There are several leading factors that contribute to accelerated chain wear, including incorrect chain selection and installation, inadequate chain tension, environmental exposure and, of course, improper lubrication. In fact, according to chain manufacturers, 70 percent of all failures are a direct result of some form of improper lubrication.

Nine chain-lubrication systems to watch for: • 1. Traditional manual lubrication • 2-3. Spray or oil-mist systems • 4. Squirt systems • 5-6. Automated metering valves and pump systems • 7-9. Drip feed, oil cup or sight feed lubricators

The following are a few key factors to consider for the various types of lubrication methods.

Traditional manual lubrication
Manual methods of chain lubrication can allow for visual inspection of the chain. However, this can also be time consuming and lead to difficulty in maintaining a production schedule. Worker safety can also become an issue. Choosing a lubrication system to lubricate the chain can positively impact production as this process can be done while the chain is in motion. By implementing lubrication systems, additional savings can also be realized through improved worker safety and better housekeeping and or procedures.

Spray or oil-mist systems
With these spray or misting systems, the user can see the oil penetration into the metal-to-metal (pin) areas. This method can also be automated. However, proper set-up and maintenance of this type of system is key to the efficient application of oil. Failure in this can result in airborne volatile organic compounds, contamination of the workplace and high lube consumption.

Squirt systems
Typical squirt systems offer low-cost material and installation benefits to the application of an automatic system. This system is primarily used in low chain-speed applications due to the timing sequence required between the activation of the dispense valves and application of the oil onto the pins. Again, improper set-up of this system can result in inconsistent application of the lube, over-lubrication and contamination of the workplace.

Automated metering valves and pump systems
Another low-cost method that lends itself to automation is the use of positive displacement metering valves and pumps supplying oil to a brush or felt pad. This type of system eliminates the need for specific timing of lube dispensing. Care must be taken in mounting and location of the applicator — mounting brackets will need to be movable to allow for wear of the brush or felt. Dirt or dust can also build up on the applicator, contaminating the workplace or product. Whereas the spray and squirt systems both result in significant penetration of oil into the wear areas, the brush or felt applicators typically apply lube only to the exterior of the chain.

Drip feed, oil cup or sight feed lubricators
Simple to operate and relatively low in cost, these can have the benefits of being both automatic and remotely mounted. When using any of these, particular attention must be paid to deciding the location of the units as controlling the dispense rate can be difficult. Oil viscosity and temperature can also become a factor in maintaining a consistent oil application. Some oilers are simple in nature or design, making it difficult to control the dispense amount or rate. This can ultimately lead to high lube usage or housekeeping, environmental and workplace-safety issues.

Any system will have advantages and disadvantages. It is up to the individual plant and maintenance professionals to determine what works best for their specific application.

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Mike Deckert is vice-president of FLO Components Ltd. in Mississauga, Ont., providing solutions for lubrication and fluid handling applications. For more information, visit www.flocomponents.com.

Each week, six million eggs pass through the Burnbrae Farms processing plant in Strathroy, Ont. That’s 1.2 million eggs that are washed, graded and packaged there daily.

“We are concerned about two things,” senior plant supervisor Alex Davenport says. “You have to make sure the eggs are safe and you don’t want the machines to stop.”

Burnbrae Farms is a family owned and operated company dedicated to the processing and distribution of eggs and egg products throughout Canada. They are committed to providing consumers with products that meet the highest standards of quality and safety.

The eggs have a long way to go from the hen to the grocery shelf, but it’s the six minutes from the loader to the egg carton Davenport worries about. It’s his job to make sure the sorting and packing machines are running efficiently and that the eggs don’t get broken or graded incorrectly. Legislation requires that all eggs sold in retail stores and restaurants must be graded at a station that conforms to rigorous federal standards.

“Petro-Canada is a leader in food grade,” says Davenport, a 32-year veteran at the egg processing plant. “Petro-Canada’s Purity FG lubricants are registered for use around our eggs. That’s the No. 1 reason why we switched.”

Meeting Food Safety Regulations
“We adopted HACCP three years ago, so we had to find an accredited food grade oil,” says Pat Marentette, maintenance supervisor at Burnbrae Farms. The internationally recognized HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system is used to enhance food safety and its use is supported by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. HACCP principles require that potential hazards in production are analyzed and critical control points are set to eliminate or minimize the risks in question.

All of Petro-Canada’s Purity FG lubricants meet the high standards of the food industry and fit perfectly in good manufacturing practice, or GMP, plans.

“Everywhere you go, you read about it in every magazine, safety is so important in our industry,” Davenport says. “That’s why we geared up with Petro‑Canada; they are ahead of a lot of other companies out there and do a lot of research in that area.”

