Define maintenance, reliability, maintainability and availability?

Maintenance:
Maintenance is the routine and recurring process of keeping a particular machine or asset in its
normal operating conditions So that it can deliver the expected performance or service without
any loss or damage.
Reliability:
Reliability is defined as the probability that a component /system, when operating under given
condition, will perform its intended functions adequately for a specified period of time. It refers to
the like hood that equipment will not fail during its operation.

Maintainability:
Maintainability is defined as the probability that a unit or system will be restored to specified
working conditions within a given period when maintenance action is taken in accordance with
the prescribed procedures and resources.
Availability:
Availability is the ratio of the time at which equipment is available for the designated
operation/service to the total time of operation and maintenance of the equipment. It is also
defined as the ratio of equipments uptime to the equipment uptime and downtime over a
specified period of time.
and plant management. This will cost three to four times than the same repair when it is well planned.
b) This approach focus only on repair or the symptoms of failure and not on the
root cause of failure. This results only in increase in the frequency of repair
and correspondingly the maintenance costs.
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE:
It is a maintenance program which is committed to the elimination or prevention of corrective and
breakdown maintenance. A comprehensive preventive maintenance program involves periodical
evaluation of critical equipment, machinery to detect problem and schedule maintenance task to avoid
degradation in operating conditions.
Benefits of Preventive Maintenance:
In general the cost incurred towards breakdown maintenance is usually higher than the cost incurred on
preventive maintenance. It maintains the equipment in good condition to preventing them from bigger
problems. Prolongs the effective life of the equipments. Detects the problem at earlier stages.
Minimizes / eliminates the rewash/ scrap and help in reducing the process variability. Significantly
reduces unplanned downtime.
CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE:
Corrective Maintenance is the program focused on regular planned tasks that will maintain all critical
machinery and system in optimum operating conditions. The effectiveness of this program is judged on
the cycle cost of critical equipment rather than on how quickly the broken machines are restored to
working conditions. It is proactive approach towards maintenance management.
The main objectives of this program are to
i) Eliminate breakdowns
ii) Eliminate deviations from optimum operating conditions.
iii) Eliminate unnecessary repairs.
iv) Optimize all critical plant systems.
As per this program, all the repairs are well planned and implemented by properly trained people and
the equipment or system is verified and returned to service.
PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE:
Predictive maintenance is a management technique that uses regular evaluation of the actual
operating conditions of plant equipment, production systems and plant management functions to
optimize total plant operation. It is not a solution for all the factors that limit total
plantperformance.
CONDITION BASED MAINTENANCE:
The various techniques are
Vibration Monitoring –determines the actual condition of equipments / machines by studying
the noise or vibration produced during functioning.
Thermography –determines the condition of plant machinery systems etc by studying the
emission of infra red energy ie temperature.
Tribology –determines the dynamic condition of bearing lubrication, rotor support structure of
machinery etc by adopting any one of the techniques like lubricating oil analysis, spectrographic
analysis, ferrography and wear particle analysis.
Electrical Motor Analysis –determines the problem within motors and other electrical
equipments.
Visual inspection -determines the conditions of working elements visually based
on the experience.
REALIBILITY CENTERED MAINTENANCE (RCM)
It is one of the well-established systematic and a step by step
instructional tool for selecting applicable and appropriate maintenance
operation types. It helps in hw to analyze all failure modes in a system
and define how to prevent or find those failures early. The rough process
of a CM is as follows.
Target products or systems of maintenance should be clearly identified,
and necessary data should be collected.
All possible failures and their effect on target produced or systems are
systematically analyzed.
Preventive or corrective maintenance operations are considered selection of operations is
done based on rational calculation of effectiveness of such operations for achieving required
maintenance quality, such as reliability, cost etc.
Applications of RCM:
When designing, selecting and installing new systems in a plant.
When setting up preventive maintenance for complex equipment and systems for
which we are not clear on how they work.
When teaching people the basics of reliability it helps to explain the matters in a
detailed fashion using RCM.
Write down the objectives of TPM?

The main objectives of TPM are

1. To achieve zero defects
2. Achieve zero accidents and zero break downs in all functional areas of an organization
3. To create different team of people to have active participation.
4. To aim at minimization of defects and
5. To inculcate autonomous policy.

What are the pillars of TPM?

1. 5, S Principle
2. Jishu hozen(JH)
3. Kaizen
4. Planned maintenance
5. Quality maintenance.
6. Training
7. Office TPM
8. Safety, health and environment

State the differences between TQM and TPM?

Dissimilarities between TQM & TPM are as follows:

Category Total quality Management Total Productive

(TQM) Maintenance (TPM)
Objective To have quality To have reliable equipment

Means of achieving Through systematized Through active participation

of management employees
Target Minimized defective Eliminationlosses
a n d Preventive
maintenance
What are the implementations of TPM?

