Best Leadership Program
YANBU NGL FRACTIONATION PLANT

Y
anbu NGL Fractionation Department (YNGLFD) is the main MEM CATEGORIES & COMPONENTS:
source of gas feedstocks for the power and petrochemical
1. Compliance - to Saudi Aramco General Instruction (GI) and
industry for the entire Yanbu area and the western region
Corporate Maintenance Services (CMS) requirements
of Saudi Arabia. YNGLFD’s primary feed is in the form of C2+ liquid
2. Maintenance Performance - and KPIs monitoring
feedstock. The C2+ feed is separated into ethane, propane, butane,
i-C5 and naphtha through the fractionation unit. 3. HR Focus - for “Employee Potential & Competency”
4. Organization Culture - for “Innovation, Best Practices, Learning
YNGLFD Vision: A leading NGL fractionation facility by 2020 and and Continuous Improvement”
admired for safety and operational excellence.
MEM ACHIEVEMENTS:
YNGLFD Mission: To supply quality fractionated NGL products
for the Kingdom’s economic growth, capitalizing on operational The MEM initiative was applied in early 2017 and the MEM elec-
excellence through our committed talents in a safe, reliable, effi- tronic portal was established to track activities and monitor
cient and environmentally responsible manner fulfilling custom- progress. Applying the MEM initiatives for one year improved
ers’ expectations. maintenance performance by 4.5 percent. It improved the human
resources focus score by 40.2 percent. The overall score was
improved by 18.3 percent. The MEM initiative is currently at its
second wave for 2018.

MEM mainly utilized the available resources and manpower within

maintenance divisions; however, two main budgeted items were
boosted in 2017. These two budgeted items are: conducting main-
tenance exchange events and certifying more maintenance engi-
neers, with a total estimated cost of $70,000.

Implementing operational excellence and MEM resulted in a real-

ized savings of more than 12 million dollars during the first quarter
The maintenance division at YNGLFP established a new initiative of 2017. At the end of 2017, all monitored maintenance indicators
called Maintenance Excellence Management (MEM), which reached the targeted zone and overall maintenance performance
aims to enhance reliability culture and monitoring performance. was increased by 4.5 percent.
MEM looks at fulfilling operational excellence requirements
through clear, defined processes; progression to enhance main-
tenance performance; and bringing excellence into main mainte-
nance processes.

MEM was constructed to be in line with the corporate operation-

al excellence track to consistently and systematically achieve and
sustain industry-leading performance in terms of reliability, effi-
ciency, cost-effectiveness, and profitability, while striving for the
highest levels of performance in health, safety and environmental
stewardship.

12 feb/mar 19
Best Asset Management Program
CENTRAL ARIZONA PROJECT

T
he Central Arizona Project (CAP) is the largest renewable
water provider in the State of Arizona, delivering around 1.5
million acre-feet of Colorado River water each year. CAP is
a wholesale raw water provider to more than 50 cities and pri-
vate water companies that collectively serve the needs of about
5 million people (80 percent of the State’s population). CAP also
provides water for 350,000 acres of irrigated agriculture and elev-
en Native American tribes. The CAP service area encompasses
three Arizona counties covering nearly 24,000 square miles and
includes metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson.

CAP’s physical infrastructure includes a 336-mile aqueduct from

Lake Havasu on the Colorado River to south of Tucson; 14 pumping
plants that lift water a total of nearly 3,000 feet; 1 pump-generating
plant; 8 inverted siphons; 3 tunnels and a regulatory storage dam
and reservoir. The CAP was authorized by the Colorado River Ba-
sin Project Act of 1968 and was constructed by the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation at a cost of more than $4 billion. Construction began
in 1973 and was substantially completed in 1993.

The CAP is operated and maintained by the Central Arizona Water

Conservation District (CAWCD), a multi-county special purpose
district organized under Arizona law. CAWCD is also responsible
for repaying to the federal government Arizona’s share of CAP con-
struction costs—about $1.65 billion.

feb/mar 19 13
 Best Partnership in Reliability
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB & JONES LANG LASALLE

A
reliability journey is not something that any one person, or JLL has been fortunate to work with BMS. JLL has been fully em-
any one organization, should travel alone. braced by the BMS Reliability Excellence community, including
representation at all meetings, calls and conferences. BMS sees
The reliability partnership that exists between Bristol-My- JLL as a key partner that needs to be part of the process when
ers Squibb (BMS) and Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) is significant with working toward the solution and such a culture breeds a definite
700+ team members who provide integrated facility management closeness between the two organizations.
(IFM) services to BMS at all of its North American locations.
Both organizations, BMS and JLL, are Reliability Leadership In-
The initial transition encountered several obstacles, but as the two stitute® members that have fully adopted the Uptime® Elements.
entities became a single force, a true “One-Team” work culture This holistic approach provides a common language and plat-
and mind-set was established. This mind-set has been driven with form that has enabled both companies to sit at the same table
strong executive sponsorship, combined with frontline leadership. as partners and find solutions for the problems that inherently
The partnership works with synergy that reliability is everyone’s plague single organizations around asset management. When
responsibility and can only be achieved through a fully engaged both sides of the table are speaking the same language, great
cross-functional workforce. things happen. One side owns the contract and the other side
Both organizations strive to set the pace in their respective indus- manages it, but both have vested interest in seeing it executed in
tries. This culture is not lost or diminished when working together. the best way possible.
Their latest joint venture is bringing wireless sensors into asset con- Reliability synergy states that the whole is greater than the sum of
dition monitoring/operational excellence programs. They are truly the parts of both organizations. JLL assumes responsibility, while
blazing a trail that requires both sides to draw on expertise to find BMS does not relinquish ownership. The mutual respect that ex-
success. JLL brings experience around the use and application of ists, this “One-Team” mentality, is a marvel to see in action and is
such sensors, while BMS provides vital information around asset why BMS and JLL truly have the Best Partnership in Reliability.
criticality and risk identification for design of system logistics.

14 feb/mar 19
 Best Lubrication Program
PGE BEAVER GENERATING PLANT
BEAVER GENERATING PLANT
Beaver Generating Plant, located on the Columbia River, is a
500-megawatt gas turbine combined cycle plant that is owned
and operated by Portland General Electric (PGE). Six gas turbine
generators and one steam turbine generator produce electricity.
When not in operation, the gas turbines are usually maintained
in standby, capable of being brought online in 20 minutes. This
allows for a peaking type of operation.
• Lubrication schedule was updated, that is used to track lubri-
cant usage against individual components.

• Installed a lubrication work center which allows oil to be filtered

upon receipt and while it sits in the warehouse.

• Color-coded system, as well as color-coding the lubrication

work center, transfer containers, grease guns and equipment
lubrication tags.

• Installed new sampling valves on critical equipment (gas tur-

bines, steam turbines, etc.) to ensure that representative oil
samples are collected.
LUBRICATION PROGRAM
• Oil analysis program for major assets was included in EAM
In 2013, Beaver Generating Plant hired a consultant to perform an (Maximo) for better tracking and follow-up work.
analysis of its lubrication program to determine where it could im-
• Created a fleet-wide oil analysis procedure and equipment- spe-
prove its program and asset health maintenance.
cific oil sampling work instructions.
• Consolidated its lubricants (greases and oils) by reducing the
In addition to these, Beaver Generating Plant recently worked
number of lubricants on-site by consolidating to Mobil products
with a consultant to perform calculations on its regreasing task
for most of the assets.
to optimize the amount of grease and the frequency to prevent
• Focus on selecting the right lubricant for the right assets to overgreasing or undergreasing. These changes are currently being
properly maintain the assets. implemented.

feb/mar 19 15
Digitalization Framework for Uptime® Elements™

Going digital for proactive processes

to deliver safe, reliable, compliant,
and cost-effective service!
• Create a digital twin of your assets
and work in an immersive digital
environment
• Always know what and where your
assets are and manage change
throughout the lifecycle
• Consolidate and analyze IoT and other
data sources to make timely decisions
• Improve asset availability while reducing
maintenance costs with the right
reliability strategy and inspection data
management platform

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©2018 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, and AssetWise are either registered or unregistered trademarks of service marks of Bentley
Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. 12/18
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 AM

1R
Specify
10 R 2R
Manage Design

9R 3R
Dispose/ Source
Decommission

Ramesh Gulati and

Terrence O’Hanlon

8R 4R
Improve/ Build/
Modify Fabricate

7R 5R
Maintain Install/
Commission
6R
Operate

18 feb/mar 19
IMPLEMENTING AN EFFECTIVE

ASSET
MANAGEMENT
PROCESS
TO IMPROVE RELIABILITY

The 10 Rights of Asset Management process is designed in such a

way that ensures organizations will do the right things from the
start of the need/concept right through to disposal

feb/mar 19 19
 AM

Do your physical assets – Do you know the health Do you have a process established
equipment, machinery and of these assets or when to reduce the total cost of
systems – perform as expected they need to be replaced ownership (TCO) and create an
or deliver the best value? or modified? operational excellence culture?

This article is designed to guide you in establishing a practical and effective asset
management (AM) process that maximizes return on your assets and meets the International
Organization for Standardization’s (ISO’s) AM standard compliance requirements.

INTRODUCTION ment of components or the asset, build/fabrication of the asset, and installa-
tion/commissioning of the asset for operation.
Organizations operate in a very competitive environment. To survive, The asset might be procured already designed/built as an “off-the-shelf”
they need to stay competitive and must continue to improve processes and item or designed and built per special specifications depending on the need.
get more value, both in the form of return from physical assets and high pro- Utilization is the key phase where the asset is operated and maintained
ductivity from human assets (i.e., their people). They need both physical and for many years depending upon need, which may be 10, 20, 50, 80 years or
human assets to be reliable in order to deliver more value to their customers more. This is the phase where you get the value from the asset.
while reducing TCO. Disposal, the asset’s last phase, is where it is decommissioned. The asset’s
TCO includes all costs incurred during the asset’s entire life: asset acqui- need is over and is either put in the warehouse for later use or disposed of
sition (capital project), asset operation and maintenance, also known as the safely.
utilization phase, and asset disposal when the need is over. Based on experience and several subject matter experts (SMEs), the es-
The key to making your assets deliver high value is to make your pro- timated average cost for these phases as a percent of the TCO are:
cesses robust to ensure:
• Acquisition Phase – 22%, with a range of 15% to 30% based on off-the-
• Assets are reliable, with minimum failures.
shelf or unique design;
• People, such as operators, maintainers, etc., are engaged to take care of
assets. They are: • Utilization Phase (i.e., Value Delivery) – 73% O&M, with a range of 60%
to 80% due to asset complexity;
• Knowledgeable and skilled to operate and maintain;
• Disposal – 5%, with a range of 3% to 10% due to asset complexity and
• Continually improving by implementing best practices.
environmental requirements.
• TCO is kept to a minimum or at an optimum level.

It should be noted that 70% or more of the cost is incurred in the utiliza-
ASSET LIFECYCLE PHASES AND COSTS tion phase. However, this cost is determined or depends on how the asset was
Asset life has three major stages, as shown in Figure 1. designed, built and installed. Some cost-cutting measures during the acquisi-
tion phase can force designers and builders to use low cost, unreliable com-
1. Acquisition - Designing, building and installing ponents, causing higher failures and increasing the O&M costs. Cost-cutting
2. Utilization – Operations and maintenance (O&M) actions during installation and commissioning, such as not checking compo-
3. Disposal – Decommissioning and disposing nent alignments, not providing appropriate training to O&M technicians, or
not having O&M manuals, drawings, etc., can cause higher failures or increase
After a need/concept has been established, the acquisition phase starts. repair time. It has been observed that spending 15% to 25% more during the
The acquisition phase includes writing specifications, design and procure- acquisition phase can reduce O&M costs by 20% to 40%, thus lowering TCO.
To ensure organizations do the right things during the entire life of the
asset, they need to establish an asset management process that utilizes the
“10 Rights of Asset Management.” This process involves a series of actions or
steps taken to achieve lower failure rates by eliminating defects at the source
and reducing the total cost of ownership.

ASSET MANAGEMENT PROCESS

The 10 Rights of Asset Management process is designed in such a way
that ensures organizations will do the right things from the start of the need/
concept right through to disposal. It requires that all people/stakeholders
follow the process, which includes work instructions, procedures, policies, etc.
The process should be repeatable with less variance and auditable.
Figure 1: An asset’s lifecycle

20 feb/mar 19
 THE 10 RIGHT STEPS TO CONCLUSION
ESTABLISH THE PROCESS ARE: To survive in today’s competitive environment, organizations must con-
tinue to improve processes. By doing so, they will get more value and return
1. Specify It Right from physical assets and high productivity from human assets. Both physical
Ensure that the right people are involved in writing requirements and and human assets need to be reliable in order to deliver more value to cus-
specifications for the asset needed. tomers while reducing total cost of ownership.
In order to get more value from their assets, organizations must make
2. Design It Right
processes robust and reliable so they can deliver quality products or services
Ensure that you are designing for reliability, availability, maintainability,
that make their customers happy. Implementing the 10 Rights of Asset Man-
safety and sustainability (RAMS2), including operability and to reduce
agement process is one of the effective methods to achieve this objective.
TCO.
3. Source/Procure It Right
Ensure you are procuring the components or asset to deliver the best
REFERENCES
value, not the lowest cost. 1. Gulati, Ramesh and O’Hanlon, Terrence. 10 Rights of Asset Management. Fort Myers:
Reliabilityweb.com, 2017.
4. Build/Fabricate It Right 2. Gulati, Ramesh. Maintenance & Reliability Best Practices. South Norwalk: Industrial Press, 2012.
Ensure that the asset is being built by skilled people using quality com- 3. International Organization for Standardization. https://www.iso.org/home.html
ponents. 4. Gulati, Ramesh. Uptime® Elements Dictionary for Reliability Leaders & Asset Managers. Fort Myers:
Reliabilityweb.com, 2017.
5. Install/Commission It Right
Ensure that the asset is installed with precision and quality workmanship
to eliminate any infant mortality failures. ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
6. Operate It Right
Ensure that operators are able to operate the asset safely and have been 10 Rights of Asset Management
trained appropriately to take care of the asset as if they own it. Achieve Reliability, Asset Performance and
Operational Excellence
7. Maintain It Right
Ensure that the asset is maintained with the right maintenance strategy/ reliabilityweb.com/bookstore
plan.
8. Improve It Right
Ensure that you are applying the right tools and practices to improve Ramesh Gulati is an Asset Management & Reliability
asset performance on a continuing basis. Leader with Jacobs. Ramesh is a world-renowned leader
in the maintenance, reliability, and asset management
9. Dispose of It Right
field, where he is known as a “Reliability Sherpa.” He is the
When the need is over, decommission/dispose of the asset in a clean and coauthor of the book, 10 Rights of Asset Management:
safe manner. Achieve Reliability, Asset Performance and Operational
10. Manage It Right Excellence.
In this step, you need to set up a process to ensure you perform all the
previous nine steps properly all the time. Also, you need to ensure that
you are hiring the right people to perform all the tasks mentioned and Terrence O’Hanlon, CMRP, is the CEO and Publisher of
continue to develop their skills. Reliabilityweb.com and Uptime Magazine. Terrence is an
asset management leader, specializing in reliability and
Setting up the 10 Rights of Asset Management process may require operational excellence. He is a popular keynote presenter
the organization to be in compliance with ISO9001 (Quality Management), and is the coauthor of the book, 10 Rights of Asset
ISO14001(Environmental Management ), ISO55001 (Asset Management), etc. Management: Achieve Reliability, Asset Performance
In fact, if you set up your process properly to do the 10 Rights, your process and Operational Excellence. www.reliabilityweb.com
should meet all the ISO standards requirements.