At the Burnbrae Farms processing plant, eggs are stacked in plastic trays and then transferred through a machine called a loader. The loader is lined with black plastic ultra-high molecular-weight strips that move the trays through the machine. A vacuum system sucks the eggs up and releases them onto a washing conveyer. The eggs are then “candled” by passing them over a strong light to assess internal qualities and grade out any rejects.

Marentette uses Purity FG WO on his loader and Purity FG MF aerosol lubricant on stainless-steel chains in the wash-down areas. Purity FG WO is ultra-pure, blended with a stabilizer for extended shelf life and suited for select applications that require a straight, non-toxic white mineral oil. Purity FG MF is a multipurpose food grade aerosol lubricant with special tackifiers to reduce spatters from moving parts. It can be used in applications where there is the potential for incidental food contact.

“I’ve seen much less wear on my transfer strips,” Marentette says. “I used to have to replace them every five months and now I replace them only once a year.”

According to Petro-Canada, the Purity FG fluids and lubricants are blended from 99.9-percent-pure, crystal-clear base oils produced from a patented HT Purity process and formulated to meet the tough demands of food processing operations while maintaining food grade CFIA and NSF H1 requirements. As well, Purity FG white mineral oil 15 is approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for use as protecting oil on shell eggs processed in plants operating under the USDA voluntary shell egg grading program.

“Purity FG WO is odorless and transparent and much cleaner than what we were using before. It doesn’t take much time at all to remove the excess,” Marentette says.

A Winning Approach
For four years in a row, Burnbrae Farms has been nominated for a Canadian Grand Prix New Product Award. Their award-winning products include Naturegg Omega 3, Naturegg Break Free and Naturegg Omega Pro.

Burnbrae’s products also carry the distinction of being accepted into the Heart and Stroke Health Check program. Only products considered to promote good health and general nutrition can carry the distinction.

Davenport has been in the industry for over three decades and says Petro-Canada’s food-grade lubricants are acceptable for use in food plants while keeping the machines lubed up and running efficiently.

“Beyond that, it is very, very simple,” Davenport says. “It is just an egg in a shell.”

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This in an edited article provided by Petro-Canada. For more information, visit www.petro-canada.com or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This was originally published in the April 2010 Food & Beverage Engineering & Maintenance supplement.

You may have heard the expresssion “knowledge is power.” Whereas information is best defined as “data,” “knowledge management” describes what to do with data. Most information systems like CMMS provide companies with vast quantities of data; however, only the better packages provide sophisticated knowledge-management tools. Such tools combine technology, processes and data to help all levels in an organization make better decisions.

For example, suppose a tradesperson is about to retire after 30 years of service. Before leaving, he or she trains their young replacement. Although the new recruit has access to the same information as the 30-year veteran, he or she does not have the same level of accumulated knowledge. Consequently, their effectiveness is far less than that of the veteran since they’re are not quite sure what to do with what information. Once a veteran retires, there is no longer a resource to turn to on the shop floor that can provide the appropriate knowledge.

From this example, it is clear a CMMS has potential to be much more than a mere data depository and report generator. The new recruit could use sophisticated knowledge-management tools to extract the right information on a timely basis and make optimal decisions.

So if an operator calls on the new recruit to attend to a downtime problem on one of the production lines, a more comprehensive CMMS can walk the maintainer through the most appropriate workflow and present the probability of the most likely causes of the problem. As well, the CMMS can supply the most appropriate steps to take, tools and spare parts required for the job, a diagram of the equipment and components, safety instructions, warranty information and other relevant data.

Described below are a few of the knowledge management tools featured in a modern CMMS.

Implementation Tools.
Constructing a knowledge base starts long before a CMMS is first implemented. Some CMMS vendors have separate software tools to assist with the process analysis and to begin building the knowledge base. The goal is to document the efficient and effective process flows, which may involve decisions such as who can request maintenance work, what information must be collected, how approvals are made and by whom, how work orders are prioritized and scheduled and much more. The technology features, functions and parameters to activate can also be determined.

Online Help.
Once the initial process analysis work is complete, a few of the vendors are able to import the knowledge base directly into their CMMS. The more sophisticated CMMS packages have online help that provides flowcharts depicting the key processes, with drill-down capability on each activity for accessing detailed procedural help.

Another useful help feature is a troubleshooting assistant or wizard. If, for example, a user is in doubt as to how to prepare a budget, set up a PM routine or diagnose an equipment downtime situation, a wizard can walk a user through each step and decision point in the process.

Search Engine.
One of the most obvious knowledge management tools is a search engine, useful for efficiently finding a specific “object,” such as a work order, purchase order, employee file or equipment record. The better search engines have the ability to query based on different criteria as well as filter and sort the data.

