Page 30 - An Introduction To Predictive Maintenance

20 An Introduction to Predictive Maintenance

plants have an absolute requirement for a system that collects, compiles, and inter-
prets data that define the effectiveness of all critical plant functions. This system must
be capable of providing timely, accurate performance indices that can be used to plan,
schedule, and manage the plant.

Other Plant Functions
In medium and large plants, other plant functions play a key role in plant performance.
Smaller plants either do not have these functions or they are combined within either
the production or maintenance functions. These functions include human resources,
plant engineering, labor relations, cost accounting, and environmental control. Each
of these departments must coordinate its activities with sales, production, and main-
tenance to ensure acceptable levels of plant performance.

1.2.4 Small Plants
All plants must adhere to the basics discussed, but small plants face unique constraints.
Their size precludes substantial investments in labor, tools, and training that are essen-
tial to effective asset management or to support continuous improvement. Many small
plants are caught in a Catch-22. They are too small to support effective planning or
to implement many of the tools, such as predictive maintenance and computer-based
maintenance management systems (CMMS), that are required to improve performance
levels. At the same time, they must improve to survive. In addition, the return on
investment (ROI) generated by traditional continuous improvement programs is
generally insufficient to warrant implementing these programs.

Predictive maintenance is a classic example of this Catch-22. Because of their size,
many small plants cannot justify implementing predictive maintenance. Although the
program will generate similar improvements to those achieved in larger plants, the
change in actual financial improvement may not justify the initial and recurring
costs associated with this tool. For example, a 1 percent improvement in availability
in a large plant may represent an improvement of $1 million to $100 million.
The same improvement in a small plant may be $1,000 to $10,000. Large plants can
afford to invest the money and labor required to achieve these goals. In small plants,
the cost required to establish and maintain the predictive program may exceed the
total gain.

The same Catch-22 prohibits implementing formal planning, procurement, and
training programs in many smaller plants. The perception is that the addition of
nonrevenue-generating personnel to provide these functions would prohibit accept-
able levels of financial performance. In other words, the bottom line would suffer.
This view may be true to a point, but few plants can afford not to include the essen-
tials of plant performance.

In many ways, small plants have a more difficult challenge than larger plants; however,
with proper planning and implementation, small plants can improve their performance