feb/mar 19 21
 De ntz
ll Ya
defect
elimination
Bi
and
drix
Hen
hil
P

STEPS
TO PRECISION
MAINTENANCE RELIABILITY SUCCESS
it once and do it right.” To further complicate the issue, most managers and
1 supervisors don’t understand nor set and enforce the necessary standards.
As stated in a 2018 ManpowerGroup research report, 45 percent of em-
Awareness of Today’s Business Issues, ployers say they can’t find the skilled workers they need. Exacerbating this
Trends and Critical Skills Shortage even more is that manufacturers are expected to lose another two to three
million experienced workers due to the looming retirement within the baby
While many factors contribute to lost opportunities for today’s manu- boomer generation. Because of these vacancies, industry analysts predict
facturers, equipment failures and breakdowns continue to be near the top that over the next decade, more than two million manufacturing jobs will
of the list. Real data from over 200 facilities show that maintenance induced go unfilled across the U.S. Currently, the National Association of Manufactur-
defects overwhelmingly contribute to stalled improvement efforts to gain ers reports there are 391,000 open jobs in American manufacturing today.
back control. Much of the data indicates roughly 25% are common assembly The specific roles needed to fill this talent shortage are most acutely in
errors, 25% are from imbalance and poor balance specs, 25% are common skilled production and maintenance, such as machinists, mechanical repair
lubrication mistakes and 25% are from poor alignment, inadequate align- personnel, operators, and electrical and instrument technicians, which to-
ment specs and a general lack of leadership expectations and follow-up. The gether amounts to more than 50 percent of the manufacturing workforce.
plain truth is most craftspeople entrusted to maintain millions of dollars of Additionally, 67 percent of respondents reported a moderate to severe short-
production and support equipment have never been taught the necessary age of available, qualified workers and 56 percent anticipate the shortage to
precision skills and how to apply them correctly to, as the saying goes, “do grow even worse.

22 feb/mar 19
…There are 391,000 OPEN JOBS in American manufacturing today

The “2018 Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute Skills Gap and Fu-
ture of Work Study” goes into extensive detail about this same problem and
provides additional insight.
The opportunities to set a higher standard of improvement and sus-
tained success are truly astounding. To succeed, the development and ap-
plication of precision skills should be based on the fundamental expectation
that plant equipment must be maintained correctly in order to become a
reliable plant. The results are real: improved equipment performance and
extended life – it drives everything good financially and is strategic to man-
ufacturing success.
Having gained a better understanding of the precision skills gap, the
next steps show how organizations can effectively address it.

2
The Birth of Precision Maintenance
As you will read, the technical definition and goals of precision mainte-
nance are pretty straightforward.
The first real evidence of precision maintenance skills and techniques
were pioneered at NASA by Dr. Wernher von Braun and his team of genuine
rocket scientists in the 1960s. Through rigorous hours of testing, they dis-
covered that for every “20% vibration is decreased, the life of the bearing
is DOUBLED.” Further reductions produce exponential increases in bearing
life and all other expensive components that usually get damaged during
bearing failure. Additionally, unscheduled downtime is eliminated and there
is a drastic reduction in maintenance costs.
Another early vibration pioneer, Ralph Buscarello (respectfully known as
the “Vibe-Father” to those who knew him and studied under him), understood
and passionately preached well into his 80s that common assembly errors,
mistakes and omissions of the essential field installation and rebuild details,
along with simple equipment specification issues at purchase, are significant
sources of destructive vibration that eventually fatigues the bearing metallur- Figure 1: Skills assessment
gy casing, causing the bearing to failure. Ralph coined the phrase, precision
maintenance, back in the 1960s and spent the rest of his life trying to spread how they are applied and the strategic value they can mean to the company’s
the word. improvement initiatives.
A rigorous implementation of precision maintenance creates the high- A skills assessment provides a scoring system that measures results: low,
est standard of reliability. Precision maintenance is comprised of tested, crit- needs improvement and proficient. This scoring system is applicable for each
ical, must-do steps of implementation, the results achieved and continuous topic and covers a myriad of assembly errors, mistakes, omissions, precision
improvement that must include constant follow-up to ensure sustainable assembly, rebuild, installation, bearing fits and tolerances, precision align-
success. ment, and mechanic or engineer induced unbalance. A review of the results
Even plants recognized as the most reliable in their industry will find for over 1,000 assessments of existing personnel and new hires shows that
they have barely scratched the surface of precision maintenance. Typically, 95 percent score at the low level, compared to five percent who score at the
what is missing is the key component of convincing managers and supervi- needs improvement or proficient levels.
sors to become real leaders and LEAD CHANGE! With these results, a defensible and sensible precision skills training plan
To achieve the desired results require setting new expectations, measur- can be formulated with the objective of transforming the workforce into a
ing, constant follow-up and never allowing yourself to digress to the previous highly skilled craft team that is fully trained and qualified to place equipment
poor habits brought on mostly by human nature. In other words, you have to into a precise state and effectively maintain a fleet of reliable machines that
create and put processes in place that ensure rigid specifications are followed deliver value to the company’s strategic objectives.
by every mechanic, project manager and supervisor.

4
3
Senior Management Sponsorship and Leadership
Precision Maintenance Skills Assessment Achieving precision maintenance implementation, success and sustain-
The skills gap is the difference between the skills required to perform ability requires the full sponsorship and advocacy of senior leadership, as well
a specified job and the actual skills that employees possess. Conducting a as supervisory and manager roles. There should be a clear focus on setting
skills assessment provides an objective measurement of a craft, for example, written expectations for mechanics, engineers, planners and all contributing
a mechanic’s knowledge and understanding of precision maintenance skills, roles, including operating in accordance to improvement objectives.

feb/mar 19 23
 De
defect
elimination

advance. For instance, it doesn’t require four to eight hours to do a precision

Empowering People and Teams alignment if the mechanic is prepared and follows expectations to lift and
Empowering people and teams. Managers empower people and clean the base and feet, and investigate to find and correct gross soft foot
teams so they are able to take the initiative without any hindrance before mounting the laser. Mistakes are commonly made when this step is
or bureaucratic obstacles, make the best decisions to solve prob- skipped because it is not set in writing: “Thou Shalt Better Not Skip This Step.”
lems, and improve service and performance. Empowerment builds It has been proven time and time again that having detailed writings
confidence, creates satisfaction, encourages innovation, and is a for procedures and expectations, supervisors’ compliance to expectations
great morale booster. and reporting real results to management are the essential requirements to
achieving precision alignment in a shorter period of time.
Create a culture of excellence and continuous Equally important to achieving success, without a doubt, is creating,
improvement then requiring, each job to have a precision maintenance field worksheet
Managers should build an environment where everyone works to follow. This worksheet features a step-by-step format, with actions and
together to develop the best solutions to problems, without any findings fully documented by the craft mechanics, reviewed and signed by
consequences of an adverse outcome. They are willing to take the the frontline supervisor and turned in at the end of the task to planners and
appropriate risk without any fear and ensure continuous improve- maintenance engineers for any required follow-up. Post-work can provide
ment becomes the norm. craft mechanics with a direct voice in pointing out deficiencies that could
Reference: 10 Rights of Asset Management not be addressed on that job, that day, and require follow-up improvement
Ramesh Gulati and Terrence O’Hanlon work or parts on-site. Some examples might be: “SW foot bolt-bound ¼ inch,
cannot get precision alignment today,” or “Outboard bearing housing worn
out, egg shaped by .008 inches, part not in stores, bearing will fail again soon.”
• There must be a clear understanding of the strategic connection be- Likewise, supervisors and planners must follow written expectations as
tween reactive, unscheduled downtime due to improper work habits to whom will collect, read, follow-up, order new parts, reschedule and report
and, conversely, how applied precision skills are essential to the perfor- conclusions back to the mechanic who initially wrote the additional work to
mance improvement of equipment, reduced manufacturing and energy be performed. Everyone needs to be fully aware of their and others’ roles and
costs, and increased production. responsibilities, especially the role assigned to follow through with review
• All contributing roles must see leadership’s commitment to follow of each precision maintenance job worksheet. Additionally, all worksheets
through and how they align with the way people think, behave and work. should be reviewed weekly in the planning meeting to determine the best
• By leadership leading and engaging, the workforce will recognize their course of action regarding the following week’s schedule and upcoming
role in building a reliability culture that runs through every fiber of the shutdown.
manufacturing site.
Communication and Standards
5
Before starting implementation and training the workforce, establish a
Direction: Processes, Communication and Standards detailed communication plan based on expanding awareness of what pre-
cision maintenance is and the existing gaps. It’s just as imperative to estab-
Maintenance management and all significant roles must understand lish new installation standards for contractors and new rebuild standards for
how they each contribute to moving this improvement work forward, includ- outside repair shops. Facilitate the writing of these standards with input from
ing: job plans, field documentation, planning and scheduling precision work, your best craftspeople, supervisors, planners and engineers. In like manner,
and setting the expectation that from here on in, as pointed out in Winston identify the metrics to show progress and results. If the facility does on-site
Ledet’s book, the battle cry is, “Don’t Just Fix it, Improve it!” rebuild of spares, just as important is establishing a “clean room” for assembly
Managers and supervisors ask their people all the time to change and of spare rotating and hydraulic elements, as well as mechanical seals.
improve what they are doing, but they don’t do a particularly good job of Along the journey, it is advisable to keep the workforce informed of
describing in detail what that looks like for the mechanic, the lubricator, the equipment improvement progress, such as decreasing vibration and energy
planner, the vibration analyst, the supervisor and other staff functions. consumption. Make it a point to communicate these results back to the in-
So, you need to work with each functional group, writing work guide- dividual craft mechanics responsible for improving equipment performance
lines and expectations for each contributing role that clearly define what they and leaving equipment in a precise state. Significant findings and equipment
need to do differently during and after each training class. modifications must be communicated and a commitment secured for the
Just a few examples of procedures and expectations for craft mechanics are: workforce to employ any new tool or modifications on a more global scale
across the entire plant or similar equipment types.
• When performing alignment, you will find and correct gross soft foot
first, then check and correct any induced angled soft foot created by re-
sulting alignment shim changes. Precision Standards
• Carefully follow written step-by-step pipe strain check procedures on all While many precision standards are documented, and many continue to
new installations. NO PIPE STRAIN will be acceptable before signing off be discovered, here are a few examples that serve as a guide to add, modify
with the contractor. and build your own standards in accordance to site objectives:
• Machine key orientation will be precisely followed on all precision main-
tenance jobs. Keys will normally, unless specified otherwise, be placed • Before a bearing housing and/or shaft is considered for reuse in a bearing
(rotated) 180 degrees apart on all coupled equipment. installation, detailed measurements for proper fit and tolerance, as com-
The excitement of discovery can be a source of pride when work is per- pared to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications, shall be
formed precisely and will not take more time when planned and scheduled in required and well-documented.

24 feb/mar 19
 D-I-P-F CURVE
DESIGN/BUY

• All new bearings will be measured for final dimensional quality compli-
1 Design for Reliability (DFR)

HOW
2 Purchase for Purpose

(DESIGN-INSTALLATION- POTENTIAL FAILURE- FAILURE) PRECISION

ance before installation.

1 Precision Commissioning
2 Precision Installation
DESIGN PRECISION

F
3 Defect Elimination
PRED 4 Precision Alignment and Balancing
IC
• All new pumps and fans shall be ordered with an impeller balance quality
3 4 5 6
100% 1 2 1 2 7 8 9
1 2
3
TIVE 5 Work Processes and Procedures
PROACTIVE 4
5
6 Asset Condition Management
PR

RESISTANCE TO FAILURE
6 7 Lubrication Reliability
COR EV
of G1.0 at no additional cost!
7 8 Clean to Inspect (5S)
REC EN

A
9 Operate for Reliability
TIV TI

POTENTIAL FAILURE
E
1
V PREDICTIVE

INSTALLATION
• Key stock in stores and area shops all shall be ordered to attain readily

DESIGN/BUY
2 1 Condition Directed Tasks

E
2 Ultrasound Testing (UT)
3 Fluid Analysis (FA)

FA
I
4 Vibration Analysis (VIB)

available plus tolerance, and all keys individually fit to keyways with a

ILU
5 Motor Testing (MT)
1 6 Infrared Imaging (IR)

RE
7 Non Destructive Testing (NDT)

push/pull interference fit (0.0003” to 0.0005”). COST T

O REP
AIR PREVENTIVE
1 Time-Directed Tasks

L
2 Human Senses (audible
0% noise, hot to touch, smell)
2
D-I I-P X P-F CATASTROPHIC
FAILURE FAILURE

6
OPERATING HOURS 1 Functional Failure
Attribution/inspiration: The D-I-P-F curve was originally developed by Doug Plucknette, Certified Reliability Leader, Author, RCM Blitz (ISBN: 978-0-9838741-6-4) and further modified/evolved by Brian Heinsius, Certified Reliability Leader 2 Catastrophic Failure

U FAILURE PATTERNS
Random failures account for 77-92% of total failures and age related failure characteristics for the remaining 8-23%.

