Reliabilityweb Uptime 20090203

At Des-Case, weve led the way for
25 years with products and support

that protect your equipment, helping
it run longer and harder than ever
before. Our breathers, filters, and
fluid handling lines help your team
go on a full-court press against
destructive contaminants.
Our solutions are engineered for the
rugged environments you face while
providing maximum flexibility to
meet your exact needs.
To learn more, visit www.descase.
com, contact sales@descase.com or
call (615) 672-8800.
Keeping contamination under control.
Play to win.
Uptime Feb-Mar_2009.indd 67 1/23/09 8:41:52 PM
Energy
Infrared and Ultrasound Get It Together Lead Free Solder and Tin Whiskers
Go Green and Save with Ultrasound Vibration Analysis and WInd Turbines
the magazine for maintenance & reliability professionals
f
e
b
/
m
a
r

0
9
higher efciency stronger company
healthier planet
www.uptimemagazine.com
Web: books.mro-zone.com
Toll Free: 1-888-575-1245
uptime
contents
upfront
upclose energizing your facilitys
bottom line
6
8
88.6F
94.5F
90
92
94
AR01:98.4F
SP02:90.4F
24
u
p
l
o
a
d
18
24
30
34
38
42
46
50
54
60
34
information technology routing your way to lubrication nirvana
infrared finding ultrasonic synergy
lubrication when conserving creates savings
maintenance management going rogue
motor testing on the road with the hybrid tahoe
precision maintenance making things worse by making things better
reliability on the road to excellence
ultrasound its good to be green
vibration the answer is blowin in the wind
upgrade optimizing your pms in three dimensions
38
18
30
42
54
50
46
8
Web Exclusive Articles
www.uptimemagazine.com/articles
PdM Centralization for Signicant
Energy Savings learn how the
successful integration of standard PdM
technologies with centralized reporting
can capture significant energy savings
and simplify ROI calculations
The Power of Conversations are the
conversations we have limiting the
impact maintenance can have on our
organizations? an insightful look into
maintenance and the human psyche
Is it just me or does it feel like we have reached a turning point?
Whether you like him or not, or agree with his policies or not, we now have a new
president in the U.S. And, as a great American songwriter once sang the times,
they are a changin.
Barack Obama campaigned on a platform of change, and he won. That is interesting
in and of itself, because in the maintenance and reliability industry, all of us, to
varying degrees, are striving to change from a reactive culture to a proactive culture.
And, as the experts in the culture change business will invariably tell you, culture
change is often the toughest challenge we face. So how was President Obama able
to gain traction with the platform of change?
Well, of course it is much easier to embrace change when you are experiencing
tough times and can see that the status quo is not working. This is the situation
that helped President Obama win the election. Of course, for him its a double
edged sword, because now he is charged with fixing the underlying problems in our
economy.
These are, indeed, very tough economic times. Some companies are weathering the
storm well, while others are either laying their workers off, or worse, closing their
doors.
Without sounding like a Pollyanna, the current economic woes create an
opportunity to seek changes for a more proactive maintenance program in your
company. There are numerous sources in our industry that document condition
monitoring and other proactive techniques as being far less costly in the long run
than continuing in a firefighter maintenance mode.
This issue of Uptime focuses on energy savings and increasing efficiency. This is
an area where any improvements pay immediate dividends through lower energy
bills. Any proposal with a quick and positive Return on Investment (see our Feature
article on page 8 and the Ultrasound section on page 50) is an attractive investment.
Increasing energy efficiency will not only save money today, but as the economy
strengthens, and energy costs inevitably rise, the payback becomes even greater.
By investing in more efficient processes, you will lay the foundation for better
maintenance, higher reliability and higher productivity, which leads to a stronger
organization now and into the future. And that should be change that anyone can
believe in.
I hope you enjoy this issue. As always, thank you for reading. We appreciate your
support, and hope you find value within these pages. If you have any questions,
comments or suggestions that will make Uptime more useful to you, please let us
know.
u
p
f
r
o
n
t
A Change of Direction
uptime
PUBLISHER
Terrence OHanlon
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Jeffrey C Shuler
EDITORIAL ADVISORS/
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
ADVERTISING SALES
Bill Partipilo
888-575-1245 x 114
sales@uptimemagazine.com
EDITORIAL INFORMATION
Please address submissions of case
studies, procedures, practical tips
and other correspondence to

Jeff Shuler, Editor In Chief
Uptime Magazine
PO Box 60075
Ft. Myers, FL 33906
888-575-1245 x 116
jshuler@uptimemagazine.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS
to subscribe to Uptime, log on
Uptime (ISSN 1557-0193) is published monthly
by Reliabilityweb.com, PO Box 60075, Ft. Myers,
FL 33906, 888-575-1245. In the U.S. Uptime is a
registered trademark of Reliabilityweb.com. No
part of Uptime may be reproduced in any form
by any means without prior written consent from
Reliabilityweb.com.
Uptime is an independently produced
publication of Reliabilityweb.com. The opinions
expressed herein are not necessarily those of
Reliabilityweb.com.
Copyright 2009 by Reliabilityweb.com. All
rights reserved.
volume 4, issue 33
Ron Eshleman
Greg Stockton
Ray Thibault
Jack Nicholas, Jr.
Dr. Howard Penrose
James Hall
Alan Johnston
Jay Lee, PhD
John Mitchell
Jason Tranter
february/march 2009
6
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
Uptime Magazine PO Box 60075, Ft. Myers,
FL 33906.
All the best,
Jeff Shuler
Editor In Chief
jshuler@uptimemagazine.com
AMP
the association for maintenance professionals
Uptime Magazine is a founding member of
MARCON 2009
May 4-7, 2009 at the Knoxville, TN Marriott

Asset Management Strategies
New Technology/Research
Best Practices/Case Studies

The University of Tennessee
Maintenance and Reliability Center
co-located with the
Plant Engineering & Maintenance Show
where industry and academia meet
a culture of reliability
Reliabilityweb.com
present
&
Informative Presentation Tracks
MARCON is a forum for all - practioners, specialists, educators, students and even the new and
unititiated - to learn and exchange information on new and emerging technoligies as well as on
tried and proven methods and techniques in the area of maintenance and reliability engineering
and management.
PLUS: Large Exhibit Area
Networking Opportunities
And MUCH, MUCH, MORE
For more information, call or visit our websites
865-974-9625 888-575-1245
www.engr.utk.edu/mrc www.maintenanceconference.com
Featuring leading experts in the Maintenance & Reliability feld, including
mrc
Dr. Peter Martin
VP of Invensys
Awarded Fortune
Magazines
U.S. Hero
of Manufacturing
Dr. Bob Abernethy
THE leading authority
in the world
on Weibull Amalysis
by John OLaughlin, CEM
Stop Wasting
Start Saving
february/march 2009
Reliability and
Energy Conservation
Go Hand In Hand
8
9
Stop Wasting
Start Saving
he definition of Maintenance is: the upkeep of property
or equipment. The definition of Conservation is: the
act of conserving or preserving; or helping reduce decay,
waste or loss, i.e. prevention. Amazingly similar, arent they?
In fact, in many ways, they can be considered one and the same
when we examine business and industry. Every action item of a
preventative and prescriptive maintenance program conserves the
ma c hi nes and mechanisms acted upon by the
p r o - gram, with the ultimate goal being
highly reliable equipment. In ad-
dition, energy is conserved by
programs and processes that pro-
mote the peak operating efficiency
of regularly and properly maintained
and serviced equipment.
In other words, due to their very
natures, high performing reli-
ability programs conserve both
equipment and energy, which saves
money and, therefore, i n c r e a s e s
profitability.
I breakdown energy conservation for my customers into two main
components: the efficiency of an energy consuming device and use
of operation of that device. There are only two ways to improve the
energy efficiency of a piece of energy consuming equipment or light-
ing system. The first is by making the piece of equipment as efficient
as possible and the second is to limit its use to only that which is
absolutely necessary.
Beyond that, you cannot do much more to conserve energy unless
you replace an existing piece of equipment or lighting system with a
more efficient one. A motor must move a mass, a heater must heat,
a cooler cool and a light bulb light. After all, to move, to heat/cool or
to light are the basic functions of all machines in industry.
The various PM and reliability programs currently in place in many
industrial facilities do a good job of reducing energy costs and pro-
longing the operating lifespan of the equipment. A good PM pro-
gram will eventually remedy many of the losses in efficiency within
a given energy system, however, not all opportunities to improve ef-
ficiency can be identified by a good PM program alone. A proactive
approach to identifying further energy conservation opportunities
must be taken to insure that optimal operational efficiency is main-
tained within a given plant or facility.
Studies have shown that a typical industrial facility wastes between
10 and 20 percent of the energy it uses (DOE/EPAs energystar.gov).
So, where can you reduce your energy costs? You need to develop
and implement an Energy Conservation Plan and Strategy. Much like
any other continuous improvement process, a good Energy Conser-
vation Program must take the form of a sustainable action plan
that includes: a corporate-wide commitment, vigorous analy-
sis, setting goals, creating and implementing plans, measuring
and verifying results, updating strategies and celebrating your
improvement all along the way.
T
Studies have shown that a typical industrial facility wastes
between 10 and 20 percent of the energy it uses.
february/march 2009
by top management to the sustainable enact-
ment of an energy program is often initiated by
an analysis of the very attractive ROI on time
and capital. In my experience, it is not un-
reasonable to predict at least a 5% to 15% re-
duction in energy costs from a good proactive
Energy Conservation Program (not including
major retrofit or replacement capital projects).
The cost of an effective Energy Program need
not exceed 2% or 3%, netting a very quick pay-
back.
In addition to ROI, management should realize
that Energy Conservation Programs must also
be sustainable - not one-and-done projects.
Like effective reliability programs, Energy Pro-
grams require diligent, long-term actions by
maintenance personnel to insure optimal ef-
ficiency and use. For instance, many systems
are used to optimize efficiency. These systems
can be easily overridden to accommodate op-
erations at certain times, but not be restored
to their original conservation mode. So, dili-
gence to ensure the Energy Programs success
in paramount.
Management can also be shown how capital
improvement projects that replace old or ineffi-
cient energy equipment can have a very reason-
able payback. ENthEnergy recently concluded
a large building assessment program for Duke
Energy in North Carolina that included capital
improvement recommendations in more than
10
In my experience, the best Energy
Conservation Programs are cre-
ated, managed and maintained
by the same group or department
responsible for the Reliability Pro-
gram. This could be either plant
engineering or maintenance, be-
cause they work hand-in-hand. The
most frequent common denomina-
tor of both reliability and energy
conservation is the daily hands on
connection between the operations
staff and the energy equipment. A
maintenance person can not only
hear a bad bearing by standing near
the equipment but also spot energy
related items like a loose belt, chat-
tering set of contactors or an inef-
fective boiler flame.
There are several areas of the Ener-
gy Conservation Program that need
emphasis here:
First; the long-term commitment
to the Energy Program by top man-
agement is paramount. A business
initiative is only as good as the top
level management buy-in. A firm commitment
My company, ENthEnergy, LLC, is a proud En-
ergy Star Partner. Much of what you need to
know about starting and maintaining a good
Energy Conservation Program can be found on
the Energy Star website. The government has
spent a great deal of time and money in host-
ing this site and many organizations regard it
as their bible of energy saving references.
For those non-commercial buildings for which
Energy Star does not maintain a database, the
Department of Energy maintains an excellent
profile database for mostly industrial facilities.
There is also a great deal of content supporting
manufacturing and industry. Under the section
entitled Guidelines for Energy Management,
you will find a complete overview of the EPAs
recommendations to business and industry for
energy conservation programs. The basis of
these guidelines is a variation of the renowned
Edwards Deming quality circle shown in Fig-
ure 1.
The bottom line: energy conservation should
be treated like any other process improvement
program. It needs its own plan, implementa-
tion and tracking processes while being cen-
trally and independently managed for optimum
and sustainable results.
Make
Commitment
Assess
Performance
And Set Goals
R
e
-
A
s
s
e
s
s
Evaluate
Progress
Create
Action Plan
Recognize
Achievements
Implement
Action Plan
Figure 1 - Guidelines for Energy Management
EPAs energystar.gov
While many investments in Reliability pay off
in the future due to better reliability and up-
time, energy savings can be realized as soon
as the improvements are implemented. And,
over time, a program becomes truly sustain-
able by continuing to yield a continuous flow
of reduced energy expenses. With energy
costs for large buildings continuing to rise, an
effective energy management program will net
even greater savings in the months and years
ahead.
50 large commercial and industrial facilities
that yielded an average payback of 2.3 years.
So, Energy Conservation does pay.
What I have found, however, is that even with
favorable economics, management can still be
quite hesitant to make any investment in en-
ergy conservation. Of the 50+ facilities that
received free energy assessments from Duke
Energy, few customers responded by actually
investing in the recommendations.
Why is this? Most likely, because there was
a major disconnect between upper manage-
ment and the grassroots efforts to make im-
provements by the facility management level.
For example, as part of the Duke Energy Pro-
gram in 2007, we recommended a very attrac-
tive improvement measure to a large health
care facility in North Carolina. It involved in-
stalling a deduct water meter on the make-up
water to their 6,000+ ton cooling tower sys-
tem to reduce the sewer charges that were be-
ing paid on the water that evaporated from the
towers.
Following up a year later, I discovered that
ownership had still not made the improvement,
even though all of the measures were submit-
ted in the 2008 budget. This particular mea-
sure had a savings payback in terms of days or
weeks, saving nearly $100,000 in energy costs
annually, but it still escaped the attention of
the C level folks. Wow.
Unfortunately, we see this lack of response all
too often. While excuses can be made that C
level executives face internal competition for
their time, capital and attention, in this par-
ticular facility, there was no high level buy-in to
improve efficiency by reducing energy use from
day one. If, however, the information concern-
ing the water deduct meter had been present-
ed to the right someone with responsibility
to pay the bills, our recommendation would
surely have been quickly approved.
With a good high level commitment for a sound
Energy Plan, real savings can be achieved on a
sustainable basis. Unlike other investments a
business or manufacturer may make, energy
savings translates to a direct and immediate
increase to the bottom line of the business,
without any strings attached. Many general
business investments like R&D, new produc-
tion lines, improved equipment and marketing
and sales depend on many things going right to
deliver the expected ROI.
Here are a few examples of some energy sav-
ings recommendations our company has made
to customers as a result of hundreds of large
building energy audits:
Plant Lighting Upgrades
In the last few years, there have been signifi-
cant improvements in lighting technology.
Even though plant lighting may not be a large
portion of the electric bill in some industries, a
The Best in Independent Solutions for SAP-Plant Maintenance
More independent SAP Plant Maintenance Resources online at www.sapcenter.com
SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein, as well as, their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in
several other countries all over the world. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. SAPCenter.com is in no way connected to nor endorsed by SAP AG.
www.desmaint.com
604-984-3674
Dperaror lnspecr|on
Preo|cr|ve Va|nrenance
Re||ao|||r, $olruare
www.pmoptimisation.com.au
+61 3 93150330
Re||ao|||r, lmprovemenr
$olruare Tnar lnrerlaces v|a
herueaver
www.sapscheduling.com
1-866-515-3874
Pracr|ca| 0a||, $cneou||ng |n
$/P P|anr Va|nrenance
www.ivara.com
1-877-746-3787
/sser Perlormance
Vanagemenr $o|ur|ons
lor $/P E/V
www.viziya.com
1-905-544-4144
Empouer|ng ERP /sser
Vanagemenr $o|ur|ons
www.mrginc.com
203-264-0500
$uccesslu| lmp|emenrar|ons
Tnrougn Re||ao|||r, 0ara
Ennancemenr
www.pcaconsulting.com
770-717-2737
0eve|op|ng Re||ao|||r, $o|ur|ons
ro lmprove Peop|e, Processes &
Tecnno|og,
www.isograph.com
604-984-3674
Dperaror lnspecr|on
Preo|cr|ve Va|nrenance
Re||ao|||r, $olruare
www.strategicorp.com
North America: 508-359-1966
Australasia: +61 3 9455 2211
Prov|oers ol Experr Re||ao|||r,
Vernooog|es, R0V Turoo ano $D$
{$pares Dpr|m|zar|on $,sremj
www.samicorp.com
1-860-675-0439
/ rnou|eoge Transler 0ompan,
lor lnousrr|a| Drgan|zar|ons
13
The Lighting Research Center has an excel-
lent report on LED lighting in a download-
able PDF file available from: http://www.lrc.
rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/publicationdetails.
asp?id=885&type=2
The other dramatic improvement in lighting
technology worth investigating is outdoor
lighting. Parking lot and flood light fixtures
are now using both Induction Florescent lamps
and LED technology very effectively. An in-
duction fluorescent lamp is the same concept
as normal fluorescent, with the ballast on the
outside of a sealed fluorescent tube. The ad-
vantage is a much longer life of approximately
100,000 hours with an increase in efficiency
watt saved is a penny earned. New technology
includes three main types of lighting. The first
are new high output fluorescent tubes. Plants
and manufacturers are now replacing the old
low bay or high bay High Intensity Discharge
(HID) fixtures (such as Metal Halide, High Pres-
sure Sodium or Mercury Vapor) with new high
output T-5 fluorescent fixtures. A typical 400-
watt Metal Halide fixture, which consumes ap-
proximately 450 watts, can now be replaced
with a new T-5 fluorescent fixture on a one-to-
one replacement basis to reduce energy con-
sumption by nearly half. So, in addition to sav-
ing 50% the next time you turn on the switch,
you also get superior light quality, quantity and
light distribution. The other advantage of fluo-
rescent over HID is that the lights can be turned
on instantly allowing for a greater opportunity
to switch lights off during the day.
One of our customers in North Carolina even
added a lighting control system to their T-5
lighting project and scheduled lights off and on
during the day during breaks and lunch time.
This scheduled switching serves as notice to
the workers that it is time for breaks and lunch.
Reasonable lighting is always maintained in
isle ways for safety and security. Lamp life re-
mains comparable between HID and T-5s. The
simple payback, including labor and material,
for this improvement is approximately 2 years.
Tax credits may also be available through the
IRS for projects that reduce lighting costs by
more than 50%, which is a feasible goal with
this and other lighting techniques. A direct tax
credit of $0.60/sq.ft. may be obtained after an
engineering professional prepares a report and
an accountant files the proper government pa-
per work.
There is an excellent overview of T-5 lighting
from the Lighting Research Center at this link:
http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightin-
gAnswers/lat5/abstract.asp
There has also been recent improvement in LED
lighting. It is safe to say that there is an LED
retrofit bulb available for every type of incan-
descent lamp application. The light levels are
comparable to their incandescent counterpart
and the color of the LEDs is now a crisp white
light, unlike the early prototypes that appeared
greenish or bluish. Compact fluorescent lamps
are also very attractive replacements for incan-
descent bulbs and are available in all styles and
wattages. The payback on both compact fluo-
rescent lamps and LEDs is very good.
T5 T8 T12
0.625 1.00 1.50
Figure 2 - T-5 Lamps are a smaller diameter
and slightly shorter than T-8s and T-12s.
Our Students Call It CSI...
for Engineers.
We call it Practical Plant Failure
Analysis Its a reasonably-priced
practical seminar with hundreds
of hands-on examples designed
for plant people and engineers.
Youll work with gears, bearings,
shafts, belts, fasteners, seals, and
a selection of corrosion examples. With the hands-on analyses,
youll learn how and why they fail and how to diagnose the
multiple causes.
e public session is three days long and is held in Syracuse,NY
in November. Private sessions range from two to four days and
can be held at your site.
From the Reliability
Professionals who wrote
the book on logical and
practical plant failure
analysis. For more details
contact Dale Gamba at
315-487-4390 or email us
at reliable@twcny.rr.com
Put your mi nd at rest!
w
a
r
n
i
n
g
d
a
n
g
e
r
Your First Choice
in vibration analysis
c
o
n
t
r
o
l Two Channel Simultaneous Vibration
EVAM
Evaluated Vibration Analysis

Shock Pulse Method
SPM Spectrum
Dynamic Balancing
Precision Shaft Alignment
Orbit Analysis
Run up/Coast down
Structural Resonances
Instant Condition evaluation
For full technical specifcation please visit our website or call 1-800 505 56 36
www.leonovabyspm.com
www.spminstrument.us
ReliableP_Nov_124x124.indd 1 9/21/07 8:29:52 AM
february/march 2009
14
over standard HID. LEDs are now being used
with parking lot fixtures with great success and
energy savings.
Automated Control Systems
The second most common of our recommend-
ed improvement measures is the addition of
building automated controls or improving
existing automated controls. Poor control
of heating, ventilating and air conditioning
systems, compressed air systems or process
cooling systems represents a significant op-
portunity to both reduce the run time opera-
tion of equipment and to greatly increase the
efficiency of equipment.
The application of automated controls re-
quires a custom solution. No two buildings
or plants are alike and each must be investi-
gated on its own merit. However, there are
common techniques that apply to most equip-
ment. To affect improvements in efficiencies,
automated controls can be used to optimize
the temperature and quantities of process
variables such as water and air flow, water and
air temperature, use of outdoor air for free
cooling, control of exhaust fans, compressed
air pressure and motor speed on equipment
with variable speed drives. To affect improve-
ments in run time, automated controls can be
used to optimize operation of supply, return
and exhaust fans, cooling and heating run
times, compressed air and other cyclic or pe-
riodic process systems.
Compressed Air System Optimization
Our recent study of industrial plants reveals po-
tential for significant improvements with com-
pressed air systems. Here are just a few areas:
1. Optimize Compressed Air pressure with its
use and application. In most cases, excess
air pressure is used to cover a multitude of
sins downstream in a typical compressed
air system. Reducing air pressure at the
compressor room will reduce energy costs
significantly. Air piping systems are de-
signed for the maximum air flow. Maxi-
mum conditions do not occur during every
hour of the day or every day of the week.
By matching the main air pressure to the
load, you can reduce operating costs and
ensure that the process requiring the air
will not suffer. This can be done by install-
ing end-of-main sensing and control sys-
tems or sensors at the most critical pieces
of equipment.
2. Making sure compressed air piping systems
are sized adequately. A small pinch point
in an elaborate compressed air system can
create a need to increase the compressor
pressure to satisfy a small portion of the
plant air. A study of the entire piping sys-
tem may reveal areas that could be re-
worked by adding or replacing piping to
increase flow and reduce pressure drops.
Often a loop type system is superior to a
tree branch type system.
3. Running more compressors than is needed
to satisfy the load. Optimizing the number
of compressors in a system can greatly
reduce compressed air costs. Many new
compressors unload efficiently, however
there is a sweet spot with every machine.
Review your compressor efficiency map
with your manufacturer and find out where
the most efficient operating points are
and then add and drop compressors
accordingly.
4. Add a small compressor to run during low
plant air requirements or shutdowns.
Running a 200 H.P. compressor just to
keep pressure in the mains is not an
efficient way to service this load.
5. Add pressure booster pumps at equipment
Figure 3 - Typical Compressed Air
Installation
15
that require higher pressures than required
elsewhere throughout the plant. This
may allow the entire main air pressure to
be reduced significantly.
6. Add an air blower for applications requiring
a fairly low pressure and large volume of
air. Many process applications require a
low pressure, large volume of compressed
air to move parts or blow parts off. Adding
an air blower will potentially allow you to
lower your main air flow requirements
lowering your overall operating pressure
requirements.
7. Check for compressed air leaks as frequent-
ly as possible. Many good PM programs
call for annual or semi-annual leak tests.
This is good, but it must be emphasized
how important finding and fixing air leaks
is to minimizing energy costs. Encourage
maintenance and production staff to
identify and report compressed air leaks
immediately.
Variable Speed Drives
Install Variable Speed Drives on continuous
speed motors that could be operated at lower
speeds during low flow periods. The installa-
tion of Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) on appli-
cable pumps and fans will have a very good pay-
back. VSDs have become much more reliable
and their cost has been reduced dramatically
over the past decade. A study of each motor
in the plant will reveal the potential for VSDs.
The payback will vary depending on the appli-
cation and the turn-down potential. However,
even a reduction of 20% to 30% of motor speed
will make the application cost effective.
Secondly, uncovering energy conservation op-
portunities through an assessment or audit
can bring impressive results. While assessing
or auditing a facility can be time consuming,
it is usually very revealing. Because the time
involved often dissuades plant operations from
finding all the energy saving potential within a
facility, hiring an outside consulting company
is often a way to get the job done. Another
reason to hire a third party is to acquire an ob-
jective view point. Many energy saving oppor-
tunities go unnoticed by the untrained eye.
Site assessments or audits need not be cost
prohibitive. For example, a two day on-site in-
spection can often be done for around $10,000
(plus expenses). A survey and assessment for a
typical industrial facility will reveal significant
opportunities that require little or no further
investment. The key here is to not underes-
timate the potential of a good assessment.
You wouldnt expect a physician to walk in the
exam room, listen to your heart, look in your
eyes and ears and poke your knee with a rub-
ber mallet and make an instant diagnosis. You
can and should expect a much more thorough
exam and you should expect the same from
your facility and process assessment. The value
you receive will always be proportional to your
investment in time, effort and expertise.
Here are just a few tips to consider when as-
sessing your facility for energy conservation
opportunities.
1. Start with a comprehensive survey of ALL
energy consuming equipment and lighting.
The more detailed the survey, the more
potential will be found. Some of this
equipment may be available on a PM list,
but not everything. Just roll up your
sleeves and start counting.
2. While conducting the energy survey, note
the operating conditions of that equipment
and a make a brief note on potential for
energy savings. It may seem obvious, but
it is very easy to forget information at a
later time, and this will reduce your time
and improve the impact of your survey. I
always make note of definite improvements
in the margin of my notes and circle it. At
the end of the day, I then have a pretty
good idea of the improvement potential.
and I dont have to jog my memory (espe-
cially if you just looked at a thousand
pieces of equipment).
3. After your survey activities, immediately
determine the action plan. Dont wait until
weeks later to follow up with the planning
activities. Do the planning while it is still
fresh in your mind. (It might be easier to
break the plant into sections, and do your
survey and planning activities a section
at a time.)
VIBXPERT
VIBSCANNER
The right tool

for every user,
job and budget
305-591-8935 www.ludeca.com
Vibration
Analysis &
Balancing
W
a
tc
h
V
ID
E
O
O
n
lin
e
See us at RCM/EAM 2009- Booth# 320
Figure 4 - Typical Variable Speed Drive
Installation with a Chilled Water
Pump System.
16
february/march 2009
16
4. Take pictures while performing the
survey. A picture is indeed worth
a thousand words. You can use
the pictures to help jog your
memory while planning and they
can serve as a record of the
opportunity in your reports.
5. Dont send a boy to do an engi-
neers work. The assessment is
your one opportunity to find the
improvements. Make sure those
conducting the survey are not just
data gatherers. Assign plant
engineers or top maintenance per-
sonnel to perform this function
and use the time in the field to
allow your engineers or techni-
cians to use their imagination to
come up with good ideas. Every
survey our company performs ends
with definite energy and cost sav-
ings solutions to recommend.
Finally, its important to emphasize
how important it is to track and mon-
itor energy consumption and cost
before and during an Energy Conser-
vation Program. Validating the true
performance of the Program is im-
portant in recognizing the success of
the program. The old adage is espe-
cially apt here - How can you manage
something you dont measure?
However, good data collection and
interpretation are more important
than just tracking success. Energy
data can also be the key to finding,
correcting, and optimizing energy
systems. The more data and the
more frequent the reporting the
better. For example, many manu-
facturing plants are charged electric
demand as well as usage. Spikes in
demand at certain times of the day
can dramatically increase the custom-
ers monthly charge. Collecting and
reviewing electric meter interval data
on a regular basis can reveal anoma-
lies that could be adding consider-
able cost to the customers energy
budget. Reviewing and interpreting
this data can be both very useful and
cost effective in tracking an Energy
Conservation Program.
In addition to reviewing monthly util-
Figure 5 - Typical Annual Energy Use Graphical Report
Aug
U
s
e

