If you’re getting comments like these, you’re not alone. For those in the reliability field with a technical background, it can be frustrating. Your response might be, “The numbers in the spreadsheets are clear. Why is it so hard to get support from the executive team?”
When it Comes to Motors, How Hot is Hot?
Temperatures that are too high affect machine performance and lifespan.
It’s not uncommon for a maintenance technician to call a service center about a repaired motor that’s now “running hot.” When asked how hot, the reply frequently is: “Well, I can’t hold my hand on it!” Think about that answer for a minute. The typical human can tolerate touching something that’s about 60 to 65 C (140 to 150 F), depending on calluses, threshold of pain, or how many people are watching. Now keep those numbers in mind as you read the following discussion of typical motor operating temperatures. Continue reading
The Use of Drones in the Future Facility Maintenance and Inspection Industry
Drone-based nondestructive testing allows easier, faster and inexpensive identification of flaws and defects on materials. Using location and other controls, the drones can take the same tests from the same point and angle repeatedly.
Some Plain Talk About Nuts and Bolts: Part 1 of 2
When you look over the list of projects you’ve worked on in the last 20 or so years, it’s amazing how many involve fastener problems. Some are relatively easy to solve, especially where careless practices have resulted in fatigue failures. Other problems are much more sophisticated, such as aluminum rivets clamping aluminum sheet metal that failed from galvanic corrosion! In Part 1 of this series, a Q&A addresses some of the important points connected with common bolting practices.
Why Oil Goes Bad
I decided to write on this topic because I continually hear people say that oil doesn’t go bad, it just gets dirty. This implies that if you keep the oil clean, it will last forever. This is not true. I am frequently dismayed to see how many people simply don’t change the oil in certain machines. Continue reading
Creating a Spare Parts Holding List with Confidence
As anyone with a hand in running a household knows, it’s important to keep a stockpile of key items. You certainly don’t want to find out the hard way that you’re on your last square of toilet paper! But in the case of a facility like a power plant, a missing spare part could be more than just a nuisance, it could be downright expensive.
The investment the utility company made to conduct a spare parts analysis ultimately resulted in a savings of 50 to 1.
Deploying an Engineered Lubrication Management Program
DC Water’s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant is the largest advanced wastewater treatment plant in the world. It covers 153 acres and has a capacity of 384 million gallons per day (MGD) and a peak capacity of 1.076 billion gallons per day. This massive facility, commissioned in 1937, consists of hundreds of rotating assets that must operate efficiently to effectively support the needs of customers in a multi-jurisdictional area. Continue reading
Why You Should Avoid Using Funnels
“I have heard many different opinions as to whether funnels should be used for topping off an oil reservoir. Can you explain why funnels should or should not be used?” Continue reading
How to Use Condition Monitoring as a Proactive Equipment Reliability Improvement Strategy
Condition Monitoring when used to drive reliability improvement offers diagnostics, information and data for Root Cause Analysis and equipment redesign, along with verification of defect or design correction. Condition monitoring applied proactively is a context embracing world class reliability maintenance concepts. Continue reading
Three Outlooks on What’s Trending and Important in Industrial Lubrication and Oil Analysis
Machinery and Equipment MRO interviewed three oil and lubrication specialist, one of which was Mark Barnes, Des-Case’s VP of Services, to uncover industry trends that are important to suppliers and users alike. They were asked to consider factors that significantly influence decision-making on more easily protecting equipment, and to share insights on what’s new, what holds value and provides improvements, as well as what helps solve common problems.