AGE RELATED
R
BATHTUB WEAR OUT FATIGUE
Training Implementation

Probability of Failure

Probability of Failure

Probability of Failure
PATTERN A = 3-4% PATTERN B = 1-17% PATTERN C = 3-5%

by Nowlan and Heap, US Navy, Bromberg

Failure Pattern Percentage Sources: RCM
Time Time Time

Following the skills development training plan (derived from the pre-
E INITIAL BREAK-IN PERIOD RANDOM INFANT MORTALITY

RANDOM
PATTERN E = 14-42%

Probability of Failure

Probability of Failure

Probability of Failure
PATTERN D = 6-11% PATTERN F = 29-68%

cision maintenance skills assessment) and the establishment of processes,

participants should learn the principles of defect elimination and how they OCCURS Time Time Time

Copyright 2016-2019, Reliabilityweb.com. All rights reserved. No part of this graphic may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior express
written consent of Reliabilityweb.com. Reliabilityweb.com® is a registered trademark of Reliabilityweb.com in the U.S.A. and several other countries.

are achieved by the application of precision skills and methods. reliabilityweb.com • maintenance.org • reliabilityleadership.com

Participants perform numerous hands-on, step-by-step exercises on sim- Figure 3: D-I-P-F curve illustrates that the application of precision skills enables
ulators that replicate real-world, operating equipment, specifically engineered equipment to operate on-top-of-the-curve. Why? Increased profit retention
to enable instructors to impart a myriad of assembly errors and common
mistakes. Participants are then systematically taught to identify and eliminate her area. The mechanic should be given time in the schedule to place each
each one. In this way, participants learn each precision skill, eliminate defects,
machine in a precise state and report findings back to the supervisor. In ac-
demonstrate ability and achieve precision maintenance qualification.
cordance with the communication plan, maintenance reliability engineers,
vibration analysts, planners and anyone who is fostering support and advo-
cacy for a higher standard of work, are all made aware of the results.
This is where craft mechanics can deliver real value. Precision assem-
bly, installation and rebuild occurs throughout the operating lifecycle of site
equipment, not just at commissioning. By raising the quality standard of work,
defects are eliminated by not imparting them in the first place, as illustrated
in the D-I-P-F curve in Figure 3. Together, all the precision elements serve as
the essential enablers for equipment to be skillfully placed in a precise state,
whereby they operate on top of the curve for a consistently longer time. This
is the aha moment for craft mechanics, when they begin to understand the
real meaning of, “Don’t Just Fix it, Improve it!” or do it once and do it right.

8
Measuring Results – Key Performance Indicators
Figure 2: Vibration readings taken “as found,” before work and “as left,” once
work is completed The most effective way to measure results is with key performance in-
dicators (KPIs). Some examples (Figure 4) of KPIs that can be established are:
People Development: Education and Training • Number of improvement work orders completed monthly;
People get things done. Managers may have detailed plans and • Reduced energy consumption;
amazing processes, but if the right people with the right skills ar- • Reduced overall vibration levels;
en’t in place, these plans and processes can’t be carried out effec- • Mean time between failures (MTBF) and how it powers achievement of
tively. Developing the workforce at every level and empowering all good things financially;
them to do their best is the key to success. • Increased incremental production;
• Reduced manufacturing costs.
Training also sends the message that employees are valued and that
management is interested in their development and betterment. 9
Reference: 10 Rights of Asset Management
Ramesh Gulati and Terrence O’Hanlon Progress Review and Mentorship
Conducting a progress review three to six months from implementation
7 can provide maintenance management with valuable continuous improve-
ment recommendations because it shows where success is being achieved
and validates that skills are being applied. A progress review also demon-
Application of Skills strates that frontline supervisors are actively involved in communicating pre-
With their new skills, knowledge, tools and improvement work orders, cision maintenance expectations with planners and craft mechanics.
craft mechanics can immediately begin to transform poor, high risk of failure This approach serves to inform and assist the site in recognizing the
machines into improved, reliable machines that are operating as intended, importance of establishing and continuously improving those processes
with increased resistance to failure. that will guide the leadership team in achieving significant improvements
Once the necessary training is completed, supervisors assign each craft that will power the site’s production, deliver measurable results and create a
mechanic a precision maintenance job work order to be completed in his or sustainable reliability culture.
feb/mar 19 25
 De
defect
elimination

Pump Rotating Assembly Life

Trial Fleet of 337 of Largest Pumps in Mill of 3,562
10
Year 1 = Previous 5-year Average Achieving Sustainability
9
8 All the previous steps are proven best practices and essential in achiev-
8.3
8.0 8.0
MTBF Improvement

7.8 7.9 ing a standardized reliability precision maintenance process – the highest
7
level of success with a sharp focus on continuous improvement. For best prac-
6 tices learned, the maintenance manager and his or her staff should make note
5 and recognize when craft mechanics discover something new that can be
4 added to work procedures. Conversely, if you observe something being done
4.1 4.3
incorrectly or old habits reemerging, take immediate and decisive action to
3
correct it and reset the expectation.
2 As the culture begins to change in the precise direction you seek, the
2
1 written procedures and instructions will become a solid foundation and me-
0 chanics will expect to have good written procedures, specifications and job
Previous Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 details. Insist that operations and production superintendents attend training
5-Year Avg
with the maintenance crews. This way, they learn how they can support the
effort and why maintenance is doing things differently. Make sure their shift
leaders understand their responsibility to sign off every time they authorize
Total Motor Failures Per Year or insist that something be “just put back together, I got to make my shift
10,880 Motors in Mill Fleet production.” After follow-up questions by the plant and/or mill manager, such
actions should be put to rest.
Year 1 = Previous 5-year Average
600 Each individual site must recognize the barriers and constraints that will
emerge to challenge the established processes and commitments made. Each
556 site must be dedicated to stay on the journey and not revert back to the past
500
Failure Reduction

status quo of reactive, low quality work.

400 423 Those that have remained diligent to precision maintenance work
407
standards are no longer deploying their craft mechanic teams to relentless,
300 failure-based work. Now, their focus is on improvement-based work. It’s a
paradigm shift in strategy, principles and tactics, and these organizations are
200 236 228 winning big.
216 210 206
What does your organization need to do to be part of the change to
100 Precision Maintenance reliability?

0 Resources
Previous Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7
1. ManpowerGroup. “Solving the Talent Shortage: Build, Buy, Borrow, Bridge.” 2018 Talent Shortage
5-Year Avg
Survey. https://go.manpowergroup.com/hubfs/TalentShortage%202018%20(Global)%20Assets/
PDFs/MG_TalentShortage2018_lo%206_25_18_FINAL.pdf
Figure 4: Real results achieved and sustained by one of the largest paper 2. Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute. “2018 Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute Skills
mills in the world Gap and Future of Work Study.” https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/arti-
4a: Pump “mean time between failure” (MTBF) greatly increased cles/4736_2018-Deloitte-skills-gap-FoW-manufacturing/DI_2018-Deloitte-MFI-skills-gap-FoW-
4b: Motor failures significantly reduced study.pdf
3. Reliabilityweb.com. Uptime® Elements— A Reliability Framework and Asset Management System™.
Frontline supervisors should establish a process for reviewing the doc- https://reliabilityweb.com/uptime-elements-academy-lms

umentation of each precision maintenance job, recognizing the quality of

work and, if additional mentoring is needed, reinforcing the continuous im- Phil Hendrix is CoFounder and Owner of Hendrix Precision.
provement of each craftsperson. Phil began his career with a job welding in a fab shop at
The objective of field mentoring is to assist the site team with the neces- the age of 14. Since that time, he has worked in a variety of
sary recommendations to move improvement work forward efficiently and roles in the industry and over the last 15 years, has provided
effectively. successful consulting services to over 200 companies and
plants. www.hendrixprecisionmaintenance.com
Examples are:
• Formulating precision job plans;
• Reviewing the asset list and criticality rankings;
Bill Yantz is Vice President at Hendrix Precision. Bill has
• Accurate bill of materials (BOMs), including key safety and technical pro-
over 38 years of experience, during which he has held
cedures; leadership capacities and served as a trusted business
• Work order history to look for opportunities and areas of improvement; advisor formulating asset improvement solutions and
• Current workflow process; guiding corporations in improving equipment life, reducing
• Facilitate the building of a “bad actor” list using criticality rankings, work downtime, and lowering overall manufacturing costs.
order history, latest vibration readings, cost history and site knowledge; www.hendrixprecisionmaintenance.com
• Planning and scheduling precision work.

26 feb/mar 19
 7 Uptime Awards
Received by our Clients
YOU COULD BE NEXT!

Reliability-Centered Maintenance
Software • Consulting • Training

RCM Software – Training - Consulting

Uptime® Elements ©2016-2019, Reliabilityweb.com. All rights reserved.

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 Opx
operational
excellence

LEADERSHIP IS VITAL TO

SUCCESS Roger D. Lee

L
eadership is vital to the success of all com- leaders. With this fact in mind, leaders must be passionate
panies. It is a journey that requires reference about personal and process safety and positive behaviors
points to ensure leaders remain on course to achieve the shared vision.
and continue to grow. Almost all companies
need more deliberate and focused leadership The Leader’s Roles and Responsibilities
development. They need leaders who inspire
people to follow. This is especially true when implement- Leaders must lead with a vision of the future. It is im-
ing successful work processes. This article describes the possible to get your people where you want them to go
needed steps, as well as the roles and responsibilities re- if you do not know the final destination. You would never
quired, for implementing successful work processes and take your family on a vacation by loading up the car and
a leadership structure. then asking them where they want to go. Employees want
Establishing a leadership structure starts with orga- to feel that their leader has clarity, confidence and opti-
nizations setting expectations for their leaders. It is im- mism about the future and has a plan with enough details
portant for all leaders in an organization to understand to show them the steps they will need to take.
and share a consistent message to all its employees from As the leader, it is your job to maintain the focus and
the top down. Employees need to see principle-based be- direction of your people while minimizing distractions.
haviors from their leaders. Leaders clarify key performance Lead with a can-do winning spirit to drive continual im-
expectations and link them to training to ensure an under- provement while reinforcing step changes to sustain
standing for exceeding compliance. success. The leader must define consequences for their
employees’ actions, with explanations for each to ensure
positive participation.
It is an honor and privilege to be selected as a lead-
In any organization, the er. As a leader, you are to focus on others and care about
them, as well as their ideas. But, you cannot do everything

people are the secret alone. Pick your team members wisely to have optimum
success. Your leadership elements are critical to the cre-

ingredient to its success ation and implementation of successful work processes.

Steps to Achieving Successful

Work Processes
Leaders must be ready to leverage moments of high
influence that naturally occur every day to communicate When it comes to work processes, organizations must
their vision. This also allows them to connect their deci- allow time to do each job safely. They must keep plans
sions to the organization’s established core values. Leaders and procedures up-to-date and accurate by incorporating
must practice zero tolerance for deviations from these core real-time feedback from the field that proactively identify
values. and eliminate hazards.
In any organization, the people are the secret ingre- Leaders are responsible for personally setting the
dient to its success. Leaders must have people making the tone for excellence, with operations and maintenance as
right choices all the time. What they do or do not do de- true partners. Link all the systems and procedures, work
termines the end of the game and the success or failure as processes, administrative techniques and tools used to

28 feb/mar 19
conduct all your business. Create and coach a daily your people understand. Coach your employees done through work (i.e., the task helps achieve the
work process discipline that expects ownership by to think about the right thing to do (i.e., think, act, end result of changing and improving people).
the operator, mechanic and all parties involved in verify). Remove obstacles to their success. Ask for Establish clear expectations and then role
the work processes. Guard against complacency their input on what you can do or stop doing to model the desired behaviors to achieve them.
and accepting the status quo as good enough. help you be a more effective leader. Remember, Clear communication is key. Always verify un-
Lead by example, such as wearing proper per- you always get more of what you measure and derstanding by the person being addressed. This
sonal protective equipment (PPE) to show your reward. Intervene where appropriate in a timely question interaction will enhance your relation-
employees that everyone should watch out for manner by understanding what happened and ship, too.
one another. All components must function like what people were thinking. Redefine failure as Remember to inspect what you expect. This
a winning race team to gain the victory everyone something that happens to you, not something adds accountability for their performance. As you
desires. you are. All people have valuable contributions lead your people, be accountable for personal
Leaders should be available and accessible to make. Your employees will do what they are and organizational results, being careful to show
as much as possible to provide guidance. They coached to do. them how they have made a positive impact on
should communicate at a level that their people It is your job to support downward and each. Your employees are always watching your
understand. When things get really tough, do not challenge upward. You serve as your employees’ actions, so everything you do (or don’t do) mat-
get discouraged, rather try to remember that this filter for all the things rolling downhill. Be a good ters. Your example is the only thing that matters
too shall pass. buffer to keep them focused on the items within in influencing your people. Do what you say you
their control. Communicate a lot, up and down are going to do.
the organization. Employees need to sense opti-
mism and confidence from you that there will be
Leaders must a better future, as well as clarity around actions
Scoring Yourself as a Leader
How do you know if you are doing a good
lead with a vision of to achieve it.
job? Positive feedback from your employees

the future Measuring Leadership Performance answering the following questions is a great
indicator:
Your leadership performance is measured Do I know what is expected of me?
by what your followers do. It is insane to use the
Lead by storytelling to give personal exam- same coaching over and over and expect them Do I have the materials, equipment and knowledge
ples of similar times when you were successful. to do something different. Help them solve prob- to do my job right?
Remember, providing positive reinforcement is lems and grow to ensure overall success and Do I have the opportunity to do my best every day?
the only way to improve performance. Negative satisfaction. Seek to understand before being
understood. Your success as a leader depends Have I received reinforcement for good work in the
reinforcement will only ensure compliance.
on your people. Commit to developing all your last week?
Build confidence in your employees by rec-
ognizing and rewarding good behaviors and re- team members to their full potential through job Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care
sults. A simple and sincere “Thank you” will go a assignments, coaching and training. Consider about me as a person?
long way. Address issues early to make needed strengths and interests when making assign-
Is there someone at work who encourages my
corrections and show appreciation for improve- ments. Your goal is to develop yourself and others
development?
ments. in a continual learning environment. Seek and val-
Coaching is your job wherever you are. You ue feedback about yourself, team members and It is healthy to routinely seek these answers
have to carve out time for coaching daily. Invest team performance. Instead of being a leader who from your circle of influence. To score yourself as
time to know your people. Coach for performance gets work done through people (i.e., the end result a supervisor, answer these questions from your
and lead with questions, not answers, to ensure is task completion), make it your job to get people perspective and those who report to you.

