The Physical Asset Management Scrapbook

Planning and Scheduling

2014-10-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

In 2003, when I was just getting started in the Asset Management world, my boss handed me a book on Planning and Scheduling which changed my whole perspective on the key to successfully managing maintenance. The book, Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Handbook 3/E by Richard (Doc) Palmer, outlined the mechanics of doing effective planning and scheduling. In 2012, one of my colleagues from work contracted with Doc Palmer for consulting support and began the process of following Doc's guidelines in the daily work planning and scheduling. The results have been impressive and in 2014 a video demonstrating the objectives, the process in the CMMS, and a discussion with Doc Palmer was recorded. You can find the video here: https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1035424

Extend Equipment Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) with Clean Oils

2014-03-12T15:15:00.001-07:00

I attended an STLE Section meeting last week to improve my knowledge on lubrication and discovered that any sized particle will lower the expected life of as shown on the MacPherson Curve.

From the presentation, "80% of failure in circulating systems are caused by contamination". The presenter discussed how on a hydraulic driven roller press, they had pump failures every six months. After filtering to the 3 micron size or better, the pump has now run for three years without a rebuild. This is an incredible result of simply doing a very good job of filtering the oil.

There is a very good article that explains the specific details which you can read here: http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/1291/lubricant-cleanliness

Analyzing Grease

2013-04-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Like oil analysis, grease sampling and analysis can provide some great information. For high risk equipment it may be appropriate to consider adding a grease analysis strategy to your program. Some of the key ways the analysis could be used:

1.) Root-cause or failure analysis - as noted in previous posts, most bearing failures are not due to bearings wearing out, but rather a failure of the lubrication and most bearings are grease lubricated and this would be a great tool to look for water content, external contaminates, or break down materials.
2.) Lubrication Consolidation - not all greases are compatible and sampling grease on a new machine, or unknown machines could be very valuable as you develop a consolidation plan.
3.) Wear analysis - use sampling as an early warning on bearing failure

In the January-February 2013 issue of Machinery Lubrication, Steffen Bots provided a very good overview of grease sampling and analysis that is a recommended read if you want more details on grease analysis. You can find the article here: http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/29284/grease-analysis-system

Just 9% of Lube Related Failures are Fatigue

2013-01-16T08:13:00.002-08:00

I just read an article yesterday that quoted a study that said just 9% of lubrication related mechanical failures are due to fatigue. 43% are related to lubrication issues.

So my "New Years Resolution" is to work on learning and educating my staff on lubrication. This looks like a good application of the Pareto Principal and we can leverage some real improvement.

Check out the article here: http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/28752/business-case-for-lubrication-excellence-

Best wishes for 2013!

Asset Management Focused Edition

2013-01-10T10:08:00.001-08:00

In late 2011, the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association (PNCWA) Asset Management Committee helped to compile a special issue of the PNCWA Newsletter. While this newsletter was published a while back, it is being added to this blog because it provides some good reference information.

Here is the link where you can find the document: http://t.co/aHxPrLR5

For 2013, the Asset Management committee will be putting together a Pre-conference workshop and also making a call for papers for an Asset Management track at the annual conference in 2013 at Bend Oregon. Please see www.pncwa.org for more information.

50 Failure Modes of Electric Motors

2012-01-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

An associate of mine just forwarded a link to a great video on the 50 Failure Modes of electric motors. This is a great tutorial on the ways that motor's can fail and which of those failure modes can be controlled by our maintenance planning and how motor rebuilds are specified.

You can find the video here: http://www.uesystems.com/vids4htmls/fifty-failure-modes-of-electric-motors.aspx

Co-Gen Uptime Write Up for Gresham OR

2012-01-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

There is a nice write-up in Triple Pundit about the success that Gresham Oregon is having with their Co-Generation operation, which provides 55-60% of their operating energy requirements.

While it isn't mentioned in the article, the Co-Gen system was the focus of the first Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) study that Veolia Water conducted. Using the maintenance approach's developed, Veolia Water has maintained uptimes that exceeded expectations and has helped to achieve the power output that has them on their way to a sustainable wastewater treatment plant.

Congratulations to the Veolia Water Gresham Team and the City of Gresham!

http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/12/oregon-model-sustainable-cities-aint-portland/

Risk & Criticality in Uptime

2011-10-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

Terry Nelson has an article, just published in Uptime Magazine, that does a great job of explaining the difference between Risk, Criticality, and a management strategy.