-

k
W
h
Electricity Use
D
e
m
a
n
d

P
e
a
k

-

k
W
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1,800,000
2,000,000
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
--
Use Peak Demand
--
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
U
S

D
o
l
l
a
r
s
Energy Cost
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
Electricity $ Total Cost
--
ity bills and interval meter data, it is important
to normalize all of the utility consumption data
and costs to account for weather variations,
production levels and other variations in op-
erations that may alter the results of the utility
consumption. A report card you can rely on
means an investment in a recognized measure-
ment and verification program that insures the
savings and performance of your Energy Pro-
gram are valid.
Weather variation and other operational
changes within a facility can greatly affect the
outcome of an energy savings report. While
there are packaged reporting software pro-
grams currently available, the trustworthiness
of the results can vary greatly based on the
competence of the person doing the reports,
their ability to understand regression analysis
while continually maintaining and updating a
software program.
Hiring an outside party to provide accurate
M&V and transparent reporting has the add-
ed benefit of an impartial, third-party valida-
tion of the Energy Program. Low cost access
is available to a hosted
software service that
provides weather-cor-
rected results by uti-
lizing advanced linear
regression techniques
used in accordance
with international pro-
tocols for a set of gas
and electric meters. All
the customer needs to
do is supply the data or
access to the data and
maintain a record of
all of the deviations in
critical metrics such as
production levels, pro-
duction schedules and
other quantifiable oper-
ational changes that can
be used to track signifi-
cant changes in energy
usage.
As you can see, there are
more similarities than
differences between a
good Reliability Program
and an effective Energy
Conservation Program.
However, in order to
work hand-in-hand sup-
porting the common
goals of dependability
and preservation, they
must begin with a high-
level and organization-wide commitment to
sustainable energy management that includes
both above-the-ceiling energy analysis and be-
low-the-ceiling staff and occupant involvement
to optimize whats already there.
If you commit, plan, implement, measure, re-
port and update, you will create a truly sustain-
able management process that reduces energy
use and cost while maximizing the efficiency
and life of your equipment and systems.
John OLaughlin, CEM, has been an Energy
Engineer for 29 years. He has worked in the
Mechanical and Electrical Construction field
as a Consultant, Installing Contractor and
Service Contractor. He has been involved
in more than $250M of energy conservation
projects and programs with all types of build-
ings in various industries. Mr. OLaughlin is
currently the Regional Operations Manager
for North Carolina for ENthEnergy, LLC, an En-
ergy Consulting and Software Company near
Indianapolis with other offices in Tampa, FL,
Morgantown WV and Austin, TX.
Figure 6 - Typical Electrical Interval Data Report
Week 1
Meter 3749685 Week 1
D
e
m
a
n
d

k
W
800
1,200
1,600
2,000
2,400
2,800
3,200
3,600
4,000
4,400
0
8/1/05
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

F
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
-100
400
8/2/05 8/3/05 8/4/05 8/5/05 8/6/05 8/7/05
Meter 3749685 Week 2
D
e
m
a
n
d

k
W
800
1,200
1,600
2,000
2,400
2,800
3,200
3,600
4,000
4,400
0
8/8/06
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

F
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
-100
400
8/9/06 8/10/06
Week 2 - Large usage throughout week with high
peak on 8/9/06
8/11/06 8/12/06 8/13/06 8/14/06
Rotalign
ULTRA
OPTALIGN
smart
ALIGNEO
The right tool

for every user,
job and budget
305-591-8935 www.ludeca.com
W
a
tc
h
V
ID
E
O
O
n
lin
e
Shaft
Alignment
See us at RCM/EAM 2009- Booth# 320
17
february/march 2009
Streamlining Lubrication
Energy Savings Through Task-Specifc Lubrication Reliability
by Eric Rasmusson
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n

t
e
c
h
n
o
l
o
g
y
u
p
l
o
a
d
ith most plants today facing increased pressure of competition and some even fighting for sur-
vival the advantages of a task specific lubrication reliability system are too great to be ignored
any longer. Along with several other reasons, energy savings is one major benefit of unlocking
untapped potential in a large number of facilities through better lubrication practices.
Unharnessed Opportunity
Lubrication reliability is an extremely important and
complex operation not adequately addressed by corpo-
rations world-wide. They give focus to important op-
erations such as accounts receivable, inventory control,
CRM, process control and a host of other functions. In
fact, no corporation would dream of running without
the advantages gained from using software designed for
these specific purposes. Yet these same organizations
often remain naive about the complexity of industrial
lubrication and its importance as an unharnessed op-
portunity for new operational efficiencies.
A well documented and definitive case study
1
shows en-
ergy savings gained from the proper lubrication of equip-
ment, including a multi-hundred ton stamping machine.
As is regularly found in plants lacking a task-specific lu-
brication program, this machine wasnt being properly
lubricated to specification. In fact, it was shown to be
filled with the wrong lubricant. Working with the energy
utility, baseline consumption data was collected. With
this data in hand, the machine was flushed and filled
with the proper lubricant, and then monitored over sev-
eral months of operation. Upon its conclusion, the study
results brought forward an impressive 18% reduction in
energy consumption a $2,700 annual savings at typical
rates on a single machine alone.
According to the US Department of Energy, the typical
plant spends 60% of its Operations & Maintenance (O&M)
budget on energy alone. Of course, not all equipment
would produce reductions in energy consumption in the
15-20% range. Yet with the hundreds or even thousands
of pieces of equipment within a plant, the potential sav-
ings are significant. Such reductions in energy consump-
tion will meaningfully impact the O&M budget year
after year.
Missing Lube-Points
The simple fact in many plants is that lubrication points
are being missed. And the resulting impact goes far be-
yond increased energy consumption. A recent report by
Ricky Smith shows poor lubrication practices are respon-
sible for 40% of maintenance related failures
2
.
It may be a case of the wrong lube (as in the energy case
study above), incorrect frequency, or guesswork result-
ing from the lack of a reliable method for tracking when
a point was (or was not) lubricated. And far too often,
lube-points are simply forgotten altogether, only to
be re-discovered years later. It is no wonder a survey
included in this report shows 80% of respondents indi-
cated that lubrication was a significant problem in their
operation.
Think about it for a moment. Most industrial plants con-
sist of varied equipment numbering from the hundreds
to the thousands. Each one of these equipment pieces
typically includes multiple component parts requiring
lubrication, such as a motor, drive-shaft and coupling.
Multiple lube points per equipment result in thousands
upon thousands of individual points to be serviced. Yet
lubrication is even more detailed than these numbers
alone.
Do The Math
Each individual lubrication point often requires multiple
and differing activities to be performed, each at its own
18
W
Editors Note: We published this article with specifc references to LUBE-IT Lubrication Reliability software in order to tell
more people about potential solutions as maintenance and reliability information management evolves. We did not want
to make it generic. There are other unique software products that we will also be presenting to you in Uptime. In order to
bring you the full impact of the capabilities of some of these new technologies - we have decided to allow product specifcity
- not as an endorsement - but to create an enhanced understanding of the rapidly changing landscape of Information Tech-
nology. Uptime is comfortable stepping out of the limited and traditional etiquette of magazine publishing and we hope
you see the value in our decision. We certainly invite your feedback as we continue to move forward.
Lubrication Tasks
Figure 1 - Lube-It can catalog all lubrication points for
an entire plant, while CMMS are not designed to generate
either the numbers or the detail required in a task specifc
lubrication system.
CM + PM Work Orders
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
900,000
CMMS
LUBE-IT
frequency. For example, proper care
of just one lubrication point will re-
quire topping-off a reservoir each
week, drawing a lab-sample every
quarter, and draining and refilling
with fresh fluid once a year.
Several thousand lube-points, each
with multiple tasks at varying fre-
quencies it can easily work out to
be hundreds of thousands of activi-
ties needing to be performed annu-
ally. This means, in order to ensure
ongoing performance and reliability,
many plants should be performing
over 250,000 lubrication activities
each year. In fact, one proactive and
successful East Coast paper plant re-
ports performing over 700,000 lubri-
cation activities annually.
Now consider the problem of so many
lubrication points spread across sev-
eral acres, numerous buildings, or multiple
stories. This is even further complicated by
an array of required lubricants, and the fact
that distinct procedures are often required for
each of the activities performed at a lubrica-
tion point.
How is this daunting task typically being han-
dled? Unfortunately, its often left, either in
full or in part, to human memory.
Common Approaches
Reliance on Human Memory In some cases,
lubrication maintenance personnel have been
tending the equipment for years, resulting in
detailed understanding of the needs. Hope-
fully, these experienced personnel are never
sick or on leave. Or worse yet, what are the
consequences when just one resigns or re-
tires? A mission-critical information asset is
lost as they walk out the door. This starts a
long and costly program of reassembling de-
tails and knowledge lost. Meanwhile, lacking
experience, how does the new person on the
block possibly lubricate without significant
omission? Under this scenario, lube-points
will, in all likelihood, be missed.
Reliance on spreadsheets Another widely
used method is the computer spreadsheet.
Typically this comprises a list of equipment
along with numerous columns for lubrication
specific data fields such as lubrication points
and type, required lubricant, lubricant capac-
ity and the frequencies at which to perform
tasks. While able to convey the basics of what
needs to be done and how often, such spread-
sheets fail in knowing or communicating what
specifically needs to be done and when.
Most often lacking is the tracking of dates last
completedaccurately entering this informa-
tion for thousands of rows is an impossibly ar-
duous task. Yet, while updating spreadsheets
proves difficult, accidental changes and dele-
tions come all too easy. Knowledge of when
tasks were last completed is the prerequisite
to determining when individual tasks are
next-duewithout which the all-important
questions remain unanswered. Which tasks
are to be done this week? Which were missed
last week? Also consider the hundreds of ac-
tivities of longer duration, such as those per-
formed every quarter, six-months, or once
every year. Its simply not possible to cor-
rectly remember when each activity was last
completed. Once again the burden for proper
lubrication is consigned to human memory.
And again, lube-points are most likely being
missed.
Relying on standard CMMS/EAM systems
A third common approach is attempting to
properly execute lubrication using the PM
system of a CMMS or EAM product. Focused
on Condition Monitoring (CM) & Preventive
Maintenance (PM) work-order management,
these systems perform the role well, and most
maintenance professionals are comfortable
in their use. Yet comfort with a systems in-
tended function is far from the best reason to
19
apply it to other uses.
As mentioned above, CM & PM work-
orders typically number less than
a few thousand annually, while an-
nual lubrication activities can range
up over 700,000. While the typical
CMMS adeptly catalogs equipment
at the nameplate level, these systems
lack a clear approach for catalog-
ing the multiple related lubrication
points, let alone the multiple activi-
ties for each of these points. Also
missing are the many data elements
regularly found in the previously ex-
plained spreadsheets. The fact that
these discipline-specific details are
missing from the typical CMMS is
the main reason such spreadsheets
find common use.
This lack of requisite details leads
many into a minimalist, work-order
level approach to lubrication. Simple month-
ly PMs are created for each equipment section
or area, producing work orders with generic
instructions such as Lubricate stations 1 thru
8, or Check Levels in Bldg 12. Striving for
more detail, one plant of an integrated forest
products company was required by corporate
to use SAP to manage its lubrication pro-
gram. The plants reliability engineer invested
months of effort on repetitive keyboard en-
try of lubrication details into long-text fields.
Shortly thereafter, and much to his dismay, it
was decided to switch more than 200 reser-
voirs to synthetic lubricantsleaving him to
edit each individually. Furthermore, with his
hands tied by data locked into non-actionable
text-fields, he was forced to answer with a de-
finitive NO, when the plant manager asked
him if his time and effort had resulted in an
accurate and consistent lubrication program.
Many CMMS products allow for inclusion of
a list or block of items with a PM, which can
be used to list the lubrication points for an
equipment area. Sounds simple doesnt it?
Unfortunately, the actual complexities of lu-
brication cannot be overlooked.
Lubrication points within any equipment area
are not identical. One key differentiator is the
variation of frequency. Examples of such vari-
ation include some points being done weekly
or biweekly, others monthly, bimonthly, quar-
terly or annually. A single PM cant address
this fact, resulting in multiple PMs being cre-
ated, one per frequency, for each equipment
february/march 2009
20
area. Equally important variations include the
lubricant required, number of lube fittings,
and activity type (top-off, change-out, sample,
etc.). Further variation comes when activities
require specific step-by-step procedural in-
structions. With the CMMS offering no native
support for lubrication, how is such informa-
tion conveyed using a single PM? How many
PMs are needed to convey a bare minimum of
these compulsory details? Remember, give a
CMMS more PMs and it will return the favor
with increased work-orders and paperwork.
More importantly, within these numerous
work orders and pieces of paper, there is no
opportunity to bring optimization and effi-
ciency to lubrication.
Whats done is done. Or is it? Mark a work
order as completed and the entire block of lu-
brication points share the same status. A PM
system unable to function below the work-
order level cant track the most relevant of
data all outstanding lubrication points must
somehow be remembered over subsequent
weeks until completed. Its not hard to see
this problem compounding week after week.
Yes, having a multitude of detail deficient lu-
brication PMs might look and feel good on the
surface, but it veils reality with a false sense
of security. With such reliance upon manual
effort, paperwork and human memory, its
no surprise a recent search across popular
CMMS/EAM websites for the term lubrica-
tion returned zero pertinent results. Once
again, details required for success are left to
the imagination and memory of lubrication
personal.
Customization The fourth and by far the
most costly approach is customization of the
CMMS / EAM product for lubrication. Gaining
rudimentary lubrication capability consumes
hundreds of man hours, with one organiza-
tion reporting having spent nearly $1,000,000
USD to modify SAP-PM for lubrication-point
level of functionality. Even if successful, such
customizations prove difficult and expensive
to update. Personnel doing the original work
are often otherwise assigned or no longer
part of the organization. With corporations
working to eliminate maintenance of in-house
legacy systems, why should lubrication be any
different?
Each of these approaches is dependent on
human memory. This results in lubrication
points being consistently maintained incor-
rectly, or worse yet, missed entirely. Yet man-
agement often declares or assumes lubrication
to be in good order. You dont get immediate
feed-back when a lube point is missed. Often
times it takes months or even years until the
feed-back manifests as costly equipment fail-
ure and unplanned down time.
This points to why more equipment failures
are traced back to poor lubrication practices
than for any other reason. Numerous long-
term studies in Canada, Germany, Russia,
United Kingdom, and the United States de-
clare this fact in unison.
Product engineers at bearing manufacturers
such as SKF and Timken show how their bear-
ing products can have an almost unlimited
run life. Yet sales staff for these manufactures
report their customers are buying bearings
by the case. A large North American building
products firm, just beginning to implement a
task-specific lubrication reliability program,
Web: www.datastick.com/ut Email: ndout@datastick.com
Talk to an actual human being :
Toll-free in USA 888 277 5153 or call 408 987 3400
2009 Datastick Systems Inc. Patents pending. Datastick is a registered trademark and Datastick Reporting System, SiteConnex and VSA are trademarks of Datastick Systems, Inc.
Datastick: the Powerful Low-Cost Alternative
Datastick handheld vibration analyzer systems come in well below $9,000 and provide performance
and versatility comparable to units costing twice as much or more. But thats not all. Datastick keeps
total cost of ownership low because theres no mandatory annual fee. If you want an optional service
or support agreement, youll nd theyre designed and priced to help you, not chew up your budget.
Datastick: the Ease-of-Use Alternative
You can learn to use the handheld analyzer in a couple of hours. If youre short on in-house vibration
expertise, dont worry. The included Datastick Reporting System
software for your PC is based on

Microsoft Excel. That means that you can share your data, graphs, and reports with any in-house
vibration analyst or outside consultant. And with our smartphone-based SiteConnex
VSA-2215,
you can email vibration data directly from the eld.
Datastick:
The Real Alternative
in Vibration Analyzers
Ive been in the vibration business for 30 years. For a long time I have hoped for a piece
of equipment that would replace the heavy, hard-to-use box I had used for all those
years. Now I have it: The Datastick
VSA
-1215 Vibration Spectrum Analyzer. It is awesome.