feb/mar 19 29
 Opx
operational
excellence

Your employees will achieve self-motivation

when they feel and believe that: I am heard; my
Do what you say you are going to do
ideas contribute to the business; I belong here;
I receive recognition; I am competent at my job;
I am learning; I have control over how safely I • Encourage an “act like an owner” perspective job-related injuries, identify and eliminate hazards
choose to work; I actively care about the safety of and behavior from all employees. and watch out for each other. They are committed
others; and I accept negative feedback and take • Understand and leverage employees’ to keeping their people safe so they can go home
actions to improve based on that feedback. strengths and interests to help them grow each night and return the next day.
and align their passion with career paths. Good leaders work themselves out of a job
Being Part of the Leadership • Clarify for employees how they fit into the by developing their replacement. Leaders know
Structure strategies for the vision of the company and that the best way to the next job they desire is
organization. to leave behind an organization that continues
All leaders are part of many teams up and • Confront the facts in a constructive and re- to grow after they are gone. They make sure that
down the organization. To be successful, your role spectful discussion to learn from mistakes and learning, innovation and continual improvement
as a leader is most critical as a participant of the grow for the future. are key attributes for an organization’s culture.
site leadership team (SLT). Each member of the • Replace bad behaviors with positive ones to
SLT must be a champion for the organization’s make the bad ones go away.
core values, established processes and the safety • Establish trust through a relationship-focused
and leadership of its people. environment.
SLT members must focus on results, as well Roger D. Lee is the President
• Appreciate and leverage the diversity within and Founder of RDL
as leader/people capability development. They the work group to ensure overall success. Solutions, LLC. Roger retired
must be mindful of talent flow to build for the
from Eastman Chemical
future (reward with growth opportunities). They
have to take care of today and tomorrow. Conclusion Company as the Global
Manufacturing Optimization
In every situation, what leaders don’t know, Manager after 35 years of
SLT members also must: they ask. They make the right choices and always service and has 42 years of
• Be a champion for change with proper pri- lead by example. experience in the chemical and refining industry
oritization to keep the organization’s limited Good leaders make sure they follow safety with clients from across the world.
resources focused. rules, take time to do each job safely, report all

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30 feb/mar 19
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 Aci
asset
condition
information

Emerging Industrial Internet Technology

Can Reduce Costs and DANGERS in

SYSTEMS
Brian Alessi

S
team systems are vital to the smooth operation of so many
manufacturing plants and other facilities. Numerous compo-
nents are at work to ensure this smooth operation, but none

With the emergence more important than steam traps. Yet, despite their critical func-
tion, the majority of plants rely on time- and labor-intensive

of industrial Internet
manual inspections. Yet, with the emergence of industrial In-
ternet technology, steam traps make ideal candidates for automated sensing
technology.
technology, steam traps Steam traps are designed to discharge unwanted condensate. They are
critical components to the vast steam systems utilized worldwide for man-
make ideal candidates ufacturing, power generation, heating, cooling and sterilization processes.
Despite their prevalence, these valves are notoriously faulty. According to
for automated sensing estimates by the U.S. Department of Energy, “in steam systems that have not
been maintained for three to five years, between 15% to 30% of the installed

technology steam traps may have failed.” Failed traps represent not only immediate wast-
ed energy—on the order of billions of dollars annually—but also the costly
risk of production downtime, employee safety hazards, legal exposure and
increased CO2 emissions.

32 feb/mar 19
 Cost of a Failure Automated condition monitoring marks the first generation of the In-
ternet of Things (IoT) for steam trap monitoring and offers modest improve-
Unless a plant sticks to a rigorous schedule of inspecting, maintaining, ments. However, it still doesn’t close the gap. Up-front costs and ongoing
repairing and replacing steam traps across the facility, the plant is almost battery maintenance associated with these sensors prevent them from being
certainly wasting significant amounts of the costly energy its steam system deployed en masse. Instead, sensors are deployed on a limited number of
produces every day. “problem” traps, which begs a separate question: How does one know which
Worse, if a plant doesn’t have a regular trap maintenance process in traps are the biggest offenders if all traps are not monitored?
place, it is likely to experience more trap failures. This also adds considerably As a presentation delivered at The International Society of Automation’s
to a plant’s costs and could result in expensive, facility-wide downtime or 2014 Process Control and Safety Symposium and Exhibition concluded, the
even an explosion. battery maintenance required of wireless sen-
A single failed trap can cost a plant thou- sors represents a drawback that somewhat
sands of dollars per year. For average-size facili- offsets the benefits of the wireless cost savings.
ties with several hundred or thousands of traps, Moreover, the presentation pointed out, if a
the costs accumulate quickly. More catastrophic
“cold” or “closed” failures can result in process or
A single failed trap sensor’s battery is not replaced at the correct
interval, the sensor itself will fail. Ultimately, fa-
plant-wide downtime on the order of millions
of dollars. can cost a plant cility managers are not interested in trading one
maintenance problem for another.
thousands of
Take for instance the 2007 explosion un-
der New York City’s Grand Central Terminal that
is still making its way through the courts. The Solution: Remove the Battery
explosion killed one person, injured dozens of
others and “created panic in Manhattan.” The
dollars per year With the IoT evolving, improvements
in sensing technology, energy harvesting,
cause? Con Edison, the utility company that op- low-power wireless networks and data analytics
erates the city’s steam distribution, described it have paved the way for completely battery-free
as a combination of rainwater buildup around sensors, introducing more economical and lo-
a pipe and clogging inside a steam trap. gistically feasible solutions for steam trap monitoring. Advances in circuit de-
Of course, massive explosions like the one under Grand Central Terminal sign and wireless communication have allowed sensors to generate power
don’t happen often, but failure to meet best practice standards for main- entirely from low-levels of readily available ambient energy (e.g., hot steam
taining steam traps continually racks up less catastrophic costs with varying pipes or indoor light), thus removing the battery altogether. Layering net-
degrees of liability and risk—including employee safety, CO2 emissions, water working and software analytics on top of the newly collected data yields a
waste—lurking just beneath the surface. simple, easy-to-use system that delivers the insights sought by facility man-
Still, inadequate monitoring is all too common due to the hassle of man- agers without any added maintenance.
ual inspections and, for those forward-thinking facilities that have experi- With battery-free sensors, a plant is able to realize all of the benefits of
mented with wireless sensors, the challenges and costs presented by today’s continuous steam trap monitoring with a dramatic reduction in the labor
battery-powered solutions. needed for inspection and repairs and with significant improvements in the
quality and frequency of the data.
Traditional Manual Inspections Don’t Work
Many large, multinational corporations do not adhere to a regular sched- References
ule for inspecting their steam traps. In fact, some might go several years with- 1. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Of-
out conducting physical inspections. fice. Energy Tips: Steam. https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/05/f16/steam1_traps.pdf
2. Trotta, Daniel. “Clogged Valve Cited in New York Steam Pipe Blast.” Reuters: December 27, 2007.
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends inspecting process steam
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newyork-explosion-cause-idUSN2742170720071227
traps every three months and low-to-medium pressure and high-pressure 3. Chen, David W. “New Questions About Who Is to Blame for Steam Pipe Explosion.” The New
steam traps every six months. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers York Times: July 18, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/18/nyregion/steam-pipe-explo-
estimates the cost of physical steam trap inspections to be roughly $12 per sion-con-edison.html
trap, assuming approximately 1,000 traps total. 4. Fuhr, Dr. Peter. “Easy Ways to Save Energy Now – Take Care of Those Steam Traps.” Save Energy Now
Webcast Series. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy and Wi-Fi Sen-
Considering the costs and complexity of manually inspecting all steam sors, Inc. https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/11/f4/webinar_steamtrap_2010_0605_0.
traps across a large plant, combined with the recommended frequency for pdf
conducting such an audit, it is clear why an undertaking might seem too 5. Walter, Jonathan P. “Implement a Sustainable Steam-Trap Management Program.” American Insti-
daunting for a large organization. tute of Chemical Engineers CEP Magazine: January 2014.
6. Sereiko, Paul and Werb, Jay. “Industrial Wireless Instrumentation Adoption Considerations.” South
Houston, Texas: ISA Process Control and Safety Symposium 2014. https://isa100wci.org/en-US/Docu-
First Generation Industrial IoT ments/Presentations/ISA_Symposium_2014_-Paper_jpw_13Aug.aspx

Recently, some manufacturers have turned to automated condition

monitoring for steam traps. This entails installing a sensor near a steam trap Brian Alessi is the Director of Product Marketing &
that can monitor the trap’s health and wirelessly report that data at regular Business Development at PsiKick, a technology company
intervals to a central database or cloud-based dashboard. that designs and deploys completely battery-free sensors
The benefits of such a solution can be significant. Rather than having for a range of industrial assets. Brian drives product
to schedule physical walk-throughs of the facility at specific times to in- positioning and messaging, customer development, and
spect each steam trap — and hope the traps don’t fail in-between inspec- overall go-to-market strategy and works closely with
tions — a company can receive regular, automatic status updates on any customers responsible for maintenance and reliability,
of its steam traps or other pieces of equipment that need monitoring. This innovation initiatives, and overall plant management.
www.psikick.com
provides more seamless visibility into their equipment health and more
timely alerts to problems.

feb/mar 19 33
 The

Conference
MAY 6-10, 2019  SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
™

SAVE
$200
Register 2/28/19

Co-located with Maintenance 4.0 Digitalization Forum, The RELIABILITY Conference is designed for those
who lead, manage and contribute to a reliability and asset management program. Reliability leaders, asset condition
management experts, asset and maintenance managers will deliver information you can put to use immediately.

CO-LOCATED WITH WHAT IS

MAINTENANCE 4.0 MAINTENANCE 4.0?
A wireless vibration sensor is connected

DIGITALIZATION FORUM to a cloud server and machine learning

platform to analyze the complex
patterns and provide automated service
advice to the asset owner. The vibration
WHY ATTEND? specialist will no longer waste time
Based on Uptime Elements Internet of Things Knowledge Domain and going to the data; the data, when in
Digitalization Strategy Framework, the Maintenance 4.0 Digitalization Forum need of subject matter expert analysis,
offers a rapid way for you and your team to explore what technologies and will go to the human. The decisions
approaches have produced the best results while still in the early phases are what we call “digitally assisted,” a
of technology diffusion. Explore The RELIABILITY Conference Expo where partnership between man and machine.

VS
dozens of Maintenance 4.0 solution
providers will be available.

MAINTENANCE 1.0
Highly trained specialists are sent to
collect machinery vibration analysis
readings on pumps, motors and
gearboxes.

reliabilityconference.com
 AUGUST 6-8, 2019
ORLANDO, FLORIDA

MaximoWorld includes a diverse ecosystem of business

thought leaders, asset management experts, implementation
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support teams, analysts and mobility specialists with one
common connection: IBM® Maximo® and Enterprise Asset
Management. Discover new ideas and approaches for your
asset management or IoT journey.

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RELIABILITYWEB.COM/EVENTS • 239.333.2500 • 888.575.1245

 AM
OPENING THE LID OF THE

TOOLBOX

Part 1
Grahame Fogel and Dean Griffin
Asset management (AM) is a recognized value lever for asset intensive
organizations. It encompasses a broad vision of possibility and action.
Within this new paradigm, AM practitioners need a new toolbox of skills,
competencies and tools. This article, written in two parts, opens the lid
of this asset manager’s toolbox and takes a look inside.
36 feb/mar 19
Figure 1: Mapping asset management to Porter’s value model

Some AM Background conceptual frustration. There is a clear difference articulate it, and understand how to pursue value
between their roles. AM encompasses a whole in complex initiatives, which often lies across de-
AM as a value lever gained impetus with the of business approach, incorporating numerous partmental and functional boundaries.
development of a series of ISO asset management business functions, of which maintenance is one. AM calls for a new set of thinking and skills
standards in 2014 called ISO55000, ISO55001 and Maintenance, on the other hand, is a transaction- aligned to what Michael E. Porter, the eminent
ISO55002. These standards conceptualize and al repair/restoration activity intended to optimize Harvard Business School scholar, refers to as cre-
define how organizations should structure and and prolong asset/equipment life. Both AM and ating shared value. Porter argues that creating
implement a management system for AM, simply maintenance are important, but a clear distinction shared value is the potential new paradigm for
called an asset management system (AMS). The needs to be made in order to understand their rel- sustainable capitalism and presents the case for
ISO55000 series of standards articulate numerous ative contribution toward delivering organization- organizations to create long-term sustainability.
benefits from adopting such an AMS approach. al objectives. He refers to the need to transition from an exploit-
These benefits are substantiated by user experi- Asset owners and managers cannot just be ative to a shared value model. Within this model
ence and empirical evidence. specialists in specific niches within an organiza- are three core components; the one that concerns
Two distinct concepts, namely AM and tion. They need to develop the skills and tools asset managers is the second component, referred
maintenance, are often confused as the same. necessary to see the whole picture. Moreover, they to as “redefining productivity in the value chain.”
The Asset Manager’s Toolbox
The blurring of their roles leads to confusion and must act strategically, be able to define value and Within asset intensive industries, the role of AM

MAINTENANCE
RELIABILITY TOOL KIT DATA
HAVING A PLAN Selecting the right Realizing the value of
Utilizing an effective MODELING RISK improvement tools data analytics
implementation model Mastering the understanding of Big data, digitization,
The ISO55000 standard can AND OPPORTUNITY the reliability/maintenance Industry 4.0 are all hot
be confusing. It states what An effective risk model improvement tools and topics, but
needs to be covered Modeling risk (and opportunity) methodologies will allow the understanding what they
rather than how to aligned to strategic objectives application of the correct mean and how they can
implement. Using a proven allows asset managers to combination of process and be used in an asset
model will eliminate time prioritize areas of opportunity. technology tools to be applied management context
wastage and confusion. This will align effort to value. in specific situations. will save huge time and
money.

MEASUREMENTS UNDERSTANDING INTEGRATED

FOR SUCCESS COMPLEXITY PLANNING
Having a methodology to Understanding complexity Realizing value from
measure value contribution will increase the chance of seeing the big picture
For any initiative to succeed, it success Being able to make
needs support and Understanding complexity prioritized savings through
acknowledgment; this requires allows managers to identify the value chain will
a methodology for value domains in which to structure reinforce what Porter refers
trading. Value trading at a initiatives and understand to as reinforcing value
strategic contribution level is a participants’ and other through the value chain.
key element of success. people’s behavior.