To implement an effective TPM in an organization, the following stages are to be

planned and executed.
STAGE I:
Step-1: Announcement by Management about TPM
Top level management people should attend awareness programs on TPM to have
proper understanding, commitment and active involvement. Then all matters about TPM
should be communicated to others in the company by publishing in the magazine, putting
up in the notice board and by other possible means. In this step a TPM coordinator is
hired or appointed.
Step-2: Initial Education
In this step through educational program is arranged for workforce and is just not
a month program, may even prolong for a year or more.
Step-3: Setting up TPM departmental committees
Since TPM includes improvement, autonomous maintenance and quality
maintenance an action team is formed with people who directly have impact on the
problem being addressed. Operators, maintenance personnel, shift supervisors, schedulers
and top management might be the members of force. This action team should take care of
all those needs.
Step-4: Establishing TPM working system and target
The action team will be assigned with the responsibility of identifying problem
area and detailing course of corrective action and initializing the corrective process. In
this step by observing and comparing TPM in other companies a benchmark is set and the
team starts working towards achieving that.

Stage-I- Intialization

Stage-II- Introduction on TPM

Stage-III-Implementation of TPM

Stage-IV-Institutionalization

Step-5: A plan for institutionalizing a master plan leading to institutionalizing, where in TPM
becomes an organizational culture.
STAGE-II - INTRODUCTION STAGE:
A grand ceremony is to be arranged inviting vendors out customers, affiliated
companies, sister concerns and communicating them all that “We care for Quality”.
STAGE-III-IMPLEMENTATION STAGE:
 score showing how well you're doing, but you get three numbers
(availability, performance and quality) showing what caused your losses.

What do you understand by lean maintenance?

A lean maintenance approach finds its origins in Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), a
strategy that maximizes effectiveness through organizational involvement. Essentially,
each worker from all levels of the organization supports maintenance and reliability
initiatives. The ideas behind TPM are fundamental to a lean approach, including the 5S
principle, autonomous maintenance, and continuous improvement. Lean maintenance
puts these philosophies into practice to minimize costs while increasing the reliability of
equipment and systems.
To understand the meaning of "lean maintenance," we must first look into the definition
of lean. In simple terms, being lean means eliminating waste. This concept is frequently
used in manufacturing applications. You might have heard of the term "lean
manufacturing," which provides a framework to guide manufacturing and service
operations. In lean manufacturing, the types of waste to look out for include unplanned
downtime, overproduction, waiting time, transportation inefficiencies, and inventory
surplus. Lean maintenance is similar to lean manufacturing in the sense that both
approaches aim to eliminate waste. However, waste can take different forms when
speaking from a maintenance standpoint.

How Does a Lean Maintenance Program Reduce Costs?

By now, you can see how a lean mindset reduces waste and finds opportunities to take
the most value from a situation. To appreciate how such programs reduce costs, consider
the benefits in the following focus areas.
Extend the Life of Assets
Remember that a lean maintenance program is foremost a maintenance approach. It
doesn't only aim to reduce costs, but more importantly, increase the availability and
reliability of your equipment.
Maximize Manpower Effort
A lean maintenance program recognizes the value of work and labor. The time and effort
exerted by maintenance teams focus on value-adding tasks and activities. You can expect
to reduce labor costs by targeting the energy of your workforce on jobs that matter.
(a) What is equipment health monitoring? (b) List down the factors for increasing the demand
condition monitoring (c) List down the key features of condition monitoring ?

(a) equipment health monitoring:

Conditions monitoring is one of the maintenance methods which are used to assess the health and
condition of equipments machines, systems or process by absorbing checking, measuring and
monitoring several parameters. This technique is also called as equipment health monitoring.
(b) List down the factors for increasing the demand condition monitoring:

1. Increased quality expectations reflected in produces liability legislation

2. Increased automation to improve profitability and maintain competitiveness
3. Increased safety and reliability expectations
4. Increased cost of maintenance due to labour and material cost.

(c) List down the key features of condition monitoring:

1. Links between cause and effect

2. Systems with sufficient response
3. Mechanisms for objective data assessment
4. Benefits outweighing cost
5. Data storage and review facilities.

(a) What are three types of condition monitoring? (b) State the advantages and disadvantages of
condition monitoring ?

(a) Various types of condition monitoring:

a. Subjective condition monitoring

b. Minimized breakdown costs
c. Improved morality of the operating personnel and safety.

(b) Advantages and disadvantages of condition monitoring:

Advantages
1. Improved availability of equipment
2. Minimized breakdown cost
3. Improved reliability

Disadvantages
1. Gives only marginal benefits
2. Increased running cost
3. Sometimes difficult to organize
Define (a) Mean Time to Failure (b) Mean time between failures (c) Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) ?

(a) Mean Time to Failure:

Let t1 is the time to failure for the first specimen, t2 is the time to failure for the second specimen and tn is the
time to failure for the Nth specimen. Hence the mean time to failure for N specimens are
MTTR = (t1+t2+......+t n) /N

(b) Mean Time between Failures (MTBF):

Mean Time between Failures (MTBF) is the mean or average time between successive
failures of a product. Mean time between failures refers tom the average time of breakdown
until the device is beyond repair.
(c) Mean Time to Repair (MTTR):
Mean Time to Repair is the arithmetic mean of the time required to perform maintenance
action. MTTR is defined as the Ratio of total maintenance time and number of maintenance
action.
MTTR = Total maintenance time/ Number of maintenance action.
What you understand by maintenance organization?