Its small and light, very user friendly, and lets me perform very detailed analysis.
Joseph Niziolek, owner, N.J. Balancing, Inc.
FREE White Paper: Breaking the Barriers to
Affordable Vibration Analysis www.datastick.com/wput
Ask about Dynamic Pressure, Impact Testing, and Advanced Analysis Tools
DSK014 UT090115.indd 1 1/15/09 1:24:54 PM
21
currently spends over $2,000,000 per year on
replacement bearings. This habit of regularly
running bearings to failure means a constant
hit on equipment efficiency and energy con-
sumption.
What is the net result of relying primarily on
human memory? It is significant cost and
loss. This includes unplanned downtime,
capital equipment replacement, excessive
energy consumption and poor use of human
resources. This is in addition to poor produc-
tion quality and environmental risk.
Gaining the Benefits
Responsibilities become clear and known
What are the features and benefits of a well
designed lubrication reliability software so-
lution? Most important is the clear presen-
tation of all pertinent details to lubrication
personnel at the task-specific level, ensuring
lubrication is done right. That means: The
right lubricant is used in the right place, at the
right time, using the right procedure.
A good system will include an automatic lube-
task based work release. Tasks are released
individually, and only as needed, not as blocks
of work. These lubrication work assignments
are automatically pushed to those responsible
via footstep efficient routes. Such a lubrication
reliability system will also provide automatic
backlog management. Individual lube-tasks, if
not complete, are automatically marked past-
due and brought forward each week until they
are completed, with no user intervention re-
quired. This frees maintenance planners and
reliability professionals from the details of
lubrication so they can focus on other impor-
tant initiatives. Other important capabilities
include: consumption tracking and trending,
shutdown/outage planning and equipment
lockout/tagout safety information.
Powerful Routes vs. PM Blocks As previ-
ously stated, PM systems and spreadsheets
are left to release lubrication work in small
blocks blocks of tasks sharing the identical
lubricant and frequency. This yields hand-
fuls of PM work orders with no opportunity
for efficiency of execution on the plant floor.
A task-specific system consolidates this ar-
ray of PMs into footstep efficient routes by
combining (however one desires) machines,
frequencies, lubricants, and so on, without re-
striction. Such routes clearly direct personnel
from point to point, showing all task informa-
tion, including detailed procedures. These
routes are walked consistently week after
week performing only currently due tasks
(as released and presented) while moving past
lube-points due at a future date. For example,
weekly tasks are presented every week, while
monthly tasks appear on the route just once
a month, and so on. Rather than having to
mark an entire block as completed or not, in-
dividual tasks are able to be marked complete
as work progresses. Gains in efficiency on the
plant floor and the elimination of backtrack-
ing are easily obtained by using a drag & drop
feature to quickly re-sequence tasks within a
route. Having task specific details will also al-
low for the straightforward implementation of
lubrication ODR (Operator Driven Reliability).
Mobile computing for accuracy A feature
that also helps productivity greatly is the pro-
vision for routes to be performed on rugged
Windows Mobile handheld computers. This
brings a great deal of efficiency to the system,
with information literally at the finger tips of
the lubrication specialist. No paperwork and
no clipboards. Fingertip data collection in-
cludes work accomplished, consumption vol-
ume, and equipment problems and issues, all
with no keyboard data entry. Mobile routes
will also include provisions for positive veri-
fication of tasks performed via Bar-Code or
RFID, as desired.
Energy Savings, Safety and Oversight Its
the lube-point level management of lubrica-
tion which enables a system to drive energy
savings and provide a wide array of other lu-
brication reliability benefits, such as safety re-
quirements, accurately and clearly presented,
right at the lube-point. Significant simplifica-
tion of lubrication consolidationthanks to
the systems exact knowledge of lube product
usage. Abnormal machine and lubrication
conditions will also be easily noted, recorded
Sharing knowledge
to save you time,
money and energy.
Its not if an electric motor will fail,
its when. At Baker Instrument,
understanding why motors fail is
fundamental.
Now that Baker is part of SKF,
you can benet from an unrivalled
combination of knowledge, predictive
maintenance technologies and asset
management expertise all from the
same company.
To learn more about how SKF and
Baker Instrument can help maintain
your assets and improve your
bottom line, talk to your SKF/Baker
representative or visit us at
www.bakerinst.com.
SKF and Baker
Instrument
Figure 2 - The ability to Perform Lubrica-
tion routes with rugged Windows Mobile
handheld computers increases productivity.
Asset Health Assurance Overview (PM/PdM Best Practices)
Charlotte, NC - January 19-21, 2009
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico - May 19-21, 2009
Salt Lake City, UT - September 21-23, 2009
Asset Health Assurance Mechanical (PM/PdM Best Practices)
Cleveland, OH - April 20-22, 2009
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico - July 7-9, 2009
Asset Health Assurance Electrical (PM/PdM Best Practices)
Chicago, IL - August 24-26, 2009
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico - October 13-15, 2009
Asset Health Assurance Stationary (PM/PdM Best Practices)
Philadelphia, PA - November 16-18, 2009
Developing Effective Work Procedures
San Francisco, CA - February 16-18, 2009
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico - December 1-3, 2009
Reliability Engineering Fundamentals
Omaha, NE - March 16-18, 2009
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico - March 24-26, 2009
Transformational Analytics
Minneapolis, MN - May 11-13, 2009
RCM Blitz
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico - August 25-27, 2009
Tampa, FL - October 12-14, 2009
For more information about training,
please email us at training@alliedreliability.com
Or call Amy at 843-414-5762
$1495/person | Group Rates Available
www.alliedreliability.com/training
2009 Reliability Centered
Training Calendar
Mitigate Human Factors
Maximize Employee Effectiveness
Cut Energy Costs by up to 20%
Best of all, any one of these will quickly save
more than the cost of a task-specific software
solution.
Costly Misperception
Most often, there is a major disconnect be-
tween the oil is oil presumption of upper
management and the inherent understanding
maintenance and reliability professionals have
for the complex nature of lubrication. When
these professionals seek funding for a task-
specific program they are often told there
is no budget for that. Frankly, this is akin
to shooting oneself in the foot. Think about
it, for a plant with an energy consumption of
$500,000 a year, a 10% energy savings from
a properly designed task-specific Lubrication
Reliability program would result in an annual
savings of $50,000. Further, Smith draws this
impactful conclusion If a companys annual
sales are $60 million, and total downtime is
10%, and 25% of downtime is due to lubrica-
tion, the lost opportunity cost due to lubrica-
tion is $1.5 Million.
With documented benefits and rapid ROI, it
is hard to understand why corporations con-
tinue to neglect this profound opportunity for
notable increases in operational efficiencies,
competitiveness and profit.
References
1. Energy Reduction through Improved
Maintenance Practices, Kenneth E. Bannister,
1999 Industrial Press
2. Exterminate Lube Problems, Ricky Smith
CMRP, Plant Services, 2008
Eric Rasmusson is President / CEO of Genera-
tion Systems, Inc. He has over 30 years of
high-tech and industrial software experience
and is the principle architect of LUBE-IT,
the worlds leading Lubrication Reliability
software solution. Eric launched Genera-
tion Systems in 1984 and now is guiding the
company toward its 25th anniversary. His
passions are increasing global awareness of
the profitability of lubrication reliability, and
enhancement of the award-winning LUBE-IT
product. Eric also holds concern over the
increasing complexity and bloat of industrial
software. This, coupled with his sincere
regard for end-users, drives him to innovate
comprehensive, yet highly intuitive solutions.
23
and tracked until these conditions improve.
In addition, there will be a procedure library
which provides task-specific work-steps and
eliminates repetitive data-entry.
Equally important is a detailed history for
each lube-point as well as lubrication specific
reporting. This detailed history is required for
KPI oversight as well as for process improve-
ment and failure analysis. It also enables
international standards and audit account-
ability. Lubrication specific reporting brings
forth information at both detailed and man-
agement overview levels. Providing instant
understanding of program status, reports can
be run in both tabular and graphical formats.
Reality and Results
By addressing the number one cause of equip-
ment failure, reactive maintenance, work de-
creases and overall plant reliability increases,
which increases operational efficiency of ma-
chinery and the overall productivity of the
plant. In short, a task-specific lubrication reli-
ability solution will do the following:
Reduce Costly Downtime and Failures
Maintain Mission-Critical Knowledge
Assets
february/march 2009
and other metals. The electromagnetic emission can be
heard as interference on AM radios and the corona sound
can sometimes be heard by the human ear and is detect-
able with ultrasonic scanning devices.
Corona is a by product of voltage problems and can be
present without current flow (i.e. under no load condi-
tions). High potential in the electrical field is the major
dictating factor for its presence. Corona activity is at its
strongest on the positive (+) and negative (-) peaks of the
60Hz cycle.
Once corona becomes active it leaves behind a conductive
tracking path on surfaces and also creates a very conduc-
tive cloud of air around itself (Figure 1). A flash-over can
occur once a tracking pathway is completed from phase
to phase or phase to ground. It can also occur from the
conductive cloud of surrounding air if it finds a path to
ground.
What Causes Corona?
Based upon numerous observed conditions of corona, I
have concluded that there are three primary causes for its
nfrared technology has revolutionized the electrical maintenance industry by providing a means of non-contact
and non-destructive testing to identify eminent failures related to compromised components and connections
before they occur. But even with regularly scheduled infrared inspections in place, electrical failures of switchgear
above 3500V occur; usually with little advanced warning or understanding about the cause. This leaves mainte-
nance personnel scratching their heads and wondering if their infrared program is missing obvious problems and/or if their
predictive maintenance program has deficiencies of which they are not aware.
The likelihood of an infrared inspection missing obvious
problems is low as long as the person(s) conducting the sur-
vey possesses the proper training and experience. Howev-
er, if infrared is the only predictive maintenance technology
employed to inspect high-voltage switchgear, there is a high
probability that potential problems are being missed that
can lead to failures.
Electrical discharge in the form of corona and tracking has
caused numerous shut-downs and serious damage in metal-
clad switchgear. Because corona and tracking conditions
are voltage problems that rarely produce heat, they go un-
detected during a typical infrared inspection. Fortunately,
the combined use of ultrasound and infrared when perform-
ing a switchgear inspection will provide early detection of
both heat and non-heat producing problems.
Several years ago, I was introduced to ultrasound technolo-
gy at an infrared conference. After realizing the applications
and benefits of this predictive maintenance tool, we were
soon offering this service as a routine part of our infrared
inspection business. That decision has more than paid for
itself by finding critical electrical problems for our clients
that would have otherwise gone undetected using infrared
alone.
This article will attempt to take the mystery out of the oc-
currence of corona and tracking in metal-clad switchgear by
discussing its characteristics, what to look for during an in-
spection and case studies that have been documented dur-
ing actual inspections.
What Are Corona and Tracking?
Corona refers to the faint glow surrounding an electrical
conductor of 3500 volts or greater, which occurs as a re-
sult of the ionization of air as the nitrogen in the air breaks
down. When corona occurs, it creates ozone (detrimental
to the human lungs, eyes, etc.), ultraviolet light, nitric acid,
electromagnetic emissions and sound.
Ozone is a strong odorous gas that deteriorates rubber-
based insulation. If moisture or high humidity conditions
exist, nitric acids can also be formed that attacks copper
i
n
f
r
a
r
e
d
u
p
l
o
a
d
Infrared & Ultrasound Unite
The Perfect Match for Metal-clad Switchgear Inspections
by James Brady
I
24
Figure 1 - Corona activity advancing to the
tracking stage on insulation board resting on
13kV bus. Notice the carbon deposits and light
brown discoloration of the insulation board
insulation board on the right.
Corona
Tracking
www.uptimemagazine.com 25
development: geometric factors, spatial factors,
and environmental conditions. Other more
subtle conditions may also exist, but the three
discussed in detail below are the most common
contributors to most problems you will face.
Geometric factors include sharp edges on con-
ductors, connections, and switchgear cabinet
components. These features can include sharp
or squared surfaces on conductors (Figure 2),
tag ends on conductors, sloppy tape wraps,
and corners and other sharp edges on cabinet
bracing and support shelves.
Spatial factors include small air gap spaces
between, conductors and switchgear cabinet
components. Examples of this include: 1) con-
ductors being tie-wrapped together, 2) conduc-
tors touching insulators, conduit, and edges of
cabinets, 3) non-shielded cables in contact with
grounded surfaces, and 4) bus bars in close
proximity to insulation board (Figure 3).
Finally, environmental conditions can also
greatly affect the presence of corona and
tracking. Contamination in the forms of dust,
oils/fluids, and other particulates on conduc-
tors and insulators will create corona. Also,
switchgear rooms that are hot because of poor
air circulation and cabinet enclosures that are
subject to wet or humid conditions are more
likely to have corona and tracking activity over
those cabinets that are kept cool and dry. For
these reasons, it is important to make sure that
cabinet heaters and fans are working properly.
Signs of Corona and Tracking
There has been much written claiming that
the most noticeable sign of corona will be the
smell of ozone, since this is, after all, the ma-
jor by-product of corona. I have not person-
ally smelled ozone in switchgear cabinets, but
one important reason for this may be that arc-
flash protective hoods and face shields drasti-
cally decrease ones ability to smell the outside
world. So, please, do not use this as the only
criteria to determine if corona is present.
In a great number of cases, corona and tracking
problems can be identified by visual inspection.
The trained eye usually can pick out problem-
atic areas by using a flashlight and having an
unobstructed view of the equipment. Cables,
Figure 3 - Corona deposits resulting from
small air gap spaces between insulation
board and 13kV bus bars.
Figure 2 - A sharp edge on a piece of
copper bus provides an excellent spot
for corona activity.
Concerned about
NFPA70E?
Is YOUR electrical thermography to Code?
When it comes to predicitve
maintenance of high energy
switchgear, Infrared (IR) sightglasses
from Hawk IR International provides
the safety that you need and the
fexibility that you want.
Compliance, Safety and Speed for
under $400... Why not?
Hawk IR C-Range Quadraband Sightglasses
with Arc-Resistant Optics.
Designed for high energy electrical systems, the
Arc-Resistant C-Range Sightglasses from Hawk
IR International have been arc-tested to every
major standard to 50kA for a MASSIVE 30 cycles
for maximum safety. Compatible with all infrared
(IR) and corona (UV) cameras, the Quadraband
Sightglass allows you to inspect your energized
electrical equipment for high resistance joints (IR)
and degrading insulation (UV) without exposing
operators to live conductors.
Help comply with NFPA70E and keep your
power fowing.
Hawk IR International Inc.
2911 Turtle Creek Blvd.,
Ste. 300
Dallas, TX 75219
Email: sales.ur@hawk-ir.com
Toll-free: 1-877-4HAWKIR
www.irwindows.com/UR
World Leaders in Infrared Safety
Uptime ad.indd 1 14/1/09 16:13:36
february/march 2009
26
insulation board and insulators are all prime ar-
eas where problems are likely to occur.
Typically, the effects of corona on rubber-based
insulators, tape, and insulation board will leave
a white powder residue or dust (Figure 4). This
white residue is thought to be the combination
of the physical breakdown of rubber based in-
sulation and the accumulation of dust attracted
to the conductive air surrounding the corona
activity.
Other indicators include discoloration and spi-
der cracking on cable insulation. Usually dull
finishes and micro-crack stains on cable insu-
lation will be evident. In worst case scenarios,
cables will be severely deteriorated (Figure 5).
Unusual weathering patterns on copper bus
and conductors are also good indicators of
corona (Figure 6). Humid conditions inside
of switchgear cabinets will allow nitric acid to
form which attacks the copper surface leaving
unusual weathering patterns. Cabinets lacking
heaters or poor weather seals, and cabinets
that are poorly sheltered from wet industrial
processes, are especially vulnerable to these
conditions.
As the corona condition advances, carbon
tracks will start to develop on conductors and
insulators. The distance between the affected
phase and a grounded object will ultimately de-
termine the time for a flash-over to occur.
Finally, it should be stated that early stages of
corona may not show any visible signs. Mild
cases of corona that are caused by metal edges
in switchgear cabinets may never be apparent
by visual inspection alone.
Figure 4 - White powder/dust residue
formed on 13kV powder cables that are
tie-wrapped together forming tight air
spaces between each other; ideal
locations for corona to form.
Introducing
A new CMMS/EAM software package that gives companies a
complete and accurate maintenance picture.
Our software helps you stay competitive by identifying where
time and money is being lost and where you should focus
your eorts in order to maximize operations e ciency and
minimize maintenance costs.
This allows you to focus on delivering customer satisfaction.
Contact us today at 312.863.6500 for more
information or to schedule a demo.
www.cmmsdatagroup.com
312.863.6500
info@CMMSdatagroup.com
WANT A LITTLE
SOUND ADVICE?
The only way to make money
in a down market is through
EFFICIENCY.
THE ULTRASOUND APPROACH
UESoundAdvice.com
The premiere resource
for plant savings.
Training Technology SupporT energy experTiSe
learn how to spend less and save more in 2009 through
early detection of bearing wear. Watch this Free informational
webinar on bearing inspection through ultrasound.
8OO.228.1825 lhF0@UE8Y8TEN8.C0N
Go to: www.uesoundadvice.com/17n
and watch right now.
Since 1973, ue Systems has been helping
thousands of companies get more effcient
through ultrasound predictive maintenance.
Figure 5 - 13kV power feed cables show-
ing corona powder and a small but intense
area of tracking (shown at arrow).
Figure 6 - Unusual weathering pattern on
13kV copper bus under attack by corona
produced nitric acid.
www.uptimemagazine.com 27
Heating Patterns Associated
With Corona
It has been my experience that most cases of
corona produce very little, if any, heat. Very
faint heating patterns may result from the
molecular disturbance of electrons associated
with the ionization of air. Depending upon air
movement and the intensity of the corona, the
delta temperature may or may not be detect-
able with infrared technology (Figures 7a and
7b). This can be deceiving for the infrared ther-
mographer who is unfamiliar with corona, as
this serious condition may only receive a minor
severity rating if evaluated solely on tempera-
ture rise criteria.
In advanced stages where corona has become
destructive or is advancing into tracking, I have
seen very noticeable delta-temperatures, espe-
cially on conductors. Figures 8a and 8b show
examples of such cases.
Ultrasound Technology
Sounds above the normal range of human
hearing, 20 to 20 kilo-Hertz (kHz), is typically
thought of as ultrasonic. A frequency range
between 20 kHz to 40 kHz generally covers all
of the ultrasonic applications used for predic-
tive maintenance applications; leak detection,
stream traps, bearings and lubrication, and
electrical discharge.
Ultrasound equipment includes a receiver unit,
headphones, and various modular listening de-
vices that attach to the receiver for both air-
borne and structure-borne scanning. Airborne
devices include cone-shaped collectors that
capture ultrasonic wave traveling through air.
Structure-borne devices include magnetic base
collectors and rod attachments used to contact
the surface of equipment.
Through a process of heterodyning the ultra-
sound signal is converted by the receiver unit
to a low frequency audible signal that can be
heard trough the headphones. There is also a
read-out display that shows the intensity of the
received signal.
Using Ultrasound to Detect Corona
and Tracking
While most corona and tracking problems can
be seen, I am a die-hard proponent of using
ultrasound technology during a switchgear in-
spection. Three of the most obvious reasons
are 1) ultrasound will verify the corona and
tracking you see, 2) ultrasound allows you to
qualify the severity of corona and tracking since
they have distinct sound patterns that change
with increasing stages of development, and 3)
ultrasound will detect problems that you visu-
ally cannot see (Figures 9a and 9b).
Because corona and tracking problems oc-
cur and propagate in air, airborne ultrasound
is the right choice to detect these problems.
Ultrasonic waves are directional in their move-
ment, which makes it relatively easy to track
these problems back to their source. However,
ultrasound wave will rebound off of surfaces
and can be partially and completely blocked
by components in the switchgear cabinet. By
following the units strongest received signal
the operator can usually find the source of the
problem. The operator can also use blocking
techniques to filter out competing ultrasound
noises, if necessary.
Corona problems will be heard as a continuous
buzzing or frying noise. The intensity of this
sound will be directly related to the severity
of the problem. Tracking problems will sound
much like corona problems but will have pauses
and possible drops and increases in intensity.
Prior to opening a switchgear cabinet, it should
be scanned ultrasonically using screened venti-
lation ports, seams around the cabinet doors,
and the cabinet bolt holes once a few are re-
moved. Typically, advanced cases of corona
and tracking will be heard using this initial
Figures 7a & 7b: A temperature rise of 8 F-degrees is observed on ac-
tive corona on a 13kV stand-off bushing for a disconnect switch.
88.6F
94.5F
90
92
94
AR01:98.4F
SP02:90.4F
Figure 8a & 8b - Delta temperatures of over 30F-degrees are seen on conductor
cables that having tracking problems.
91.1F
114.0F
95
100
105
110
AR01:124.2F
SP02:93.5F
76.1F
110.2F
80
90
100
110
SP02:82.8F
AR01:119.4F
Figure 9a - Ultrasound was used to fnd
tracking on blind side of insulation board
(see arrow).
Figure 9b: Ultrasound was used to fnd
corona on ceramic collars surrounding
13kV bus, no visible signs of corona are
present.
These web workshops are not to be confused with typical webinars and are non-commercial educational learning events. Reliabilityweb.com
and Uptime
are
proud to be able to leverage our technology and deliver COST FREE TRAVEL FREE workshops from the convenience of your desktop. Train alone or in groups.
Cost: FREE
Where: Your PC or MAC
When: Throughout 2009 - Check the schedule online at www.reliabilityweb.com
How: You can connect using our FREE VoIP audio system (requires headphones or
speakers) or you can dial in using a standard telephone.
Choose your reliability
destination with a Reliability
Roadmap Web Workshop
Reliabilityweb.com
and Uptime
Magazine know times are tough with travel and training budget
reductions, less personnel and being asked to produce more with less resources. Now you can stay
close to home and get information to help your company create a reliable operation.
The 2009 series of Reliability Roadmap Web Workshops includes sessions for executives, managers,
supervisors, and technical level inspectors with topics and leading subject matter experts and Authors.
Root Cause Failure Analysis by Jack Nicholas
Jr., Co-Author and editor of Root Cause Failure Analysis
This 12 part workshop series provides an outline presentation of fun-
damentals of root cause failure analysis (RCFA) theory and practice.
Special guest presenters include Neville Sachs,
Mark Galley, Robert Latino and more. Two mo-
tor failure case studies are also included.
Selecting the Right Manufacturing
Improvement Tools by Ron Moore, Author of
Selecting the Right Manufacturing Improvement Tools
This 9 part workshop series provides an excellent review of the most
popular improvement tools and strategies -
Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, including 5S,
Kanban, Quick Changeover, and Standardiza-
tion, Total Productive Maintenance, Six Sigma,
Supply Chain Management, Reliability Centered
Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance (or Condi-
tion Monitoring), and Root Cause Analysis.
Reliability-Centered Lubrication by Mike Johnson,
Independent Machinery Lubrication Expert
This 12 part workshop series based on a Society for Tribologists and Lubrication En-
gineers (STLE) series of papers provides a technically precise machine re-lubrication
plan which is one of the more important functions that plant management can
provide to protect plant productivity.
Creating Cultural Change for Maintenance
& Reliability Professionals by Steve Thomas,
Author of Implementing Cultural Change In Organizations
L`ak+hYjlo]Zogjck`ghk]ja]k\]eqkla]kl`][gf[]hlg^gj_YfarY-
tional culture and links it with the eight elements
of change: leadership, work process, structure,
group learning, technology, communication,
interrelationships, and rewards. If you want to
break the cycle of failed improvement programs
and instead use cultural change to help make
ka_fa[YflYf\dYklaf_aehjgn]e]flkafhdYfl
performance, this book will show you how.
Airborne Ultrasound Level 1 by Jim Hall, Independent
Ultrasound Expert
This 23 part course combines basic knowledge of airborne ultrasound theory, leak
detection, bearing analysis, acoustic lubrication, steam trap troubleshooting and
electrical scanning. This workshop series will also acquaint participants with the
process of interfacing vibration analyzers with ultrasound instruments.
Infrared Thermography Level 1 by Wayne Ruddock,
Independent Infrared Expert
This 23 part course follows the recommended training requirements of ASNT for
D]n]dAL`]jeYd'Af^jYj]\;]jla[Ylagf&L`]`Yf\k%gfogjck`ghk]fkmj]l`Yll`]
participants should have mastered the skills necessary to not only operate their
af^jYj]\kqkl]eZmllgh]j^gjenYjagmkafkh][lagfkYf\j]hgjlgfl`]ajf\af_k&
29
scan technique. If you have any question about
the safety of opening a switchgear cabinet, do
not open it until an outage can be secured.
If no noise is heard during the initial scan, do
not assume that a problem does not exist. The
interior geometric design of the cabinet may
not allow the signal to reach the ultrasound
collector or may allow a partial and weak sig-
nal to be heard. Likewise, mild cases of corona
may have a very weak discharge signal that can-
not be heard until the cabinet is open.
Other problems that may affect the initial scan
are competing ultrasonic noises generated by
60Hz electrical cycle generated by transform-
ers, moving air from cabinet and overhead fans,
and mechanical vibration from inside switch-
gear cabinets.
Mechanical vibration signals can sound simi-
lar to electrical discharge. If you are in doubt,
apply light pressure on the side of the cabinet
and/or door to see if you can reduce or elimi-
nate the ultrasound signal. The noise will dissi-
pate or change if you are picking up mechanical
vibration. This technique will quickly rule out
any confusion between mechanical vibration
and electrical discharge.
Performing a Switchgear Inspection
Working around energized high-voltage switch-
gear should only be performed by a qualified
person wearing the appropriate arc-flash per-
sonal protection equipment (PPE) as prescribed
by NFPA 70-E guidelines. As these guidelines
continue to move front and center in our in-
dustry, it is becoming easier to find qualified
switchgear professionals that are familiar with,
and more importantly wear, the necessary PPE
when opening and closing cabinets.
There are some things that you can do to reduce
the risk of arch-flash. If you are an in-house
technician with high-voltage switchgear, con-
sider installing hinges on panels and modifying
bolts that can be easily handled while wearing
gloves.
Once a cabinet is open, the inspector should
slowly scan the entire interior of the cabinet
with the ultrasound listener. Both front a back
compartments, if accessible, should be scanned
on rack-in breakers and load interrupter switch-
es. Never should the ultrasound instrument or
any body parts break the plane of the cabinet
or exceed the approach distance for the given
voltage class.
Although Im not a huge fan of LCD screens
on infrared cameras, they do have their place
when conducting this type of inspection. The
arch-flash face shields make it next to impos-
sible to use an eyepiece viewer, but the LCD
screen can be easily viewed while wearing a
face shield. Keep in mind that small delta-tem-
perature rises on cables and bushing may be
indicators of larger problems.
Once a problem is detected, it should be de-
scribed and photographed. Because of the
dangers involved with getting too close to the
equipment, having a telephoto lens on your
visual camera will help get a closer look at a
problem and see details that may otherwise be
missed. Also, a bright flashlight will help over-
come reduced vision caused by face shield tint-
ing and will also illuminate dark and tight areas
where corona and tracking may be hiding.
If there is any doubt, or you lack the expertise
in-house, contracting these specialized servic-
es to a qualified consultant is the best choice.
However, if you are considering this type of in-
spection program in-house, receiving the prop-
er training is always to best way to assure that
you are not only receiving the best return on
your investment and efforts, but keeping your
personnel safe.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the following
people who were instrumental in compiling
this paper. They have provided technical
input, guidance for field work and ultrasound
training: James Hall Ultra-sound Technolo-
gies, www.ultra-soundtech.com; Dan Ninedorf
- Ox Creek Energy Associates Inc., www.
corona-technology-course.com and Dale C.
Rossman Inc. High-Voltage Switchgear and
Maintenance, 1-863-559-4613
Jim Brady of Brady Infrared, Liane Harris with
ECS2 Group and Jim Hall with Ultra-Sound
Technologies work together in a limited part-
nership to bring together the use of Airborne
Ultrasound, Vibration and Infrared. This
group is committed to teaching others how
to use and integrate these technologies. You
can contact Jim Hall, Ultra-Sound Technolo-
gies for any questions or comments. As well,
any request for training or services. Jim Hall,
Ultra-Sound Technologies, (770) 517-8747 or
jim.hall@ultra-soundtech.com or www.Ultra-
SoundTech.com
february/march 2009
Drive Savings with Lubrication
Energy Conservation and Precision Machine Lubrication
by Mike Johnson, CMRP, CLS, MLT2
achine lubrication practices offer a multitude of opportunities for energy conservation. Some of those
opportunities are obvious and quantifiable, and some are not. Observing from a broad to narrow
perspective, the manufacturing organization uses energy from a variety of source types, including coal,
natural gas, petroleum, and electricity from a generating plant. Some of these energy sources are put to
direct use, and some are used to create other energy sources, including pressurized oil, pressurized air, steam and
accelerating chemical reactions.
Human energy, arguably the most important energy re-
source, is often left out of the discussion for energy use
effectiveness. An extensive amount of human energy is
expended lubricating production machinery.
Opportunities for energy improvement from the
machine lubrication process can be both obvious and
obscure. A gallon of oil or grease has a given energy
and economic value that can be measured in BTUs
and dollars. The impact from the use of a barrel of oil
to float and separate interacting machine surfaces, or
accomplish hydromechanical work, has an even greater
economic value, but it is not always obvious. The
human energy expended to place and replace the oil
represents another type of energy and economic value.
These three topics will be explored in the following
paragraphs, beginning with a broad view.
Tribology
The relatively new scientific field, Tribology, began to
be formally recognized following the March 9, 1966,
publishing of a report by the British Ministry of State
for Science. The report suggested that the economic
value to be derived for British Industry from improve-
ments in lubrication design and practice was worth
nearly a trillion dollars (equivalent, adjusted for infla-
tion and exchange rate).
H. Peter Jost, and his team, offered their impression of
the potential for improvements in a variety of areas, as
shown in Figure 1. Following this study, Germany, Ja-
pan, China and Canada have each executed studies that
have produced insight similar to that of the Jost Report.
Josts study indicated cost reduction potential for
several categories, including savings on energy pur-
chases (7.5%) , general efficiency (1%), and lubricant
purchases (20%), each of which will be expanded upon
in this discussion. 43 years after this study, one could
argue that the savings potentials for manufacturers are
still available from most of these categories. For a few
categories the potential is even greater, particularly sav-
ings from efficiency improvements and reduced repair
costs. Lets consider the arguments for some of these
savings opportunities.
Energy Savings Potential from Friction Reduction
at Lubricated Parts
The theoretical basis for reducing energy consumption
by improving lubricant effectiveness is strong. Personal
experience suggests that
the 7.5% potential for
energy reduction noted
in the Jost report may be
attainable for some types
of applications, but not for
all. The challenges to the
reliability engineer will be
measuring the improve-
ment with some degree
of repeatability, and
overcoming skepticism by
engineering and opera-
tions managers. There are
l
u
b
r
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
u
p
l
o
a
d
M
30
Figure 1 - H. Peter Josts Projected Economic Benefts Associated
With Improved Lubrication Design and Practice.
Steps to Economic Improvement
from Precision Machine
Lubrication
Practices
Saving in Lube Buys
Labor Savings from Reduced Repairs
Savings from Utilization and E ciency
Savings on New Machine Purchases
Less Energy Use from Friction Control
Savings on Maintenance and Repair Costs 20.0%
7.5%
5.0%
1.0%
0.13%
20.0%
a few things to consider.
The Nature of Machine Surfaces Machine
surfaces are rough. Figure 2 illustrates typi-
cal surface profiles for all machined surfaces.
Even finely prepared bearing element and
race surfaces exhibit undulations. As shown
in Figure 3, machined surfaces have a wave-
like profile. The average of the height of the
ridges, value r, differs based on the OEMs
finish technique. Element bearing finishes
will have maximum surface heights in the 0.2
micron range, and average heights in the 0.4
micron range (RMS). Ground gear finishes will
have surface heights approaching three mi-
crons, and averages heights approaching 0.6
microns (RMS).
Separating Machine Surfaces The dynamic
oil film thickness must always be greater than
the heights of the combined surfaces in order
to avoid frictional energy losses. The ideal
condition would be an oil film that is three
to five times thicker than the height of the
combined surfaces. Component suppliers
provide formulas and standardized tools that
are useful in establishing minimum viscosity
operating requirements. Reputable suppliers
provide engineering support to their custom-
ers to help refine lubricant selections, and for
most applications, the first run selections are
not difficult.
Inadequate film conditions occur as a conse-
quence of changes in load, changes in ma-
chine operating temperatures, changes in
lubricant condition (particularly contamina-
tion with gases or fluids), and accidents in lu-
bricant handling and application, which lead
to viscosity errors. These condition changes
31
often occur simultaneously, resulting in film
collapse, machine component interaction and
greatly increased frictional resistance.
Surface Protecting Lubricant Additives
OEMs and machine owners collectively rec-
ognize that conditions will cause the oil films
to degrade and fail. Even though the oil film
collapses, the machines will continue to run
causing degradation of the machine surfaces.
In order to protect the contact area of the
lubricated surfaces, lubricant suppliers em-
ploy the use of a wide variety of chemicals
intended to chemically bond to metal surfaces
to create an organo-metallic boundary layer.
Although these tarnish-like films are very thin
they do offer protection from excessive wear,
and prolong machine component lifecycles.
The use of insoluble (solid film) lubricant ad-
ditives provides another avenue for reducing
frictional resistance from surface contact. Bo-
ric acid esters, Teflon, Molybdenum Disulfide
and Graphic all have a well established track
record for surface friction reduction.
Energy conservation claims have been made
by several high performance lubricant manu-
facturers, including Lubrication Engineers,
Engineered Lubricant, Whitmores Lubricants,
Royal Purple, Castrol Performance Lubricants,
and several others. These companies create
specialized additives that accomplish a vari-
ety of end results, including friction reduction
from surface improvement. Most of these
companies consider their additive technolo-
gies to be central to their survival and are
tight-lipped about product composition, but
there is no debating that there are additive
agents that improve lubricity (the slipperi-
ness property) of the lubricant that then helps
reduce energy consumption.
Energy Consumption Influence of Base Oil
Type and Weight In markets that have fed-
erally mandated energy efficiency require-
ments, such as automotive engines and refrig-
eration systems, base oil and additive choices
are heavily influenced by the materials energy
efficiency impact. It is widely known that oil
viscosity directly influences energy consump-
tion. As viscosity increases the amount of
energy used to overcome viscous drag also
increases.
It is less well known that the type of base oil
(molecular composition) influences energy
consumption in a couple of ways. Some po-
lar stocks, specifically esters and polyglycols,
Figure 2 - All machine surfaces have a signifcant amount of roughness,
and potential for frictional energy losses