Figure 2: Asset manager’s toolbox

Copyright © Gauseng (Pty) Ltd. FIGURE 2
feb/mar 19 37
 AM
Stakeholder Expectations Organizational Strategic Plan

AM Policy Asset Management

Strategic AM Plan Execution Plan

Translating the Strategic Plan

STRATEGIC

Competency Risk-Driven
Development Whole Lifecycle Decision-
Value Realization Making
Decision-Making

Organizational Understanding Establishing Condition Integrated Managed Performance Managing

Readiness Risk & a Reliability Management Planning Focused Measurement Financials
DELIVERY FOCUSED

Opportunity Basis Improvement

Organizational Modeling Asset Care, Data Integrity, Supply Chain, Defect Reporting, Totex,
Alignment, Simulation Spare Parts & Information, Maintenance, Elimination, Knowledge Prioritization,
Resourcing Criticality Services Asset Operations, Continuous Management Budgeting,
Capability & Condition Investment Improvement, Reporting
FOUNDATIONAL

Competence TPM

Asset Data Configuration & Information Management

Copyright 2017 - Gaussian Engineering

Figure 3: An effective asset management delivery model (see References, #4)

is to: direct the important strategic activities pro- Using an implementation framework, such as tion. Inevitably, within the value argument, there
moting effectiveness throughout the organiza- the effective asset management delivery model in is a financial component. However, in his review
tional value chain. Figure 3 or “Asset Management – An Anatomy” by of the emerging redefinition of the value chain,
Figure 1 illustrates Porter’s value chain, where the Institute of Asset Management (IAM), will assist Porter states there are many additional elements
the contributions of AM enablers are mapped to in creating a clearer pathway toward execution. that contribute to the value paradigm. While the
the fundamentals in the value model. It clearly AM predominantly fits into the complicat- financial component is clearly important, there are
illustrates the areas of contribution from an AM ed, complex and chaotic domains (see section many examples where a singular view on short-
approach. Furthermore, it clearly demonstrates on Understanding Complexity in Part 2). Estab- term financial criteria within the AM arena can
the distinction between a whole business AM ap- lishing an AMS using a proven delivery model lead to value erosion. Clearly, there is a need to
proach and the narrow, specific activity of mainte- will significantly shorten the development and redefine the whole financial value evaluation crite-
nance, which serves to support production. implementation period, while allowing those or- ria so it provides the appropriate view of whether
A number of important tools within this new ganizations with elements of a system in place to AM is creating or destroying value.
toolbox support asset managers on their AM jour- clarify their understanding of requirements, gaps A number of financial indices measure the
ney. Figure 2 provides an overview of these vari- and opportunities. erosion or creation of value. However, the one
ous tools that will be explained in the following that best reflects the combined efforts of an or-
sections. ganization in influencing the creation of long-term
Measurements for Success: financial value is return on invested capital (ROIC).
Having a Plan: Utilizing an Effective Having a Methodology to Measure Practical experience has demonstrated that
Implementation Model Value Contribution this is the most appropriate metric because it is
a reflection of pure value erosion or creation by
The ISO55000 series of AM standards pro- According to ISO55000, AM enables an or- a management team over time. An increasingly
vides a complete, albeit complex, picture of what ganization to realize value from the ownership of positive trend is what one is looking for here, as
is required from an AMS. However, many users find assets through the achievement of organization- it consolidates all the various efforts of an orga-
it too complex and difficult to translate into the al objectives. What constitutes value is a weighty nization, from both an operational and capital
nuts and bolts of what needs to be done. topic and varies from organization to organiza- deployment perspective.

38 feb/mar 19
 1. Having a Plan – Utilizing an effective imple-
Operating Decisions Investing Decisions mentation model
2. Measurement of Success – having a method-
Working Capital ology to measure value contribution
Revenue
Gross Operating • Accounts receivable
• Price Profit Profit • Inventory
As can be seen, these are strategic enablers
• Volume management that apply across the business, not just in the
• Product mix • Accounts payable
maintenance department, and as such, contribute
to real strategic value.
Fixed Capital
Direct Expenses Operating
Expenses Income • Asset age, condition In Part 2, we will look at:
• Cost of good Taxes & quality
sold • Fixed • Capacity utilization 1. Modeling Risk and Opportunity – an effective
• Production costs • Variable • Fixed asset turnover
risk model
2. Understanding Complexity – how under-
Return on Invested Capital standing complexity theory will enhance
your chance of success.
Invested 3. The Maintenance Reliability Toolkit – select-
ROIC NOPAT Capital
ing the right improvement tools
4. Integrated Planning – seeing the “big picture”
NOPAT = Net Operating Profit After Tax
5. Data – realizing the value of analysis
Figure 4: Measuring the effectiveness of an asset management program
Copyright © Gauseng (Pty) Ltd. FIGURE 4
References
The implication is that a good AM program allows an organization to run scenarios to identify
will result in an increasing trend in ROIC, a down- where improvement or savings must be made. In- 1. International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
ISO55000:2014 Asset management – Overview, principles and
ward trend will indicate value destruction and corporating maturity guidelines allows the tool to terminology. https://www.iso.org/standard/55088.html
a flat trend will indicate a static situation. The identify areas where improvement must be made, 2. Porter, Michael E. Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustain-
ROIC value can be compared to industry and but issues warnings when the maturity of the or- ing Superior Performance. New York: Free Press, 1998.
geographical benchmarks to ascertain wheth- ganization is too low to perform the initiatives or 3. Snowden, David J. and Boone, Mary E. “A Leader’s Framework
for Decision Making”. Harvard Business Review, November 2007:
er the organization is better or worse than the sustain them.
pp 69–76.
competition. Change is easy, sustainable change is a differ- 4. Fogel, G. and Swart, P. “Does Relying on Criticality Put Your Or-
Experienced practitioners often find that ent matter. Once the team has identified improve- ganization at Risk?” Uptime Magazine, April/May 2018.
shop floor actions and plans are often discon- ment areas, initiatives identified through analysis 5. Fogel, G., Stander, J. and Griffin, D. “Creating an Effective Asset
nected from the boardroom’s measures or objec- and assessment can be tailored, prioritized and Management Delivery Model.”Uptime Magazine, June/July 2017.
6. Fogel, G. and Kemp, T. “The Role of Asset Management in a
tives. For example, what is the value of redefining implemented. Not quite the mythical business Constrained Economy.” IAM Annual Conference, Edinburgh,
a production planning system or implementing crystal ball, but as close as you can get to it. Scotland: 2016.
TPM activities and how is that reflected in return The bottom line is the tool allows organi- 7. Fogel, G. and Swanepoel, S. “Chapter 8: Declaring Value from an
on equity (RoE) or ROIC? Coupled to this is the zations to clearly align initiatives to measurable Asset Management System.” The New Asset Management Hand-
book. Fort Myers: Reliabilityweb.com, 2014.
complexity of organizational maturity. value contribution. This is a big-time credibility
A tool, like the asset management contribu- enhancer and effort saver.
tion model shown in Figure 5, can help link the
Grahame Fogel is the
shop floor to the boardroom. The tool is populat-
Conclusion founder of Gaussian
ed with organizational maturity derived through Engineering. He is an
an appropriate assessment, key business perfor- In Part 1 of the 2-part article we have looked at experienced International
mance and financial measures. Once populated, it two key asset management enablers: Consultant in the field of
asset management. He
is a recognized subject
matter expert in the fields
of strategic asset management, reliability
engineering, condition monitoring and change
management within the asset intensive
industries. www.gauseng.com

Dean Griffin is a thought

leader in the area of
asset management and
contributes significantly in
understanding the business
effects of asset management.
He is Chairman of the South
Africa Mirror Committee
for TC251 and has contributed significantly to
the ISO55000 standard. Dean is a Director of
Gaussian Engineering. www.gauseng.com

Figure 5: Example of an asset management contribution model

feb/mar 19 39
 Vib
vibration
analysis

Visualizing Flying Horses

and Vibrating Machines:
Slow-Motion Amplified Video
Chad Pasho

I
n the early 1800s, a new technology was
developed that visually captured a snip-
pet of time. Before this, people wanting
to memorialize an image were dependent
on drawings, which were subject to the
artist’s attention to detail, interpretation

HORSES DO, and nuance. This 1800s camera could render a

“photograph,” albeit crudely, that exactly and au-
tomatically represented what people saw at that

INDEED, FLY particular moment. And it wasn’t long before this

technology was deployed to further understand
objects in motion by sequencing photographs in
what we understand today as video. This laid the Figure 1: Muybridge captured horse “flight”
foundation for visualizing vibration using high- in 1878 using high-speed photography to
speed video, a technology that is revolutionizing understand objects moving too rapidly for the
the way organizations today interpret machinery human eye to perceive
motion.

40 feb/mar 19
 Figure 3: Accelerometer data compiled into a graphical representation of the machine and then
amplified at specific frequencies to highlight problems; In this case, a soft foot condition exists where
the casing attaches to the pedestal, enabling a resonance condition at running speed

Figure 2: Campbell’s high-speed photography were conclusive and upended the accepted un- he presented his paper, tragedy struck and acute
provided a comprehensive understanding of derstanding of the day. Horses do, indeed, fly. appendicitis took his life at only 40 years of age.
rotating disk vibration behavior
How Campbell Got His Diagram Vibration Visualization –
In 1924, Wilfred Campbell presented his re- Data-Driven Cartoons
See a Man About a Horse search in turbine vibration to the American Soci- In the 1960s, the algorithm known as fast
In 1878, Eadweard Muybridge used vide- ety of Mechanical Engineers. At the time, many Fourier transform (FFT) took the vibration world
ography to settle the burning debate of his time: in the industry believed that steam turbines had by storm. In an effort to detect nuclear testing in
can horses fly? Leland Stanford, previous railroad reached their maximum size, given limiting fac- the Soviet Union, John Tukey proposed the means
magnate and governor of California, commis- tors, such as vibration. In his pioneering paper1, to extract and quantify frequency domain infor-
sioned Muybridge in 1872 to determine if horses he laid the framework for the famous Campbell mation from a time domain vibration signal. The
engaged in “unsupported transit,” in which the diagram, which modeled vibrational behavior of following decade, this algorithm was applied to vi-
horse would be entirely airborne without a foot a rotating disk and provided an understanding brating objects to understand their relative shape
in contact with the ground. After a brief hiatus, that enabled breaking through design bound- during movement, known as operating deflection
during which Muybridge murdered his wife’s lov- aries. Truly a man before his time, he employed shape (ODS). This powerful model is created by
er, was found not guilty on account of justifiable high-speed photography to capture the floppy sampling vibration data at multiple points on a
homicide, and spent a year in Central America in behavior of a vibrating, rotating disk and showed vibrating object. A graphical model of the object
“working exile,” he eventually rigged a series of 12 the mechanical world a phenomenon they could is built and the vibration data gathered from each
cameras and an ingenious trigger system to cap- now comprehend. Sadly, this was his swan song, point on the machine is applied to its place on the
ture one of Stanford’s galloping horses. The results as just over a month after the conference at which model. The motion for specific frequencies is then

feb/mar 19 41
 Vib
vibration
analysis

Figure 4: ODS analysis clearly shows a resonant

mode at 474 Hz, where the housing undulated
like a speaker cone, however, it took hundreds Figure 5: Motion amplified video displays same undulating motion of the housing as Figure 4, but
of data points and two days of careful work to took minutes to reach the same conclusion with a much more detailed and realistic image
reach this conclusion

cades of applications that it is a powerful and in-

…Vibration information can be extracted tuitive diagnostic tool capable of clearly demon-
strating modes and frequencies of vibration.
However, ODS has its drawbacks, as well. For
pixel-by-pixel from the image example, it can be time-consuming. In data ac-
quisition, the hundreds of data points still require
considerable interpolation between points. In post
processing, it takes time to compile a database to
amplified and animated, providing a visual mod- (involving horizontal swaying of the casing’s NDE match model points. There is also the potential
el for interpreting the behavior or “shape” of the end). It used to be 15 percent above the running of bookkeeping errors when matching all the
object’s motion. speed, which typically was sufficient to avoid get- gathered data points to the appropriate place
Since that time, ODS has become a funda- ting excited. But now, it was drifting down into and direction on the model. Lastly, ODS requires
mental tool for troubleshooting rotating machin- and sometimes beyond the running speed of proximity, which might not be appropriate for re-
ery. It facilitates the understanding of machinery the pump, tuning in a resonance. The reason for stricted access where there are heat, radiation or
modes of movement for frequencies at which the downward shift was when the foot was able accessibility/scaffolding requirements.
force is being applied to the machine. For exam- to slide in frictional contact, it no longer supplied And let’s face it, an ODS is still a cartoon – a
ple, the rotational speed of a machine common- as stiff of a support to the casing. By tightening coarse, albeit generally understandable, artist’s
ly adds force at a frequency equal to one times down on the foot attachment bolt, this soft foot rendering of a snippet in time of a machine’s op-
the operating frequency. The resulting deflection condition was repaired and the natural frequency eration. Sound familiar?
shape can be easily observed at this frequency by involved shifted back up to around 93 Hz, suffi-
amplifying and animating the motion, and often ciently separated from 1x running speed forces
certain faults can be quickly diagnosed based on (e.g., residual imbalance) to avoid further reso- Vibration Visualization – Data
the shape of the motion. nance. Vibration levels decreased to very accept- Enhanced Video
As a real-world example, a high-pressure able levels.
charge pump was experiencing excessive vi- The physical problem may seem trivial once Just as the photograph captured what
bration at a U.S. nuclear power plant. This pump its nature is perceived. However, some very good people saw, high-speed video is now enabling
runs at 4,800 rpm (80 Hz), driven by a 1,800 rpm technical people at the plant wrestled with this the capture of rotating machinery motion. But,
motor through a speed increasing gearset. ODS problem for six months before a vibration visual- this motion is typically too small and too fast for
samples were obtained tri-directionally at 200 ization technique – in this case ODS – was applied. people to see. However, by applying algorithms
locations on the pump, pedestal and foundation. The perspective on the vibration distribution and as groundbreaking as the previously mentioned
The detailed study determined significant lateral its meaning was not there when the plant evalu- FFT, vibration information can be extracted pix-
vibration in the horizontal direction on one of the ated the vibration data point by point instead of el-by-pixel from the image. This is the equivalent
pump’s non-drive end (NDE) mounting feet, versus as a comprehensive set of points. of millions of accelerometers providing frequency
the top mounting surface of its pedestal, at the Once it was employed, ODS was extreme- and amplitude information in a genuinely com-
pump’s operating frequency, or 80Hz. ly useful in this case, rendering a diagnosis of prehensive fashion. The information then can be
The diagnosis involved the casing’s structural the problem that led to a recommendation of a amplified and integrated into the original video,
(as supported by the pedestal) natural frequency straightforward solution. It has proven over de- pixel-by-pixel, providing an enhanced video that