The basic objective of the maintenance organization is to ensure that the maintenance
function ae carried out effectively and hence to minimize the production loss due to
maintenance. There has to be a close relationship between the production and maintenance
departments to achieve the desired targets of the industry. Continuous monitoring of planned
preventive maintenance schedules identified for the equipment is required to complete the
maintenance tasks in time.
A maintenance organization can be countered as made up of three basic and necessary components.
o Resources
o Administration
o Work planning and control system.
Resources
Resources include men, spares and tools involved in the task of maintenance.
Administration
It includes a nearby of authority and responsibility for decision making and plans for the
execution of work.
Work planning and control system
This is the mechanism for planning and scheduling the wok. This also includes the
feedback of information to drive the maintenance effort to its defined objective. Maintenance of
modern equipment and industry requires a healthy, balanced and rationalized organization, devoted to
achieve the goals of maintenance task. The organization required for any system can be formed after
study of the existing continuous and also the future demands of the industry. The increasing complexity
of present day equipment maintenance management has brought into focus two other aspects known as
maintainability and availability, both of them are closely related to reliability.

What are tasks of maintenance organization?

The tasks of the maintenance are as follows:

Identification of organization roles pertaining maintenance function.
Determination of maintenance workload.
Uniform distribution of total maintenance work to all the personal in the department.
Identification and assignment of essential works to the various sections of the
maintenance department
Proper knowledge about the technical expertise/ experience of the workers deputed for
the particular part
Proper training of the staff of maintenance to meet the growing demands of the industry
and to catch up with the modern trends in maintenance.
Designing the policies and procedures at an early stage to help the maintenance
department to achieve the goals of the industry.
What are the maintenance functions and activities?

The functions and activities of the maintenance organization are as follows:

Identifying areas for implementation of preventive maintenance program.

Making suitable arrangements for maintenance facilities for carrying out the maintenance
works properly.
Planning and scheduling the total maintenance work
Ensuring proper and timely supply of spare parts.
Managing proper inventory control of materials spares and tools required for
maintenance.
Standardization of maintenance work.
Implementing modifications to the existing equipment wherever possible.
Assisting the purchase department in processing materials.
Identification of obsdate and surplus equipment for replacement and disposals.
Training of maintenance personnel.
Analysis of future demands and forecast the role of maintenance activities.
Implementation of safety norms and procedures
Ensuring safety of personnel and equipment.

Discuss different types of maintenance organizations?

The selections of a type of maintenance system will largely depend on the structure of an
industry. Maintenance organization can be broadly classified into three types as follows.
i) Decentralized

This is suitable for large sized plants where enter unit communication is difficult to get.
In this type of organization the maintenance is difficult to get. In this type of organization, the
maintenance is under the control of chief engineer of production to ensure understanding
between the production and maintenance department.
ii) Centralized

This is suitable for small units where unit communication is feasible. In this type of
organization the maintenance is under the control of chief maintenance engineer. The
responsibilities accountability is with the concerned department heads.
iii) Partially Centralized

This is the modified version of Centralized maintenance organization and suitable for the
industry where the units are located at far away locations. In this type of organization, the
maintenance personal attached with production unit will carry out the routine maintenance
 What is an Inventory Management System?
Inventory management is a simplified process of sourcing, storing and overseeing a company’s
inventory. Why use spreadsheets or ledgers to manually enter data when you can use an advanced
automated inventory tracking system? The primary goal of investing in an inventory management
system is to discover the balance between over- and under-stocking.

How do you achieve this balance? By analyzing the market supply and demand trends! Conducting
research helps maintain inventory stock levels. You can incorporate an inventory management system
into your business irrespective of its type or size.

Before jumping into the most popular types of inventory management systems, there are a few things to
consider. Different groups, obviously, deal with different types of inventory that inform how their
operations work. Not only that, but once an overarching strategy is chosen, inventory systems within
those strategies require consideration.

Discuss about types of inventory and types of inventory management?

Types of inventory:

While the main focus of this article is the different types of inventory management systems out
there, it can be helpful to think about what type of product needs to be stored first. For example,
a business that operates within the medical sector has vastly different regulations and
compliances to uphold than a company that sells something like clothes. Retail requires its own
set of rules, but nothing to the stringent level of storing and shipping medical supplies or
equipment.

There are a few types of inventory that companies of all shapes and sizes deal with at varying
points:

 Raw Materials: Items used by manufacturers to create components, subassemblies or finished

products.
 Work in Process: All materials or parts waiting to be processed by the system.
 Finished Goods: An item or part ready for a customer to order.
 Transit Inventory: Items you have to transport from one location to another.
 Buffer Inventory: An inventory cushion used to protect against changing demand.
 Anticipation Inventory: Excess inventory kept in anticipation of demand rising for a specific
product.
 Decoupling Inventory: Important parts kept in excess to quickly repair and maintain
production equipment.
 Cycle Inventory: Sometimes called lot-sized inventories. Excess materials held to reach
inventory minimization point to lower costs.
Most businesses will deal with these types of inventory as they grow and attempt to meet
changing demands in the market. Utilizing varying types of inventory management strategies
will involve ordering and keeping stock in accordance with these types of storage practices.

Types of inventory management:

Boiling down the types of inventory management strategies results in two popular methods
many groups use today. In order to remain competitive, organizations need accurate knowledge
of their inventory. Without knowing what is in store, making decisions about
future procurement and distribution tasks can be difficult or even impossible.

