Do you want to be involved in predictive maintenance?
My career in predictive maintenance (PdM) at Dofasco’s Hot Mill started late in 1995 - September to be exact. It started with a question: “Do you want to be involved in predictive maintenance?” I didn’t know what I was getting into, but it sounded a lot better than what was going on in my career at that time. My manager saw that the way to go for maintenance in the future would be the predictive maintenance one, so I was the lead in that direction with his support.
My PdM career actually started with Jack Nicholas, who was part of PdMA at the time. He was brought in to train all of the electricians at the time in motor theory. This is something that many electricians are not trained in very well during their apprenticeship programs. Jack was also consulting with us on our maintenance program. I saw the benefits and believed it would be a good idea to follow these classes closely and to listen to Jack about the direction PdM was going.
Jack was instrumental in my early PdM education, so under his tutelage I developed sound ideas on what I wanted to do in this program. My first introduction was using Excel to trend Meggar readings on our Runout table motors. The program is still in use today. We developed monitor, open, and inspect and change-out limits in our program, and it was very successful. We were able to reduce our delay time from more than 800 minutes a year to a consistent 90 to 100 minutes for all of the 410 motors in the mill. I presented my first paper at the SMRP conference in 1998 in Atlanta based on this program. I think it was 1998. I’m an older guy and can’t remember back that far.
So, it began. I moved out of the mill into the PdM offices. It turned out that we had bought a motor test unit - the silver case unit from PdMA. I found out two of my bosses had attended the training in Tampa, Fla. I was not to be so lucky. The tester was plopped on my desk without any manuals. Neither of my bosses could start up the tester, it had been so long since they attended the training. I did find an 800 number for PdMA’s tech help line, what a great benefit. I got to know Rudy very well over that phone line. They still have one of the best help lines I have ever come across. Kudos to PdMA for maintaining that.
So, my motor testing career started. We had done RCM studies at the time, so I utilized that and my cohorts’ knowledge to determine the most critical motors in the system. I then entered them into my Excel database and started my testing based on that. Today, we have both PdMA’s MCEmax, MCE offline and on-line testers, and the Framtome on-line test equipment.
My mandate was to develop an infrared program as well. There was money in the budget for an infrared camera, so we purchased one of the first cooled focal plane array cameras on the market, the Agema 550, with as many options as we could get, plus extra lenses and the like. That was and still is the best camera available. The resolution was incredible for its time. I started taking basic images, then took Level I courses, progressed to Level II courses - always getting better with the camera each time. I developed the program still in use today, using my cohorts’ knowledge, RCM data and data I picked from the brains of local experts. I used their ideas and methods, then developed my own. Again, all of that data was entered into my Excel sheets, which are still being used to this day.
I believe the groundwork for any program is key to a sustainable program. Whatever leg work you put into your program now pays off in spades in the future.
Today, I am part of the Central Predictive Technical Services team, applying everything I learned in the Hot Mill plant wide. It has been an incredible journey, during which I have met many people in the field who still keep in touch. I’m still on my journey.
This blog is the next step, I have many ideas based on experience. Some work well, some are OK. So if I can help send you in a direction that will save you time, money and frustration, then my talking to you is worth it.
Kindest regards,
Geoff
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Filed Under: Maintenance Excellence | Tags: infrared thermography, motor testing, predictive maintenance
Comments
By Harvey Henkel on December 18th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Interesting read. This is almost exactly like my career started.
By Winnie on December 19th, 2008 at 1:18 am
The title is eye catching, the article captivating, all very informative and tickiling to the mind.
I am involved in Fleet maintanance, our firm is responsible for planning for maintenance for 800 pieces of road construction equipment in various locations in the country and i would certainly like to get in touch with you to assist me navigate these deep waters to come up with an appropriate predictive maintenance program.
Thank yopu for the insight you have immersely encouraged me to keep going.
By Thurman Speece on December 19th, 2008 at 10:08 am
I started in the Predictive maintenance department in January 1995 at Weirton Steel, now Arcelor Mittal. I have done mostly vibation analysis. I also have experience in lazer alignment, fan balancing, and a some experience in infrared. I have talked to you before and have thought that our PDM department could benefit from your knowledge of thermography. Since we both work for Arcelor Mittal perhaps we could come to your facility to observe your procedures.
By Raymond Thong on December 19th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Fantastic article. I have supplied hi-performance lubricants to palm oil & energy related industries over the last 6 years.
Problem experienced is it is always left to trial & error.
I was introduced to thermal imaging as an added service to this growing industry.
Supporting images & reports provide plant maintenance insight to action plan.
I totally support predictive management and hope to get more information into this industry,
By BNS. on December 27th, 2008 at 12:04 am
Yes. I would like to be involved in ‘Preditive Maintenance’. Please let me know the way to join and do things in a better way.
To tell you for information, I have been doing predictive work in a very informal manner and most of it through my own experience and judgement. I have been sucessful. But, it is hard to justify the questions like “How and Why’ to the concerned. But the results speak and it takes time. Here where I need to formally declare in advance. Pl. suggest.
By terry gayer on January 7th, 2009 at 10:18 am
I am nterested in learning more please contact me. 402-616-3717
By vishwas v jadhav on February 20th, 2009 at 10:17 am
i would like to know
what r the responsibilites of
departmental head ( electrical +mechanical)
junior officer electrical maint.
junior officer mechanical
shift incharge ( electrical & mechanical technician)
By Robert Barnekow on April 9th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Vary good reading, But I like others are responsible for fleet maintanance on construction equipment in over 3 states, And just getting the operators to write down the engine hours to do PM is hard, A wireless hour meter would be great, Any input ?.
By Abdullah on April 13th, 2009 at 4:39 am
Thanks for sharing with us your worthy experience. Actualy, i am taking care of condition monitoring of rotating equipments in my company. it is mainly taking vibration data for the drive and driven equipment in reqular basis and doing analysis and generate recomendation to maintenance for any corrective action required. We just purchase our FLIR P64 thermography camera and plan to launch predictive program for electrical equipment not only the motors that we are already covering by vibration analysis but including Breakers, Transformers, Switch Gears, Battaries…and so on.
From your experience, i would like to have clear direction for such program and how to start it. Please approach me through my e-mail:
ghamdiah@sharq.sabic.com
By HSA on November 13th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Thank you for the insight you have encouraged me to keep going in this field of work. One of the many items I have learned is redundancy in certain equipment.