Data Warehouse.
The term “data warehouse” refers to an archived copy of mostly transaction data that is set up specifically for efficient querying, reporting and analyzing data. Several advanced CMMS packages have built the appropriate hooks into popular third-party data warehouse applications so companies can more effectively slice and dice their data. Sometimes CMMS data is combined with other databases, such as those for ERP or shop floor data collection applications. For example, an analysis may be required to determine the maintenance cost per unit for a specific production line, trended over a given time period.

More advanced knowledge-management tools assist users in making more informed decisions by guiding them through what data to extract from the data warehouse, using templates, wizards, sample reports and extensive help.

Notification.
Knowledge management systems can be very useful in assisting maintenance, operations and engineering personnel to fulfill their strategic goals and objectives. For example, suppose a key objective is to minimize downtime. A CMMS-based knowledge-management tool can be used to monitor the condition of the equipment, and when downtime is detected or even predicted through trend analysis, all appropriate resources are notified. This simple tool can be used to notify people of many other conditions, such as when equipment is due for warranty work or when a critical part is past due.

Workflow Engine.
A workflow engine allows the automatic routing of data through a process, based on user-defined business rules. For example, a standard workflow can be established for routing work orders to the appropriate approver depending on the total labour and material dollars booked.

Elaborate business rules can be created if desired. For example, a work order of a certain type and dollar value is routed sequentially to two approvers. If the first approver does not approve the work order within a certain time period, a pager alert notifies the supervisor. (In case of certain conditions, such as vacations, designate alternate approvers.)

Other sophisticated workflow features:
• Users can determine workflow status for a given item directly from a graphical representation of the workflow.
• Users can determine statistics, such as volume of transactions that went through a given workflow in a given time period or average time to complete a specific activity within the workflow.
• Standard times can be entered for all activities within a workflow to predict how long a process should take and report on actual versus standard completion time.
• Activities can be made mandatory or optional depending on the characteristics of the objects moving through the workflow.

Document Management.
Especially when combined with workflow, this tool can be quite powerful in storing, retrieving and tracking revisions to the appropriate documents used in completing a task.

By providing the right documents on a timely basis, knowledge is enhanced and the productivity of users is vastly improved.

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David Berger, P.Eng. (Alta.) is PEM's production/operations editor and a principal with Western Management Consultants. He's also the founding president of the Plant Engineering and Maintenance Association of Canada (PEMAC). For more information call (416) 361-6863 ext. 237; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.wmc.ca.

With today's limited internal resources, it's tough to transform machine maintenance from reactionary to preventive, and ultimately proactive, despite the obvious upsides in higher overall equipment efficiency (OEE), better process control and lower total cost. Outsourcing this requirement to a third-party specialist, however, is a cost-effective alternative, according to companies that have crunched the numbers.

Lockheed Martin offers a case in point. The company has contracted with MAG for global service and support of machining equipment and systems at all its major plant locations around the world. The comprehensive agreement provides interactive diagnostic help, preventive maintenance, field service, training, replacement and spare parts, productivity improvements, machine rebuilding, and even machine and system relocation and set-up.

Six ways outsourced maintenance saves • 1. Application Support • 2. Training • 3. Service Support • 4. Preventive Maintenance • 5. Machine Monitoring • 6. Spindle Replacement • Bonus: Machine Certifications and More

Manufacturers of all sizes — from single plant to multi-plant and multi-national — can benefit from outsourced maintenance to achieve world-class productivity and competitiveness. There are six primary areas where a single-source maintenance partner can optimize the capital investment and provide cost savings through lower total cost of ownership and increased return on investment.

1. Application Support
Machine tool experts can analyze the tasks assigned to each machine and provide recommendations on process improvements, cycle-time reduction strategies, proper cutting tools and workholding configurations to optimize machine usage and performance, and reduce work in process, setup times and costs per part.

2. Training
Knowledge is power, and knowledgeable operators are key to maximizing the production power of your machines. Ensuring your personnel are trained on the latest operation and maintenance developments and techniques is critical to getting the most out of your machine tools. Training can be individualized and conducted on-line for further cost savings.

3. Service Support
When a machine goes down it immediately transforms from income generator to expense. Timely service support is the key to getting the machine back online and making parts. At times when on-site maintenance is cost- or time-prohibitive, interactive tech support, via video, voice and data communications over a standard phone line, can quickly diagnose problems remotely for faster service and less downtime.