An all-encompassing strategy is needed when dealing with how, where and when to place
inventory. The two most popular strategies are the periodic inventory and perpetual
inventory methods:

Periodic Inventory Management:

As the name suggests, periodic inventory management helps evaluate stocks at specified
intervals. It is a physical process that helps estimate the cost of goods sold (COGS). Using
manual methods like pen-and-paper tracking, it is cheap to implement and isn’t complicated to
understand. However, it does come with some disadvantages:

 Does not provide information on costs of goods sold or ending inventory balances during
periods where a count does not occur.
 You have to estimate the cost of goods sold during periods where a count does not occur. This
may require significant adjustments when a complete count happens.
 Obsolete inventory and scrap losses cannot be accounted for during countless periods and will
require a significant adjustment when a count occurs.
While there are a few drawbacks to periodic inventory management, many companies do not
have to spend as much upfront. Again, this strategy is more suited for smaller groups that don’t
Explain the life cost analysis?

The factors to be considered in the purchase of equipment of industries include the

cost, quality, performance and maintenance requirements. Some balance is to be made
between the capital cost and operating cost of the equipment in finding the suitability of
the equipment. The evaluation of any equipment for purchase should be made by keeping
into considerations that total cost incurred by the equipment over a span of time say ten
years. Life cycle costing is the cost analysis for the equipment in an industry that
accounts the total cost of the equipment over a span of time which includes the capital
cost, operating cost and maintenance costs. This analysis is the integration of
engineering, economic and financial strategies in relation to the equipment to be
purchased. The aim of life cycle costing is to ascertain the total cost of equipment over
the span of its entire life period.
Advantages of life cycle costing:
Integration of engineering, economics and financial aspects lead to the way of robust metric for the
selection and purchase equipment required for the industry. Reduced operating and maintenance cost of
equipments due to cost analysis over span of time. It leads to the selection of proper and economically
viable equipment.
Estimation of economic life of equipment:
The economic life of equipment depends on the maintenance and repair costs,
availability and operational efficiency. A plot of cumulative efficiency and maintenance
and repair cost per cumulative hours Vs operating hours of the equipment to find the
economic life of the equipment.
Maintenance Cost:
Budgets are allocated for all the activities in planning stage itself which includes
the maintenance cost. The cost of maintenance is difficult to measure due to random
nature of failures.

The records on maintenance history may be useful in determining the cost. The analysis
of maintenance cost is helpful in taking a decision regarding replacement of a machine or
any of its components.

Discuss about maintenance budget briefly?

The maintenance budget is used to set aside certain amount of money to meet the
expenditures incurred in achieving the objectives of maintenance. The following are the
types of maintenance budget,
(i) Appropriation Budget
Budget used to allocate money for each activity independently.
(ii) Fixed Budget
Fixed used to allocate money for a specified period of time.
(iii) Variable Budget
Dynamic allocation of expendure based on maintenance requirements and
activities.

Which factors should be considered for evaluation of maintenance cost?

The evaluation of maintenance cost should consider the following

factors.
Cost of maintenance from the recorded data.
Level and requirements of maintenance.
Cost of replacement of components and assemblies subjected to wear
and tear.
Accounting the number of break downs with their levels
Downtime of the equipment for want of maintenance repair.
Penalty cost due to loss of production.
Cost of manpower involved.
Cost of additional manpower requirement for emergency breakdown
and maintenance.

Discuss about how to Cost minimization in maintenance organization?

Centralized planning, scheduling and control

Grouping of specialized workforce
Effective labour utilization strategies
Budgetary control and proper check mechanism to implement the cost control
 maintenance cost. The cost of maintenance is difficult to measure due to random nature of
failures. The words on maintenance history may be useful in determining the cost.
Component of Maintenance Cost
o Fixed cost
o Variable cost
Fixed Cost
This includes the cost of support facilities including the maintenance staff.
Variable Cost
This includes the consumption of spare parts, replacement of components and cost other
facilities
required to meet the requirements of maintenance.
The evaluation of maintenance cost should consider the following factors
Cost of maintenance from the recorded data.
Level and requirements of maintenance.
Cost of replacement of components and assemblies subjected to wear and tear.
Accounting the number of break downs with their levels
Downtime of the equipment for want of maintenance repair.
Penalty cost due to loss of production.
Cost of manpower involved.
Cost of additional manpower requirement for emergency breakdown and
maintenance.

What do you understand by maintenance audit?

A maintenance audit is a comprehensive and systematic review of an organization’s

maintenance, inventory, and processes. It evaluates how activities and standards are maintained, such
as in-house facilities and repair processes. Audits help you ensure quality, health, and safety at your
facilities.

Auditing firms inspect a variety of maintenance functions, including:

 Safety
 Training
 Planning
 Scheduling
 Equipment maintenance
 Maintenance practices and organization
 Management of documents, inventory, and purchasing
Although they can be stressful, audits protect both you and your
organization. The primary purpose of any audit is to see how well you’re following your SOPs, check
for problems or shortcomings, and, if there are any problems, create a plan of action that addresses
them.

Audits are a way to ensure your procedures meet every requirement and that everything is working as
effectively as possible.

What are the importance of maintenance audit?

Maintenance audits give managers a clear view of what’s happening in the organization, which helps
them more easily set benchmarks. By comparing the baseline data to correct procedures, managers can
more easily define problems and implement solutions.

Audits also protect you and the organization from liability because generally audits focus on safety
standards and procedures, helping to lower the risk of workplace incidents. With regular audits, you
ensure your organization is meeting requirements and that you are covered in the event of accidents or
injuries.