42 feb/mar 19
fuses the helpful amplification of the ODS with diagnosis of machinery. It has advantages over the ery issues, either method is adequate. For higher
real-world, detailed imagery – and without the classic ODS method in many, but not all, instances speed machines and high frequency problems,
drudgery and potential for error of an ODS. and typically takes much less time and logistics to such as vane pass noise, the Eulerian method may
Let’s turn to another example of the technol- implement. be more practical, permitting greater amplification
ogy in action to demonstrate its power. Two small, Like ODS, it is a powerful and intuitive di- of motion, so long as there is comparable cost and
constant speed (3,600 rpm) ducted fan blowers re- agnostic tool that is easy for non-experts to un- system complexity.
quired for worker ventilation at a wastewater facil- derstand. It realistically demonstrates modes and
ity were exhibiting normal levels of vibration, but frequencies of vibration. But unlike ODS, it can cre- Video
were running loud. And loud in this case was as ate a comprehensive set of data points without
View related videos from this article:
high as 120 dB at an audible tone of 474 Hz, which the need for expert selection and bookkeeping.
https://uptime4.me/2FP0AOv
just so happened to be the blade pass frequency. Additionally, millions of data points are ready to
To get an idea of how loud that is, picture yourself evaluate in minutes, not days.
at a rock concert in front of the speakers without Unlike ODS, video-based motion amplifica-
References
the catchy tune. Data for an ODS was gathered, as tion technology does not require contact, which 1. Campbell, Wilfred. “Protection of Steam Turbine Disk Wheels
well as a high-speed video for vibration amplifi- makes it appropriate for restricted areas involv- from Axial Vibration.” The American Society of Mechanical En-
gineers, Paper No. 1920, 1924.
cation analysis. ing heat, radiation or accessibility/scaffolding
Once the mode shape was identified and requirements.
evaluated, it was clear that the blower was in res- The technology is also cost-effective. It is in- Chad Pasho is the Business
onance with the blade passing frequency of 474 expensive as the sole troubleshooting technology, Development Manager for
Envision Motion, providing
Hz. The upper sidewall of the casing possessed a or it can help to focus the effort for accelerome-
vibration analysis and
“plate mode” natural frequency very close to the ter-based ODS.
visualization tools that
blade pass frequency. As the blower underwent utilize high-speed video. His
changes in loading, the induction motor slip
On the Market Today industry experience includes
changed and the vane passing frequency drifted oil and gas exploration
into and out of precise resonance with the side- Presently, there are at least two commercial- and nuclear power, as well as general rotating
wall natural frequency, causing the mysterious ized methods for obtaining amplified vibration machinery troubleshooting domain knowledge
loud noise. from video: Lagrangian (watch speckles or fea- with Mechanical Solutions, Inc.
This new video-based motion amplification tures move) and Eulerian (watch fixed location pix- www.envisionmotion.com
technology can be very useful for vibration-based el intensity change). For most low speed machin-

feb/mar 19 43
 Ri
risk
management

Joel L
ev
itt

PART 2
TABLE 1 – Job Plan Remove & Replace Pump
The ABCs of Job Safety Analysis
STEP ACTIVITY
The goal for organizations is job safety that is effective and adds the least NUMBER
possible overhead to the job. An overriding rule is that the safest environment
is one where safety is involved at all stages of the job, starting with conception 1 Permit, lockout-tagout (LOTO)
and planning. Tacked on safety is expensive and ineffective. 2 Shore up discharge section
One of the planning jobs is to break down maintenance activities into 3 Drain and blind
steps. This process helps identify resources, tools and start-up procedures and
makes it easier to estimate. One other process made easier by breaking down 4 Unbolt, rig and remove spool on suction side
the work is hazards identification. (171#/foot in 24”, 3’ length = 513 pounds)
As an example, let’s look at a job to remove and replace a large pump. 5 Rig and remove pump with crane (2,350 pounds)
Further, let’s agree that the job steps are as shown in Table 1. 6 Clean base, scrape flat
Job safety analysis (JSA) is the process used to detect hazards and decide
what to do with them. The purpose of a JSA is to ensure that the risk of each 7 Replace pump, bolt down, align
step of a task is reduced to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). Next, 8 Remove blinds
look at each step to see if any of the hazards from the list are likely, probable, 9 Get testing permit, release locks, tags
or possible (i.e., high, medium, or low) probability.
If you take just a few steps from the job plan, as shown in Table 2, you 10 Test and benchmark system
can see what risks are present and, based on the impact and probability of 11 Remove shoring and clean area
occurrence, decide on a course of action.
12 Return to operations and clear all permits

44 feb/mar 19
 TABLE 2 – Job Plan with Hazards and Mitigation
STEP ACTIVITY HAZARD STEPS AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
NUMBER EQUIPMENT (PPE) TO MITIGATE
2 Shore up discharge section Entrapment and crushing, Falling objects Mitigate adequate design, hard hats, steel toe
boots
3 Drain and blind Airborne contaminants, Asphyxiation, Fresh air, gloves, full body moon suit, if needed,
Chemical ingestion, Skin exposure, Breathing, face mask
Eye damage (e.g., particle, chemical, flash)
4 Unbolt, rig and remove spool Entrapment and crushing, Falling objects Steel toe shoes, rigging standards, inspection of
on suction side (513#) straps and chokers, etc.
5 Rig and remove pump with Entrapment and crushing, Falling objects, Procedures to clear the lift path, formal lift plan, test
crane (2,350#) Asphyxiation air before getting too close, steel toe shoes, rigging
standards, inspection of straps and chokers, etc.

In maintenance, there’s usually a five- or 10-minute section on safety

Safety Data Sheets Basics
during the daily toolbox meeting in the morning; nothing really elaborate.
What Every Maintenance Leader Needs to Know If you’re going to address a bigger safety topic, it might be a half hour or an
hour with a slide presentation.
The most common mistake organizations make with safety data sheets It could be a single point lesson. For example, you might discuss fatigue.
(SDS) and chemicals is that the inventory of chemicals in use does not cor- Fatigue is the most common cause of accidents because when you are tired,
respond to the SDS in the notebook or file. The fine in the U.S., as in other there is more of a chance of injury. Another important topic might be slipping
areas, runs from $7,000 per incident per day to $25,000 per incident per day. and tripping. Slipping and tripping is the second most common cause of
To avoid being out of compliance, consider computerizing the whole accidents, which can be avoided with improved housekeeping and better
process. In the U.S., the Occupational Safety and Health Administration lighting.
(OSHA) accepts the presence of SDS in a computer. With networks, you can
avoid trouble by having a company-wide file available to everyone.
Two important things to keep in mind: The purpose of a JSA (job safety
1. It is the manufacturer of the chemical that is responsible to get the SDS
to you. You are responsible to notice if you have them or not.
analysis) is to ensure that the risk of
2. A major source of inspections originates from disgruntled employees each step of a task is reduced to as
anonymously calling OSHA.
low as reasonably practicable
The exact format of the SDS varies by manufacturer, but there are gen-
eral sections that contain critical information that every employee should
OSHA has some really great material for safety meetings that you can
know. Some SDS could have as many as 15 parts.
access from its website (osha.gov/SLTC/text_index.html). This material is avail-
able to anyone, anywhere in the world. There are literally enough topics there
The Safety Meeting to last a year.
One aspect of safety is the reminder to be safe! Just the actual reminder Among the topics available are: confined space; disease prevention and
might save someone’s life. It’s not unreasonable to have a safety moment blood-borne pathogens; electrical hazards; ergonomics; hearing conserva-
every day. It could be one or two minutes. At some companies, when they tion; ladders; hazard communications; lifting toolbox with care; rigging; LOTO;
have any meeting, they always start with a safety moment. office issues; PPE; seasonal toolbox dealing with seasonal issues or holiday

TABLE 3 – SDS Highlights

Part #1 OSHA hazard This section is an overview of the hazard. Read it carefully to determine if a significant hazard exists.
Part #3 Precautionary label These sections go through the specific first aid steps for all types of exposure, including ingestion,
information as prescribed inhalation, skin contact, etc. If you work with dangerous materials, study these sections and be
by the U.S. Environmental prepared.
Protection Agency (EPA)
Part #4 First aid
Part #6 Toxicological information While designed for doctors and scientists, a quick read through these sections will tip you off as to
whether the material is very toxic or very dangerous to the environment.
Part #7 Environmental toxicology
Part #9 Fire This part alerts you to a potential fire hazard or a potential deadly reaction with another chemical. In
some cases, mixing two safe chemicals results in an unsafe reaction. For example, the gas given off
Part #10 Reactivity by mixing bleach and ammonia is deadly.
Other Parts Transit, handling, spill All the other information necessary for use, transport and cleanup of the chemical.
procedures, regulation

feb/mar 19 45
 Ri
risk
management

TABLE 4 – 2017-2018 Sample of Fatalities

Clarksville TN Worker fatally crushed by rolling truck

Weatherford TX Worker died in fall from bucket of front-end loader

Austin TX Worker fatally crushed under bus when jacks slipped

Columbia SC Worker died after becoming caught between scissor lift and ceiling

South Kingstown RI Worker electrocuted when lift contacted power line

Hurst TX Worker died in fall from ladder

Maynardville TN Worker fatally crushed by axles while unsecuring load from trailer

Hazel Crest IL Worker fatally crushed under truck when jack slipped

San Francisco CA Worker fatally crushed between truck cab door and door frame

Harrisburg PA Worker died after being struck by tractor trailer

Bristow VA Worker died after being struck by school bus

Kailua Kona HI Worker died in fall from trailer

Martinez CA Worker fatally crushed under vehicle

Mahaska KS Worker died of hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide exposure

Baytown TX Worker died from exposure to vapors while cleaning tanker truck

Irving TX Worker died in fall from ladder

TABLE 5 – 2017 Top 10 Safety Issues To make the topic relatable, considering telling real-life stories. Here’s
an example:
1. Fall protection, construction
A guy bent over to pick up a tool and collapsed. His buddy standing next
2. Hazard communication standard, general industry to him, thinking he’s having a heart attack, bends over to help him and
3. Scaffolding, general requirements, construction he collapses, too! It turned out there was a chest-high level of carbon
dioxide, so as long as they were standing up, they were fine.
4. Respiratory protection, general industry
The problem was they did oxygen sensing at head level. If they had done
5. Control of hazardous energy (LOTO), general industry
it up and down their entire body, they would have known there was an
6. Ladders, construction issue and accommodated it.
7. Powered industrial trucks, general
A lot of people don’t know about oxygen sensing, so using oxygen sen-
8. Machinery and machine guarding, general requirements sors correctly would be a good single point lesson. Operational experience is
9. Fall protection, training requirements not helpful if you don’t know the things behind it. People get hurt by all kinds
of crazy stuff. Telling those types of stories is useful.
10. Electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment,
Be careful with contractors. Include them in the meetings and introduce
general industry
them around. However, be aware that contractors have a unique situation
compared to in-house people. Every single day, contractors are facing a differ-
ent set of hazards because of the different locations. So, you want to discuss
awareness; slips, trips and falls; fatigue; fire; forklifts and forklift driving; small what’s going on at that site. Don’t begrudge them the time to look at the
tools toolbox for small hand or powered tools; and weather and how it affects hazards, such as slippery surfaces, construction going on around them, the
safety. position of cranes and heavy lifts, and overhead power lines.
You could also base topics on the top fatal safety incidents, as shown in
Table 4, or the top safety issues in a particular year, as listed in Table 5. Keeping Records
Keep a log of topics so you know what you are covering. It is also helpful
Frequency for Covering Key Topics
for planning your next meetings. The talks should be held on company time
You should cover an important topic every couple of months, perhaps and cover the hazards that your organization faces. You should also keep a
covering a different aspect of it each time. record of who is in attendance, such as an attendance or sign-in sheet.

46 feb/mar 19
 Downloads

One aspect of safety is the Shop Safety Audit and Inspection Forms: uptime4.me/2UluFZh

reminder to be safe… References

1. Checklist adapted from and courtesy of HP Hood LLC, through Ameri-
just the actual reminder might can Society of Safety Engineers www.asse.org/practicespecialties/trans-
portation/
save someone’s life 2. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. OSH Answers Fact
Sheets: Inspection Checklists – Sample Checklist for Manufacturing Facili-
ties. https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/list_mft.html
3. Work Safe Victoria, Australia. Tools to Help You Create a Safe and Healthy
Workplace. https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/
Why Go to All This Trouble? 4. U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA. QuickTakes online bimonthly newsletter.
osha.gov/as/opa/quicktakes
• You made a promise! Check your mission, vision and value statement.
Safety is one of the core promises to your employees and communities.
• Safety incidents create a bad public image.
• Compliance with regulations, laws and standards saves fines and keeps Joel Levitt, CRL, CPMM, is the President of Laser Focused
your company out of the news. Training. Mr. Levitt has 30 years of experience in many facets
• There is an argument that safety saves money. When you consider the of maintenance, including process control design, source
overall costs of accidents, a safe organization seems to always be the low- equipment inspector, electrician, field service technician,
est cost producer. maritime operations and property management. He is
a leading trainer of maintenance professionals and has
• Many programs, such 5S, increase operational efficiency and promote
trained more than 17,000 maintenance leaders from 3,000
safety. organizations in 25 countries in over 500 sessions.
• People avoid having accidents and having their friends hurt. Safety www.maintenancetraining.com
might improve employee satisfaction (or at least reduce dissatisfaction).

feb/mar 19 47
 Pm
preventive
maintenance

Technologies That Make

ASSET MONITORING
Boring (In a Good Way)
Brett Burger

A
call about a line outage or a mes- mote diagnostics is to provide data that, as much tems report overall feature calculations (e.g., root
sage from an operator that “some- as possible, alleviates the need for analysts to be mean square (RMS), peak-peak, 1X/2X magnitude,
thing’s wrong” is not a good start on-site. The concept is simple: connect sensor data and so on) and others report full waveform data.
to the day. Early warning signs are to an IT network so experts receive asset health Overall, feature calculations alarm on general
there to be found. However, main- data through a web browser, rather than traveling problems and are used to identify some failure
tenance engineers can’t be every- to collect data with handheld instrumentation and modes. But, feature alarms need a follow-up with
where at once. Time between data rounds is when their own senses. waveform data, typically captured by handheld
something can go wrong, and some equipment It’s important to note the distinction in data devices, for more in-depth analysis, as seen in
isn’t even on a data collection route. types needed for remote diagnostics. Many sys- Figure 1. If waveform data is the goal, the systems
Many experienced maintenance profes-
sionals are at or near retirement age. With fewer
replacements on the horizon, manufacturers are
increasingly looking to industrial technology to
maximize worker productivity to unlock capaci-
ty and improve overall equipment effectiveness
(OEE). Better uptime starts with better data. These
four technologies help provide better data quality
and access to the teams that keep plants up and
running.