You can find the article here: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/reliabilityweb/uptime_20111011/#/58

The Effects of Water on Lubrication

2011-09-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

I just read a great article on the failure modes of bearings due to water in the lube. This would be a great resource for those doing an RCM analysis or a Root-Cause review to have on hand as a reference.

The main take away that I got is the importance of being very proactive in keeping water out of your lubrication system. Check it out here: http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/1367/water-bearing-failure

Electric Motor Lube Program

2010-12-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

I have reviewed motor bearing failures from my corporate CMMS (14 large wastewater plants) and found that motor bearings very rarely meet the engineers design life expectations, L10 (I am a mechanical engineer by training, so I was curious about whether what they taught us in design was paying off in the field). I know that the operating environment is probably a contributing factor, however, I believe that the lubrication program might the leading contributor to the shortened bearing life for motors.

As it turns out, many of the bearing failures for motors result from over lubrication and/or lubrication with contamination in it. These are the two areas to study in your program to extend the bearing life in plant motors.

I came across a great article last week that lays out some very specific steps to take to improve the overall motor bearing life: http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/749/electric-motor-regreasing.

Take a look and see if there are suggestions that can help your motor preventive maintenance program.

Prioritizing Work & Gas Line Explosion in San Bruno

2010-09-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

NPR did an interesting story below:

Interestingly the story notes that PG&E, the gas line operator, identified the pipeline as critical and in need of repair and even got a rate increase approved for the work. However, they never completed the repairs because of "re-prioritizing" the work. As the neighbors interviewed mention, the public doesn't know what is buried near them, however, it makes us, the utility operators look very bad when we prioritize work and then don't complete the work.

I like to use a risk matrix to look at any backlog of work and always focus on doing the work that is most critical first, whether that is daily PM/CM work or capital investments.

Re-Design Lube Disposal/Fill Systems

2010-08-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

Bearing's in an industrial environment, rarely last as long as the original equipment designer/engineers expected. There are a variety of reasons surrounding contamination with water or other materials. Essentially it comes down to bad practice in managing lubrication levels and replacements. In addition, oil spills to the environment and resulting cleanup are also large concerns.

I just came across an article in a lube magazine, where the author does a great job of describing re-design work that he and his team of put in place to better manage lubrication in their gearboxes. Please take a look at the article here:http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/905/accessorizing-gearboxes I think the ideas are well worth your time.

Criticality and Deep Water Oil Drilling

2010-07-29T11:13:00.001-07:00

I just watched a video presentation of by Shell Oil executives discussing deep water oil well design, failure modes, and criticality of the components of the design. Very interesting for an engineering presentation and, while it doesn't really apply to our industry, it is very instructive on how the Oil and Gas are handling criticality issues in their design and operations.

Demo of OWAM CMMS on Mobile Phone

2010-05-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

At the recent OWAM FullCircle2010 Asset Management Conference on of the users was demonstrating accessing the full Oracle Work and Asset Management (OWAM) interface on a mobile phone. It was so cool, that I video taped it and posted it on youtube.com to share.

This demonstration is using Citrix connection that his company uses for remote access. There is an App for Droid that is a Citrix "viewer" if I understand it correctly. This users goal is to make the workflow mobile for his staff.

Dirty Jobs - Sewer Worker

2010-03-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a show dedicated to those of use who work in the Wastewater Plants of the world. Check it out and see if it is accurate:
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/dirty-jobs-sewage-treatment-plant-worker.html

Are You Using Your CMMS for Anything More Then a File Cabinet?

2010-02-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article on CMMS usage. The point is excellent because the author asks if your CMMS is being used for anything more the a record file or, what I call, a PM puker. Correctly configuring your CMMS and estabilishing your Asset Management framework can make it a much more powerful tool.

Follow-up, performance matrix frequently absent from CMMS process flow

CMMS Data Quality is the Key to Success

2010-01-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

I just read an interesting article on ReliabilityWeb.com's newsletter on steps to getting quality data in a CMMS or EAM. There are some great suggestions that I completely agree with:

1.) You need a plan for how to manage your data, including codes for failures, asset types, etc...

2.) Develop a accurate list of Assets that staff can easily find from multiple search strategies. Make sure the spellings are correct etc...

3.) Develop a data Q/A plan and reports to track and trend on cleanup processes as needed.