You must include audits to ensure you provide safe working conditions for your employees and safe
products for your consumers. Audits help hold you accountable, as they are often done by third-party
companies. This

means they view your organization through an objective lens to provide integrity for their audits.

What are the types of maintenance audits?

There are three types of maintenance audits.

Mandatory audits
This type of audit is required by law. They are a comprehensive inspection of processes carried out by
governmental agencies and include maintenance processes. For example, the U.S Food and Drug
Administration conducts regular audits to ensure practices follow the proper manufacturing processes.
 Voluntary audits
A voluntary audit is a way for a company to have the freedom to complete audits that are not mandated
or compelled by law and are used to obtain certification that gives organizations an edge over the
competition.

For example, some food safety certifications in the food and beverage

industry are voluntary, as well as some playground safety audits. By submitting to the audit, the
organization proves its commitment to meeting the industry’s current best practices.

Maintenance audit

A maintenance audit is an internal audit that organizations include in their plans for improvement.
They are important to do regularly as they help organizations evaluate if their current processes and
systems are effective, giving them a chance to correct any problems they find.

Maintenance audits foster continuous improvements, especially when their results are compared
against company codes, policies, and other indicators.

Knowing the types of audits to expect helps you improve over time and be better prepared.

State the different types of maintenance cost?

There are many types of maintenance costs that correlate with a company's property and equipment.
Some types of maintenance costs include:

Property:

Property maintenance costs help a company keep its facilities operational. Regardless if a facility is a
production facility or office building, companies gain property maintenance costs. Property
maintenance costs companies incur include:

 Changing facility air filters

 Roofing inspection and repair
 Testing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
 What is NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) ?

NDT refers to an array of inspection techniques that allow inspectors to collect data about a
material without damaging it.

NDT stands for Non-Destructive Testing. It refers to an array of inspection methods that
allow inspectors to evaluate and collect data about a material, system, or component without
permanently altering it.

In the field, NDT is often used as an umbrella term to refer to non-destructive inspection
methods, inspection tools, or even the entire field of non-destructive inspections.

For commercial applications, the goal of NDT is to ensure that critical infrastructure is
properly maintained in order to avoid catastrophic accidents.

While NDT methods are typically associated with industrial use cases, like inspecting weak
points in a boiler at an oil refinery, uses in medicine are actually some of the most common.

For example, an expecting mother getting an ultrasound to check on the health of her baby
would be considered an NDT use case, as would getting an X-ray or MRI to learn more
about an injury.

But it’s important to note that NDT does not necessarily require the use of special tools, or
any tools at all.

For instance, when inspectors in industrial settings review the outside of a pressure vessel
with their naked eye, that would fall under the NDT designation, since they are collecting
data on the status of the boiler without damaging it. On the other hand, using a sophisticated
tool like an ultrasonic sensor to look for defects in a certain material or asset would also be
called NDT.

What is the importance of NDT (Non-Destructive Testing)?

When it comes to ensuring that assets are properly maintained, the importance of non-
destructive testing cannot be over emphasized.

Here are the top reasons NDT is used by so many companies throughout the world:

 Savings. The most obvious answer to this question is that NDT is more appealing than
destructive testing because it allows the material or object being examined to survive the
examination unharmed, thus saving money and resources.
 Safety. NDT is also appealing because almost all NDT techniques (except radiographic
testing) are harmless to people.
 Efficiency. NDT methods allow for the thorough and relatively quick evaluation of assets,
which can be crucial for ensuring continued safety and performance on a job site.
 phenomena, making it possible to use vibration data to gain insights into the health of equipment.
Vibration analysis can be used to:

 Find a developing problem that can be repaired to increase machine lifetime

 Detect and monitor a chronic problem that cannot be repaired and will only get worse
 Establish acceptance testing criteria to ensure that installation/repairs are properly conducted
 24/7 continuous vibration monitoring can be use to predict failures as part of a

Motor Vibration Monitoring

Motors will likely experience high vibration levels at some point during their lifetime.
Performing predictive maintenance through motor vibration monitoring can prevent issues
resulting from a variety of motor faults, including those often found in motor bearings, gearboxes
and rotors:

Bearing Condition Monitoring

Bearing defects are often the source of vibration in machinery, but bearing condition monitoring
can help keep identify these defects and determine when repairs or replacements are needed.
Bearing defects can include excessive loads, true or false brinelling, over heating, reverse
loading, normal fatigue failure, corrosion, loose or tight fits, and misalignment, among other
potential problems.

Gearbox Vibration Monitoring

Another application for machine condition monitoring includes gearbox vibration monitoring. In
gearboxes, impacting and friction can occur, and a single crack in a gear could cause a slight
change in speed once the defective teeth are inside of the load zone. This will result in impacting,
and if there is insufficient lubrication for the gear teeth, friction will also occur. Machine
vibration monitoring can detect these instances of impacting and friction in predictive
maintenance.

Rotor Vibration Monitoring

There are several causes of lateral vibrations in rotors, including instability and unbalance, along
with other types of forces impacting the rotor. Cracks are often formed, frequently leading to
reduced natural frequencies as a result of reduced rigidness. Rotor vibration analysis can monitor
the rotor’s behavior to help locate a developed crack.