Figure 3 - Oil flms must be greater than the combined maximum
asperity heights to avoid contact and parasitic energy losses.

february/march 2009
32
have lubricity properties superior to conven-
tional mineral oil and unconventional hydro-
cracked stocks. These fluids provide better
surface protection with less bulk oil require-
ment. Consequently, a lower viscosity grade
may be adequate to provide similar levels of
component protection versus a mineral oil
option. The lower viscosity also enhances
flow rate, an important characteristic for heat
removal, which further enhances energy effi-
ciency.
A similar impact may be experienced with the
use of ester cylinder feed lubricants in high
pressure process gas applications. The com-
bined lubricity and polarity of ester stocks
make these ideal choices for cylinder lubrica-
tion. Volumes and viscosities can be reduced,
providing reduction in parasitic energy losses
from friction and viscous drag.
Proving Energy Conservation in Production
Machines Documenting energy improve-
ment results is not difficult, but it does war-
rant careful planning and measurements. It is
essential to compare similar conditions when
making final conclusions.
Steps to consider during the evaluation pro-
cess should include:
1. Develop the data collection plan, and
put it in writing. Develop the criteria for
measurement and evaluation before the
process begins.
2. Identify a, or multiple, machine(s) that
operate with a narrow range of load,
speed and throughput variability.
Fluctuations will complicate test cycle
comparisons.
3. Verify that the lubricant in use for the
select machine (call it Product A) is, in
fact, the correct type and grade of prod-
uct for the application. (visit www.
precisionlubrication.com for additional
information concerning precise selection
of lubricants.)
4. Collect process data. At a very mini-
mum, conduct energy readings (amps)
for a period of at least 30 days. It would
be best to coincidentally record ambient
temperatures, operating temperatures vs
ambient, machine loads, machine
throughput (speed, units of production,
RPM, etc) and/or other process values.
Mechanical conditions and changes
should also be observed and document-
ed. All maintenance conducted on the
machine during the test period should
be documented.
5. Collect mechanical data. Data that is
relevant could include sump, motor,
drive, and bearing temperatures (thermal
images), vibration levels and oil analysis
data. All of the sample collection meth-
ods must be highly repeatable in order
for the data to be dependable. Also, a
sample set of less than 30 readings can
bring the results into question. It is
preferable to have too much data rather
than too little.
6. Make the conversion to the alternate
product (Product B). Make sure that
the sump is completely clear of Product
A, and that no other mechanical or elec-
trical changes have been implemented
that might impact the operation of the
machine.
7. Repeat the data collection activity and
compare the results.
8. Readings should be converted to mon-
etary terms.
Energy Savings Potential from
Lubrication Program Process
Improvements
The value of process improvement may be
worth every bit of savings derived from supe-
rior lubricant performance. Process improve-
ments considerations should address:
Using tools and technology (moderniza-
tion) to replace human labor.
Efficiency of the selection of tasks in total
for machine care.
Efficiency of each required task versus
the actual scheduled tasks.
Labor Utilization Improvements through Mod-
ernization A large percentage of lubrication
programs operate on automatic pilot. When
the practices are highly refined this can be a
good thing. When practices are not, net labor
hours required to fulfill practices tends to be
high, and the results may not even cover the
minimum requirements. Labor savings poten-
tials are numerous.
Potential for savings include:
15% to 20% - Efficient Grease Relubrication
Frequencies. It is common for grease relu-
brication practices to be inconsistent with
component manufacturers requirements.
Calculation of intervals based on machine op-
erating environment and characteristics is an
important first step. Reliability engineers are
often surprised to learn that the scheduled
frequencies for their slow rotation machines
are too short, and the frequencies for their
high speed (high nDm) applications are much
too long. Balancing grease relubrication in-
tervals alone may free up labor needed to
make other systematic lubrication program
improvements.
5% - Use of Automation for Short Term Grease
Intervals. Grease replacement activities with
an interval shorter than seven days should cer-
tainly be evaluated for automatic lubrication,
either in the form of a single point grease cup,
or in the form of simple multi-point systems.
The choice is based on a cost comparison for
installation and long term maintenance.
20% - Operator Based Care, Including Sump
Level Checks and Top-up Activities. Level
checks and corrections can, and should, be
fulfilled by operators. While it is clear that op-
erators are always busy, part of the operators
role should be to visit the machines, observe
their condition, check the levels and report
any observed problems. Organizing this task
into routes is time consuming but not diffi-
cult, and should be done whether operators
are involved in top-ups or not.
10% - Implanting Aggressive Oil Condition
Control (filtration, cooling). Lubricant sump
change intervals could be safely extended in
many applications by a factor of three simply
by cooling and cleaning the sumps. The re-
lationship between wear debris, heat and oil
oxidation is proven and intuitively obvious.
Just 10 years ago, the standing practice for
most facilities was to change oil on an annual
basis. Integrated into the lubricant analysis
program, lubricant sump filtration requires ef-
fort while the plant is operating, but returns
highly valuable labor back to the planning de-
partment during outages.
The few items noted above account for 50%
of the labor expected for machine lubrica-
tion. Freeing this labor for other purposes
may require capital (for tools and systems)
and certainly will require a change in mindset.
During the evaluation of practice efficiencies
(for a safe return of labor to the maintenance
department), plant engineering should simul-
taneously redefine inefficient practices to re-
flect a plant Best Practice.
Energy Savings through Material
Conservation
If the engineering department executes the
33
previous improvements, the potential for
material conservation, reduced lubricant con-
sumption, will already have been achieved.
Three highly visible targets for lubricant con-
sumption improvements include:
Compressor Lubricant Usage Reciprocating
cylinder and sliding vane cylinder feed rates
are often significantly above OEM suggested
values. The excess causes varnish buildup
on heat exchangers and coats pipes and air
components with excessive oil residue. Syn-
thetic lubricants can be used to optimize the
throughput and reduce the risk of varnish ac-
cumulation.
Hydraulic and Circulation System Leakage
Hydraulic system designers collectively agree
that the majority, perhaps as much as 80%, of
hydraulic system leakage is controllable, and
much of it is a consequence of poor hydraulic
fluid contamination control. Those difficult to
identify leaks can be found using fluorescent
dye and black light technique. Retrofitting
hydraulic circuits with leak resistant fittings,
and instructing general maintenance mechan-
ics and pipefitters on the proper installation
and use of these fittings adds to the long term
value of a leak control initiative.
Open Gear Lubricant Application American
Gear Manufacturers Association (AMGA) stan-
dard 9005-EO2 provides specific guidance on
the required volume of open gear feed per
minute of operation for several gear sizes
and speeds. Measuring the current feed, and
judging the potential for reductions in feed
is initially a simple mathematical exercise.
Judging the adequacy of the feed rate at vari-
ous steps in the reduction cycle may require
the assistance of the lubricant supplier, or a
knowledgeable technical consultant.
Summary
Precision lubrication practices support ma-
chine reliability interests, produce best use
cost, and improve labor efficiency. Electrical
energy consumption can be reduced through
the use of high performance lubricants and
a careful measurement plan. Human energy
consumption can also be reduced through
careful evaluation and improvement of ma-
chine lubrication requirements, including the
application of high performance lubricants for
critical production machines.
Mike Johnson is the founder of Advanced
Machine Reliability Resources Inc., a firm
that provides precision lubrication program
development, consulting and training.
He has written and presented numerous
technical papers at symposia and confer-
ences throughout North America about
how to use machine lubrication to drive
machine reliability. Mike is happily married,
plays and coaches soccer, and has 3 young
children that consume his remaining time
and attention. He can be reached at mjohn-
son@amrri.com or 615-771-6030.
References
1 - Interview with Luminary Professor H.
Peter Jost The Man Who Gave Birth to the
Word Tribology. Fitch, J. Machinery Lubri-
cation Magazine, Jan., 2006.
2 - Lubrication for Industry, 2nd Edition,
page13. Bannister, K. Industrial Press. 2007
3 - L. Rudnik and R. Shubkin, Synthetic
Lubricants and High Performance Functional
Fluids, 2nd Edition, page 88. Marcel Dekker
Publisher.
The
Manufacturing Game
www.mfg-game.com (281) 812-4148
The Original Game
ThaT promoTes
and susTains
reliability
We battle bugs everyday. Let us show
you how to eliminate defects and
Im
provement
B
e
gin the Road to
C
o
n
tin
u
o
u
s
IVC_COMP
3.8125 X 5
IN HOUSE PROD.
AUG, 2007
MJ
G&G ART DEPARTMENT PROOF
& VERIFICATION
PROOF COPY PROOF AD
SPELL CHECKED AE
EFN9F8I;@E>

!VC TechncIcies is swilLly becominq Lhe leader
in PdM and advanced indusLrial diaqnosLics. As a
pioneer in PredicLive MainLenance and hiqhLech
services, lVC presenLs iLs Lechnoloqies in Lhe
lorms ol rouLebased condiLion moniLorinq
services, leld LroubleshooLinq and repair
assiqnmenLs, commissioninq, and various lorms
ol mulLichannel daLa acquisiLion Lo include
analysis ol various machinery and process
orienLed problems LhaL plaque indusLries. We are
lookinq lor capable and independenL individuals
Lo |oin our Leam ol successlul AnalysLs.
HlXc`\[ZXe[`[Xk\jj\e[i\jld\1
ZXi\\i7`mZk\Z_efcf^`\j%Zfd
fiZXcc/''%,),%()-0
<F<
F0R A 0NE-WAY TR!P T0 A
N0N-ST0P CAREER!
TRA!NED ANALYST
KncwIede/experience required:
VibraLion analyses UlLrasonic leak deLecLion
AliqnmenL ChaLLer 1orque Modal
ODS FLA MulLichannel daLa acquisiLion
Process LroubleshooLinq
1echnical School qraduaLes & exmiliLary encouraqed Lo apply.
m
a
i
n
t
e
n
a
n
c
e

m
g
m
t
u
p
l
o
a
d
Rogue Component Definition
A rogue component is defined as an individual repair-
able component, which repeatedly experiences short
in-service periods, manifesting the same mechanical
system fault each time it is installed, and when it is
removed from the mechanical system, the fault is cor-
rected.
The primary reason a component becomes rogue is
because shop repair bench tests do not address 100%
of the components operating functions, characteristics
or environment. Interviews with various component
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) revealed
the bench test coverage is typically about 85% of the
components complete functionality. Even if all the
functions were covered, the operating environment of
the component when it is installed in the mechanical
system is usually quite different than the repair shop,
so if a failure is dependent upon a particular in-service
environmental condition, it is unlikely that it will be
duplicated during testing.
Additionally, the bench test is crafted to identify an-
ticipated failures focused on things that are expected
to fail. For instance, it would not make sense to check
all the screws or electrical ground straps each time the
component comes into the shop, since the chance of
failure for those pieces is practically zero and the cost
of performing such extensive testing during each shop
visit would be exorbitant.
When a component experiences a failure that was
unaddressed or unanticipated by the shop testing
procedures, a rogue is born. Since every test that is
performed misses that specific aspect of the compo-
nents functionality, the fault will never be identified
and resolved.
f an asset management program includes repaired, reconditioned or overhauled parts, there is an ever-
present risk of rogue components developing in the population. The compounding negative effect of
these aberrant individuals is felt across these facets of the organization:

Operational Reliability
Asset Management Programs
Maintenance Effectiveness
Preventive Maintenance Programs
Maintenance Support
Natural Selection Phenomenon
There is a Darwinian-like natural selection process
that ensures the rogue components are placed in the
most disadvantageous position in the asset manage-
ment program. The following depictions demonstrate
the mechanics of this phenomenon.
Figure 1 shows a pristine condition where the com-
ponent spare inventory and the in-service population
are comprised of serviceable (Good) components that
function as designed and expected (the In-Service
Population shown in the diagram is a small represen-
tation of the general population). There are no rogue
components yet.
In this situation, the asset management process will
follow all the applied models. As a part fails in service,
it is removed and replaced with a good part from the
spare inventory. The component repair facility dupli-
cates the problem with the failed unit, repairs it and
returns it to the spare inventory.
The natural selection phenomenon begins when a
rogue component develops as shown in Figure 2.
Going Rogue
Rogue Components Their Effect and Control
by Thomas Carroll
I
february/march 2009 35
34
Maintenance Training Programs
Component Repair Facility
Components Themselves
Mechanical System Hardware
Operator / OEM Engineering
Figure 1
Good
Good
Good
In-Service
Population
Good
Good
Good
Good
Spares
Inventory
february/march 2009 35
34
Through the natural selection process,
only 50% of the spare inventory is comprised
of truly serviceable components. Again, as
long as the in-service population continues
to operate normally, the new rogue compo-
nent will simply join the first in the spare
inventory. However, if the rogue failure is
not recognized and resolved, Figure 6 dem-
onstrates how the spare inventory can be se-
verely compromised when another in-service
component develops that unique failure.
Like the other rogue components, when this
new one is removed from service and sent to
the repair facility, it scores NFF and returns to
the spare inventory as shown in Figure 7.
Though the rogue components make up
a very small part of the total component
population, the natural selection process
When one of the in-service components
develops a rogue failure, it is removed and
sent to the repair facility. Since the failure is
not addressed by the standard bench test or
overhaul procedure, it is not duplicated and
resolved. It checks normally, scoring a No
Fault Found (NFF) and returns to the spare
inventory as depicted by Figure 3.
As long as the in-service population operates
normally, the rogue component will remain
in the spare inventory. This rogue failure can
begin to proliferate when the next in-service
component goes rogue, as illustrated by
Figure 4.
This new rogue component is also removed
from service and sent to the repair facility,
and, like the first rogue component, it is also
NFF and returned to the spare inventory, as
shown in Figure 5.
has ensured that they are sorted out to the
most disadvantageous place in the asset
management process the spare inventory.
In Figure 7, they have comprised 75% of the
spare inventory. There are documented cases
where the entire spare inventory had been
replaced by rogue components.
Rogue Component Effect
As mentioned earlier, there are a number of
facets of the organization that are affected
by the development of rogue components.
To illustrate the impact on Maintenance Ef-
fectiveness, the following scenario describes
a real-life event:
Real Life Case in Point:
There is a system that allows air to be vented
to the atmosphere, comprised of an electro-
mechanical control unit, sensing units A
through C, a control feedback sensor and the
vent valve. A system malfunction occurred
that caused the vent valve to intermittently
lock up in mid-position during high opera-
tional demands. The maintenance techni-
cians could not duplicate the fault, so they
replaced the control unit as it was the most
likely part that could cause this problem.
The problem repeated. Since the control
unit did not resolve the problem, the vent
valve was replaced, which required consid-
erable system down time and maintenance
resources.
Now when the system operated during high
demand periods, the valve intermittently
modulated open and closed, when it should
remain in a fixed position. Again, the prob-
lem could not be duplicated and since this
new issue surfaced immediately after the
installation of the valve, it was replaced
again in the assumption that it was defective
from stock. The system was down again for
a considerable amount of time during this
second replacement. The modulation prob-
lem repeated.
Next, the control feedback sensor was re-
placed and again the problem repeated. It
was suspected that there could be an inter-
mittent fault in the interconnecting wiring,
which might have been caused when the valve
was replaced. Several maintenance techni-
cians spent many hours checking the wiring
for faults, finding no problems.
Figure 4
Rogue
Good
Good
In-Service
Population
Good
Good
Good
Spares
Inventory
Rogue
Figure 7
Rogue
Good
Good
In-Service
Population
Good
Good
Spares
Inventory
Rogue
Rogue
Figure 6
Rogue
Good
Good
In-Service
Population
Good
Good
Spares
Inventory
Rogue
Rogue
Figure 3
Rogue
Good
Good
In-Service
Population
Good
Good
Good
Good
Spares
Inventory
Figure 5
Rogue
Good
Good
In-Service
Population
Good
Good
Good
Spares
Inventory
Rogue
Figure 2
Rogue
Good
Good
In-Service
Population
Good
Good
Good
Good
Spares
Inventory
february/march 2009
36
As a desperate measure, the control unit
was replaced again. From that point on, the
system operated normally throughout all
operational demands.
Root Cause Analysis
The root cause of the initial system mal-
function (when the valve would stop during
operation) was a faulty vent valve. The con-
trol unit that was first installed was a rogue
component, which caused the valve to inter-
mittently modulate during high operational
demands. However, this rogue failure would
not manifest itself until a serviceable valve
was installed, since the faulty valve would
lock up during operation, preventing the
modulation from occurring.
This type of compound problem does not hap-
pen all the time. Usually a rogue component
causes the original problem to continue until
it is resolved after multiple replacements of
the same part, when a good part is finally
pulled from the spare inventory.
To illustrate an effect on Asset Management,
the following describes a real-life event:
Real Life Case in Point:
An aircraft operator had a fleet of 40 aircraft,
each having an autopilot system comprised
of a control panel, pitch computer, roll com-
puter, air data sensor and a number of servo
motors and sensors. In order to minimize
aircraft down time, it was determined that
6 pitch computers were needed as on-hand
spare inventory.
Over time, the fleet began to experience
an increasing number of pitch related com-
plaints and the spare pitch computer inven-
tory was reduced to zero on a number of
occasions. More computers were procured
to accommodate the increasing demand.
This chain of events repeated over a number
of years until there were ultimately 28 spare
computers to support the 40 aircraft that
were in service.
Root Cause Analysis
The root cause of the inordinate amount of
spare inventory that had accumulated was
that a substantial amount of rogue compo-
nents had developed. After a thorough analy-
sis of the pitch computer population, it was
discovered that 20 of the 28 spare computers
were rogue. This caused the high replace-
ment activity that would quickly decimate
the inventory when an aircraft experienced
a pitch related autopilot complaint.
Figure 8 - Avionics maintenance being performed on a Cessna Citation Excel.
37
Once the rogue components were identified
and resolved, it was possible to surplus 20 of
the spares. Each computer cost approximate-
ly $12,000 (US), so the cost of acquiring the
excess inventory totaled around $240,000
(US). Of course, when components are sold
on the surplus market, only a small fraction
of the initial outlay is recovered.
Rogue Component Control
Given the fact that rogue components will
develop, what can be done? The first step
is to develop a good record keeping process,
capturing maintenance events and tracking
components by part and serial number.
Then a rogue component surveillance pro-
gram needs to be developed, that will flag
individual parts by serial number that expe-
rience repeated consecutive short in-service
periods.
Once the program identifies potential rogue
components, the next step is to separate
them from those that appear to be fully
functional. A review of the system mainte-
nance records will show a bona fide rogue
component has manifested the same system
fault each time it is installed and the problem
is resolved when that specific serial number
is removed from service.
The final step is to provide the OEM with
the in-service data pertaining to the rogue
component, so the shop test can be ampli-
fied to identify that particular failure when
components are returned for repair in the
future.
Conclusion
If the asset management program utilizes
repaired, reconditioned or overhauled com-
ponents, it is inevitable that rogue compo-
nents will develop. Their negative impact will
ripple across many facets of the organization.
If that unique component failure is not identi-
fied and resolved, the rogue population will
continue to grow, compounding the negative
effect.
Detailed record keeping will provide the
foundation for building a comprehensive
rogue component identification and control
program. In addition to minimizing their
effect across the organization, this program
will also be the catalyst for improving the
effectiveness of various optimization initia-
tives, such as Six Sigma, Lean, Lean Six Sigma,
and the like. Rogue components have also
proven to be a significant contributing fac-
tor in causing those initiatives to fall short
of expectations but since they are so well
hidden, everything else takes the beating.
Thomas Carroll has been involved with
aviation maintenance since 1972, where
he served seven years in the USAF as an
Avionics Instrument Systems Specialist.
After that he joined US Airways, working
in the Instrument Shop and the Avionics
Maintenance Control department. He was
the first Component Reliability Engineer in
the company, and then was promoted to
Manager of Reliability Engineering, where
he overhauled all the existing reliability
programs and processes. He established
the reliability program at NetJets, Inc. and
is currently serving as Director of Mainte-
nance Technical Services. He has spoken
on the subject of component reliability
and performance measurement at industry
meetings and conferences, written articles
for several publications, and conducted
training classes at OEM component repair
facilities and aircraft manufacturing sites.
Announcing the
NATIONAL TECHNICAL TRAINING SYMPOSIUM
(33
rd
ANNUAL MEETING)
Vibration Institute
A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION
June 23-26, 2009
Hilton Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
ONE-DAY TRAINING
Time Waveform Analysis and Signal Processing
Measurement and Analysis of Rotor Vibrations
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
The Development of Powered Machinery
Dr. Neville F. Rieger
x Monitoring Applications x Gearbox Analysis
x Signal Processing x Rotor Dynamics
x Vibration Analysis x Electric Motors
x Journal Bearing Analysis x Isolation and Damping
For information:
Phone: (630)654-2254 THE VIBRATION INSTITUTE
Fax: (630)654-2271 6262 South Kingery Highway, Suite 212
Email: vibinst@att.net Willowbrook, Illinois 60527
See Web Site: http://www.vibinst.org for details
ost of the first automobiles produced in the 19th Century were all-electric. Among other advantages,
the primary reason was the amount of instantaneous power and torque provided. However, the bat-
teries limited the distance that the vehicles could travel, which opened the door for the dominance
of the combustion engine, which had a much greater range due to the lighter fuel. For the greater
part of a century the internal combustion engine (ICE) held on to its dominance, an intricate infrastructure was built
around the use of gasoline, and the automotive industry focused on the customer requirements of size and power.
Following the 1973 Oil Embargo on the USA, and the
near-forgotten lines at gas stations, a hardy few realized
that the flow of oil would not last forever. In addition
to alternative fuels, battery and hybrid/electric research
was initiated by governments, automotive companies,
universities, independent research facilities and indi-
viduals in an effort to return to the original concept of
an electric vehicle. The first modern production electric
vehicle produced was the General Motors EV1, which
was first released in 1996 and ran for three years on a
lease-only, 3 year, 30,000 mile warranty. With a total
population of 2,234 EV1s built at the GM Lansing Craft
Centre in Lansing, Michigan, the vehicle was an engi-
neering and marketing evaluation in California and Ari-
zona only. At the end of the run, the EV1 was pulled out
of production and almost all vehicles recovered by GM
due to problems with expected advancements in battery
technology.
Most automotive manufacturers made the decision to
focus on hybrid technology while working towards all-
electric powertrains, with the exception of Tesla Mo-
tors who have focused, and released, all-electric sports
cars in the $105,000+ range. One of the first hybrids to
market was the Toyota Prius which instilled the concept
that a fuel efficient vehicle must be small in order to
obtain good mileage and fuel range. General Motors,
Ford, and Chrysler focused their primary work related
to hybrids on their better selling, more profitable larger
vehicles with an assortment of SUVs and pickup trucks
now being available and all-electric production vehicles
being made available by 2010.
General Motors and Chrysler partnered on the devel-
opment of the heavy hybrid two-mode transmission,
which is the subject of the tests in this article. The
transmission, as shown in Figure 1, is in direct line with
the combustion engine and contains two powerful elec-
tric motors driven by two variable frequency drives un-
der the hood which is supplied by a 300 volt battery
pack under the rear passenger seats. In the two-mode
full-sized SUVs and trucks, the ICE is: a GM Active Fuel
Management Vortec engine; and, a displacement
on demand Hemi for Chrysler. The transmissions are
4-speed with the electric motors assisting. This pro-
vides for an infinite variation in speeds, resulting in an
extremely versatile transmission which, combined with
the ability to vary the ICE between 4 and 8 cylinders,
increases the fuel efficiency of the vehicles by more than
50%. The 300 volt system operates in both motoring
and regeneration mode, meaning that in addition to op-
erating as an electric motor, the machines also act to
generate power for the battery and are also used as part
of the braking system. The result is an even and very
fast braking through the transmission. The combina-
tion of increased power over an ICE-only SUV and brak-
ing capability that outperforms most passenger vehicles
makes for an impressive performance. Because of the
additional weight of the hybrid powertrain, many of the
components, such as the rear hatch, are aluminum ver-
sus steel, which lowers the center of gravity and allows
for exceptional handling in all weather conditions.
The challenge at hand: can modern maintenance testing
technologies be used to evaluate the electric motors in
an electric or hybrid machine? What can they tell us?
u
p
l
o
a
d
m
o
t
o
r