4. Preventive Maintenance
Knowing what areas of the machine need preventive maintenance, and what level is cost-effective, are part of the support partner's holistic services. A supplier that has wide experience with many makes and kinds of machine tools will know the typical service life of various components and potential weak spots or problem areas with certain designs. This enables closer monitoring, trend tracking, and appropriately scheduled maintenance to prevent costly downtime. Also, coordinated "ganging" of service to multiple machines can produce significant economies of scale.

5. Machine Monitoring
Trends in production monitoring are moving rapidly from machine-level to process-level intelligence, and real-time performance management (RPM) from a service/support partner can optimize equipment utilization for greater manufacturing efficiency, productivity and ROI. Computer-enabled data collection tools identify and resolve out-of-cycle events as they are happening, and provide interactive, on-demand reporting of production equipment availability, utilization and performance.

6. Spindle Replacement
For plants operating high-volume machining systems, such as automotive, the service/support partner can take complete responsibility for spindle inventory and replacement, often working with a third-party spindle re-conditioner for new or rebuilt units, reducing turn-around time to hours, instead of days. At the same time, small-volume, high-value part manufacturers can’t afford to let the huge overhead of a giant gantry machine (both physically and financially speaking) sit dormant, making fast response to spindle or gear box replacement needs, and other major repairs, critical.

Bonus: Machine Certifications and More
Service/support partners can also assist with machine certifications after a relocation or in-plant re-assignment. This may include inspection of axis alignment, coolant/lube systems, toolchangers, and automation, as well as laser calibration, ballbar testing and axis alignment. The goal is to ensure the machine meets or exceeds OEM specs, and can make quality parts per the program/contract requirements and ISO 9000 or other standards.

A support partner can also provide consultation on control retrofits, mechanical rebuilds, and machine reassignments — analyzing the benefit to productivity and the impact on operations the changes may have. This allows you to see the "big picture" and thoroughly understand the condition of the equipment before investing in updating, rebuilding or relocating it.

Working with a single-source maintenance provider is an economical way to ensure you are getting the most from your machines, operating at your highest possible efficiency and poised to handle changes to, and adaptations for, future operations.

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Ron Hoffman is vice-president and general manager of MAG Maintenance Technologies. For more information, visit www.mag-ias.com.

Predictive maintenance (PdM) changed irreversibly upon the introduction of infrared, or thermal imaging, technology. If your job is to assess the condition of plant assets through equipment condition monitoring, you know that infrared cameras have migrated from being a "nice-to-have" technology to a "must have."

PdM industry thought-leaders now count infrared among other proven components of an effective, scalable PdM practice (i.e. acoustic and sound level tests, vibration analysis, corona detection and oil analysis). So, what is the distinctive feature of infrared (IR) for plant PdM? IR inspections aren't system-specific, spanning a much wider range of applications than most condition-monitoring methods making it more versatile across the plant.

CONTENTS on this page: • The many measurable assets: Pumps, valves, motors, lubrication — and much more • Examining electronics • Auditing a plant's energy efficiency • Cost effectiveness • Training

Essentially, infrared PdM reveals equipment that is hotter or colder than a "normal status" reference temperature range. Infrared cameras illustrate those temperature differences with pictures or videos that depict temperature using colour ranges or palettes. IR can be considered for any component or system that heats up or fails to heat up indicating less-than-optimal operation: electrical, mechanical, steam, hydraulic, gas, material handling, furnaces, boilers, buildings and more.

More importantly for PdM, the extent of temperature variation can also quantify the severity of a problem. In some cases, an inspector is alerted to an imminent failure that warrants an emergency shutdown to avoid worker injury or equipment damage. Infrared also permits plant managers to expand the scope of inspections to compromised building envelope issues that affect interior controlled environments, roof water damage/leakage, or concrete moisture issues.

Depending on your plant's configuration, there are a variety of applications for infrared thermal imaging. Infrared can be used to analyze mechanical systems for abnormalities. Pumps are monitored for overheated connections, fuse problems, or overloaded electrical cables. Process valves are checked for leakage or stuck open/closed position. Sludge levels can be easily measured in storage tanks. Pipelines are monitored for anomalies, such as scale build-up.

Motors are looked at for signs of overheated bearings, shaft misalignment, or overheated windings. Over- or under-lubrication can be diagnosed. Catching overheated bearings on conveyor belts can minimize downtime and prevent a costly stoppage. Infrared cameras specially optimized with high temperature ranges are used for furnace inspections, permitting the technician to see through flames for high temperature industrial furnaces, heaters and boilers.

On the electrical side, infrared cameras can examine issues related to a primary power source, such as an outdoor high voltage switchyard or transformers. Components that help control and direct electricity also often harbour electrical issues, such as loose or corroded connections revealed by an infrared camera: primary switchboards, distribution boards, control panels, fuse panels, electrical cabinets and motor control centres (MCC). Plus, emergency power systems are essential to uninterrupted production. Finding issues here ensure that the back-up system itself doesn't cause cascading failures.