Compressor:

compressor, device for increasing the pressure of a gas by mechanically decreasing its volume.
Air is the most frequently compressed gas but natural gas, oxygen, nitrogen, and other
industrially important gases are also compressed. The three general types of compressors are
positive displacement, centrifugal, and axial. Positive displacement compressors are usually of
the reciprocating piston type, in which the gas is drawn in during the suction stroke of the piston,
Lubrication:

Lubrication can be defined as the application of some materials between two objects moving
relative to each other to allow smooth operation as much as necessary. Either oil or grease is used
for rolling bearings to prevent noise, wear and tear, and heat from being generated from their
rolling and sliding movements, and in some special cases, solid lubricants are occasionally used.
The amounts and kinds of lubricants for rolling bearings are determined depending on operation
speed, temperature, and surrounding condition, and so on. Because lubricants have spent their
service-life or polluted with foreign materials, they cannot serve their function well hence they
have to be periodically replaced or oiled.

Purpose of Lubrication:
The main purposes of lubrication are as follows: i. To prevent wear and premature fatigue by
forming the lubrication film on the surface of load transferring parts to prevent contacts between
metals. ii. To enhance the favorable driving characteristics, such as low noise or friction. iii. To
prevent overheating of bearings and to prevent lubricants deterioration by radiating the generated
heat to outside. It works particularly well if the circulation lubrication method is adopted. iv. To
prevent foreign material penetration, rust, and corrosion.

Lubricants:
In all types of machines, the surfaces of moving or sliding or rolling parts rub against each other.
Due to the mutual rubbing of one part against another, a resistance is offered to their movement.
This resistance is known as friction. It causes a lot of wear and tear of surfaces of moving parts.
Any substance introduced between two moving/sliding surfaces with a view to reduce the friction
(or frictional resistance) between them, is known as a lubricants. The main purpose of a lubricant
is to keep the moving/sliding surfaces apart, so that friction and consequent destruction of
material is minimized. The process of reducing friction between moving/sliding surfaces, by the
introduction of lubricants in between them, is called lubrication.

Function of Lubricants:
(1) It reduces wear and tear of the surfaces by avoiding direct metal to metal contact between the
rubbing surfaces, i.e. by introducing lubricants between the two surfaces (2) It reduces expansion
of metal due to frictional heat and destruction of material (3) It acts as coolant of metal due to
heat transfer media (4) It avoids unsmooth relative motion (5) It reduces maintenance cost (6) It
also reduces power loss in internal combustion engines

Classification of Lubricants:
Lubricants are classified on the basis of their physical state, as follows; (a) Liquid lubricants or
Lubricating Oils, (b) Semi-solid lubricants or Greases and (c) Solid lubricants. (a) Liquid
lubricants or Lubricating oils: Lubricating oils also known as liquid lubricants and further
classified into three categories; (i) Animal and Vegetables oils, (ii) Mineral or Petroleum oils and
(iii) blended oils.
 What are the methods available for the detection of cracks in cast or weld components?

There are several methods for component testing. A distinction is made between two
classical approaches:

 Destructive testing
 Non-Destructive testing

Components from batches that are later resold and installed can only be tested in a
random and destructive manner. As the need for testing increases, the cost of the scrap
caused by the test rises. As a result, a complete test is methodologically impossible.

On this note, the field of non-destructive testing has been developed. Based upon this,
different methods are available depending on the testing task:

1. Visual Inspection (VT)

2. Dye penetrantion testing (PT)
3. Eddy current testing (ET)
4. Thermographic tests (TT)
5. Magnetic particle testing (MT)
6. Ultrasonic testing (UT)

Different test methods are used depending on the application. Essential influencing
factors are the test material, the size, the defect pattern, and the test task, as well as the
required cycle time and the available budget.

Write a short note on feeler gauge?

Feeler gauges, sometimes called thickness gauges or feeler gages, are mechanical
measurement instruments that are used to provide a precise reading of the gap that exists
between two parallel surfaces, such as the clearance between two machine parts or
elements. Feeler gauges are typically sold as what is termed a set, with each set
consisting of a series of dimensionally accurate pieces of shim stock that are joined using
a common shaft and nut or riveted connection. The individual pieces, which are called
blades, leaves, or plates, have very precisely calibrated thicknesses and can fold or fan
out as needed when a measurement is to be taken, and can be recessed back on top of one
another to fit into the gauge handle, which serves to protect the individual blades from
damage when the tool is not in use. The blades are typically produced from a high carbon
steel material. The use of high carbon steel is designed to ensure that the blade material
will not compress during the measurement process, thus assuring that the gap
measurements are accurate. Some models have a locking nut that can be tightened to
maintain the blade position during use.

Each blade is annotated with its thickness designation. Different feeler gauge sets are sold
with varying numbers of blades in them, which then corresponds to the overall gap range
for which the gauge can be utilized.

Types of Feeler Gauges:

The most common type of feeler gauge, called a straight leaf or straight blade gauge,
consists of straight blades of uniform width constructed of high carbon steel sold in a set
to cover specific dimensional values. However, there are variations on this standard that
serve specific purposes.

Go/no-go feeler gauges utilize blades that have a precision step between two specific
thicknesses, rather than having blades that have a uniform thickness across their entire
length. Go/no-go feeler gauges are designed to simplify the interpretation of the clearance
or gap value by reducing the need to rely on the user’s “feel” of the gauge, instead
bracketing the clearance or gap value with a greater than/less than tolerance window.