t
e
s
t
i
n
g
M
Expanding Maintenance Technologies
Electrical Motor Diagnostics in Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
by Howard W. Penrose, PhD, CMRP
38
february/march 2009
Figure 1- GM 2Mode Hybrid Transmission
Evaluation
Within the challenge was also the challenge
of obtaining information from an Electric
Signature Analyzer (ESA), or Motor Current
Signature Analyzer (MCSA). Because of spe-
cific interlocks within the variable frequency
drive system in the vehicle, and the fact that
we were using an AllAmericanHybrid.com
owned vehicle for the experiment, we deter-
mined that the best approach would be to
take current-only readings. Data would have
to be taken while the vehicle was in motion
and in hybrid or electric-only mode (less than
15 mph) so we had to decide whether or not
we would use a device that required intrusive
modifications to the vehicle, namely putting
a hole through the firewall. The result was
the selection of the ALL-TEST Pro, ATPOL II
ESA device which has the unique ability to
communicate via Bluetooth. This allowed us
to mount the data collector under the hood
(Figure 2) while an engineer operated a laptop
within the truck to take data (Figure 3) and
the driver controlled the SUV to keep it at a
steady speed and in electric motor mode.
The vehicle used was a 2008 four-wheel drive
GM hybrid Tahoe manufactured in March,
2008, in Arlington Texas, using the Balti-
more Powertrain (GM/Allison Transmission)
39
manufactured 2-mode transmission, which is
similar to the Allison Transmission, LLC, In-
dianapolis hybrid bus transmission. For the
purpose of the test, all work was performed
by SUCCESS by DESIGN personnel at the GM
Tech Center in Warren, Michigan. The Tahoe
was operated in two-wheel drive mode for the
duration of the tests which were performed
in drive at 10mph, in reverse at 5mph, and
in drive at variable speeds. The vehicle, it-
self, has been used to evaluate such things as
mileage, which has ranged from 19.8mpg to
26.1mpg, depending on driving and weather
conditions, and with just over 12,000 miles at
the time of this study. Specific data on the
components of the transmission were pro-
vided to SUCCESS by DESIGN personnel for
purposes of evaluation.
Test Results
One of the concerns was whether or not we
could obtain data through the shielded cables
that led from the drives to the transmission.
The other primary concern was what the cur-
rent data would look like as the motors were
inverter-fed. The cables related to the low-
speed motor were identified and a one-thou-
sand amp clamp connected to one lead. As
the Tahoe was backed out of the garage it was
observed that both concerns were unfounded
because we were drawing well over 100 Amps
that remained steady on the digital readout.
Unfortunately, the ATPOL II does not display
the spectra of the motor diagnostics nor al-
low the operator to watch real-time data and
capture just the area of interest, so the test-
ing and data capture was performed and the
results provided afterward.
The evaluation required a steady speed at
about 10mph for about 1 minute in the for-
ward direction, and then about 5mph in the
reverse direction in a remote empty parking
lot, then 1 minute at varying speeds back to
the garage. The data was analyzed and all in-
volved were impressed with the current and
spectral data, which showed virtually no noise
as compared to the noise generated in a com-
mercial drive/motor combination.
In the drive mode at 10mph, the results ap-
peared as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. In
Figure 5, there are line frequency side bands
around the line frequency and multiple har-
monics of twice line frequency in demodu-
lated current, as shown in Figure 4. Upon
review, we were able to determine that these
were most likely the other motor in generat-
Figure 2 - Data Collector Under Hood
Figure 3 - Data Collection Computer
ing mode as the engine was running to charge
the batteries. In Figure 6, we were able to
determine that there were peaks with line
frequency sidebands at a multiple of 60 times
running speed. We were able to determine
the source and will continue monitoring in or-
der to see if there are any changes associated
with age. At an average of 38 amps steady,
the harmonic content, as shown in Figure 7,
was null.
In reverse at about 5mph, the results appeared
as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The current was
much higher, drawing over 100 amps during
the test, with relatively small variations in
speed (5 to 8 mph). The results also showed
the same 60 times running speed signature
with harmonics. The harmonic current con-
tent was similar to that in Figure 7.
At varying speeds during the return to the ga-
rage, the results were as shown in Figures 10
and 11. The data was much more difficult to
evaluate and the harmonic content increased,
as shown in Figure 12. This data was much
more difficult to analyze and the results were
questionable.
february/march 2009
40
Figure 4 - Low Frequency Data
Figure 5 - Low Frequency Data Sidebands
Figure 6 - High Frequency Data Signature
Figure 7 - Harmonics
Figure 8 - Reverse Low Frequency Data
Figure 9 - Reverse High Frequency Data Sidebands
Figure 10 - Variable Speed Low Frequency
41
Conclusion
The use of the ESA/MCSA data collector
provides an excellent view as to the condi-
tion of the electric motors and transmission
in the two-mode hybrid Tahoe. The initial
concerns about whether or not data could
be collected and in a non-intrusive manner,
were resolved through the use of the ATPOL
II Bluetooth data collector and the collection
of useful data. Challenges, such as the abil-
ity to watch real-time data for collection do
need to be overcome and the ability to op-
erate the machine at
a steady speed either
on a dynamometer or
flat stretch of road is
required. As with in-
dustrial machinery,
the usefulness of the
data for analysis is
dependent upon the
information provided
on the electric ma-
chine and the com-
ponents attached to
it. However, we now
know that it is fea-
sible for purposes of
research and servicing of modern hybrid and
electric vehicles.
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP is the
President of SUCCESS by DESIGN Reli-
ability Services and Publishing, President
of AllAmericanHybrid.com, Editor in Chief
of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, Inc. Dielectrics and Electrical In-
sulation Society (IEEE-DEIS) Web and eZine,
and the Founding Executive Director of the
Institute of Electrical Motor Diagnostics,
Inc. He is a member of the National Writers
Union (UAW Local 1981) and International
Federation of Journalists and author of such
books as Physical Asset Management for
the Executive Caution: Do Not Read This
on an Airplane, and, Electrical Motor Di-
agnostics: 2nd Edition. For more informa-
tion, please feel free to contact Dr. Penrose
at howard@motordoc.com.
Figure 12 - Variable Speed Harmonics
Figure 11 - Variable Speed High Frequency
p
r
e
c
i
s
i
o
n

m
a
i
n
t
e
n
a
n
c
e
u
p
l
o
a
d
february/march 2009
Tin Whiskers
When Making Things Better Makes Things Worse
by Derek Burley, CMRP
espite our best efforts it seems that there are occasions when our attempts to improve or make things
better actually backfire and result in the opposite effect things can get worse in an unexpected way.
What this article seeks to achieve is to raise awareness of a condition that was first identified in the
1940s, but has only recently become an issue that warrants a more concerted research effort.
42
D
What Are We Trying To Make Better And Why?
Over the last couple of decades, there has been an in-
creasing push to become more green. Environmental
awareness and the momentum to change have led to the
introduction of legislation or incentives in many western
countries. This article examines an example of legisla-
tion introduced by the European Union and its emerg-
ing effects. This legislation is the Restriction of certain
Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directives. These
new directives set deadlines for electronics suppliers
and manufacturers to eliminate many of the common
uses of lead (Pb) from their products including solder.
A major driver for cleaner solder stems from the huge
amount of electronic equipment that is dumped into
landfills. Pb was considered likely to eventually leach
into ground water and was the motivation to change
current practices. Put simply, there is a growing legal
mandate and moral drive to remove Pb from solder.
To add a little perspective, in 2002, the US Environmen-
tal Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that 80,000,000
kilograms of Pb solder was used globally.
The RoHS and WEEE legislation set a deadline of June
2006 to achieve the goal of Pb free solder. It is worthy
of note that some types of electronics were exempted
from the law since its inception. Among these excep-
tions were military and other national security equip-
ment and certain medical devices, among others. Cur-
rently, the United States has not made Pb-free solder
mandatory, but does offer tax benefits for reducing or
eliminating its use.
There was no problem removing Pb from gasoline. We
took the Pb out of paint. So, it seems very reasonable
that we could remove Pb from solder - what could pos-
sibly go wrong?
What Happens When You Remove The Lead From
Solder?
Traditional solder typically contains 37% Pb and 63% tin
(Sn) and has been used for many years to join metal com-
ponents in everything from water pipes to computers.
The problem is that when you remove the Pb from the
solder, strange things can start to happen. Tin whis-
kers can form and the consequences can be serious.
The Millstone nuclear generating plant in Con-
necticut unexpectedly shut down when a circuit
board monitoring pressure in a steam line failed
(April 17, 2005)
During 2006, multiple batches of a Swiss compa-
nys watches were recalled the estimated cost
was $1bn
The failure of the Galaxy IV communications
satellite in 1998
The FDA recalled a number of pacemakers in 1986
Relays in AT&T telephone switching centers failed
during the 1950s
In all the above cases, tin whiskers were identified as
the cause.
What Are Tin Whiskers?
Firstly, the whisker phenomenon is not new and it is
not confined exclusively to solder. Other metals that
can form whiskers include zinc, cadmium, indium and
antimony. Whisker events have been observed since
WWII, when military radio failures occurred often
enough to initiate investigations into the cause. Al-
though the problem was recognized over 60 years ago,
it has only been the subject of serious research over
the last few years.
Tin whiskers are crystalline growths that can grow spon-
taneously crystals of tin that can cause short circuits
in electrical and electronic equipment. An applied elec-
trical field is not required to enable their growth they
appear randomly. Whiskers can grow at ambient tem-
perature and humidity, in a vacuum, in air, in continual
or varying temperatures and, in time, they will even-
tually force their way through any protective coatings
that have been applied to contain them. A single whis-
ker can conduct about 30mA. This is certainly a high
43
enough current to cause fail-
ure in digital circuits. It can
cause a short that can fail the
equipment while leaving lit-
tle or no evidence. Whiskers
frequently achieve lengths
of several millimeters with
a typical diameter of 1 m.
In rare instances lengths of
up to 10 mm have been ob-
served. Whiskers can grow
indefinitely and they can be
straight, kinked, hooked or
forked (see Figures 1, 2 &
3). Annual growth rates can
vary between 0.03 mm and 9
mm.
Pb-free solder is, to some
extent, more brittle than tra-
ditional solder. Substitute
solders that have been de-
veloped may be applied too
thinly or with too little heat,
which results in stressing of
the circuit board laminate (a
contributing factor in whis-
ker growth).
What Causes Tin
Whiskers?
The removal of Pb from sol-
der is not the cause of whis-
ker formation - it has simply
illuminated the underlying
condition. Tin whiskers are
individual crystal growths
of tin that grow spontane-
ously from a tinned surface. They appear
to be related to residual stresses within the
tin plating. Pb in solder compensates for
these stresses. Exactly how and why a tin
whisker grows is not completely understood
and more research is needed to establish the
root cause(s) and deliver a solution. How-
ever, some progress has been made in un-
derstanding this phenomenon. Factors that
are reasonably well proven to contribute to
whisker formation are:
External compressive stresses such as
those introduced by torquing of a nut or
a screw can contribute to the formation
of whiskers.
Bending or stretching of the surface
after plating has been applied.
Figure 3 Magnifed view of a
single tin whisker tip
Figure 2 Magnifed view of tin whiskers
Figure 1 Whiskers on a relay armature
www.tricocorp.com
800-558-7008
Managing
your weight
just got easier.
Introducing the Industrial Gear and Lube
Oil Filtration System from Trico designed
specically for higher viscosity uids. This
recently released product features a sub-
stantial viscosity capability of 2000 cSt @
40
o
C, making it one of the most versatile
ltration systems available.
Conditions lubricants in use
Filters new oil before putting
into service
Complements existing system
ltration as part of a preventative
maintenance program
Transfers new uids from drums to
storage tanks or system reservoirs
ELIMINATE YOUR WEIGHT
WATCHING WORRIES.
CALL TRICO.
up to
1
0
,0
0
0

