Plant & Asset Management 2012
Does the industrial maintenance sector need another exhibition? The organisers of MACH, Drives & Controls, Air-Tech and IFPEX clearly think so. Brian Tinham looks at the line-up
Plant life matters
Although the cost of components - such as rolling element bearings, rotors and fasteners - in hydraulic pumps is usually very small, compared to the list price of the pumps themselves, the cost of stopped production and any consequential losses resulting from component failure is almost invariably significant.
Predicting problems
Using condition monitoring technologies to anticipate a requirement for critical plant maintenance isn't new, but novel systems are improving the potential, reports Dr Tom Shelley
No Crystal Ball
A wide range of tools and techniques is now available to ease the task of predicting when and what maintenance is required on machines and plant units. Steed Webzell reports
Operator-driven reliability programme does it for Stora Enso
Global paper, packaging and wood products firm Stora Enso is reporting significant benefits since introducing SKF's operator-driven reliability (ODR) programme.
Peak performance
Maintenance is about looking after plant, right? So how much we spend on it, depends on the value of that plant. That's how we make our decisions over what maintenance policy to apply - break/fix, preventive, predictive. Isn't it? And, if we go the whole hog and use predictive maintenance, the same applies for our choice of condition monitoring techniques. Low value plant, lower cost monitoring; high value plant, bigger ticket technology. Right?
Red spells danger
For many businesses, getting started in thermal imaging has never been easier. The latest thermal imagers designed for industrial maintenance are both powerful and easy to use. Maintenance engineers can quickly learn how to use the imagers. Initial training, however, is advisable, as there are so many ways in which this technology can be put to use to predict potential problems. And, if used to their best advantage, thermal imagers will soon provide the return on investment by preventing downtime and avoiding catastrophic equipment failures.
Risk-based changes
Get it right and the savings can be huge, but get it wrong and the cost is unimaginable. Brian Tinham talks to John Wintle about changing best practice for hazardous plant inspections
Immersed in technology
Augmented and virtual reality are not new to industry, but a recent report from Capgemini has highlighted that repair and maintenance are the most popular focus of implementation efforts. In what ways can this technology aid workers in their maintenance activities?
In or out?
Can outsourcing give you anything more than you can get from your own maintenance department?