Read the article here: http://reliabilityweb.com/index.php/articles/waiting_for_cmms_success/

If you are interested in other CMMS/EAM related articles I have referenced on this blog, click here for those: http://ydesign72705.blogspot.com/search/label/CMMS

The World is Flat and other Good Stuff

2010-01-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

I read Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat a couple of years ago and I just came across a video of Tom discussing his book at MIT which is really worth watching:

http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/266/

What does this have to do with maintenance? Not much on first glance, but it is a great introduction to why and how things are changing rapidly in the ways that we might think about how to manage maintenance.

I have also been reading Lean Six Sigma for Service Industries. Also an awesome book that has a lot of thoughts on ways that our maintenance processes might be improved. I highly recommend it.

I always like to look at wider trends and see how they might effect what they might offer in changes. Please feel free to share what is on your reading list.

Expand Root-Cause to Find Solutions

2009-12-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

In several other posts, I have recommended thinkreliability.com materials and video's. Here is another recommendation to explore their video and webinar library.

This is a short video reviewing the Hubble Telescope problems and solutions. As you may recall, the Hubble Telescope is a space based telescope launched in the early 1990's at a cost of $1.5 Billion, however, it had a flaw in the mirror which made all of the images blurry.

Thinkreliability.com explores the root-cause review and demonstrates how the solution didn't have anything to do with the mirror which was the actual cause of the problem: http://www.thinkreliability.com/Video/Hubble/Hubble7min.html

As you do RCFA, don't let the search for the cause limit your options for the solutions.

PNCWA Newsletter Article - June 2009

2009-11-17T17:03:00.000-08:00

I wrote the following article which was published in the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association Newsletter during the Second Quarter 2009 and is posted here because it has some good links to Oregon, Washington, and Idaho SRF information. If you are not from this region but looking for this kind of information, please start with your regional EPA website.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the $787 billion stimulus bill congress passed in February 2009, has been a bit slow in taking effect according to some commentators, however the reality is that the law itself has some difficult requirements.

The first difficulty is the requirement that the funded projects must be “under construction” no later then February 16, 2010 (Some sources indicate February 17, 2010). The funding for all water related projects, both clean and drinking, is being dispersed through the State Revolving Fund (SRF) program, which typically has a list of projects from the previous application period that are “shovel ready”. Depending on the state, this list may already fully account for the funds allocated. To see the specific ARRA funding additions to the SRF for your state please refer to the website for EPA Region 10: http://www.epa.gov/region10/eparecovery/cleanwater.htm

The second difficulty is the requirement that the qualifying projects meet the “Buy America” clauses in the law. The “Buy America” requirements add an additional level of documentation to prove the material sourcing for any project meet some stringent requirements. There are steps that can be taken to apply for a waiver to these rules, but the review process makes the process difficult and generally ads to the difficulty of the SRF process.

A third area of difficulty is the requirement that “20 percent of the funds shall support projects providing green infrastructure, water efficiency or energy efficiency improvements, or other environmentally innovative activities” (EPA Region 10: http://www.epa.gov/region10/eparecovery/cleanwater.htm). While this seems to be fairly loosely defined, it does set aside funds specifically to focus on improvements in this efficiency improvement area, which might open up opportunities for projects that normally wouldn’t apply for funds through the SRF process.

So can the ARRA help your community make improvements in your infrastructure and/or capital investments at your plant? Since the funding has a time limit and must be spent expeditiously, it may be difficult to take advantage of the opportunity, but here are a couple of suggestions:
1.) If you already are on the SRF project list and your project is “shovel ready”, consider reviewing the project in detail to look for elements that will qualify for the “Buy America” requirements and green infrastructure investments. If you can identify ways to revise your project, you will find there is less competition for these special funds and even if your project was not scheduled to be funded beyond 2010, it might move up if it meets these requirements.
2.) Review your capital investment plan (CIP) for projects that might qualify for a “green infrastructure” project. These projects might include replacement of existing motors with premium efficiency motors that would produce an energy savings and also update some aging equipment. With this CIP list in hand, contact your SRF representative to see if these projects can get on his list this late in the SRF cycle.

Because the dispersement of the ARRA funds has political pressure to respond to the current economic situation, it seems that the policies are in a state of transition. Please contact your state SRF representative for more detailed information on the current status of the program if you would like to participate.