SUS
Tricos High-Viscosity
Gear & Lube Oil Portable
Filter Cart
TRICO Filter Cart_Uptime_2.9375x1 1 8/1/07 11:32:54 AM
Differences in thermal expansion char-
acteristics between the substrate and
the plating material.
Microscopic damage to the plating or
the substrate material caused by han-
dling or application of test probes etc.
Whisker growth may begin soon after plat-
ing. However, initiation of growth may also
take years. The unpredictable nature of whis-
ker incubation and subsequent growth is of
particular concern to systems requiring long
term, reliable operation.
1
What Can We Do to Manage Tin
Whiskers?
Managing failures caused by tin whiskers is a
challenge for maintenance professionals be-
cause of its unpredictable nature. Using RCM
principles to examine the options for failure
management, the problem will unfold some-
thing like this:
Condition-Based Maintenance
Condition-based maintenance relies on the
existence of a usable and reasonably consis-
tent P-F interval. Clearly, from the data avail-
able, this is not the case for whiskers and is
unlikely to be either applicable or effective.
Scheduled Restoration / Discard
Frequencies for restoration or discard rely
on an age at which there is a rapid increase
in the conditional probability of failure. Al-
though, theoretically, a discard task may be
applicable, it is unlikely to be effective and
may remove a good circuit board that has no
whisker development and replace it with a
new one that soon will have. Additional risks
of inducing failures due to incorrect installa-
tion/calibration and testing with probes. plus
the high proportion of perfectly good equip-
ment that would be scrapped, make this op-
tion unlikely to prove viable.
Failure-Finding
Failure-finding is associated with hidden fail-
ures. Here is a real problem with no way
to tell how a circuit might fail with short cir-
cuits induced by tin whiskers, it is difficult to
assess the risk of a hidden failure occurring.
If the MTBF for tin whisker failures can be
established, it should be possible to iden-
tify a test interval that will reduce the risk
to a tolerable level or an expected availabil-
ity. However, again, we currently lack data
to make that decision with any confidence.
Testing for loss of hidden function will tell
us whether the system is functional or not at
the time of the test, but nothing more.
february/march 2009
44
Leadership that Inspires
Maximum Impact Simulcast
KEVIN
CARROLL
Highly-acclaimed
author, Founder of
Kevin Carroll
Katalyst, LLC
and former Nike
creative
AL
WEI SS
President of
Worldwide
Operations for Walt
Disney Parks and
Resorts
TONY
BLAI R
Former Prime
Minister of the
United Kingdom
BILL
GEOR GE
Harvard business
professor, former
Medtronic CEO
and author of True
North: Discover
Your Authentic
Leadership
LI NDA KAPLAN
THALER
CEO & Chief
Creative Ofcer of
the Kaplan Thaler
Group and author
of The Power of
Nice
JOHN C.
MAXWELL
Best-selling author,
speaker and
leadership thought
leader
JACK
NICKLAUS
Winner of a record
18 major golf
championships
and voted Sports
Illustrateds
Individual Male
Athlete of the
Century
LI Z
MURRAY
Inspirational speaker,
Homeless to
Harvard
MARK
SANBORN
Best-selling author
of The Fred Factor
and President
of Sanborn &
Associates, Inc.
ERNI E
JOHNSON
Professional
sports announcer
and host of TNT s
Emmy award-
winningInside
the NBA
Imagine joining with 500 other satellite locations throughout North America with a single vision: inspiring change .
The Maximum Impact Simulcast will deliver an unmatched day of leadership training.
MAY 8, 2009
www.maintenanceconference.com
(888) 575 1245
Default Action No Scheduled
Maintenance
If we actively reject condition-based, resto-
ration/discard and failure finding tasks, the
default decision (except where there are
safety and/or environmental consequences)
is no scheduled maintenance. Fix it when it
breaks and live with the consequences. Only
you and your organization can decide if this
is acceptable.
Redesign
In the long term, redesign offers the most
promise. but at the same time, is most un-
appealing due to the time, effort and cost
involved.
Was It Worth It?
When all is said and done, was it reasonable
to go Pb-free? The potential for premature
obsolescence could lead to more devices be-
ing discarded and it is still not clear whether
the proposed substitutes are more toxic and
waste more energy during production than
the Pb solder they are replacing. There is
also some evidence (as yet unsubstantiated)
that Pb does not actually leach from circuit
boards, because it doesnt migrate in the
manner that Pb in paint or gasoline does.
What does seem clear is that there are no
easy answers. Just because your PLC, pres-
sure sensor, gas detector etc. was not made
in Europe does not mean that the circuit
boards or components that are inside the box
were not manufactured with Pb-free solder!
More than 80% of all electronic components
are made in Asia, but we impose the speci-
fications on them. The questions we have
to ask ourselves are, What did we specify?
and What should we specify in future?
Remember the Swiss watch making company
product recall mentioned earlier that report-
edly cost $1 billion? They were later granted
a permanent exemption from the RoHS di-
rective for its exports within the European
Union and were allowed to put Pb back in
the solder.
What Can We Do As Reliability
Professionals?
Research the problem here are a
couple of great websites to get you
started:
> http://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/
> http://www.rohsusa.com/
Find out where your electronic compo-
nents are sourced
Consider reviewing your procedures for
handling and installing circuit boards
Ask questions of your electronic equip-
ment suppliers
When you get their response ask some
more questions
Make your judgments and manage the
risks based on the best information you
can obtain
Derek spent twenty years working in Brit-
ish Rail as a control and systems engineer.
It was while working in this capacity that
he became heavily involved with RCM an
involvement that has continued for the last
18 years. He left the rail industry in 1997
and moved to the US working as an RCM
consultant across a wide range of industries.
In 2003 he joined Cargill and, working with
Doug Plucknette (Allied Reliability), imple-
mented standards and training for their
RCM program. He recently joined a mining
company based in Utah as Principal Advisor
Asset Management. He was a founding
member of the Institute of Asset Manage-
ment, a member of the SMRP Standards
Committee and gained his CMRP certifica-
tion in 2000. He is an active member of
AMP and has presented papers at numerous
conferences on subjects including RCM,
Standards Development, Human Error,
Change Management and Procedure Based
Maintenance. E-mail: derek_burley@mac.
com
References
1. Mitigation Strategies for Tin Whiskers
M. Osterman, CALCE-EPSC, August 28, 2002
http://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/
Within a whisker of failure Kurt Jacobsen,
The Guardian, April 3, 2008
Tin Whiskers: The next Y2K problem? Ivan
Amato, FORTUNE Magazine, January 10,
2005
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_whiskers
Metals and Metal Parts: Troubling Tin Ten-
drils Larry Adams, November 1, 2006
Solders in Electronics: A Life-Cycle Assess-
ment Summary EPA-744-S-05-001, August
2005
www.tricocorp.com
800-558-7008
A true represen-
tative sample is
a key rst step
in obtaining qual-
ity information from
oil analysis. Now ob-
taining those samples with consistency
and ease is possible using Tricos line
of precision oil sampling products.
Trico has a complete line of innovative
sampling supplies and accessories,
including large bore and high pressure
sampling ports, pitot tubes, collection
bottles and vacuum pumps.
Benets of Oil Sampling
Identies conditions which can
be used to assist in improving
equipment reliability
Recognizes conditions that
affect component life
Detects required
maintenance repairs
Establishes a baseline on the
condition of equipment and lubricant
The
for Precision
Oil Sampling.
B
EST TO
O
LS
TRICO Oil Sampling_Uptime_2.93751 1 8/1/07 11:32:09 AM
45
n the first article (Aug/Sept 2008) in this series, we briefly discussed the first step in a successful journey to
Reliability Excellence, e.g. a thorough assessment of your current state. Before we move on, we should assure
that we all understand and agree on the meaning of a thorough assessment.
february/march 2009
r
e
l
i
a
b
i
l
i
t
y
u
p
l
o
a
d
Continuing The Journey
Following the Path to Reliability Excellence
by R. Keith Mobley, CMRP, MBB
To be effective, the status assessment must quantita-
tively identify all of the strengths and limiting factors
that define the current operating condition of the plant
or plants that are candidates for transformation. It must
also be comprehensive and include all functions that
directly or indirectly influence the performance of the
company. Avoid the natural tendency to focus on one
area, such as maintenance, and ignore others that are
perceived to be working effectively or that are not con-
sidered an influence on performance. For example, few
consider the impact that the sales function has on plant
performance, but if one looked logically at the plant the
real impact of sales becomes painfully clear. Sales or
more specifically the mix of orders that they input into
the plants backlog, is the tail that wags the dog. If the
sales department loads the plant with standard products,
reasonable lots sizes and realistic delivery commitments,
the production departments can effectively schedule and
still allot adequate time for maintenance. On the other
hand, when the incoming backlog consists of non-stan-
dard products, small lots sizes and rush delivery com-
mitments, production and all other plant functions are
forced into a reactive mode. Effective asset utilization,
production efficiency and time for maintenance go out
the window and everyone scrambles to meet customer
requirements.
The Master Plan
With a good status assessment in our hands, we can
move to the next step in our journey. We need to de-
velop a plan, or roadmap, that will guide us through the
transformation from our current state to a future state
that will build on our strengths and eliminate our weak-
nesses. Developing a master, or project plan, sounds
simplejust open Microsoft Projects and start listing
tasks that are needed to eliminate deficiencies. Unfortu-
nately, its not that simple. Successful plans will include
processes for the following:
Culture Change
Simply creating new policies, job descriptions or pur-
chasing new tools and equipment will achieve little
value. One can purchase state-of-the-art production
systems, multi-million dollar computer systems and all
of the other gadgets touted as the solution to poor per-
formance and nothing will change. Unless and until you
have a properly trained workforce that is motivated and
empowered to effectively use the systems, nothing can
change. Culture change, e.g. replacing bad practices or
habits with effective work practices, is the true key to
consistent, sustainable high performance. Its not the
gadgets, it the way they are used that is important. If
one looks at high performance plants, many use out-
dated technology that is overcome by a highly motivated
and involved workforce. People make the difference.
Our master plan for the reliability excellence journey
must recognize this critical fact, and assure that we cre-
ate a future state environment that will empower our
workforce to make us successful.
Always remember that people will always find change
inherently threatening or uncomfortable. As a result,
people at all levels of the company will throw obstacles
in the way of organizational change. The best remedy
involves offering strong management support to the
teams, and providing adequate training to allow workers
to change jobs with ease.
Once the cross-functional teams begin redesigning work
processes, you will face a whole new round of hurdles.
Why do you want to change what weve been doing for
10 years? asks one worker. He answers his own ques-
tion, Just because weve done it for 10 years doesnt
make it right. This barrier is a little more difficult to
surmount. Part of the solution involves strong leadership
and changing the company culture from accepting busi-
ness-as-usual to expecting continuous improvement.
Front line supervisors, perhaps more than the hourly
workforce, will feel highly threatened by change, es-
pecially when facing the prospect of self-directed work
teams. When a manager or supervisor resists empow-
ering the workers, it becomes almost impossible to get
it done, asserts a team facilitator.
Managers and supervisors have a great deal invested in
maintaining the status quo. Often, they owe their po-
sitions of power and authority to their ability to excel
within the very organizational model that self-directed
work teams aim to overthrow -- traditional corporate
46
I
47
hierarchy. Moreover, to the extent that they
perceive a threat to their own power and
influence, they will find ways to undermine
and destroy the source of that threat. In the
case of self-directed work teams, supervisors
who fear losing their influence, or worse,
their jobs, may quickly transform into wolves
dressed in sheeps clothing. While openly es-
pousing the principles of empowerment and
participation, they covertly do everything in
their power to torpedo all attempts at actual
implementation.
Successful transformation of work culture is
not a tactical exercise and the master plan
must consider and include specific activi-
ties and tasks that prepare the workforce for
change, and guides them through the trans-
formation process. Culture change takes time
and the worst, most often made, mistakes is
impatience. We are truly a society seeking in-
stant gratification and, as a result, try to force
the pace of change. Your plan should include
a timeline of eighteen months to twenty-four
months to ensure sustainable culture change.
Education
A critical part of culture change and sustain-
able continuous improvement is knowledge
and understanding. Everyone in the organi-
zation must understand the logic behind the
transformation process and his or her role
within the process. A unique and wonderful
part of the human psyche is the absolute need
to understand why. Your master plan must
include an education process that includes
everyone at all levels in a comprehensive
education process that provides a clear, com-
plete understanding of the transformation
process, the roles, responsibilities and expec-
tations from each individual within the orga-
nization and why change is needed.
The education process should also include
targeted training for those actively involved
in the transformation process. The heart of a
reliability excellence transformation relies on
cross-functional teams created from all levels
of the workforce. These teams will have the
responsibility for creating the future for the
company, and will need the skills required to
perform these tasks.
Communications
All plants have a very effective rumor mill that
can destroy attempts to change. Therefore, it
is imperative that your plan includes a com-
munication process that will keep everyone
informed about all aspects of the reliability
excellence transformation, providing quick re-
sponse to rumors, as well as both negative and
positive feedback from the workforce. The
absolute need for effective communications
cannot be overstated. Failures to communi-
cate, including listening and hearing feedback
from the workforce, is not optionalif you
fail at this task, the transformation will fail.
All communications must be open, honest and
full disclosure. The workforce is precondi-
tioned to mistrust information from manage-
ment, so it is imperative that communications
come from leadership and the workforce that
is directly involved in the analysis and design
process that will determine the plants future.
Peer-to-peer communication has much more
credibility and impact than the epistles com-
ing from senior management or the leader-
ship team.
Short-Term Wins
One should always remember that this is not
the first time change has been introduced
to the workforce. Over the past few decades,
there has been an almost constant stream of
revolutionary new programs that are guar-
anteed to improve performance and assure
survivability of the company. Most of these
silver bullets have fizzled after a few months
or years, and status quo has returned with a
passion. As a result, the workforce is jaded
and will not embrace reliability excellence or
any other initiative without clear, measurable
proof that this initiative will actually make
their world better. Instead, they will resist
or ignore your initial efforts to introduce Reli-
ability Excellencenot because they believe
change isnt needed, but because they do not
believe that your plan will work. Short-term
wins can take many forms. They can be im-
provements in housekeeping; elimination of
unnecessary restrictions or regulations; re-
ductions in forced overtime or an almost un-
limited list of changes that cost little but are
clear evidence that change can be good.
The best wins are those that eliminate chronic
problems or irritations, such as poor start-ups,
labor intensive changeovers and unnecessary
maintenance tasks. These are issues that have
a real, deep impact on the workforce, and their
removal will send a strong, positive message.
It certainly helps that the side benefit will be a
measurable improvement in profitability.
Process Change
The Master Plan must also include a thorough
evaluation of the processes and practices that
As maintenance and reliability
professionals retire, they often take
the knowledge they possess with them.
This loss comes at a cost to companies.
Thats where Trico comes in. We can
capture that knowledge.
Trico can help you integrate proactive
practices into your lubrication manage-
ment program. Our approachincluding
assessments, audits, consulting,
and trainingwill enable you to
benchmark current practices, train
employees and improve overall
operations.
If you have tough boots to fll, give
us a call. Weve got the answers
today, for todays problems.
Tough boots
to fll.
www.tricocorp.com
800-558-7008
Find the conference or summit designed to ht your professional needs.
Visit www.maintenanceconference.com for details.
*Events, dates and times are subject to change.
ALMSummit featuring:
Executive Level Plant Asset Reliability Forum
Green Reliability
Wind Energy Reliability
IMC-2009
24th International Maintenance Conference
PdM-2009
Predictive Maintenance Conference
MARCH 23-26 + Hilton Ocean Walk Village, Daytona Beach, FL
MARCH 23-24 + Daytona Beach, FL APRIL 14 + Canton, OH
MAY 4-7 + Knoxville, TN MAY 8 + Knoxville, TN
MAY 14-15 + Fort Myers, FL JUNE 16 + Canton, OH
JULY 21-22 + Fort Myers, FL SEPTEMBER 22 + Canton, OH
NOVEMBER 16-18 + Daytona Beach, FL DECEMBER 2-3 + Fort Myers, FL
49
are currently used for both long-term and day-
to-day activities. While the Assessment pro-
vided a cursory evaluation of these processes,
it lacked the depth to clearly identify the spe-
cific deficiencies, e.g. waste and losses, inher-
ent in them. The plan for reliability transfor-
mation must include specific means for these
evaluations and processes that will quantify
and prioritize corrective actions. A proven
path to successful completion includes:
Analysis and Design
The analysis and design phase of a successful
transformation will require at least six months
and perhaps a year or more to complete. The
actual time is dependent on the size and com-
plexity of the plant or facility, as well as the
current state of its processes. It absolutely
cannot be rushed. This is one instance where
it is imperative that you do not become impa-
tient and try to shortcut the process. Always
remember that the futureyour futurede-
pends on the quality and effectiveness of the
analysis and design phase of the transforma-
tion.
The analysis and design process will require a
focused effort from cross-functional teams of
your workforce; each assigned a specific focus
area or group of activities that were identi-
fied by the assessment as being in need of im-
provement. Each of the teams should include
representatives of all stakeholders associated
with the focus area or function. In addition,
the team makeup should be free of interfer-
ence or distractions caused by management
or bargaining unit pressures.
The actual number and makeup of the Design
or Focus teams is dependent on the assess-
ment results, but typically will include:
Leadership: Management commitment
and effective leadership are fundamental
requirements for success. This design
team is charged with the responsibility of
developing processes that will assure
strong leadership, as well as effective com-
munications, employee empowerment and
full integration of plant functions.
Reliability: The reliability of your installed
capacity as well as your business and work
processes are critical to success. In almost
all transformations, a design team is
needed to assure that all business and
work processes are reliability focused.
Work Control: In many cases, one or more
design teams are required to evaluate,
modify or replace processes that identify,
plan, schedule, and execute day-to-day
activities. These processes may include all
functional groups, e.g. engineering,
production, procurement, maintenance,
etc., depending on the assessment results.
The work control teams may include:
Operations Improvement: Processes
design to implement Lean methodolo-
gies such as SMED, Takt Time, Kanban,
etc., needed to optimize the effective-
ness of the production or operations
function.
Maintenance Improvement: Processes
designed to implement maintenance
optimization methodologies, such as
TPM, RCM, and Condition Monitoring
Materials Management: Effective manage-
ment of production and maintenance ma-
terials is essential for success. In most
cases, one or more design teams are
required to develop and implement effec-
tive processes for materials management
and handling.
Pilot Implementation
The next step in the transformation process
is to test or pilot the new work processes
that were developed in the analysis and de-
sign phase. This step will require three to
six months to complete and should not be
rushed. Each of the new processes should
be thoroughly tested and evaluated to assure
that it is appropriate for the plant or company,
and that it will provide the effectiveness and
efficiency needed for long-term success.
The tasks required to complete the Pilot or
test phase include:
Education: The workforce, including all
levels, in the Pilot area must fully under-
stand Reliability Excellence, including how
it will affect their jobs, what they are
expected to achieve, and why it is neces-
sary. This education should be delivered
by the design or focus teams with direct,
active support from plant leadership. This
education will be much more effective
coming from peers than from manage-
ment or a consultant.
Training: All affected personnel in the
pilot area must receive appropriate train-
ing for each of the new processes that will
be implemented in the pilot area. This
training should include classroom and
practical application to ensure full under-
standing and mastery of the new processes.
Implementation: The new processes
should be sequenced into the pilot area
under the direct supervision of the design
or focus team who developed these
processes. The design team members act
as Subject Matter Experts (SME) to rein-
force or retrain as needed.
Evaluate: As part of its development, each
of the new processes include a set of Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs) that quantify
its effectiveness and efficiency. These
indicators should be carefully evaluated
to determine whether the new processes
are working and meet their expectations.
Lessons Learned: The final task in this
phase is to determine whether corrections
or changes are needed to any or all of the
new processes. This task relies on the
original cross-functional teams, with
oversight from the Leadership Team, to
perform the evaluation and to implement
any needed corrective actions.
If all has gone as planned, we are twelve to
eighteen months into our journey. We have
developed new business and work processes
that will eliminate waste, losses and other
problems that take from our ability to com-
pete effectively. Our workforce is open to
change, but not fully convinced that Reliability
Excellence is truly the way of the future. The
worst is overor is it?
In our next and final article, we will discuss
the steps that are needed to lock in the chang-
es needed to assure continuous improvement
and long-term success, called Reliability Excel-
lence.
Keith Mobley has earned an international
reputation as one of the premier consultants
in the fields of plant performance optimi-
zation, reliability engineering, predictive
maintenance and effective management. He
has more than thirty-five years of direct ex-
perience in corporate management, process
design and troubleshooting. For the past six-
teen years, he has helped hundreds of clients
worldwide achieve and sustain world-class
performance. Mr. Mobley is actively involved
in numerous professional organizations.
Currently, he is a member of the technical
advisory boards of: American National Stan-
dards Institute (ANSI), International Stan-
dards Organization (ISO) as well as American
Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and
others. He is also a Distinguished Lecturer
for ASME International.
february/march 2009
u
p
l
o
a
d
n 2008, there arose a broad selection of solution providers specializing in helping the community of main-
tenance and reliability professionals to Go Green. It is unlikely that the original mandate of most of these
companies was to help save the environment, but it does show how nimble entrepreneurialism adjusts
to accommodate the demands of corporate social responsibility. The term corporate social responsibility
eventually gave way to the broader catchphrase sustainability in 2008. Maintenance departments formed energy
When Green Is Good Business
Sustainability Through Ultrasonic Energy Conservation

by Allan Rienstra
management teams to focus on the dual win of saving
both money and the environment with efficiency initia-
tives. For them, and most of us, the definition of sus-
tainability closely mirrored that of the trusted EPA;
meeting the needs of the present without compromis-
ing the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs. In 2009, sustainability may well be redefined
as doing whatever it takes to keep our doors open for
business.
A stubborn economic and environmental crisis grips
the globe. There are obvious virtues to positioning
our business as a provider of green solutions with ben-
efits for both energy savings and reducing a factorys
carbon footprint. This is the re-emphasis of an original
mission statement made some thirty years ago when
ultrasound inspection first appeared as an answer to
curbing sources of waste energy in factories, but this
time around the stakes are higher.
As consumers we have an insatiable thirst for elec-
tricity, and the fossil fuels consumed by its creation.
That fossil fuels are running scarce is not just rhetoric.
Conservation must be made as mandatory as the on-
going search for alternative energy sources is. Those
alternatives will have to be planet friendly, as the reck-
less use of energy has loaded our environment with
CO2 and other greenhouse gases, changing our planet
forever. Expect continued and dramatic changes in
global weather patterns illustrated by extreme storms,
draughts, cold waves, and heat waves. And while the
price per barrel of oil was low at the time of writing,
expect higher prices to return as the globe moves
through, and out of recession. Now is the time to look
to your airborne ultrasound program for some assur-
ance about your companys sustainability in 2009.
Airborne Ultrasound Inspection
Airborne ultrasound inspection refers to the technolo-
gy of detecting and localizing the sources of ultrasonic
phenomena for the purpose of identifying a) sources
of wasted energy, b) sources of mechanical failure, c)
sources of electrical failure, and d) faults within a ma-
chine without intrusion or shutdown. These problems
all have one characteristic in common; they produce
noise in the ultrasonic range with peaks between 35-40
kHz. Ultrasound inspection is useful because it focuses
on these specific noises while filtering away ambient
plant noise, making it extremely handy in loud plants.
This makes the technology available for use during peak
production hours, reducing the need for overtime. It
is advantageous to use this technology to pinpoint the
source of problems because ultrasound is more direc-
tional than audible sound. Subtle changes to plant ma-
chinery can be heard in the ultrasonic frequencies first.
Inspectors are rewarded with an earlier indication of a
problem, and a larger window to schedule repair. So
ultrasound inspection extends the abilities of human
hearing and empowers companies to pursue some of
the easiest wins in the sustainability business.
Going green and saving energy are two separate ide-
als that merge by circumstance, and focus on a cam-
paign with huge potential wins. This battle starts in
the air compressor room (supply side) and branches
throughout the facility (distribution) to wherever air
is needed (demand side). Along the way there are
leaks, wasted dollars spent and energy consumed, all
the while enlarging your carbon footprint. Take a look
at the benefits of a well managed compressed air leak
program.
Here are some compelling reasons to tighten your
compressed air system.
Compressed air production is the 2nd or 3rd
highest source of energy consumption in most
companies.
On average, air compressors account for 18% of all
industrial electrical consumption in European
manufacturing plants. Some suggest that com-
pressed air costs account for as much as 30% of a
manufacturing plants electricity bill.
For every kWh spent on compressed air, an ad-
ditional 0.8kg of CO2 per month is spewed into
our atmosphere.
75% of the total cost of your compressed air
u
l
t
r
a
s
o
u
n
d
I
50
51
nents are audible to the
human ear, but masked
by the noise of the plant.
The high frequency sound
components (ultrasonic)
are inaudible to the hu-
man ear, but are detected above the noise of
the plant. Perhaps most important in our ul-
trasonic search for leaks is the directional na-
ture of ultrasound. This gives inspectors the
ability to hear leaks while the plant is operat-
ing, and to pinpoint their location quickly so
they can be tagged or fixed.
Compressed Air Audits
Paul Edwards, a principle with Compressed
Air Consultants, USA of Charlotte, NC is a
compressed air auditor for whom I have a
great deal of respect. He recently wrote,
Leaks are an important aspect of com-
pressed air improvement projects and a good
study documents the leaks without focusing
on them The real value in ultrasonic de-
tection is in increasing the speed at which
leaks can be located and tagged. Edwards
sees ultrasonic leak detection as a speedy al-
ternative to listening with the unaided ear,
or even using water and soap mixtures to
look for bubbles.
system goes to your electricity provider.
The other 25% is accounted for by capital
costs and ongoing maintenance.
On average, only 43% of compressed air
produced gets used to satisfy real demand.
On average, 34% of compressed air
produced is wasted to leaks.
The remainder is consumed by wasteful
applications and artificial demand.
Reducing energy consumption starts with
getting your system leakage under control,
but should include more than just ultrasonic
leak detection. To get a handle on the to-
tal opportunity represented by a greener
compressed air system, a plant should hire
a consultant to conduct a compressed air
audit. A consultant examines the entire sys-
tem, which is broken down as Supply, Distri-
bution, and Demand. The auditor looks at
your system objectively and will recommend
improvements that, when implemented, will
see more SCFM flowing to demand, and a
positive impact to bottom line. Partnering
with a quality compressed air auditor is a de-
finitive step toward sustainability.
The United States Department of Energy
(DOE) says The best way to detect leaks
is to use an ultrasonic acoustic detector,
which can recognize high frequency hissing
sounds associated with air leaks. These
portable units are very easy to use. The
main point here is that leaks create a high
frequency sound which can be difficult to
hear, and to pinpoint, without the aid of
an ultrasound detector. Leaks produce
turbulence when air flows from the high
pressure side to the low pressure side. It
is this turbulent flow, which we associate
with the characteristic hissing sound of
a leak, which generates noises with both
low and high frequency sound compo-
nents. The low frequency sound compo-
Leaks can be detected from as close as an
inch or two, or as far away as fifty feet or
more. The distance of detection depends
on two factors: the energy of the turbulent
flow, and the type of sensor used. The turbu-
lent energy is dictated by the pressure of the
system and the size or shape of the orifice
(see Figure 2). Lower pressures will produce
lower turbulent flow, but smaller orifice size
will restrict flow and can actually increase
turbulence. Think of a garden hose and what
happens when you restrict the flow of water
with your thumb. Less water flows from the
hose, but with greater force. Likewise in an
air line, a smaller orifice may mean less air,
but more turbulence. The leak may sound
louder in the ultrasound detectors headset,
but in fact the loss from that leak may not be
much. To accommodate both close up and
far away leaks, ultrasonic detector manufac-
turers produce different sensors for different
situations. Flexible wand sensors are used
for near inspections and tight access areas
while parabolic sensors with laser sights are
used to pinpoint leaks in overhead piping
without the need for ladders.
The Anheuser-Busch Story
One forward thinking industrial leader
chose better economical times than today
to ensure their sustainability. Anheuser-
Busch is one of the worlds largest brew-
ers, operating 14 breweries, 12 in the
United States and two overseas. In busi-
ness since 1852, there is more than 150
years of brewing tradition in their keg,
making them a true American success
story. Anheuser-Busch did not get where
Figure 2 - Air Turbulence is determined by
the size and shape of the leak and by air ow.
Figure 1 - The True Cost of Compressed Air
ENERGY
75%
The True
Cost of
Compressed Air
INSTALLATION
MAINTENANCE
12%
CAPITAL COSTS
13%
Figure 3 - Using a exible sensor to fnd a compressed air
leak on an instrument air line.
february/march 2009
24 52
they are today without an effective predic-
tive maintenance and reliability strategy. Its
paramount to providing consumers with a
high quality product that is well priced and
profitably manufactured.
Anheuser-Busch began investigating Predic-
tive Technologies in 2000. They had a vision
of their ultimate goal, but recognized there
would be hurdles along the way. Their deci-
sion to implement ultrasound inspection was
based on the immediate return on invest-
ment through reduction of compressed air
and CO2 leaks (no one likes flat beer), and im-
provement of their steam processes through
the identification of faulty steam traps and
leaks. The driving force was the immediate
cost savings through the reduction in air loss
because of leaks and misuse.
Where does a company start when devel-
oping a long-term program? The first step
was to develop policies, best practices and
standard operating procedures. You must
remove the option of performing Ultrasonic
Inspections recounts Dan Durbin, corporate
engineer and the man charged with piloting
this project. A policy was written which re-
quired Ultrasonic Inspections to be conduct-
ed. Best Practices and Standard Operating
Procedures were written to support the poli-
cy. Procedures included how to implement
an ultrasonic program, how to conduct a
scan, and how to use the equipment. An-
heuser-Busch leaned heavily on their ultra-
sound vendor to implement their program.
An in-house Computer Based Training (CBT)
module was developed for the large num-
ber of operators that had to be trained. Its
focus was to provide the training necessary
to identify and quantify air, steam, and CO2
leaks. A cost calculations spread sheet was
developed so that each plant manager could
select their Brewery and fill in the decibel
readings to determine the potential savings
from repairing the leak.
Two major hurdles that threatened the proj-
ect were costing, and getting buy-in at the
brewery level, especially since this was a cor-
porate down initiative. The initial problem
was that the utilities budget paid for the pro-
duction of compressed air and the purchase
of CO2, but wasnt the major user. Utilities
used only a small portion of the air; mostly for
instrumentation. Packaging was the majority
user, mostly for moving and drying product,
and Brewing was the major CO2 user. Decid-
ing on budget allocation to get the program
off the ground was a big hurdle, but Durbin
negotiated to reach an accord.
The second challenge was to get buy-in at
the brewery level. This issue was familiar;
Corporate Interference in Brewery opera-
tions. Its also called the not invented here
syndrome, yet getting upper level Brewery
management to buy-in was essential. So a
presentation was made showing potential
savings from reducing air and CO2 loss and
improving the steam system. Then a Quar-
terly Scorecard was implemented to ensure
compliance to Corporate Initiatives.
Dan Durbin recounts how this program came
together, Once the Corporate program was
established, we cross-seeded the program in
phases. The first step was to build a baseline
for air use to be able to track improvement.
Next we added the requirement for Reliabil-
ity Managers to go through the CBT for Ultra-
sonic Analysis. This built a base knowledge
of Ultrasonic techniques in the audience re-
sponsible for equipment reliability. Next,
we added the requirement for the Predictive
Maintenance Plans to be developed in SAP.
Last, we established a specific number of
scans be conducted during a quarter.
Training and Certification in
MACHINERY VIBRATION ANALYSIS and MONITORING
THE VIBRATION INSTITUTE
Call, Fax or Email the Institute 6262 South Kingery Highway, Suite 212
for Complete Information Willowbrook, Illinois 60527
or Visit Our Web Site: Telephone: (630)654-2254
http://www.vibinst.org Fax: (630)654-2271
Email: vibinst@att.net
INTRODUCTION TO
MACHINERY VIBRATIONS
Syria, Virginia, April 21-24, 2009
New Orleans, Louisiana, August 11-14, 2009
Boston/Peabody, Massachusetts, November 3-6, 2009
BASIC MACHINERY VIBRATIONS
Tempe, Arizona, February 24-27, 2009
Houston, Texas, May 19-22, 2009
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, June 23-26, 2009
Knoxville, Tennessee, September 28-October 1, 2009
Willowbrook, Illinois, December 8-11, 2009
MACHINERY VIBRATION ANALYSIS
Tempe, Arizona, February 24-27, 2009
Houston, Texas, May 19-22, 2009
New Orleans, Lousiana, August 11-24, 2009
Knoxville, Tennessee, September 28-October 1, 2009
Willowbrook, Illinois, December 8-11, 2009
ADVANCED VIBRATION ANALYSIS
Syria, Virginia, April 21-24, 2009
ADVANCED VIBRATION CONTROL
New Orleans, Louisiana, August 11-14, 2009
BALANCING OF ROTATING MACHINERY
Boston/Peabody, Massachusetts, November 3-6, 2009
53
Improvements were tracked and awarded
through bonuses, and non-compliance was
penalized through reduction in the Plant
Managers bonus. All breweries were sur-
veyed during shutdowns. The logic was that
during shutdown periods the air flow to Pack-
aging and Brewing should be at a minimum.
In fact, most air flow during a shutdown is
consumed by leaks. The findings from these
surveys confirmed that the savings justified
the purchase of ultrasonic detectors for each
brewery in order to standardize operations.
The basis was a 25% cost reduction of com-
pressed air, steam, and CO2. The target ROI
was set at less than 12 months.
Implementation Guidelines
A set of guidelines was developed for each
Brewery, based on the assumption that no
ultrasonic program existed previously. Their
first step was to separate the brewery by line
or cost center. The work was assigned to the
process support technician as part of his dai-
ly work package. It was decided to limit the
scans to a 4 hour period, but that can change
based on feedback from the previous scan
results. Repetitive work orders for each scan
area are generated in SAP. Any repair work
generated as the result of the scan is tracked
in SAP as Corrective maintenance, Ultrason-
ic Analysis. This allows them to track the ef-
fectiveness of the program. Ultrasonic scans
are performed as per the Computer Based
Training modules taken. Documenting the
meter reading and using the SCFM dBV
correlation chart determines the potential
savings from eliminating the air loss (see
Figure 4). During the next scheduled ultra-
sound scan, repaired leaks are scanned and
confirmed repaired.