Technicians that use infrared cameras often utilize them in conjunction with test equipment to monitor power quality and electrical factors, such as current loads. Combining the temperature data from an infrared camera with electrical readings from a clamp-on meter, for example, can provide even more insightful monitoring. With technologies, such as FLIR's new MeterLink system, infrared cameras can actually receive electrical readings transmitted via Bluetooth from MeterLink-enabled Extech clamp meters, imprinting the current or voltage readings right on the IR image. Not only does this offer a time saving, it ensures accurate documentation for PdM inspection reports.

The capabilities of infrared cameras aren't system-specific, enabling technicians to think "outside the PdM box" when monitoring plant-wide systems. For example, infrared cameras can be used to audit the energy efficiency of your plant environment, including roofing, heating and cooling systems, and building structures. Versatility like this quickly drives up an IR camera's return on investment (ROI).

If we take a step back to look at the big picture goal of PdM, cost-effective practices are imperative. Infrared cameras are most effective in an uptime environment, evaluating equipment when they are operating under normal conditions versus scheduled downtimes, saving companies dollars.

Infrared significantly speeds up inspections without compromising the quality of the diagnostic work. If performed by in-house trained thermographers, cost savings can also be attributed to reduced inspection labour costs. Depending on how your staffing, budgets and costs are structured, third-party thermographers may instead be more attractive.

From a toolbox investment perspective, infrared cameras are more cost effective than ever. Infrared cameras were once considered a pricey, "rent-only" tool, and in fact, they only broke the sub-$10,000 price barrier in recent years. As advancements in IR camera design and technology accelerate, prices on infrared cameras continue to fall with general-purpose models now starting for less than $2,200 in Canada. With a ROI potential, plant managers are finding it easier to justify purchasing multiple infrared cameras for cost-effective, in-house PdM use.

Business-side benefits of infrared thermography are worth discussing with your plant and executive management. From a business manager's perspective, it's important to consider the shift towards infrared cameras as also a shift towards employee safety. Putting infrared cameras in the hands of plant maintenance personnel and making infrared thermography a key non-destructive and non-contact test method in your plant—sends a clear signal that investments are being made not just to save dollars on plant asset—but also to provide safer, non-contact inspection methods that themselves will reduce employee hazards that might result from catastrophic failures.

Formal infrared thermography certification training is also available to internal PdM staff from organizations, such as the Infrared Training Center (www.infraredtraining.com). Not only is training and certification important for better inspections, it also represents an employer's commitment to professional development for their staff. In the mid- and long-term, the ROI is apparent not only in increased employee retention rates, but also in better-defined advancement opportunities at your plant.

If your organization is delaying an IR camera investment, it's ultimately a costly mistake. Infrared cameras offer PdM professionals accelerated detection of problems while keeping systems operational. Their diagnostic capabilities can significantly prevent premature equipment failure while extending equipment life. During scheduled PdM monitoring, IR cameras can also identify potentially hazardous equipment. Keep in mind that in some industries, infrared thermography can also reduce your insurance premiums.

The cost-effective advantage of an infrared camera can be boiled down to this question: "What would downtime cost due to a failure that could have been prevented?" Unfortunately, for some companies, it takes a million-dollar, "I told you so" failure event before infrared is seen as a reasonable and sensible investment. Infrared diagnostics can improve uptime by focusing resources on repairing or maintaining equipment to prevent failure. Adoption of infrared can result in substantial cost savings, higher system reliability and improved production and product quality.

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This is an edited article provided by Extech Instruments. André Rebelo is global communications manager, Extech Instruments, a FLIR Company. You can contact him by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information, visit www.extech.com.

In today's environment, generating revenues for any industry is important. Profit margins are shrinking and often the difference between a profit and a loss can be as simple as improving efficiencies. Locating sources of energy waste, identifying failure conditions in electrical and mechanical systems all contribute to helping improve the bottom line.

This is why many industries around the world have incorporated some form of condition monitoring. As opposed to the other forms of maintenance, such as reactive in which a failure condition has occurred and maintenance personnel must "react" to the problem; or preventive where maintenance activities are performed on a set schedule, condition monitoring is used to check the health or "condition" of operating equipment. Any change in monitored fields can alert maintenance personnel of potential failure and allow the repair to be performed on a scheduled, controlled basis.

CONTENTS on this page: • Intro: The importance of condition monitoring • Introducing ultrasound • About sound • Advantages of ultrasound

Times have changed, however, and it’s important to re-think your approach to shutdowns. All parts of the organization now come with budget scrutiny. As a result, we’re running our shutdowns under tremendous pressure.