Cloud- and Web-Based

Software Technology
Isn’t it odd that monitoring professionals
walk routes between equipment to gather data,
yet there is consumer technology on the market to
see inside a refrigerator from a cell phone?
This technology exists for turbomachinery.
Analysts can decide which plant, line, or asset
they need to visit to best impact reliability before Figure 1: Vibration measurement layout showing RMS trend line, waveform, spectrum and envelope
grabbing their hard hat or car keys. The goal of re- analysis

48 feb/mar 19
 Wireless Instrumentation
The biggest cost driver for permanently in-
stalled instrumentation is typically installation,
including engineering design and a contractor to
run conduit for power and Ethernet. Transmitting
sensor data wirelessly greatly reduces this cost.
From a communication standpoint, there is
no silver bullet. A wide variety of wireless stan-
Figure 2: Software technology converts raw, digitized accelerometer data into an audio file so dards and protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ISA100,
analysts can listen for problems from across the factory or across the country WirelessHART, LoRa, and several 900 MHz variants)
can help vendors assemble wireless instrumenta-
tion to cost-effectively pull vibration data from 20
that connect waveform data to the Cloud are the failure modes and conduct differential diagnosis. year old pumps, motors, fans and other assets.
ones that most effectively improve productivity. It is important that server software for asset mon- Advancements in sensor digitization com-
Web access to waveform data and analysis itoring manages data from multiple sensor tech- ponents, such as analog-to-digital converters, are
helps experts remotely diagnose asset health. nologies. This way, analysts can have more confi- bringing waveform quality data from the same
At minimum, remote analysis provides peace of dence in their remote diagnosis and know where piezoelectric sensors used with portable systems.
mind without involving road trips, catwalks, ad to best focus their time. A more critical piece of These, however, are permanently mounted to the
hoc plant walk downs, or calls to the expert who equipment may be less of a risk to uptime than asset and wirelessly connected to an IT network to
is currently out of town. In some cases, remote a less critical asset with a more devastating issue. reduce or eliminate the need for routes (Figure 3).
analysis can prevent a profit draining outage. Experienced analysts use their senses to help
Vibration data is one of the primary measure- diagnose equipment problems: does the machine Microelectromechanical Systems
ments for asset health, but it’s not the only sensor sound, smell, or look off? Software technology ex-
technology used to diagnose problems. Oil analy- ists to convert digitized accelerometer data into
(MEMS)
sis, motor current signature analysis, infrared ther- an audio file (Figure 2) so analysts can listen for Silicon technology companies designing
mography, electromagnetic signature analysis, problems as if they were standing in front of the MEMS sensors for mass markets, like gaming con-
and others are used to capture a broader range of equipment. soles, consumer automobiles and smartphones,
are using that same design expertise to target
It is important that server software industrial markets. MEMS sensors, like most elec-
tronic technologies, are continuing to shrink, use

for asset monitoring manages data from less power and provide higher quality measure-
ments. This makes them a good fit to measure

multiple sensor technologies

vibration data for machine health.
Most MEMS sensors for condition monitoring
(Figure 4) are complete with a sensor, signal digi-
tization circuitry, if needed, a battery and wireless
radio, all built into mechanical packaging for a spe-
cific operating environment. To install, the main
difference from installing traditional piezoelectric
sensors is the need for a few gateways installed
around the plant.
Many MEMS vibration sensors are triaxial and
include a temperature sensor. This makes them a
relatively low-cost way to connect problematic as-
sets that otherwise wouldn’t be worth adding to a
collection route or running conduit to. Instead of
having data visibility on only the top five percent
of plant assets, maintenance teams can cover the
top 20 percent of assets most likely to have issues
and contribute to downtime risk.

Edge Processing Technology

Asset health data is big data. A single pump
motor skid with a few triaxial accelerometers con-
nected to permanent instrumentation can gener-
ate over 20 GB of data per day. The Cloud essen-
tially has infinite processing capability, however, a
plant can’t feasibly push all its sensor data to the
Cloud for processing.
Technology vendors in the condition moni-
toring market are packaging the latest in process-
Figure 3: Wireless instrumentation shown connected to standard, piezoelectric accelerometers
ing elements into rugged, passively cooled devic-
reduces the cost of high quality waveform data

feb/mar 19 49
 Pm
preventive
maintenance

monitoring devices screen the data looking for Making Days Boring
predesignated features. When these features, such
as RMS or crest factor limits, are found, the data is Analysts need to take their expertise on-site
logged and sent to the server software for access to the plant. Asset monitoring technology is not
by an analyst. replacing their years of experience in keeping
Route-based acquisition records data at a turbomachinery spinning. Rather, it’s helping
predesignated time, regardless of asset health them spend less time collecting data and filtering
measurements. Twenty-four hours after an as- through useless data and more time focusing on
set is measured, it could start showing signs of the equipment most likely to cause the next out-
bearing wear that wouldn’t be caught until the age. Getting ahead of these problems prevents
next route three months later. By contrast, con- the excitement from calls about outages and op-
tinuous monitoring equipment records data for erator messages regarding odd equipment behav-
a predesignated feature, so teams only get the ior. It makes overseeing equipment boring. But in
data they want. a good way.
Data captures from start-ups hold valuable
information, but can be logistically difficult to
acquire. Getting the right person with the right
instrumentation in front of the asset at the right Brett Burger is the Principal
time can be difficult. This is especially true when Solution Marketing Manager
manufacturers have more plants than reliability for Online Monitoring at
experts and more reliability experts than instru- National Instruments (NI). He
Figure 4: MEMS-based sensor connected to a has experience in a variety
mentation. On top of those logistics, some start-
of fields, including machine
vertically installed motor wirelessly sends data to ups are unplanned (think peaking units for power
condition monitoring, smart
experts for analysis generators or auxiliary equipment). grid technology, sensors, and
Edge processing technology helps manage data acquisition. Brett has been deeply involved
es to help manage large amounts of raw sensor the big data of asset health monitoring. By con- with NI’s Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and
data before it leaves the plant floor. Most data tinuously acquiring and screening data, mainte- showing the value engineers can offer businesses
from manufacturing equipment is benign and, if nance teams have less data containing more in- through intelligent, connected, data-centric
recorded, would serve only to bog down analysts formation to analyze, which makes more efficient systems. www.ni.com/en-us.html
as they seek the important artifacts within. Smart use of their time.

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50 feb/mar 19
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 Bryan Christiansen
Opx
operational
excellence

What Hides Behind the Term:

52 feb/mar 19
LEAN
MAINTENANCE
Those familiar with the application of lean principles have come across terms like: lean
manufacturing, lean enterprise and lean organization. But lean maintenance is not as
commonly discussed as the other three terms.
Why is that?

S
In lean maintenance, operators aim to predict repairs as accurately as
ome consider lean maintenance as merely a subset possible. Repairs should never be done too soon or too late and all necessary
or spin-off of lean manufacturing. In reality, however, spare parts should be available when due. In other words, monitor equipment
that is not the case. Lean maintenance is actually a and purchase parts “just in time” for the next maintenance task.
precondition for the success of lean manufacturing,
rather than just an accessory. Elimination of the Seven Deadly Wastes
This article explains the basic fundamentals of
Reduce the steps in the process that add no value by eliminating the seven
lean maintenance and presents a few of its benefits and challenges.
deadly wastes or “TIM WOOD.”
WHAT IS LEAN MAINTENANCE? Transportation – Moving items and tools from one place to another unnec-
Lean maintenance is a management strategy that aims to apply essarily.
lean principles and goals to physical asset management. Inventory – Allowing activities, such as work orders and job requests, to pile
The ultimate goal of lean thinking is to provide perfect value up.
to the customer through processes that generate zero waste. In this
context, waste refers to the use of resources (e.g., time, labor, inven- Motion – Undesirable and avoidable movement due to poor workplace de-
tory, energy, etc.) in any way that does not add value to the final sign and layout.
product or service. Waiting – Delays and idle time as a result of downtime, parts shortage, slow
By applying these same lean goals, lean maintenance results in approval, etc.
improved productivity and reduced costs, while also relying heavily
Overprocessing – Doing work that the customer will not pay for or does not
on practices inherent in total productive maintenance (TPM) and
require.
reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) to be effective.
Overproduction – Producing more than the required quantity of a good “just
in case.”
Foundational Elements of Lean Maintenance Defects (Rework) – Resources wasted while correcting repair or servicing
It’s easy to understand why many still wrongly classify lean maintenance mistakes.
as a subset of lean manufacturing. After all, many of the tools used to imple-
ment and sustain lean manufacturing also apply to lean maintenance. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
These tools form the foundation of lean maintenance and include: Total productive maintenance is a hands-on, system-wide and proactive ap-
proach to maintenance that lies at the very root of lean maintenance. Ideally,
The 5S Process TPM should be already implemented and operational before an organization
makes plans to adopt and sustain lean maintenance.
5s refers to five activities for organizing the workplace. When implemented, Take one of the pillars of TPM, autonomous maintenance, for instance.
they deliver improved overall efficiency, storage and maintenance. Each “S” From top to bottom of the organization, every employee is involved in carry-
is a Japanese word that means: ing out routine maintenance on the physical assets they operate daily.
By so doing, the enterprise enjoys the benefits of having a team of mul-
Sort (Seiri) – Sort through the items at a location and remove any unnec- tiskilled technicians, operators and executives all working together to limit
essary objects. This improves safety and reduces the time spent looking for incidents of loss, breakdowns and other inconveniences.
what’s needed.
Set in order (Seiton) – Rearrange the workplace so needed items are stored Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)
optimally and are easy to find.
Reliability-centered maintenance is another proactive maintenance strategy
Shine (Seiso) – Sweep, clean and inspect the workplace and any machinery. used to monitor physical assets in their present operating condition and pre-
This prevents deterioration, improves safety and creates a pleasant environ- dict their maintenance requirements.
ment. Since statistics indicate that about 70 percent of equipment failures are
Standardize (Seiketsu) – Establish schedules and procedures for repeating self-induced, maintenance engineers need to discover the causes of these
the first three “S” activities. failures. Thereafter, they can recommend preventive maintenance actions.

Sustain (Shitsuke) – Also described as “do without being told.” At this stage,
workers are self-disciplined enough to continue and sustain the improvement
Planning for Lean Maintenance
process without continuously being told what to do. The following items can help guide the preparatory stages for imple-
menting lean maintenance.
Just in Time (JIT) • Proactive maintenance: Proactive, rather than reactive, maintenance
Just in time is a concept commonly used in reference to inventory. Companies should be already in place and operational.
use this strategy to reduce waste during the production process by receiving • A work order system: This would capture all work assigned with details
goods into their stock only when needed. about maintenance schedules and job status. When managed within a

feb/mar 19 53
 Opx
operational
excellence

computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), work orders are Common Challenges with Using Lean Maintenance
invaluable for quick access to information, especially equipment history.
• A CMMS: As a minimum, a CMMS should perform the following func- Organizations typically face two main challenges when implementing a lean
tions: budget and cost, work order management, planning and schedul- maintenance strategy.
ing, spares management, reporting and labor management. The first is expense. The up-front costs of some aspects of lean mainte-
• An updated asset inventory: This will help ensure that no machine is nance, for example implementing RCM, may be considerable. As such, it will
overlooked during maintenance planning. take some time before reaping the benefits.
• Training and empowerment of operators: Both are required before The second challenge is resistance to change. Some resistance to the
handing over machines to them. Training and empowerment should be new way of doing things should be expected. However, this resistance has to
thoroughly exhausted as part of TPM implementation. be carefully managed to ensure success of the entire process.

A Few Benefits of Lean Maintenance Conclusion

Implementing lean maintenance delivers numerous benefits. Among them Lean maintenance and the benefits it promises are achievable. But, there
are: is significant preparation that should be in place beforehand so it doesn’t
become another wasted endeavor.
Avoiding waste – A typical example is using the JIT concept to avoid keeping
A major part of that preparation should focus on adopting the TPM and
expensive inventory longer than necessary.
RCM culture well in advance before attempting to apply lean maintenance.
Reducing inefficient activities – Inefficient activities include running around
looking for tools and shutting down equipment for maintenance without Bryan Christiansen is founder and CEO at Limble
ensuring the resources for servicing are available beforehand. CMMS. Limble is a mobile first, modern, and easy to use
Eliminating urgency – Frantic and urgent repairs are reduced to the barest CMMS software that takes the stress and chaos out of
minimum. maintenance by helping managers organize, automate
and streamline their maintenance operations.
Minimizing the cost of maintenance – When the shutdown of critical equip- www.limblecmms.com
ment for maintenance is well planned, it reduces the amount of production
time lost.

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54 feb/mar 19
 .
reserved
All rights
bilityweb.com.
019, Relia
® Elements
©2016-2
Uptime

h t t p : / / w w w . b a n e t t i . c o m
 Cr
corporate
responsibility

CHOOSE TO REUSE:
ENVIRONMENTAL
BENEFITS OF
RECONDITIONED

Danielle White
SF6
W
hen it comes to medium
and high voltage circuit
breakers, there is no better …Reconditioned SF6 is 100 percent recyclable,
electrical insulator than sul-
fur hexafluoride (SF6). The which provides an ecological benefit in the
manufactured gas is most
commonly used to fill circuit breakers within utility reduction of the industry’s carbon footprint
substations to prevent and quench arcing events.
Transmission substations transfer high voltage
power to distribution substations, which subse-
quently disperse the incoming electricity to lower
voltages suitable for consumers on power grids. distribution (T&D) industry. It has been the pre- house gas emissions. According to the Environ-
Both transmission and distribution circuit break- ferred gas in switchgears for over 50 years. mental Science & Technology Report, SF6 production
ers are vulnerable to arcing events, which can be in China contributed to 10 percent of gas emis-
triggered by power surges, partial discharges and sions from the country between 1990 and 2010.
Two Types of SF6
lightning strikes. This is a huge environmental concern due to the
SF6’s impeccable dielectric strength, arc Sulfur hexafluoride is available in two types: long atmospheric lifespan of SF6 – an astounding
quenching capabilities and resilience to remain virgin SF6 and reconditioned SF6. Virgin sulfur 3,200 years.
thermally stable are just a few reasons why this hexafluoride is generated overseas in Europe and Moreover, virgin SF6 impacts climate change
gas has remained a staple in the transmission and Asia. Its production is a known source of green- as the gas is highly potent. SF6 has a global warm-

56 feb/mar 19
 gram. These programs guarantee locally available
product to the end user while being mindful to
the environment. Choosing to recondition gas in
place of disposal discourages importation of virgin
gas and, in turn, helps reduce SF6 emissions from
not only the creation process, but from exhaust or
fuel emissions that take place during transport to
North America.
An additional advantage for sourcing recon-
ditioned SF6 is cost savings. Virgin gas is typically
sold at a premium and guarantees a greater than
99.99 percent purity rating. What many users do
not realize is that technology is currently available
that can separate by-products and air from taint-
ed SF6. The filtration process makes it possible for
used SF6 to reach federal and international stan-
dards for tech grade gas, all at a lower cost. This
cost savings does not compromise quality. Wheth-
er your SF6 supply is restocked with greater than
99.9 percent or 5/9 gas (99.999 percent), the result
is the same: a circuit breaker filled with a reliable
product that requires minimal maintenance (pro-
Figure 1: SF6 gas separator, which uses a cryogenic process to recondition contaminated SF6 gas to vided best handling techniques are practiced).
>99.99% purity
Alternative Gases
As of late, alternative gases are a hot
ing potential (GWP) of 22,800. To help put this into SF6 Reconditioning Programs
perspective, one pound of virgin SF6 released into topic in the electrical sector. The negative impact
the atmosphere has the same effect as 11 tons of Generally, contaminated SF6 goes unnoticed of SF6 emissions has pushed the industry to de-
carbon dioxide. With the results of multiple re- until a breaker fault is reported or during routine velop an alternate medium that is much safer for
search studies regarding the effects of emissions maintenance. SF6 that does not meet Internation- the environment. While implementing a substitute
and by-products, it is surprising to learn that some al Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Insti- gas is possible, there are still various factors that
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for cir- tute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) make the elimination of SF6 impractical.
cuit breakers and electrical utilities are proponents standards is usually set aside for disposal. A more The most notable alternative gases are com-
for utilizing only virgin SF6. cost-effective and eco-friendly option is to reuse prised of gas mixtures. These special formulas
Reconditioned SF6, on the other hand, offers by participating in an SF6 reconditioning pro- require a special housing different from SF6 com-
overwhelming benefits. After undergoing the cor-
rect cleansing/separation process, used SF6 can be
transformed to a new condition and offers the fol-
lowing advantages:

• Unlike air and oil – the first used insulating

mediums in the industry – reconditioned SF6
is 100 percent recyclable, which provides an
ecological benefit in the reduction of the in-
dustry’s carbon footprint.
• An alternative to product disposal without in-
creasing budgetary costs.

Additionally, virgin SF6 poses a risk to the

environment if emitted into the atmosphere. Pre-
venting SF6 emissions is possible with properly
trained staff, reliable maintenance equipment and
utilization of reconditioned gas.
Although SF6 production is unavailable in
the United States, there are a few suppliers who
can provide reconditioned gas at premium grades
that exceed the necessary standards for use in gas
insulated equipment (GIE). Sourcing SF6 locally can
help greatly reduce the carbon footprint in North
America without compromising the product qual-
ity or durability of GIE. Figure 2: Analysis equipment measures purity and contamination levels in SF6 gas

feb/mar 19 57
 Cr
corporate
responsibility

Conclusion 2020.” Environmental Science & Technology, April 2013, Vol.

47, Issue 8, pp 3848−3855. https://folk.nilu.no/~fang/Publi-
From a technological view, there are no sig- cation/Fang-2013-EST-Sulfur%20hexafluoride%20(SF6)%20
emission%20estimates%20for%20China%20an%20inven-
nificant differences in the makeup of engineered
tory%20for%201990-2010%20and%20a%20projection%20
virgin SF6 and reconditioned SF6 that has under- to%202020.pdf
gone a cryogenic process to remove by-products. 2. European Fluorocarbons Technical Committee (EFCTC). Prod-
Circuit breaker manufacturers and electrical utili- ucts & Applications of Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6): https://www.
ties should consider the value of choosing to re- fluorocarbons.org/products-applications-sulphur-hexafluo-
ride-sf6/
use and eliminate the specification for virgin gas 3. Ponchon, Philippe. “G3 – In the Air.” Think Grid. December 22,
in operational and maintenance procedures. The 2017. http://www.think-grid.org/g3-in-the-air
cultivation of alternative gases does show promise 4. Nyberg, Dave. “3M™ Novec™ Dielectric Fluids SF6 Alternatives
for the electrical industry’s future, however, further for Power Utilities.” Workshop for SF6 Emission Reduction Strat-
egies, January, 2017. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/
examination of the by-products, maintenance
files/2017-02/documents/nyberg_presentation_2017_work-
procedures and recycling capabilities is needed shop.pdf
before discounting SF6 completely. 5. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Electric Pow-
Reusing properly treated SF6 removes the er Systems Partnership: https://www.epa.gov/f-gas-partner-
need for generating new product and, more im- ship-programs/electric-power-systems-partnership
Figure 3: Cylinders used to store SF6 gas portantly, helps lower the carbon footprint in the
United States. As long as there is an option to re- Danielle White is the Account
use, there are no sound reasons for using virgin Manager for DILO Company,
partments, necessitating a complete overhaul of gas in circuit breaker applications. For now, recon- Inc.’s Canadian customer base
T&D grids across North America. Most importantly, ditioned SF6 is the alternative gas solution. and Marketing Associate.
very little research has been completed regarding Together with her team,
procedures for handling alternative gases that Danielle’s focus is to spread
have been exposed to arcs. There are no known References safe SF6 handling practices
and awareness regarding
methods on how to recycle the gas mixtures for 1. Hu Jianxin, et al. “Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Emission Estimates
for China: An Inventory for 1990-2010 and a Projection to
SF6 emissions. www.dilo.com
repeated use.

58 feb/mar 19
THIS IS THE ONLY
CONFERENCE IN
THE INDUSTRIAL
WORLD THAT DEALS
EXCLUSIVELY WITH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
RELIABILITY.
DON’T MISS IT.
A reliability journey
awaits you!
Several leaders in the reliability world have
ED AT
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PowerSummit19.org
FOR PRACTITIONERS.

BY PRACTITIONERS.
 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWEST
CERTIFIED RELIABILITY LEADERS
Mohammed Abdulqader Freddy Couch Sharib A. Khan Pedro Alejandro Portillo Caldera
Mansour AL-Shehri Stephen R. Craft William Kirkpatrick Jon Prater
David Albrice Brad Cunic David J. Knisley Robert Puzak
Kirk Alcock Meg Davis Steven Kraus Carlos Eduardo Quintero Roa
Terry Alexander Lisa Deckard Tom Kuzmicki Tim Rautmann 
Sami Alghamdi Oscar Delgado Doris Lee Pedro Reyes Lopez
Marcelo Alkmin da Costa Derek Dempsey Tracy Lee Noah Riojas
William Alleshouse Alex Desselle Robert Lefebvre Dean Rizzo
Aziz Alshehri Liza Donath Greg Litz Lindsey Roby
Maarouf AlZahrani John Doss Jaime Lopez Jesse Rothkopf
Michael J. Anderson Victor Edozie Cong Luong Nguyen Thomas Ruger
Chip Angus Muhammad Felemban Bruce Majer Joel Sadler
Chris Arndt Arquimedes Ferrera Martinez Rafael Marrero Carrasquillo Tom Sanders
Arthur Ayres de Almeida Dan Flores Doug McCall Rocky Schlosser
Robert Ballard Christian Fogle Steven McCall Andre Seidenthal
Jason Barcelo Michael T. Foree Kevin McGehee Christopher Sirak
Randall Bennett Mark Forsyth Jason McGinnis Michael N. Smith
David Berube Nicolas Fuentes-Zulvaga Michael McLaughlin Ron Smith
Matthew Bosco Robin Fulk Gabriela Magdalena Mejias Arthur Sorak
Eric Boyd Michael Gerbracht Aristimuno Brandon Spyker
Michelle Brenner Chris Gerold David Meldrum Bhanu Srilla
Terence Brown Thomas Goodyer Mike Miller Tate Stratton
Brad Burgan Jerome Googeg Matt Min Steven Swafford
Darryl Cain Edmund Graves Bradford Mitchell Wesam Taiyar
Martín Carrillo Martínez Michael Hansen Rory Monto Laveryl Vanningen
Paul Casto Joseph Hartzell Daniel Moon Denise Verissimo
Jody Connick Felipe Andres Henao Vargas Matthew M. Morris Juan F. Villarreal
Jim Connors Michael Holloway Peter Munson Josiah Vincek
Jose R. Contreras M. Tara Holwegner Blair Myers Andrew Waldron
Naresh Copeland Tracy Hrebik Ryman Navoa Terry Waterman
Howard Rogers Corley Jr. Michael G. Hung Jeffrey S. Nevenhoven Reggie Wesdorp
Robert F. Cotter Richard Jansen Zachary Newman Andrew Willis
Jake Janzen Seth Nicholson Marshall Winterbotham
Ahmad Jaradat Robert Niederlander Richard J. Wolven

NEXT
Jose Jimenez Sanchez Brian Odom Terry Wright
April Johnson Kevin Orahood Jason Yancy

STEP
Ryan Johnson Greg Padesky Lynnwood Yates
Ross Johnston George Parada Eleonora Zaitseva
Kevin Kay Ryan Parker Eric Zaweski
UPTIME ELEMENTS Jeremy Kays Chad Pennings Matthew J. Zellers

BLACK BELT Nick Keith Juan Diego Porras-Alvarado

PROGRAM
[email protected] www.maintenance.org
 “The Uptime Elements
approach provides an
excellent foundation
for anyone looking to
understand how reliability
can help move their
organization to the next
level of performance.”
~CRL Workshop Attendee

CRL
LEADER RELIABILITY • CULTURE • LANGUAGE
CERTIFIED RELIABILITY UPCOMING DATES
LEADER® WORKSHOP
C e rti

der ®

Workshops

March 18-22
fi e

ea

d L
Re
li a b ilit y

May 6-9 Sept 30-Oct 4

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES June 10-14 Nov 11-15
• Teach the Uptime® Elements - A Reliability June 25-28 Dec 9-12
Framework and Asset Management System
TM

• Guide students to discover what it is to ‘BE’

a reliability leader reliabilityleadership.com

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Featured at the CRL Workshop. Bring the game to your facility!
For more information, contact: [email protected]
QA
&
AM

NATASHA RAVINAND
Natasha Ravinand is an author, STEM advocate, writer, and high school student based in
Southern California. Natasha has authored a nonfiction book titled Girls With Dreams, detailing
how childhood implications of gender biases influence the lack of women entering STEM
careers. Her voice has reached nearly a million listeners across a variety of platforms and
popular media. Natasha is also the founder and President of the nonprofit She Dreams in
Code – its aim is to provide and fund coding pathways to minority girls nationwide.

Q: Uptime and its readers are focused on Q: What is your advice for individuals interested in
reliability. In your world, what is reliability? the engineering field?
Reliability is being able to perform well on a consistent level. In the technical I would advise that they start expanding their knowledge and focusing on
world, this could be delivering on a user experience, creating a dependable their curiosity. In the past few years, there has been a huge influx of educa-
product, or communicating well within a team to reach an objective. From tional opportunities in technology, both online and offline. If one is interested
my perspective, it’s producing those magical customer experiences where the in pursuing an engineering field, it could be beneficial to learn how to code
consistency of the experience builds trust with the customer. or basic engineering principles.

Q: What is the biggest challenge to overcome in Q: What resources are available for young women
the technical and engineering field? who are interested in connecting with others who
Recruiting top talent is one of the biggest challenges in the technical field.
share their same passion and direction?
When so much of the technical and engineering workforce is male, Caucasian, There are many organizations and online resources that could help young
or Asian, we see a lack of gender and racial diversity. Less diversity in a tech- women pursue their passion for computing. One that particularly comes to
nical team generally leads to products that do not appeal to a wide variety mind is Girls Who Code. I have had the fantastic privilege of working with this
of people. In order to advance our innovation, we must attract engineering organization in the past; they do a consistently great job at connecting girls
talent from all genders and races to work on the next generation’s products across America to coding resources and opportunities. Another resource is
and user experiences. Codecademy, which offers free interactive coding lessons in Python, JavaS-
cript and more.

62 feb/mar 19
Q: You are a strong, young woman with a passion
for computer science and empowering other women
in this industry. Who do you admire that inspired
you the most? Women in Reliability
I admire many people, but one person I especially admire is Grace Hopper. and Asset Management
Hopper was a U.S. Navy rear admiral who created the world’s first computing

KEYNOTE
compiler. Doing so made coding more accessible and allowed the progress
of more technological developments. Hopper was one of the only promi-
nent female computer scientists at the time and, despite pressure from her
colleagues and general societal bias, she persevered and changed the world
of technology.

Q: Where is one place you’ve never been that you PRESENTATION

want to travel to and why?
I would like to travel to Tel Aviv. The city has a vibrant start-up scene and is
NATASHA RAVINAND
home to some of the most innovative companies in cryptography, mapping, Tomorrow’s Technical World: How Women
satellite technology and finance.
are Essential in Engineering Our Future
Q: If you could have invented one thing, what May 6, 2019 • 4:30pm
would it be?
I would have liked to have created SpaceX because I think the work the com- www.reliabilityconference.com
pany is doing in the realm of space transportation will revolutionize the way
we travel in the future.
The
Q: What books do you recommend?
I would recommend Innovative State: How New Technologies Can Transform
Government by Aneesh Chopra, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Conference ™

by Malcolm Gladwell, and The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Com-
panies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World by Brad Stone.

feb/mar 19 63
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 30,000 HRS

Meet the Air Compressor That Went

30,000 hours with the Same Oil

That’s right – in 30,000 hours of operation, no oil

change and no lubrication-related downtime. In fact,
the oil is nearly ageless, providing the same asset
protection today as the day it was added. That’s nearly
four times longer than the OEM-recommended interval
for this compressor.

How’d we do it? By Implementing these

two simple solutions:

1 Xamine™ Oil Analysis

2 Multilec® Industrial Oil

What about you?

Apply these solutions to your
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the value to your organization
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Read more about our air compressor success story at

www.lelubricants.com/air-compressor-lubricants.html
and then contact us to get started. All of these solutions
– and many more – are available on the LE website or
through our local lubrication consultants.

www.LElubricants.com • 800-537-7683
[email protected] • Fort Worth, TX • Wichita, KS
LE operates under an ISO 9001 Certified Quality System.