Categorizing the leak is important, not only
to save money, but also to ensure a more ef-
ficient process for the future. Ultrasonic in-
spectors are required to document not just
the leak size, but also the cause of the leak.
For instance, if the leak is a result of poor
equipment design, the use of inferior fittings,
or poor installation, it needs to be charted.
If re-design can be documented to be cost
effective, they not only eliminate present day
waste, but prevent future losses through bet-
ter design practices. Design issues are as-
signed to Reliability Managers to determine
if a retrofit is cost effective. Tackling the
root cause demonstrates more than just a
band-aid approach to leak management.
The ultrasonic program at Anheuser-Busch is
now in full implementation in the twelve do-
mestic breweries and has acceptance all the
way to the Vice President level. One of the
successes of Anheuser-Buschs ultrasound
program is that the VP approves all items that
are added to the scorecard and personally
monitors compliance at the brewery level.
For this champion of the beverage industry,
applying lip service to corporate sustainabil-
ity was not enough. The management level
and higher-up leadership levels understood
from the start that sustainability for the en-
vironment, and for their bottom line, had to
come from the top down.
Anheuser-Busch chose to start an ultrasound
program to give sustainability to their com-
pany through energy savings, reduced envi-
ronmental footprint, and improvement to
their overall design processes. They went a
step further by ensuring that their mistakes
of the past didnt haunt them in the present
and into the future.
Sustainability through Ultrasound
Companies searching for justification for
their Sustainability agenda should not over-
look the potential of an airborne ultrasound
leak management program. In addition to
the fast and measurable wins possible from
reducing waste in the compressor room, you
can put your stamp on a greener environment
by utilizing this technology in many other ar-
eas of the factory. Leaking steam traps and
poorly lubricated bearings are both energy
wasters that can be spotted and fixed within
your ultrasound program. Vacuum leaks on
condensers and evaporators, electrical faults
in switch gear, poorly tightened belts, and
misaligned couplings are other issues which
are a drain on energy and, therefore, nega-
tively impact the environment, and threaten
the sustainability of your plant.
Allan Rienstra is the General Manager of SDT
North America providing ultrasound solu-
tions to maintenance professionals since
1991. Allan has written countless articles on
practical applications for ultrasound inspec-
tions including Strategies for an Effective
Airborne Ultrasound Program. These
published works are considered the standard
by companies implementing inspections
programs. As a co-author of SDTs Level 1
Ultrasound Certification Program, Allan is
recognized as a leader in his field. He is a
graduate of Simon Fraser University, Vancou-
ver, British Columbia, Canada and resides
in Cobourg, Ontario with his wife and two
children. He can be contacted at
Allan@sdtnorthamerica.com
Figure 4 - This Compressed Air Leak Cost Calculator can be downloaded at
www.sdtnorthamerica.com
february/march 2009
v
i
b
r
a
t
i
o
n

u
p
l
o
a
d
ind turbines are dotted across the countryside, seaside, and even offshore. Many believe they are the
answer to global warming and stopping the reduction of fossil fuel reserves. Whether you enjoy seeing
them on the horizon, majestically spinning in the breeze, or believe they disturb the previously unspoiled
landscape, for all of us in the reliability and condition monitoring fields, they pose a new challenge we
have to keep them turning!
Wind Energy Around the World
Almost wherever you go in the world you will now find
wind turbines. Whereas they were once smaller, gener-
ating less than 250 kW, with blade diameters of up to
35 meters, now wind turbines are being developed up
to 7.5 MW, with rotor diameters of over 100 meters!
Whereas once they represented a fraction of a percent of
total power generation, they now represent a far more
significant proportion, with legislation in place to great-
ly increase that amount in coming years.
In Europe, wind power currently supplies 3.7% of EU elec-
tricity demand
1
. In Denmark, for example, more than 20
percent of electricity is wind-generated. In Spain, the
figure is 13 percent and in Germany it is seven percent
2
.
In 2001, the European Union passed legislation setting
a target for 21% of the EUs electricity demand to come
from renewable energy by 2010
3
.
The United States wind energy industry is growing at
an exceptional pace, and that pace will only acceler-
ate in the coming years. Within days of being elected,
President Barack Obama announced a new energy plan
which includes measures to create five million new jobs
by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten
years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy
future
4
. The plan also includes an economy-wide cap-
and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by the
amount scientists say is necessary
4
.
The total installed capacity in the United States is 21,017
MW in 35 states. Over 8,000 MW more are under con-
struction for completion this year or early next year.
Over 7,500 MW were installed in 2008, and 5,249 MW
were installed in 2007. The American Wind Energy Asso-
ciation (AWEA) stated that in 2008 American wind farms
generated just over 1.5% of U.S. electricity supply, pow-
ering the equivalent of over 5.7 million homes. It also
states that to generate the same amount of electricity
using the average U.S. power plant fuel mix would cause
over 28 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) to be emit-
ted annually
5
.
The U.S. is now the world leader in wind electricity gen-
eration. While Germany still has more generating capac-
ity installed (about 23,000 megawatts), the U.S. is pro-
ducing more electricity from wind because of its much
stronger winds
5
.
With Government assistance, a continuing threat of glob-
al warming, and growing demand for power, we are sure
to see an increase in the number of wind turbines around
the world.
A Brief Guide to the Operation of a Wind Turbine
Wind turbines are remarkable machines. They are de-
signed to operate, unmanned, in very windy locations;
typically in remote farmland or at sea. As the wind
blows, the yaw control points the blades into the wind,
and the pitch of the blades is constantly varied to con-
trol the speed. Typically two large bearings support the
main shaft driven by the blades. A gearbox increases the
speed in order to drive the generator at 1800 RPM, for
example.
Blowin in the Wind
Vibration Analysis of Wind Turbines
by Jason Tranter
W
54
Figure 2 Cross section of Planetary Gearbox.
Figure 1 - The size of wind turbines has continued to
grow, with some now over 100 meters in diameter.
The blades actually rotate at quite low speeds.
In the early days of wind turbine design, the
speed was 45 to 70 RPM; therefore the gear-
box ratio was between 1:25 and 1:40. How-
ever, due to the large diameter of the rotor
blades employed in the more powerful wind
turbines (>1 MW), the blade RPM had to be
reduced in order to keep the blade-tip speed
subsonic. Modern wind turbines turn as low
as 15 RPM requiring a gearbox with speed ra-
tios of up to 1:100.
Many wind turbine manufacturers utilize a
planetary gearbox; often multi-stage planetary
gearboxes. These are very complex gearboxes
as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

Reliability issues
Reliability is important with all rotating ma-
chinery. In the case of wind turbines, if the
turbine has to stop then it is no longer gener-
ating electricity, and therefore it is not earning
55
money for the operator. When the turbine is
located in a remote location, performing main-
tenance is very difficult (Figure 4). Replacing
bearings or a gearbox can be a very expensive
operation. In addition to the significant parts
cost, transporting and erecting a crane in or-
der to access the turbine adds to the cost, and
extends the downtime period.
Reliability has proven to be a huge problem
for wind turbine manufacturers and operators.
Wind turbines must operate in tough environ-
ments. Random wind speeds, and occasional
high wind speeds affect the input-side of the
gearbox. Changing load conditions on the
generator affect the output-side of the gear-
box. Wind turbines must potentially operate
in corrosive sea air, or in freezing conditions
where icing becomes a problem. Resonance
of the blades and tower can contribute to reli-
ability issues, and misalignment is a significant
issue given the flexibility of the foundations.
Historically the industry has experienced a
large number of gearbox failures. The failures
have occurred across a wide variety of manu-
facturers, designs and sizes
6
. While one man-
ufacturer did experience over 600 gearbox
failures that almost sent it into bankruptcy
7
,
many of the failures now more commonly re-
late to bearing failures, not gear wear or tooth
failure
6
. The problem has been so great that
in some wind farms all of the gearboxes have
been replaced once or even twice.

Fortunately, the industry has survived this pe-
riod and is learning from the history of fail-
ures. New designs (see Figure 6), improved
lubrication, and a greater focus on condition
monitoring provide the industry with much
greater confidence going forward.
Now, if you believe recent news reports
8
, the
only thing the industry has to worry about is
low flying UFOs (Figure 7) .
Vibration Analysis
If you asked the average vibration analyst
what type of situations they least like to deal
with, their checklist might contain:
Figure 3 Inside a Planetary Gearbox.
Figure 5 Reliability has not been easy to
establish in wind turbines.
Figure 4 - Reliability is extremely important
in wind turbines because of the machinerys
usual remote location.
Photo courtesy of Tom Obdan, Energy
Research Centre of the Netherlands
Figure 6 Innovative designs, like the Liberty 2.5 MW turbine from Clipper Wind-
power, are paving the way for wind turbines to be more and more reliable.
at a different speed and load condition. And
what is worse is that the speed can vary as the
blades rotate. Even the nacelle (the house at
the top of the tower) will rotate as the wind
direction changes. And one more small chal-
lenge is that the whole structure can vibrate
and resonate due to the construction of the
tower and nacelle.
Therefore, routine monitoring by vibration
analysts visiting the wind turbines on a rou-
tine basis is almost out of the question. Thats
not to say that it is not done it is simply
very, very challenging to acquire data that can
be compared to previous readings in order to
detect changes in the patterns.
Vibration Analysis Challenges
Lets explore some of these challenges in a
little more detail.
Location and Environment Although we will
concentrate on discussing the technical issues,
you cannot skip the challenge associated with
accessing the wind turbines. At best they are
on land not too far from civilization. At worst
they could be out at sea. And once you get to
the wind turbine, you then you have to climb
up the tower. Believe me, it is a long way up
you had better be fit (see Figure 9).
Variable Speed and Load One of the key re-
quirements for successful vibration analysis is
february/march 2009
56

1. Variable speed and load from one test
to the next
2. Variable speed and load during the
actual test
3. Difficult and limited machine
accessibility
4. Complex gearboxes planetary gear-
boxes being the worst
5. Very low speed shafts
Well, guess what? You have just accurately
described a wind turbine. The wind condi-
tions are constantly changing, so each vibra-
tion measurement taken could potentially be
to be able to compare the current readings to
either a previously collected set of readings,
or to a set of alarm limits. We want to see
how the vibration patterns have changed. In
a standard power station, the majority of the
machines will run at the same speed and load
from one test to the next. Comparisons with
older data are easy, and alarm limits can be
generated based on experience with the ma-
chine, or based on statistical analysis of the
history of data. But it is not that easy with a
wind turbine.
As the wind speed varies, the load on the
blades, shaft, bearings, gears and generator
will change. The speed of the machine will
also change. The result is that the peaks in the
spectrum will not line-up with peaks in previ-
ous spectra, and the amplitudes of peaks are
no longer comparable. Not only does the load
affect the amplitude of the peaks in the spec-
trum, natural frequencies will either cause the
measured vibration amplitudes to be higher
or lower than when the machine was running
under a different speed or load.
It is certainly possible to order normalize
the spectrum, so that the speed-related peaks
in the spectrum will be aligned, but that does
not address the changes in amplitude.
The solution is to define one or more bands
of operation where spectra (and time wave-
forms) collected within that band can be
deemed comparable. The band of opera-
tion may be specified by the RPM of the input
shaft, or the power generated by the turbine,
Figure 9 - Once on location, there is still a
lot of work to do in accessing the turbine.
Figure 8 - Remote locations pose a major problem in wind turbine maintenance.
Planned and scheduled maintenance is hard enough, and unplanned maintenance
can potentially jeopardize the viability of the wind power operation.
Figure 7 - Todays wind industry has
learned much from past mistakes, but
there are always new challenges.
57
the vibration sensor (accelerometer) would be
placed close to the bearing and/or gear of in-
terest. However not only do these gearboxes
have a large number of bearings and gears, it
is difficult to get an accelerometer close to
certain bearings; the planet bearings for ex-
ample.
When analyzing spectra, either conventional
spectra or demodulated spectra (or Peak Vue,
SPM, etc.), it is necessary to resolve three is-
sues:
1. Computing the speed of each shaft, and
the gearmesh frequencies, can be quite
a challenge with planetary gearboxes.
2. Computing the bearing frequencies will
be very complicated due to the large
number of bearings and different shaft
speeds. Both jobs are made even more
difficult if the manufacturer is not willing
to provide the details of the bearings
used and gear ratios.
3. The amplitude of the vibration measured
when a planet bearing begins to fail, for
example, will be lower than the vibration
or perhaps another parameter. You will then
need to wait until the required conditions are
met before the vibration measurements are
acquired. Alarm limits can also be defined for
that band of operation.
Variable Speed During the Measurement
When the analyzer (or monitoring system) ac-
quires the time record that is used to com-
pute the spectrum (via the FFT calculation), it
is assumed that the machine being monitored
operates at a constant speed during that test.
For example, if you acquire a
1600 line spectrum with an
Fmax of 1000 Hz, the ana-
lyzer will acquire 1.6 seconds
of vibration data in order to
compute the FFT (for just one
average). An 1800 RPM gen-
erator will rotate 48 times
during the test, but the 15
RPM input shaft will rotate
just 40% of one rotation
In order to capture 10 rota-
tions, we need an Fmax of
40 Hz (with resolution set to
1600 lines), and the measure-
ment will take 40 seconds!
If the speed of the wind tur-
bine varies during the test,
the peaks in the spectrum can
blur the peaks will be wider
than they should be, and the
amplitude of each peak will
be reduced. And this blur-
ring effect may not be con-
sistent from one test to the
next. (Note: The blurring ef-
fect will be more noticeable
at higher frequencies.)
Therefore, depending upon
the nature of the turbine, and
the wind conditions, this effect can either be
tolerated, or the order tracking technique
must be employed. Either the once-per-rev ta-
chometer signal must be fed into the analyzer
(with an internal tracking ratio synthesizer)
such that the analyzer varies its sample rate
in proportion to the RPM, or a shaft-encoder
must be used to generate a pulse train that
contains, for example, 360 pulses per rota-
tion of the shaft which is used to control the
analyzers sample rate.
Gearbox Measurements There is one more
challenge when monitoring gearboxes; espe-
cially planetary gearboxes. In an ideal world
from a bearing in contact with the gear-
box case due to the transmission path
involved.
The Solution
Almost all of the vendors of portable data col-
lectors and analyzers now manufacture on-
line monitoring systems designed specifically
for the wind turbine application. There are
an awful lot of wind turbines, and each one
requires its own monitoring system. These
vendors all recognize both the chal-
lenge and the opportunity.
Systems are designed to monitor
the speed of the turbines, and other
process parameters, so that they can
correctly determine when the tur-
bine is operating in the pre-defined
band of operation.
In fact, many of these systems can
define multiple bands of opera-
tion. Each band will have its own
set of alarm limits, and all readings
are tagged with their band of opera-
tion so that graphical comparisons
can be performed. It is important
to have multiple bands for two rea-
sons:
1. Unless the weather conditions
are reasonably constant, the
turbine will not be operating
in any one band for a large
proportion of time. By defin-
ing multiple bands, the system
will monitor and check the tur-
bine far more frequently.
2. The bearings, gearbox, and
generator will react differently
under different speed and load
conditions. It is, therefore, very helpful
to monitor the machine-train during the
majority of operating conditions. For
example, a problem with the support
structure may only be detected when
the turbine is operating at highest load.
The Challenge With All On-Line
Monitoring Systems
All on-line monitoring systems face a number
of challenges that can limit their effectiveness,
but these challenges are compounded when
applied to wind turbines. I have already dis-
Figure 10 There are many
challenges including variable
speeds, variable loads and
accelerometer placement -
in obtaining useful data for
accurate vibration analysis on
wind turbines.
february/march 2009
58
cussed the issue related to varying speed and
load, but lets take a look at some of the other
challenges:
The Number of Monitoring Points One of
the most critical decisions is selecting the
number of sensors that should be installed
on the gearbox, generator and bearings, and
selecting their location. Every sensor costs
money, and it requires another channel in
the monitoring system. And when you mul-
tiply these additional costs with the number
of wind turbines (see Figure 11), you can see
that it is a very sensitive issue.
As with all vibration monitoring applications,
it is essential that the monitoring system can
at least acquire enough data to warn when the
vibration levels are increasing even if there
is not enough data to actually diagnose the
problem remotely. But, as discussed previ-
ously, when monitoring large planetary gear-
boxes, the spectral data can be very complex.
Knowing the failure modes of the turbine can
help immeasurably. If you know which gears
and bearings are most likely to fail, then you
can position the accelerometers accordingly.
The Central Monitoring Service The cen-
tral monitoring service is the group of people
who will respond to the alarms, analyze the
data and make final recommendations. It is
essential that this group has access to the re-
quired data and has the experience to make
recommendations. Obviously a communica-
tion link must be established with the wind
turbine monitoring systems.
Centralized or De-Centralized The moni-
toring system must not only acquire data
when the turbine is operating within pre-de-
fined bands, but it must compare the data to
alarm limits and take the appropriate action.
There are at least two approaches: perform all
of these operations within the system that is
installed in the nacelle and communicate di-
rectly with a central monitoring service, or
install a more sophisticated system centrally
within the wind park and use it to communi-
cate with both the wind turbine monitoring
systems, and with the central monitoring ser-
vice. Many wind farms have a wired or wire-
less network, and the monitoring system may
be allowed to tap into that network.
The Effectiveness of Alarm Checking Software
Many vibration analysts running normal
vibration monitoring programs do not have
an effective set of alarm limits set up for
their machines which allows them to run an
exception report that provides useful, action-
able information. The solution is to manually
analyze each and every measurement. This is
not possible when performing on-line moni-
toring.
It is therefore very important that the alarm
Figure 11 - One critical decision in determining the success of monitoring wind farms is
the number of sensors to place.
Figure 12 Centralized vs. De-Centralized communication pattern with the
Central Monitoring Service (CMS). The light blue rectangles represent the wind
farm and the blue circles represent individual wind turbines.
CMS CMS
59
W
A
N
T

