Page 402 - Intro Predictive Maintenance

Maintaining the Program 393

way to separate the good from the bad is to ask previous attendees. Request a list of
recent attendees and then talk to them. If reputable firms present the courses, they will
gladly provide this information.

17.5 TECHNICAL SUPPORT
None of the predictive maintenance technologies is capable of resolving every possi-
ble problem that may develop in a manufacturing or process plant. For example, the
microprocessor-based vibration systems use single-channel data collectors. These
systems cannot monitor transient problems, torsional problems, and many other
mechanical failures that could occur. At best, they can resolve 85 to 90 percent of the
most common problems that will occur.

To resolve the other 10 to 15 percent of mechanical problems and the other non-
destructive testing that may occasionally be required to maintain the plant, you will
need technical support. Few of the predictive maintenance systems vendors can
provide the level of support required. Therefore, you will need to establish contacts
with consulting and engineering services companies that have a proven record of
success in each of the areas required to support your program. Many consulting and
engineering services companies offer full support to predictive maintenance. These
companies specialize in the nondestructive testing and analysis techniques required to
solve plant problems. Caution in selecting a technical support contractor is recom-
mended. As in training suppliers, there are 10 bad ones for every good one.

17.6 CONTRACT PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS
The benefits that are derived from a total-plant predictive maintenance provide the
means of controlling maintenance costs, improving plant performance, and increas-
ing the profits of most manufacturing and production plants. Unfortunately, many
plants do not have the staff to implement and maintain the regular monitoring and
analysis that is required to achieve these goals. There is a solution to this problem.

The proven benefits derived from predictive maintenance and staff limitations at
numerous plants have created a new type of service company. Numerous reputable
companies now specialize in providing full-capability predictive maintenance services
on an annual contract basis. These companies will provide all of the instrumentation,
database development, data acquisition, and analysis responsibility and provide peri-
odic reports that quantify plant condition. Using contract predictive maintenance will
provide plants with all of the benefits of predictive maintenance without the major
expense required to set up and maintain an in-house program.

As stated, numerous reputable companies can provide this service; however, some of
these firms claim to provide full predictive maintenance services but do not actually
do so. Extreme caution must be exercised in the selection process. As in the case
of selecting a system and vendor for an in-house program, references should be
thoroughly checked.