Stresses in Piping systems

Hi all,

This is one of my favourite topics, since I had a large number of systems piping failures related to stress, mostly external.

One of the flange connections of the fire main systems on board a ship, couple of bolts used to break at the head frequently; more often if the ship had done some high-speed manoeuvres.  Initially, we used to change the bolt and live with it, but a nagging doubt came into our minds and we did a root cause analysis. What we finally found was that, the last pipe that fitted into the system was a little oversized and had been forced into its slot using a chain pulley, thus leading to a stressed piping section. Whenever high vibrations occurred, the stress used to increase, thus resulting in the flange securing bolts at one end shearing.

I came across a nice article on the topic. Please read and be enlightened on the topic.

Is-your-piping-system-prepared-for-stresses

KayCee

Condition Based Maintenance – Monitoring Tools

Hi,

I keep getting updates on new products used in the maintenance field through various online subscriptions.

Here is a link that shows the us of Ultrasound devices in the condition based maintenance strategy. I am not trying to sell the product, but am just trying to propagate the techniques involved. Please connect to the link given below and learn more.

http://www.uesystems.com/new/applications/

KayCee

Case Study on Advantages of Proper alignment of Rotating Machinery Assemblies

Hi,

Good, within tolerance, mechanical alignment between the driving motor and driven components is one of the basic health requirements.

I came across an excellent case study for which the link is given below.

Proper alignment helps one plant keep on pumping.

Please go through and be enlightened.

Kaycee

Selling your ideas to help make improvements in the workplace

Hi,

How many of us market our “Continuous Improvement” ideas well within the organisation?

My experience is that it is very difficult to bring about even small changes since there is a natural resistance to any change.

I came across this article on marketing your ideas to internal clients and decision makers.

Selling your ideas to help make improvements in the workplace.

Read and hone your marketing skills.

KayCee

Reliability | Hillbilly RCM |

I have seen people getting jittery when confronted with the term Reliability Centred Maintenance or RCM. The management jargon related to RCM makes it virtually difficult for the layman to understand the concept to its practical applications.

While operating gas turbine propelled ships in the Indian Navy, we had a few simple methods to listen to running machinery through rudimentary mechanical stethoscope – a long thin rigid copper tube with a brass disc attached. This was in addition to the more sophisticated on-line vibration measurement equipment, recording the vibration signature continuously. This data used to be periodically analysed to get the vibration signature. At that time, the recording was being done on board, but the data analysis was done by specialists sitting in their labs and we used to get reports on the health of the equipment on a monthly basis.

In one of my earlier posts, I had mentioned a “Look, Listen, Feel” strategy which could be the basic condition monitoring technique. I strongly feel that If Looking, Listening and Feeling are made integral parts of regular visits to the equipment, it forms a practical method in improving reliability of equipment and systems.

Another management jargon that has caught on is “Autonomous Management”. This talks of the equipment and system operators joining hands with the maintenance personnel and getting cross trained with each other’s functions. The operators will be made responsible for the first line maintenance of the equipment or systems that they are in charge of and the maintainers will be trained in basic operations of the same equipment or system. This has the following advantages:

• Improved feeling of ownership among both groups – operators and maintainers
• Both the groups understand the equipment or system operations and the nuances of reliable operations
• Flexibility in operations and maintenance – Who to do what, when, where?
• Better operator – maintainer relationships. Lesser “We – They” conflict
• Resulting increase in reliability and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

I came through an article in an old issue of Plant Services, covering a practical simple method to analyse reliability and achieve RCM. The link is given below:

Reliability | Hillbilly RCM | Plant Services.

Please read through to help you on the RCM path. No big statistical analysis, probability theory, mathematical modelling etc are involved.

Regards

Kaycee

Energy Audits in multiple Phases

Hi all,

Energy conservation and energy audits are two catch phrases that are flogged to death on many fora.

Is it possible to deny the need for us to adopt energy conservation measures? The answer is a big know.

So, how do we go about doing an audit and bringing in measures to achieve good results.

Today I went through the part 1 of a very well written article on the topic. The link is given below:

Break Energy Audits into Phases | Chemical Processing.

Please read and be enlightened.

Kaycee

CMMS/EAM Software Review: 9 trends spurring CMMS/EAM evolution

Hi,

Plants Services is one magazine that I subscribe to. It comes up with highly readable material, written by knowledgeable people.

The latest issue had an article on CMMS / EAM evolution. Please click on the link below to access and read the same.

CMMS/EAM Software Review: 9 trends spurring CMMS/EAM evolution.

Regards

KayCee

Reliability: How to develop an effective root cause failure analysis process

Hi all,

We all wish that the equipment and systems that we operate would work for ever, efficiently, effectively and productively. Though the reliability factor gets embedded at the design stage itself, there are “Ifs and buts” that get into the operation. With the current corporates culture tends to move towards “No defects”, reliability in operations becomes important.

All the maintenance effort is focused to this end, but in real life, failures do occur and do recur too. This is where the reliability study will help. Root cause analysis is a tool to understand the most likely cause for a specific failure and implement processes and procedures to avoid recurrence.

We all would have done this process mechanically, informally many times. Making such a study formal helps in making systemic corrections.

Here is a link to a very well written article on the topic.

Reliability: How to develop an effective root cause failure analysis process.

Read and be more well-informed.

KayCee

Combine vibration monitoring and ultrasound for more cost-effective predictive maintenance

Hi all,

predictive maintenance is one area that needs no introduction. Combination of techniques and tools available currently makes this a very competitive process. With this process, we can determine when to do any maintenance. Yes, preventive maintenance processes also will be followed, but instead of doing them mechanically as per a time schedule, it gets done when it is required to be done.

In most cases, the buffer time provided for time based preventive maintenance schedules is too much and we end up over-maintaining the equipment causing the following:

• Doing maintenance on fully functional, healthy and operational equipment
• Replacing the mandatory spares and consumables every time we do maintenance
• Creating a condition where the equipment could fail due to man-made mistakes during assembly of equipment, post-maintenance.

I came across a wonderful article covering predictive maintenance using a combination of techniques and tools. The link is given below.

Predictive Maintenance: Combine vibration monitoring and ultrasound for more cost-effective predictive maintenance.

Please take some time to look up the link, read and be enlightened.

KayCee

Take inventory of your maintenance costs

Hi all,

Inventory; the timely availability of spares parts, common supply items and tools is essential to both preventive and reactive maintenance. Preventive maintenance allows for some advance planning, but break down does not give us any buffer time.

An ABC analysis of inventory holding will indicate that the bulk of the material stored are from the A category – low-cost, frequently used, bulk requirement type. The B category items are also fairly large in number, but the C category would be less in numbers, but high in cost.

I came across an article on Inventory control and CMMS to which the link is given below:

Contracted MRO services: Take inventory of your maintenance costs.

A good CMMS will have an inventory module that allows to do analysis of inventory usage pattern, inventory carrying costs, inventory management etc.

Please read the article and be enlightened.