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
Maintec 2011 preview
This year's tightly focused maintenance technologies event is aimed at engineers, technicians and managers specialising in plant assets. Brian Tinham reports
Naval sultans
The Royal Navy turns out some of the smartest, most able plant engineers on the planet. Brian Tinham takes a look at HMS Sultan and finds out the secrets of success
Health check-ups reap big rewards
In the age of lean, condition monitoring of capital equipment is an obvious aid to efficient operation, as opposed to waiting for something to break down. As Chris Haines, Rockwell director of customer support and maintenance UK and Ireland observes, "in an effort to improve business performance and meet shareholder expectations, many engineering, operations and maintenance departments are faced with the reality of having to do more with less. A manufacturer who views maintenance operations as a long-term investment can reap the benefits of significant returns and process improvements".
Looking for trouble
Diagnosing problems in rotating machinery well before anything has a chance to break makes a whole lot of sense. Dr Tom Shelley reports on the range of technological making a difference
Seeing is preventing
An ability to anticipate mechanical breakdowns before they impact plant performance can be invaluable in minimising unplanned downtime. Dr Tom Shelley reports
Exposed to vibration
Workers that frequently use hand-held power tools can become exposed to hand-arm vibration. However, this potentially disabling problem can be reduced and eliminated through different ways of working
Condition Monitoring - Bearing down on stoppages
A machine tool spindle condition monitoring unit (CMU) at car manufacturer BMW's plant at Steyr, Austria, has reduced the number of bearing failures from 21 per year to zero. The Multilog CMU, supplied by bearings manufacturer SKF, is an on-line surveillance system that collects and evaluates vibration and process machinery data round the clock from permanently installed sensors, then automatically captures alarms as they occur. The CMU records data on a scheduled basis, which allows immediate notification of any impending problems. It can be used in harsh, remote, unsafe or difficult-to-reach locations.
Better crystal balls
With a breakdown in plant sometimes so catastrophic (failures of lubrication pumps have resulted in shutdowns of more than a year before new parts could be made), it is astonishing that so few plant engineers make use of increasingly sophisticated, easy and low-cost equipment to monitor and predict trouble.