To find out more information on ARRA, please refer to the following websites, which are listed in order of priority:

EPA Region 10: http://www.epa.gov/region10/eparecovery/cleanwater.htm

EPA Recovery Act (ARRA) FAQ: http://www.epa.gov/water/eparecovery/faq.html

For motor information checkout information at: http://ydesign72705.blogspot.com/2009/01/motor-repair-or-replacement-decisions.html

Full document on ARRA: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-9073.pdf

OWAM Users Group Conf. 2010

2009-11-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

I am working with several other OWAM users to plan a small Oracle Work and Asset Management (OWAM) user's conference for May of 2010 in Vancouver Washington. The format will focus on sharing between users how they are using OWAM to solve their problems on a variety of tracks. Each track will include at least one case-study and discussion period for questions and examples.

The goal is to help the OWAM user community to share and make connections that will help extend the use of the application.

If you would be interested in participating you can let me know and/or participate in a survey here: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/201242/may-2010-owam-user-s-group-meeting-vancouver-wa

Other resources for reference:

1.) Venue information on Vancouver Water Resources Education Center: http://www.cityofvancouver.us/upload/images/WaterCenter/CommunityRoomPolicy_092009.pdf

2.) Room Layout: http://www.cityofvancouver.us/upload/images/WaterCenter/CommunityRoomLayout.pdf

3.) Photo's of Venue: http://www.cityofvancouver.us/watercenter.asp?waterID=25023&waterSubID=27428

Benchmark Modeling from EPA Portfolio Manager

2009-10-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

EPA has an energy management benchmarking model called Portfolio Manager. This tool needs the following information to build an energy density number to benchmark your plant against:

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant
A wastewater treatment plant is a facility that is designed to treat municipal wastewater. The level of treatment at a plant will vary based on the BOD limits and the specific processes involved. This space type in Portfolio Manager is appropriate for primary, secondary, and advanced treatment facilities with or without nutrient removal. Treatment processes may include biological, chemical, and physical treatment. This space type is best applied to wastewater treatment facilities of 150 MGD or smaller. This space type does not apply to water treatment and distribution facilities.

The following information is required for wastewater treatment facilities:

Zip code
Average influent flow
Average influent biological oxygen demand (BOD5)
Average effluent biological oxygen demand (BOD5)
Plant design flow rate
Presence of fixed film trickle filtration process
Presence of nutrient removal process

You can find a Introductory/Training Video on Portfolio Manager here:http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/benchmarking_training/benchmarking.html

Benchmarking starter kit here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=evaluate_performance.bus_portfoliomanager_benchmarking

Portfolio Manager Log-In here: https://www.energystar.gov/istar/pmpam/index.cfm?fuseaction=login.login

Change Pump Speed to Reduce Energy

2009-10-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

The pump Affinity Laws are alive and well. If you don't recall those laws or how your pumping systems might be trying to break them, don't dig out your old engineering text to refresh your memory.

The basics are that pump flow, horsepower, and pressure are all related to the rotational speed of the pump. One of the best hands on explanations of how it all works was provided by the Hydraulic Institute in a Free Webinar which was recorded for viewing here: https://pumpsevents.webex.com/pumpsevents/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=1658517&rKey=599e4b559dcbc186

While this video doesn't give you all the answers on how to make design selections, it does demonstrate the principals that are at work in efficient pumping. Armed with this knowledge, you can contact your local pump representative to collect specific information and guidance on whether a variable speed pump option will save your process money.

If energy savings can be demonstrated, consider applying for ARRA funding or local energy funding to help make a capital investment that will truly pay back in a very short time.

Root-Cause Analysis and FMEA Similarities

2009-10-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

It sometimes seems that there are competing "tools" used to improve reliability of equipment. Pickup any of the industry magazines the there is always a presentation of one "new" technique or another: Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Root-Cause Analysis (RCA), and others. I have seen similarities between many of these tools, but a recent free webinar put on by Think Reliability did an excellent job of showing how RCA and FMEA are very closely related and support each other.

You can find the video here: http://www.thinkreliability.com/video/2009-10-13-RCA-FMEA/2009-10-13-RCA-FMEA.html

Energy Block Grants Webinar - Free!

2009-10-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

This presentation is aimed at Counties specifically.

Link to the presentation here: http://mfile.akamai.com/23543/wmv/citrixvar.download.akamai.com/23543/www/077/463/1908591367624077463/2-1908591367624077463-12435ff13fc.asx