There is no magic bullet for successful condition monitoring. There are many technologies that are very effective for preventing unplanned downtime. While there are maintenance personnel who have developed a favourite technology and lean on that more than others, ideally the approach should be to integrate as many different technologies as possible to be truly effective.

The analogy would be to go for an annual physical and have your doctor use only one instrument, such as a stethoscope, to listen to your heartbeat. Would you be satisfied that he/she did everything possible to make sure you were healthy? Of course not; you would expect the examination to include a multitude of instruments and technologies.

The same is true of your plant equipment. The more technologies used, the more effective the program will be in diagnosing and predicting potential problems and keep the assets up and running as needed.

The most common technologies used for condition-monitoring programs are often: vibration, thermal imaging, oil analysis and ultrasound. Depending on the plant and maintenance goals, two others should be considered as well. They are motor current analysis and laser alignment (there are other methods of alignment, but this is the most popular form).

Vibration technology has been around for a long time and has gradually become the mainstay of many maintenance departments. Usually used for mechanical inspections, they look at frequencies that can disclose potential faults by examining the speed (acceleration) and displacement of these vibratory emissions. Frequency analysis can disclose a number of potential issues ranging from soft footing and gear issues to failed bearings.

Thermal imaging involves cameras sensitive to infrared waves that are usually associated with heat emissions. These cameras are also very popular and used for a wide variety of inspections. Most often they are used to inspect electrical equipment for potential fire or other failure conditions, such as flashover. They have also been used to inspect heat build up in motors and bearings and identify faulty valves and steam traps.

Introducing ultrasound
Ultrasound inspection offers the most useful and thorough position for condition monitoring as both a "stand-alone" inspection technology and as an effective screening tool, which can speed up the inspection process and help inspectors determine effective follow-up actions for mechanical, electrical and leak applications, or what's commonly referred to as trending.

Whether you refer to proactive inspections as predictive maintenance (PdM) or condition-based monitoring (CbM), the goal is the same; to note a deviation from a normal or baseline condition in order to determine whether or not to take corrective action in a planned orderly manner and to prevent an unplanned incident.

The ideal end result is to maintain asset availability, reduce maintenance overhead and improve safety conditions. Not one technology can cover everything. The recommendation is to incorporate as many technologies as possible into inspection procedures to assure reliable results.
Ultrasound technology

Airborne/structure borne ultrasound instruments receive high frequency emissions produced by operating equipment, electrical emissions and by leaks. These frequencies typically range from 20 kHz to 100 kHz and are beyond the range of human hearing. The instruments electronically translate ultrasound frequencies through a process called heterodyning, down into the audible range where they are heard through headphones and observed as intensity and or dB levels on a display panel.

The newer digital instruments utilize data management software where information is data logged on the instrument and downloaded to a computer for analysis. Some instruments contain onboard sound recording to capture sound samples for spectral analysis. New instruments are now being developed to house all data within the instrument itself—acting as an entire inspection system in the palm of your hand  (i.e. you won't have to download to a computer).

Sounds are received two ways: through the air and through solid surfaces (structures). Airborne sounds, such as leaks or electrical emissions, are received through a "scanning" module. The structure borne ultrasounds, generated by bearings or leaks through valves, are sensed through a wave-guide or "contact" module.

What makes airborne ultrasound so effective? All operating mechanical equipment, electrical emissions (arcing, tracking, corona) and most leakage problems produce a broad range of sound. The high frequency ultrasonic components of these sounds are extremely short wave in nature. A short wave signal tends to be fairly directional and localized. It is therefore easy to separate these signals from background plant noises and to detect their exact location. In addition, as subtle changes begin to occur in mechanical equipment, the subtle, directional nature of ultrasound allows these potential warning signals to be detected early, before actual failure.

Most of the sounds sensed by humans range between 20 Hertz and 20 kilohertz (20 cycles per second to 20,000 cycles per second). The average human high frequency threshold is actually 16.5 kHz. Low frequencies tend to be relatively large when compared with the sound waves sensed by ultrasonic translators. The lengths of low frequency sound waves in the audible range are approximately 1.9 cm (3/4") up to 17 m (56'), whereas ultrasound wavelengths sensed by ultrasonic translators are only 0.3 cm (1/8") up to 1.6 cm (5/8") long. Since ultrasound wavelengths are magnitudes smaller, the "ultrasonic environment" is much more conducive to locating and isolating the source of problems in loud plant environments.

The high frequency, short wave characteristic of ultrasound enables users to accurately pinpoint the location of a leak, electrical emission or of a particular sound in a machine.