I
N
S
T
A
N
T

O
I
L

C
O
N
D
I
T
I
O
N

R
E
S
U
L
T
S
?
On-site, portable
or on-line:
Fuel and lubricating
oil test kits, ferrous
debris analyzers and
sampling equipment
from Kittiwake.
Water in Oil, Viscosity,
Density, Insolubles,
Base Number and more...
www.kittiwake-americas.com
Contact us;
Kittiwake Americas
678.905.5630 x801
keithm@kittiwake.com
kittiwake-americas.com
Continuous monitoring of critical
assets and balance of plant
4-20 mA data is a standard input
for a PLC, DCS or SCADA system
Ideal for real-time monitoring,
alarming and simplified analysis
Makes distributed condition
monitoring cost effective and scalable
4-20 mA vibration monitoring
cmyk
Wilcoxon Research Inc
20511 Seneca Meadows Parkway
Germantown, MD 20876
USA
Tel: 301 330 8811
Fax: 301 330 8873
Email: sensors@wilcoxon.com
www.wilcoxon.com
www.meggitt.com
limits are set up carefully, and they need to be
refined frequently. Too many on-line moni-
toring systems generate thousands of alarm
exceptions as a result faith in the system is
lost. There are methods that can be used to
set up effective alarm limits, such as statisti-
cal alarm generation, but that will need to be
covered in a separate article.
Conclusion
Wind turbines are being installed at an amaz-
ing pace, and while some of the earlier reli-
ability problems have been resolved, there is
no doubt that reliability will be an on-going is-
sue. Condition monitoring technologies such
as vibration monitoring, oil analysis, and per-
formance monitoring will play a very impor-
tant role in the viability of wind farm opera-
tion. As long as monitoring system vendors
and wind turbine manufacturers continue
to improve their designs, focus on reliabil-
ity, and share information, renewable energy
from wind power will continue to grow as a
source of affordable and clean energy around
the world.
References
1. European Wind Energy Association: http://
www.ewea.org/index.php?id=58
2. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Effi-
ciency and Renewable Energy, Annual Re-
port on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost,
and Performance, Trends: 2007 (May 2008)
3. European Wind Energy Association: http://
www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_docu-
ments/documents/publications/WD/2008_
november/Viewpoint.pdf
4. Barack Obama and Joe Biden: New Energy
For America http://www.barackobama.
com/pdf/factsheet_energy_speech_080308.
pdf
5. American Wind Energy Association: http://
www.awea.org/pubs/factsheets/Market_
Update.pdf
6. The Gearbox Reliability Collaborative,
Brian McNiff, McNiff Light Industry:
http://www.sandia.gov/wind/2007Reliability
WorkshopPDFs/Tues-1-A-BrianMcNiff.pdf
7. Distributed Generation Drivetrain for
Windpower Application, by Dehlsen As-
sociates, LLC, for California Energy Com-
mission Public Interest Energy Research
Program - CEC-500-2006-018
8. http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/
4262445/11458525
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge the assistance
given by the following helpful people: Pedro
Cortez, SCM, Costa Rica; John van Bynen,
Commotion Systems, Australia; Shaw Makare-
mi, Clipper Windpower, USA; David Clarke,
Turning Point, USA; Steve Barber, Windrisk,
USA. Thanks guys!
Jason Tranter is the founder of Mobius and
Mobius Institute, and the author of the iL-
earnVibration training product, Interpreter
analysis assistance tool, the Category I/II/III
vibration training courses and simulators,
and other products, courses and articles. Ja-
son has been involved with vibration analysis
since 1984. Mobius has offices in the USA
and Australia, and training centers in 30
countries. Contact Jason via jason@mobi-
usinstitute.com or www.mobiusinstitute.com
february/march 2009
60
upgrade
Spotlighting Editors picks of hot products & services in the industry.
3D PMOptimization
SM
Lets start with you giving us a brief overview of 3-Dimensional
PMOptimization, and its suite of applications.
As outlined in the Dec/Jan issue of Uptime, a wide variety of conditions
have elevated visibility of the term PMOptimization on everyones reli-
ability radar. Whether its the demand for greater asset reliability, sur-
vival of impending maintenance reductions, or searching for the perfect
complementary effort to partner with an RCM program, PMOptimization
may be the missing link in your reliability efforts. The question isnt so
much Is PMOptimization the right path?, but what to do once youve
begun.
3-Dimensional PMOptimization
SM
is a truly unique approach to optimiz-
ing PM tasks based on the principles of LAIs incredibly successful PM
Development process. By applying Lean and Constraint Management
philosophy, the process begins by first seeking to remove waste within
the PM program, resulting in opening Maintenance craft capacity through
more efficient and better PM tasks. This way the Optimization effort is
creating its own labor availability to fuel itself going forward. The im-
pact on maintenance labor and production scheduled downtime is truly
amazing and better yet, it accomplishes this while elevating PM effective-
ness resulting in an increase in equipment & process reliability.
The 1st dimension, Initial Optimization cleans your current PMs
through a series of 14 individual efficiency optimization opportunity
filters while uncovering effectiveness gaps for greater reliability.
The 2nd dimension, PM Task Pass/Fail Analysis, ensures PM tasks re-
main optimized through continuous, automated feedback of PM
results as found during PM execution, tracked at a failure mode level.
The 3rd dimension, Equipment Reliability Analysis, uses continuous
feedback on equipment reliability from other equipment perfor-
mance tracking systems beyond the PM System (e.g. CMMS, OEE,
downtime tracking, etc.) to uncover potential risk, further enhancing
the effectiveness of the PM tasks.
And can you tell us a little more about the Reliability Fusion soft-
ware and some of its features that differentiate it from other CMMS
products?
Simply stated; Reliability Fusion
SM
fills the major gaps of all CMMS prod-
ucts. No CMMS helps you build or optimize your PMs. It only provides a
space to put your PM data once established. In fact, the inflexibility and
limitations of many CMMS systems are one of the leading reasons 3-Di-
mensional PMOptimization
SM
is required in the first place! And because
Fusion links to tables and fields of the CMMS, it by default, has become a
world-class caliber CMMS itself.
Reliability Fusion
SM
is the first software and process to develop, optimize
& manage your PMs, establish equipment criticality, automate TPM, and
provide a means to leverage your work across the organization in mul-
In todays tough economic environment, it only makes sense to take what you
have and make it better. Now is the time to streamline your processes for
maximum efficiency. We are highlighting a product that will help you do
just that. Through the optimization process, you can eliminate the PMs
that dont add value (which frees those labor hours to perform value
added tasks), reduce parts cost for PMs, and reduce scheduled
downtime for PMs, all while increasing effective PM cover-
age. Increasing the overall effectiveness of your PMs
can have a profound effect on your maintenance and
reliability programs - and in your organizations produc-
tivity.
We were able to connect with the co-developers of 3-Di-
mensional PMOptimization and co-owners of LAI Reliability Systems, Inc.,
Edward Stanek, Jr. and Tibor Jung, who together have over 50 years of experi-
ence in maintenance and reliability. They are quite confident in their systems
ability to increase the overall effectiveness of maintenance and increase equip-
ment reliability. Here is the Q&A with them...
Who among us doesnt want to perform at our optimum abilities? Here is a system
that may be able to take your maintenance function to a higher level.
month. Keep in mind that the ROI can show
up in several places. Below are a few broad cat-
egories:
Immediate or Short-Term Payback
Reduction in labor hours to execute PM
by 40%
Reduction in parts & materials changed
out during PM (although sometimes only
deferred costs)
Reduction in production downtime to
perform PM by 35%
Long Term Payback
Greater reliability leading to long-term
reduction in downtime due to failure
Greater efficiency in corrective work
identified by PM if work is planned
Better scheduling and coordination
with others requiring time from the asset
because corrective work identified by
PM is scheduled
Can you give us a couple of success stories
from companies that have implemented
3-Dimensional PMOptimization?
A spotlight in PMOptimization has been the in-
corporation of PMO within the worlds largest
pharmaceutical organization at a global level.
Many exercises have surpassed the average re-
sults outlined and have been leveraged within 5
languages and 14 countries. Through its opti-
mization efforts, this client has won The Award
of Maintenance Excellence under the Manage-
ment category from MEETA, the Irish Mainte-
nance Society.
Yet some of the greatest successes are those
achievements that cannot be measured in quan-
tifiable terms. 3-Dimensional PMOptimization
has become not only a key tool to fill the gaps of
companies corporate Maintenance & Reliability
initiatives, but it has become a cornerstone for
these initiatives and with the application of Lean
principles is being accepted as an extension of
Production Systems World-Wide.
The process of 3-Dimensional PMOptimization
has been endorsed by the Quality organizations
in multiple Fortune 500 pharmaceutical compa-
nies, as the only approved process for optimiz-
ing PM activities.
How can interested people get more informa-
tion about your 3-Dimensional PMOptimiza-
tion?
Anyone interested can always call us at 800-
554-0224, e-mail us at info@laireliability.com
or visit our website at www.laireliability.com
61
upgrade
tiple languages. Whether you are targeting ef-
ficiency to free up limited maintenance resourc-
es, or attacking effectiveness to meet greater
reliability needs, Reliability Fusion
SM
provides
an automated approach towards achieving all
3-Dimensions of PMOptimization. I can sum it
up by saying Reliability Fusion
SM
software fuses
common sense, reliability disciplines, and auto-
mation to take your PM program to new levels.
What are some of the immediate impacts that
3-Dimensional PMOptimization can have on
overall plant and machinery reliability?
It is interesting that you should ask that. The
first question that is typically asked is How
much money will this save us? Consequently
we have been forced to make a case on cost sav-
ings alone. But like most maintenance & reli-
ability professionals, we ultimately get the most
excited about the impact of our actions on the
reliability of the equipment.
This process, like RCM & FMEA, requires a
certain level of analysis. However, it contains
means to expedite the analysis considerably.
The results addressed herein are achieved with
a fraction of the time and resources of other
failure-avoidance approaches. Furthermore,
much of this analysis takes place, not virtually in
a classroom, but in front of the equipment. As
a result it is very common to identify significant
issues that have, or soon will be negatively im-
pacting the reliability of the equipment.
We have also found that during a typical PMOp-
timization exercise in which the goal is to elimi-
nate the waste of resources, companies have
successfully done this while adding on average
50% greater PM coverage in failure modes ad-
dressed. To sum it up, not only are we avoid-
ing the activities that do not add value, but we
are doing the activities that add the most value,
many of which had not been done previously.
Lets face it, we are in the midst of a very tough
economy, and budgets are tight. Why is this
a good time for a company to invest in the 3-
Dimensional PMOptimization suite?
Todays economy is the very reason to invest in
this process. Because the primary target of the
Initial Optimization is efficiency in the execu-
tion of PM, many of our clients are proceeding
specifically to free up labor to help them survive
within their current budget constraints. While
there are many things to do with this new found
labor, many companies are often able to do re-
duce overtime and absorb work in-house that
was previously contracted at a premium.
What size of an operation does it take to
justify purchasing the 3-Dimensional PMOpti-
mation?
Because improvements are percentages on our
operation, any site with more than 10 Techni-
cians will obtain positive ROI. Our current cus-
tomers range from small sites, to Fortune 500
companies. A better measure of justification
is the amount of time spent on performing PM
activities annually. What would it mean to your
maintenance organization if you could free up
40% of this labor? Furthermore, what impact
would the reduction in process downtime due
to PM (or due to failures), have on the entire
operation?
Tell us a little more about the training prod-
ucts and their effectiveness. How much train-
ing time should a company expect for their
personnel to become proficient in Reliability
Fusion?
Since the Reliability Fusion
SM
software is a
means to automate and enhance the 3-Dimen-
sional PMOptimization
SM
process, the majority
of the training is around the process itself. A
primary benefit of 3-Dimensional PMOptimiza-
tion
SM
is that it is a complete turnkey solution
to optimize PM activities.
3-Dimensional PMOptimization is implemented
through a Total Solution concept including 4
major components.
The 3-Dimensional PMOptimization
SM
Pro-
cess described herein including all work
books, forms, presentations and methods.
PMOptimization Boot Camp: A 4-day hands-
-on workshop in which the process and
tools are conveyed to the clients teams.
Video Training System: On-demand, stream-
ing video training to refresh, reinforce or
expand the PMOptimization efforts so the
client can train anyone, any time, anywhere
and expand reach across the organization.
Reliability Fusion
SM
Software
Most clients can be optimizing PM activities
and seeing these benefits within a week. The
software itself can typically be trained for basic
functionality in only a couple of hours.
Do you have an idea of how quickly a company
can achieve a positive Return on Investment in
3-Dimensional PMOptimization?
Return can be achieved on your first optimi-
zation exercise using targeting methodology
found within the training system. A recent
site optimized an HVAC unit and leveraged the
impact across 400 units in their organization.
Most realize positive results within the first
Walgreens is the nation's largest drugstore chain in sales and
technology use. The company's strategy is to be the most
convenient healthcare provider in the U.S. Sales for fiscal
2008 reached $59 billion, from more than 6,500 stores
located in 49 states and Puerto Rico. With 500 store openings
this year, Walgreens plans to have 7,000 stores by 2010.
Walgreens Distribution Centers has developed a reputation for
finding the newest, most efficient and innovative ways to move
merchandise, and we are currently seeking dynamic, qualified
MAINTENANCE MANAGERS and MAINTENANCE
TECHNICIANS for 19 locations in our state-of-the-art
Distribution Centers across the country.
For more information, visit: www.walgreens.jobs, and click
on the "Distribution Centers" link.
february/march 2009
62
u
p
g
r
a
d
e
Pulley Alignment Goes Green!
The award-winning SheaveMaster now features a
Green Line Laser for optimum visibility under ex-
tremely bright sunlight conditions. The waterproof
Greenline mounts magnetically to the face of a pul-
ley. A permanently calibrated green laser
beam fans out striking 3 magnetic tar-
gets on the opposite pulley and measures
angular, ofset and twist misalignment of
the drive. It can be used equally well on chain
driven sprockets. Traditional methods are cumbersome
and require two people. One person does it easily and more precisely
with the battery powered SheaveMaster! Better alignment reduces belt wear, noise,
vibration and downtime. http://www.ludeca.com/prod_greenline.php
LUDECA, INC. 305-591-8935
ALIGNMENT * VIBRATION * BALANCING info@ludeca.com
INDUSTRIAL PRESS INC.
989 Avenue of the Americas, 19th Floor New York, NY 10018
(212) 889-6330 Fax (212) 545-8327
www.industrialpress.com E-mail: info@industrialpress.com
ORDER ONLINE AND GET A 10% DISCOUNT AND FREE SHIPPING
ON ADVERTISED TITLES.* BE SURE TO PROVIDE
SPECIAL OFFER #UP0203-09 AT CHECKOUT.
*OFFER EXPIRES 3/31/09 AND IS AVAILABLE TO U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.
INDUSTRIAL PRESS INC. INDUSTRIAL PRESS INC.
Committed to Your Maintenance Needs!
JUST PUBLISHED!
THE 15 MOST COMMON OBSTACLES TO WORLD-CLASS RELIABILITY
A ROADMAP FOR MANAGERS
Don Nyman 2009, 125 pages, Illus., ISBN 978-0-8311-3381-8, $24.95
Identifies and explores fifteen cultural obstacles commonly
encountered by most organizations in their pursuit of World-Class
Reliability while providing senior management with a wake-up call.
FAILURE MAPPING
A NEW AND POWERFUL TOOL FOR
IMPROVING RELIABILITY AND MAINTENANCE
Daniel T. Daley 2009, 200 pages, Illus., ISBN 978-0-8311-3386-3, $39.95
Designed to be easy to read and perfect for busy people who have
little time, this unique book provides an introduction to the new
concept of Failure Mapping by comparing typical functions in an
organization which benefits from Failure Mapping to one without.
MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY BEST PRACTICES
Ramesh Gulati 2009, 350 pages, Illus., ISBN 978-0-8311-3311-5, $44.95
Written by a professional with numerous years of shop floor and
management experience in a variety of industries, this practical
resource will help seasoned professionals and novices understand
the basic principles of maintenance and reliability.
TO SEE ALL OF OUR MAINTENANCE TITLES GO TO WWW.INDUSTRIALPRESS.COM.
Uptime0203-09quarter.qxp 12/15/2008 2:14 PM Page 1
Pfeifer Vacuum announces the release of its new catalog,
The Vacuum Technology Book. The 800-page, four-col-
or, hardcover reference book and catalog covers the com-
plete range of vacuum technology, including equipment
for generating, controlling and measuring vacuum, as
well as accessories and components. In addition, there is a
150-page vacuum technology reference section. For each
product, the catalog contains information on the feld of
application, features, technical data and part numbers. An
online version of the catalog is available at www.pfeifer-vacuum.com. The
products covered in The Vacuum Technology Book include turbomolecu-
lar, rotary vane, roots and dry pumps, vacuum gauges and controllers, mass
spectrometers, helium leak detectors, fanges, feedthroughs and valves.
Julie Giambartolomei www.pfeifer-vacuum.com
jgiambartolomei@pfeifer-vacuum.com 603-578-6500
SHAFT GROUNDING RING PROTECTS BEARINGS FOR
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SAVINGS
Any truly greenprocess must achieve sustainabil-
ity as well as energy efciency. AEGIS SGR Bearing
Protection Rings from Electro Static Technology
make this possible by dramatically extending the
lives of motors controlled by variable frequency
drives (VFDs). While VFDs deliver impressive en-
ergy savings (up to 30% or more), they also induce
harmful currents on the shafts of the motors they control. The mainte-
nance-free AEGIS SGR shaft grounding ring channels harmful VFD-induced shaft
currents safely to ground, and works with virtually no friction or wear. Installation,
whether by the motor manufacturer or end user, is easy and takes just minutes.
Adam Willwerth 1-866-738-1857 sales@est-aegis.com
Electro Static Technology (207) 998-5140 www.est-aegis.com
Certifcation in Oil Monitoring Analysis (OMA) was initiated by STLE in 1998. Hun-
dreds of professionals possess these credentials at one or both levels. CMI and
Lubrigard ofer OMA courses with the most up-to-date information presented by
two of the industrys most respected professionals: Jack Poley and Michel Murphy.
STLE has approved these courses as part of their certifcation curriculum. Condition
Monitoring International is your one-stop source for every aspect of your condition
monitoring program.
OMA 201 Seminar March 10-11, 2009 Miami, Florida
Oil Monitoring Analysis 201 - Focuses on advanced analysis and interpretation of oil
samples. Seminar includes a review of current technologies in RCM, vibration and
thermography, and software systems.
Cost: $1125 for STLE members, $1225 for STLE non-members (includes 1-year STLE
membership). For more info or to Register:
678-369-5329 514-521-9423
www.conditionmonitoringintl.com//seminars.htm
u
p
g
r
a
d
e
63
The Original Game
ThaT promoTes
and susTains
reliability
Manufacturing Game
The
www.mfg-game.com (281) 812-4148
We battle bugs everyday. Let us show you how to
eliminate defects and begin the road to Continuous Improvement.
Applied Robotics Inc. announces its new family of Solid State Electrical
Switches. The new switches employ solid state pressure sensors and sur-
face mount interface electronics, all self-contained within a sealed housing.
The new switches are used with the companys line of QuickSTOP Collision
Sensors which operate on air pressure to immediately send a shutdown sig-
nal on impact. The Quickstop Collision Sensors are ideal from many indus-
trial applications including material handling, machine loading/unloading,
pick and place operations, and spot welding. All QuickSTOP models
feature dynamically variable trip points allowing the
user to program your collision sensor at all speeds
of an operation. The breakaway threshold adjusts
to match the working force ranges of your
robot/application.
for more info
www.appliedrobotics.com
Commtest Instruments, Ltds vb8 machin-
ery analyzer is a powerful four-channel
vibration analyzer and balancer. Couple
the speed and power of this dynamic in-
strument with Commtests new patented
6Pack technology, and reliability profes-
sionals can acquire 6 recordings each on
two channels simultaneously with a plethora of asset condition information
all in a mere two seconds! The analyzer has preset measure-mode diagnos-
tic features including: cross-channel phase, bump test, bode plots, long time
waveform, etc. The analyzer can acquire 12,800 lines of resolution, has 1GB
memory, a memory-stick port for data transfer alternative, triax enabled, has
greater than 95dB of dynamic range, 40 kHz Fmax and, as is standard with all
of Commtests family of vbSeries Analyzers, is C1D2 certifed.
US - 877 582-2946 Other +64 (3) 374 2337 www.commtest.com
Shimpo Instruments has released their DT-209X series laser hand
held tachometer for RPM, RATE and LENGTH measurements.
Enhanced with data collection features for feld and lab use,
the DT-209X is ideal for Maintenance, Facilities Management,
Quality Control and R&D professionals involved in non-con-
tact and contact RPM and rate applications. Both DT-209X
and DT-209X-S12 feature simultaneous storage of data in
three measuring modes (USB, Standard, and Average)
and 1-Volt analog output. Enhanced download features
and on-line controls, showing trending and real time date
a r e easily accessible through the free software ofered. DT-
209X series is equipped with NIST traceable certifcate, USB cable, contact
adapters, refective tape, padded carrying case and 2 AA batteries.
Shimpo Instruments 1-800-237-7079
Div. of Nidec-Shimpo America Corp. www.shimpoinst.com
Thermo Fisher Scientifc Inc. announces the launch of the new TITAN 4000
Total Nitrogen/Sulfur/Chlorine (NSX) analyzer. This streamlined NSX analyzer,
up to 60% smaller than competing analyzers, ofers users in the refnery and
petrochemical markets superior sample introduction and enhanced oxidative
combustion performance. Its innovative detectors enable increased analysis
speed (TN/TS samples within an unsurpassed two minutes and TX samples in
under four minutes) and productivity, as well as maximum accu-
racy and reliability of results. Its extensive working range covers
total nitrogen/sulfur/chlorine applications from low ppb (parts
per billion) to high ppm (parts per million) concentrations.
In addition, the use of a powerful combustion method
allows the analyzer to cater for a wide range of appli-
cations in refnery and chemical samples.
+1 800-532-4752 analyze@thermosher.
com www.thermo.com/titan4000
Powerful, Multi-LED, Broad-Beam UV-A Lamp Ideal for NDT Inspection
Spectronics Corporation has introduced the powerful Spectroline
TRITAN 365 an ultra-high-intensity, multi-LED, broad-beam UV-A
inspection lamp perfect for NDT applications. The TRITAN 365 features
three ultra-hi-fux UV-A LEDs for NDT inspection, plus a white light LED
to illuminate dark areas. It produces a n o m i n a l
steady-state 365nm intensity of 5,500 W/
cm at a distance of 15 inches (38 cm).
This versatile lamp meets MIL and ASTM
intensity specs for FPI and MPI.
1-800-274-8888
Outside US and Canada, 516-333-4840
www.spectroline.com
FluidScan Monitor Wins 2008 Great Ideas Compe-
tition Award at DoD Maintenance Sym-
posium
QinetiQ North America announced that
its FluidScan monitor has won the 2008
Great Ideas Competition Award presented
annually by the Society of Automotive Engineers
(SAE) at the Department of Defense (DoD) Mainte-
nance Symposium. The FluidScan monitor can be used
to quickly check the condition of lubricants such as hydraulic fuid, engine oil,
turbine engine oil for contamination. Current practices require maintenance
crews to extract fuid samples and send them to remote or centralized labora-
tories for testing to determine whether or not maintenance is required.
Spectro, Inc. 978-486-0123
info@spectroinc.com www.spectroinc.com
All Test Pro pg 14
Allied Reliability Services pg 22
AMP pg --
ARMS pg 29
Baker pg 36
CMMS Data Group pg 26
Commtest Inside Cover
CTC pg 2-3
Datastick pg 20
Des Case pg 65
Easy Laser pg 39
Hawk-IR pg 25
iLearn/Mobius pg 16
IRISS Back Cover
IVC pg 33
Kittiwake pg 59
Lubrication Engineers pg 11
Ludeca pg 15,17
february/march 2009
64
Company Page
Maintenance Conference.com pg 48
Manufacturing Game pg 33
MARCON pg 7
Maximum Impact Simulcast pg 44
MRO-Zone pg 1
PdMA pg 23
Philadelphia Mixing Solutions pg 4
Reliabilityweb.com pg --
Reliability Roadmap pg 28
Sacs, Salvatore & Assoc pg 13
SDT pg 10
SKF/Baker pg 21
SPM pg 13
Trico pg 43,45,57
UE Systems pg 26
Ultrasound Technologies pg 41
Vibration Institute pg 37,52
Wilcoxon pg 59
Company Page
Department of Corrections
In the Dec/Jan issue, on page 49, in the
article entitled Research Brings Results
we printed an incorrect version of an equa-
tion. Following is the correct version and
explanation. The corrected version can
also be found in our digital edition.
New! Uptime
Magazine has teamed with MRO-Zone.com to make it even easier to

nd the products, software, training and services you want.
Simply visit
http://shopper.mro-zone.com
to request information about all the great strategies, techniques and technologies featured in each issue of Uptime Magazine.

You can also fnd a comprehensive maintenance and reliability community calendar of conferences, training courses, workshop and seminars aswell.
Its the newest and easiest way to nd what exactly you need. Try It Today!
Uptime + MRO-Zone.com = Reliability Solutions
For Weibull analysis of components:
MTBF or MTTF = h * G(1+1/b)
Here, h is the characteristic life (i.e., the life
at 63.2% of the cumulative distribution func-
tion, as this is a mathematical property of the
distributionin short, its the single point
representation of durability that you discuss
without all of the if/and/buts). The b is the
shape factor. For components, b tells you
how things died (i.e., b<1 infers infant mor-
tality, b~1 infers chance failures, and b>1 in-
fers wear-out failure modes)it is important
to let the data speak rather than pontificating
about how things died.
The term G(1+1/b) is called the Gamma func-
tion. For b = 0.5 the Gamma function is 2, for
b = 1 the Gamma function is 1, and for b>1
it may be as small as 0.87 or as large as 1, so
as a rough rule of thumb, the MTTF is roughly
equal to h. You need to know the beta values
to get the correct medicine because everyone
will tell you things wear out, although, unfor-
tunately, we kill more things than ever live
long enough to wear out. (Note: On another
website
2
, Dr. Robert Abernethy provides ad-
ditional insight into the differences between
MTBF and MTTF. Consulting his website
may be important for students of the Weibull
method.)

At Des-Case, weve led the way for
25 years with products and support
that protect your equipment, helping
it run longer and harder than ever
before. Our breathers, filters, and
fluid handling lines help your team
go on a full-court press against
destructive contaminants.
Our solutions are engineered for the
rugged environments you face while
providing maximum flexibility to
meet your exact needs.
To learn more, visit www.descase.
com, contact sales@descase.com or
call (615) 672-8800.
Keeping contamination under control.
Play to win.
ad-uptime.indd 1 12/19/08 2:39:42 PM
S
a
v
e
t
i
m
e
,
s
a
v
e
m
oney, stay
sa
fe
w
i
t
h
I
R
I
S
S
!
See What Youve Been Missing!
Decrease costs
Monitor more
Make inspections safer
Implement 70E
work practices
Increase uptime
www.iriss.com
Learn how a paper mill recently reduced inspection costs by 68%
www.iriss.com/wp-roi
2009 IRISS Inc. All rights reserved.
IRISS
Industrial Grade
Infrared Windows
I was asked to do more, with less budget
dollars. My solution is one that will allow
us to monitor more equipment, even equipment
we could never inspect previously. The
inspections will be safer, make NFPA70E
compliance easier, and do it all while driving
effciencies into programs and reducing costs to
the point where the IRISS Infrared Inspection
Windows pay for themselves almost instantly.
I am actually saving budget dollars while
monitoring more equipment, more effciently,
and more accurately than ever before!
In short, doing more with less.
Call IRISS
+1 941-907-9128
US 877-404-7477
US 877 404 7477

Reliabilityweb Uptime 20090203

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Исходное описание:

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Reliabilityweb Uptime 20090203

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

At Des-Case, weve led the way for

25 years with products and support

Asset Management Strategies

Best Practices/Case Studies

Evaluated Vibration Analysis

The right tool

The right tool

software for your PC is based on

-1215 Vibration Spectrum Analyzer. It is awesome.

Magazine has teamed with MRO-Zone.com to make it even easier to

Вам также может понравиться