Write a short note on scrapper used as a maintenance equipment?

The scraper machine in engineering is a device that moves the earth over short distances
and relatively level terrain. It consists of a wagon with a gate with a bladed bottom that
can either be self-propelled or towed. As the wagon advances and pulls the dug material
into the cart, the blade scratches the dirt. The material is transported to the disposal site
after filling the wagon and closing the gate. In the construction of highways, the scraper
is the most used tool.
A scraper machine is one of the biggest pieces of machinery you’ll encounter on a
building site. This device’s function is to scrape the earth’s surface to ready a location for
construction. For road work, it is frequently employed. The scraper does exactly what it
says on the tin: it smooths down the top layer of the ground. These devices can either be
towed or self-propelled. But each scraper has a wagon with a gate with a bottom blade.
While the wagon moves forward, this blade scrapes the ground, propelling the excavated
dirt and debris into the wagon. Once the wagon is loaded and transported to a location
where it can be disposed of, the gate closes.

Over a sizable region of land, scraper machines remove layers of soil. The operator drops
a sharp, horizontal blade from the trailer, also known as the bowl, into the ground below
as the scraper machine and its attached trailer pass over a section of dirt that must be
removed. Dirt is gathered or scraped as the scraper machine advances into the bowl,
which is later collected when it is full.

Components of Scraper Machine

 Bowl
 Apron
 Ejector
1. Bowl
The bowl is a box with inflexible sides, a movable front in the form of the apron, and a
movable back in the form of the ejector. Cutting edges are attached to the bowl’s forward
edge. The cutting edges are fastened to the bowl’s base and made of steel that resists
wear. The following are the three primary cutting edges:

1. The straight cutting edge is the most effective for grading with a smooth finish.

2. The curved cutting edge penetrates more deeply than a straight edge.

3. The centrepiece of the three-piece cutting edge is placed in front of the two sides for
deeper penetration. The stinger is the name for the centrepiece.

Typically, side cutters are bolted-on wear plates attached to the bowl’s bottom front
sides. Typically, the side cutters deteriorate slower than the cutting edges.

2. Apron
The forward portion and a portion of the bottom of the bowl assembly are formed by the
apron. It rests at the cutting edges when closed. An operator’s cab lever controls the
hydraulics for the apron. The entire front of the bowl is left open when the apron is
elevated high and far enough forward.

3. Ejector
The back wall of the bowl serves as the ejector. The most typical ejector goes forward
horizontally while being hydraulically regulated, forcing the load out of the bowl. It is
supported by tracks welded to the bowl’s walls and rollers running along the floor.
Explain the principle of lubrication in detail?

In industrial equipments, the surface of the mechanical parts will have physical
contact on the neighbouring parts to establish a relative motion between them.
During operation of the equipments, those contacting surfaces are subjected to
friction which depends on the area of material, properties of material etc which is
undesirable.
This leads to progressive damage resulting in material loss which is defined as
wear. Friction and wear also generate heat and responsible for the overall loss in
system efficiency. All these contribute to significant economic costs due to
equipment failure, cost for replacement and down time.
The primary objective of lubrication is to reduce wear and heat between
contacting surfaces in relative motion. By means of lubrication coefficient of
friction could be reduced and in turn heat and wear of the surfaces. Lubrication
also aids to
(i) reduce oxidation and rust formation
(ii) provide insulation in transformer application
(iii) transmit mechanical power in hydro fluid power systems
(iv) seal against dust, dirt and water.
Selecting the right lubricant, the right amount of lubricant and the correct
application of the lubricant are essential to the successful performance of
any bearing because bearing lubricants serve three purposes:
(i) To reduce friction by separating mating surfaces.
(ii) To transfer heat (with oil lubrication)
(iii) To product from corrosion and with grease lubrication, dirt ingress
The success of these three factors depends heavily on the film thickness on
the raceway and at the rib/roller end contact.

State the methods of lubrication in detail?

Methods of Lubrication:
The following are the various methods of lubrication normally used for industrial
applications
a) Hydrostatic Lubrication
b) Hydrodynamic or Fluid film lubrication
c) Boundary lubrication
d) Elastic hydrodynamic lubrication (EHD)
e) Extreme pressure (EP) Lubrication
In general, the method of lubrication is characterized by the friction and
wears characteristics of wearing surface. Based on the value of ‘R’ which is
defined as follows, the method of lubrication is chosen.
What Are the Different Types of Lubricants and What Are Their Applications?

Overall, the most common application of a lubricant is to reduce interference between two
surfaces, but keep in mind that each lubricant is unique.

Lubricating machines is frequently assigned to new employees in the industry because it is

thought to be a job for newer workers or apprentices. Although lubrication is a relatively simple
task, it is still beneficial to have a thorough understanding of the various types of lubricants. This
ensures that the incorrect type is never used for the incorrect application. This will undoubtedly
reduce machine downtime and failure.

Let’s start with the fundamentals. Lubricants are classified into four types: oil, grease, penetrating
lubricants, and dry lubricants. The two most common lubricants you’ll encounter on a daily basis
are oil and grease, but your facility will still use dry and penetrating lubricants. It is critical to
understand when and when not to use these various types of lubricants.

The following are some common lubricants and their applications:

Greases

Greases are created by combining oil (typically mineral oil) with thickeners (such as lithium-
based soaps). Lubricants such as molybdenum disulfide, graphite, and others may be combined
with additional particles.

Greases have the ability to mix well with the lubricants in the oil, adding stickiness and allowing
the lubricants to collect on the surfaces. Grease can also act as a barrier, protecting surfaces from
contaminants that can damage the surface.

Several greases and oils, for example, came in a variety of consistencies. Grease has a
disadvantage in fast running devices due to its extreme thickness and sticky nature, which can
easily cause resistance.

When Should You Use Grease?

 As for gears, bearings, chains, and linkages

 You require the lubricant to adhere to the surface for an extended period of time.
 You want to keep dust and water droplets out.
 You may forget to oil the machine because you use it so infrequently.

Grease should not be used in the following situations:

 Your machine contains fast-moving or fine parts, and grease may cause it to slow
down or create too much resistance.
The design parameters of centralized grease systems include the volume and frequency of grease
required at each point, the number of points requiring grease, operating conditions, pump
pressure, line diameter and distance to the grease points.
When used and maintained properly, centralized grease systems can help enhance technician
productivity and simplify equipment maintenance processes. The following is a comprehensive
overview of centralized grease systems and the benefits they offer, the various types, concerns to
watch out for and tips on how to maintain them properly.

What are the Advantages of Centralized Grease Lubrication Systems?

Centralized grease systems are designed principally to make the work environment safer for
maintenance personnel by simplifying the process of accessing remote grease points, especially in
confined spaces, when equipment is in operation. However, the primary benefit is derived from
the continuous application of small amounts of grease resulting in improved equipment life, due
to the uniform supply of grease.
Hand application is typically performed infrequently and may result in uneven amounts of grease
being applied, which can lead to overgreasing resulting in damaged seals and elevated bearing
temperatures caused by grease churn.
It is important for maintenance professionals to realize that many centralized grease systems have
long lines, precise metering valves, fittings and numerous connections that can malfunction due
to vibration, air entrainment and other environmental impacts. Thus, carefully monitoring and
maintaining the systems on a consistent basis is critical.

Illustrate the types of Centralized Grease Systems?

Centralized grease lubrication systems are designed to lubricate the broadest range of stationary
and mobile equipment. As the lubrication application becomes more complex, the design of the
system also becomes more complex as additional features are added.
Most centralized grease systems fall into two categories. The first is a direct system in which a
pump is used to pressurize the grease and meter it out to the application point. The second and
more complex type is an indirect system in which a pump pressurizes the grease. Valves built into
the distribution line are then utilized to meter the grease into the bearings.
Indirect systems are further broken down into two basic types, parallel and nonparallel. In parallel
systems, also known as nonprogressive, the system is pressurized and the metering valves operate
simultaneously.
PLANNING AND PREPARATION

The first step to equipment installation is planning and preparation.

This stage includes site evaluation, assessment of equipment needs, and obtaining necessary permits
and approvals.

During site evaluation, millwrights should thoroughly assess the job site to ensure it is suitable for the
equipment to be installed. This includes looking at the foundation where the equipment will be placed.

They also assess the client's equipment needs to ensure that the right equipment is selected and will
function properly in the intended environment.

After the site evaluation and assessment of equipment needs, the millwright will create a detailed
installation plan outlining the steps to take during the installation process.

This plan includes a schedule of when the equipment will be delivered and installed, who will be
responsible for each task, and how long the installation will take.

Finally, the necessary permits and approvals must be secured to ensure the installation complies with
all local regulations and safety standards.

By thoroughly planning and preparing for the installation process, millwrights can ensure the
installation is completed safely, efficiently, and to the highest standards.

EQUIPMENT ARRIVAL AND UNLOADING

The second step is the equipment arrival and unloading.

This process includes coordinating equipment delivery, unloading, and inspecting equipment for
damage or defects.

Millwrights will work with clients and equipment suppliers to coordinate the delivery of the equipment
to the job site.

This helps ensure that the equipment arrives on time.

After the equipment is unloaded, it is thoroughly inspected for signs of damage like dents, scratches, or
other issues that may have occurred during transportation.

If any issues are found, the millwright will work with the supplier to resolve them before proceeding
with the installation process.
 EQUIPMENT ASSEMBLY AND TESTING

The next phase is the equipment assembly and testing phase.

This step includes assembling equipment according to the installation plan, testing it to ensure proper
function, and identifying and resolving issues that arise during testing.

Once the assembly is complete, millwrights will run tests to check the equipment's performance,
including electrical, mechanical, and pneumatic systems.

They will also make sure the equipment is properly aligned and calibrated.

Any issues that arise during testing are identified and resolved.

EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING

The installation and commissioning step is the final phase in the equipment installation process.

This phase includes physically installing equipment at the job site, commissioning equipment to ensure
proper operation, and training personnel on the appropriate use and maintenance of the equipment.

They also ensure that the heavy machinery is aligned correctly and calibrated for optimal performance.

After installing the equipment, the millwrights commission it to ensure it operates correctly.

A series of tests are done to check for proper alignment and calibration of equipment.

Finally, the personnel is trained on the proper use and maintenance of the equipment.

FOLLOW-UP AND MAINTENANCE

After successfully installing equipment, ensuring it continues functioning properly in the long term is
essential.

The follow-up and maintenance step includes the following:

 ongoing maintenance and support of the equipment

 scheduled check-ins to ensure equipment is functioning properly