The basic advantages of ultrasound and ultrasonic instruments are:
• Ultrasound emissions are directional;
• Ultrasound tends to be highly localized;
• Ultrasound provides early warning of impending mechanical failure;
• The instruments can be used in loud, noisy environments; and
• They support and enhance other PdM technologies or can stand on their own in a maintenance program.

When used as part of a condition-monitoring program, ultrasound instruments help improve asset availability and save energy.

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This is an edited article provided by UE Systems, Inc. Alan Bandes is vice-president, marketing. You can contact him by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Also visit www.uesystems.com.

The Diamond Chain Company says that roller chain drives are one of the primary systems used in industry to transmit power and convey products. Since roller chain drives are widely used, productivity is highly dependent on the performance of roller chain. Roller chain that suffers from premature elongation ("stretch") due to wear and needs to be replaced on a frequent basis will negatively impact productivity and significantly increase the cost of the operation.
 
Here are some quick tips from the Diamond Chain Company that will help you prolong and achieve maximum roller chain life:

Lubrication and maintenance
The importance of selecting a high quality roller chain and following proper lubrication and maintenance procedures during operation can't be overstated. Close adherence to lubrication type and method, based on the drive's specifications will not only reduce wear, but will produce other benefits, such as cushioning impact loads and heat dissipation. To maximize your drive's service life, however, lubrication is only a part of the necessary process. Selecting a quality chain will be just as important.

Chain wear
A roller chain is a series of connected journal bearings that articulate as they enter and leave the sprockets. This articulation results in wear on the pins and bushings. As material is worn away from these surfaces, the roller chain will gradually elongate. Elongation due to wear is a normal phenomena during drive operation. The rate of wear is dependent on several factors, including proper lubrication, load and the frequency and degree of articulation between pins and bushings.

The manufacturing of the critical wear components, pins and bushings requires the strictest attention to detail. This starts with the proper selection of raw material, part fabrication and part preparation prior to and including assembly. All of these are critical elements in achieving maximum performance. If the wear components aren't of the highest quality, the wear life of the roller chain will suffer regardless of other factors.

Wear elongation measurement
Wear measurements can be made to determine if the chain has elongated to a length where replacement is necessary. To ensure accurate results, length measurements on roller chain must be done when the chain is in tension. If the chain is measured while still on the sprockets, the system must be turned off and all safety procedures have to be followed. The tight span of the chain is the section that should be measured. If the chain has been removed from the sprockets, the ANSI-specified measuring load should be applied to the chain, so that the slack has been removed.

Measure as closely as possible from the centre of pin to the centre of another. The more pitches (pins) contained within the measurement increase the accuracy. If the measured value exceeds the nominal by more than the allowable percentage-the chain should be replaced. The maximum allowable wear elongation is approximately three percent for most industrial applications, based upon sprocket design.

The allowable chain wear in percent for large sprockets with 68 teeth or greater can be calculated using the relationship: 200/N, where N is the number of teeth in the large sprocket. This relationship is often useful since the normal maximum allowable chain wear elongation of three percent is valid only up to 67 teeth in the large sprocket. In drives having fixed centre distances, chains running in parallel or where smoother operation is required, wear should be limited to approximately 1.5 percent.

Example: if 12 pitches (12 pins) of a #80 chain were measured and the result was 12.360 inches or greater (using three percent as the maximum allowable wear), the chain should be replaced. Anything less than 12.360 inches would still be acceptable by most industrial standards.

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This is an edited article provided by Indianapolis, IN-based the Diamond Chain Company. For more roller chain tips or product information, visit www.diamondchain.com.

Maintenance departments across all industries are facing a similar challenge. As executive management takes a slash-and-dash approach to save costs, maintenance must accomplish the same quality of service with only a fraction of the resources. Unlike some other departments, maintenance's workload doesn't get any smaller when resources are cut. Buildings don't disappear. All the equipment is still there. Maintenance doesn't have the option of lowering its quality of service; the assets must be maintained for the company to remain competitive. You still have to deliver products or services to your clients. Remember that if you don't deliver — someone else will.

So, how do you handle this situation? Fortunately, there are ways you can turn the downsizing and budget cuts into improvement opportunities by eliminating inefficiencies and increasing productivity. Most companies can actually improve efficiency in the face of fewer resources by making some adjustments to their workflow, planning and scheduling and technology. Start by identifying improvement opportunities in the workflow, improve planning and scheduling functions and then introduce technologies, such as computerized maintenance management software (CMMS) systems and/or "mobile" to support your efficient workflow.

Identifying improvement opportunities in the work process flow
A thorough understanding and analysis of a maintenance work process flow makes it easier to identify and eliminate inefficiencies. The goal is to not only eliminate inefficiencies, but to develop an improved work process flow that is more effective and productive. As the flow is thoroughly reviewed and analyzed, the entire process flow becomes visible and inefficient activities are easily identified and eliminated.

Common inefficiencies in maintenance work process flow include transportation time, waiting for parts or instructions, overdoing preventive maintenance (PM), recurring repair problems and other process waste. Most inefficiency of these types are either due to unplanned jobs — technicians don't have the right tools, parts or instructions — or else due to poorly planned jobs, such as indirect routes or unavailable machinery/assets, that waste time.

For example, performing PM tasks more often than is necessary or re-doing jobs that were not done correctly the first time wastes valuable time. If maintenance personnel are waiting for equipment to become available, or for tools, parts, and instructions — that time could be better spent elsewhere. Waiting is not a value-added activity and should be eliminated or reduced as much as possible.

Improving planning and scheduling
Usually, maintenance is working under stress due to emergencies and other unplanned activities. Unpredictable emergencies will always occur to some extent. Technicians are generally derailed from the job at hand to attend to these emergencies, for which they are unprepared. Technicians have to rush or abandon their initial job, then have to waste time retrieving the appropriate parts for the emergency repair.

A simple way to ensure 95 percent of your maintenance force is not disrupted when an unpredictable situation occurs is to have a small reserve crew whose primary purpose is to work on emergencies. When not being used for emergencies, this small crew can be assigned to other lower-priority work.

Often, technicians do not have the time to correctly analyze the root-cause of a problem and instead quickly fix it to move onto the next problem. This can lead to reoccurring breakdowns and long-term loss of productivity. By optimizing the workflow and scheduling, technicians can spend more time determining the root-causes of problems. This way, repairs will be thorough and complete, reducing the risk of recurring defects and/or further damage.

It is crucial that inefficiencies in planning and scheduling, as well as in work process flow, are minimized or else all the technology in the world will not make a difference to your bottom line.

However, if you have a proper work process flow in place — you are doing adequate planning and scheduling and then applying appropriate technologies. You have the potential to turn an efficient maintenance department into a "real-time," problem-solving maintenance centre.

Introducing CMMS technology
A CMMS system will not only support your work process flow, it can enhance it. It can assist in work flow improvement by easily allowing technicians to initiate and approve work requests and help with planning, scheduling, dispatching, completing and then following up for continuous improvement. An online work request system enhances the efficiency of the maintenance operation, as well as that of a requester.

Moving this system to mobile technology will allow instant information access and data entry, further improving workflow. Requesters have convenient access to the status of open and completed requests, which reduces lost productivity from identifying and disposing of duplicate requests.

Today, a technician can receive a work order on a mobile phone. Included in the work order is all the information required to complete the necessary repair. The technician completes the work and instantly the customer receives notification that the job is complete. The CMMS system has a provision for specifying parts and tools on work orders. Adding mobile technology also allows the technician hand-held access to the parts list, the current location of the part, and gives the technician the ability to instantly update the status of the repair.

Benefits of adding mobile
In the next five to 10 years, the use of mobile technology in maintenance will explode. The ability to enter data in real-time and at the point of performance saves time and reduces errors. With bar code and RFID technology, technicians can scan a piece of equipment, instantly update maintenance records, saving time and man-hours in inspections, as well as data entry.

Mobile technology will revolutionize the way maintenance departments approach equipment, work orders and inventory. As mobile technology becomes more common in maintenance systems, users will find that it:

• Provides technicians with more information at the point of performance. With mobile devices, technicians have access to history and other pertinent information while performing inspections and repairs, instead of having to come back to the office to retrieve the information;
• Offers greater return on the initial investment. Managers who carefully review workflow and information will discover substantial savings from implementing this technology;
• Enables faster troubleshooting. Technicians spend less time looking for information, yielding more wrench time;
• Provides easier capturing of data, such as pressure, temperature and oil levels. Security checks can be done and easily recorded using mobile technology;
• Increases the performance life of critical equipment and assets; and
• Manages parts receiving, parts addition and depletion, cycle counts, and annual physical inventory because all can be done very efficiently using hand-held devices.

Even though maintenance departments are facing diminishing resources, failing to maintain assets is not an option for a successful company. Following the outline given for improving workflow, increasing efficiency in planning and scheduling, and researching the options of adding a CMMS system and the use of up-and-coming mobile technology — a maintenance department can help decrease costs and continue to provide the quality of service they need to compete in today's global market.

Kris Bagadia is president of U.S.-based PEAK Industrial Solutions and is a maintenance management consultant and educator. You can reach him by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .