Page 78 - Intro Predictive Maintenance

Benefits of Predictive Maintenance 69

microprocessor-based instrumentation and dedicated software programs has simpli-
fied the use of these technologies to a point that almost anyone can effectively use
them. The failure is not because of technology limitations. We simply are not using
the tools effectively.

In most cases, the reason for failure is a lack of planning and preparation before imple-
menting the program. Many predictive maintenance system vendors suggest that
implementing a predictive maintenance program is easy and requires little effort to
set up. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are no easy solutions to the high
costs of maintenance. The amount of time and effort required to select predictive
methods that will provide the most cost-effective means to (1) evaluate the operating
condition of critical plant systems; (2) establish a program plan; (3) create a viable
database; and (4) establish a baseline value is substantial. The actual time and labor
required will vary depending on plant size and the complexity of process systems. For
a small company, the time required to develop a viable program will be about three
person-months. For large, integrated process plants, this initial effort may be as much
as 15 person-years. Are the benefits worth this level of effort? In almost every instance,
the answer is an absolute yes.

4.1.2 As a Plant Optimization Tool
Predictive maintenance technologies can provide even more benefit when used as a
plant optimization tool. For example, these technologies can be used to establish the
best production procedures and practices for all critical production systems within a
plant. Few of today’s plants are operating within the original design limits of their
production systems. Over time, the products that these lines produce have changed.
Competitive and market pressure have demanded increasingly higher production rates.
As a result, the operating procedures that were appropriate for the as-designed systems
are no longer valid. Predictive technologies can be used to map the actual operating
conditions of these critical systems and to provide the data needed to establish valid
procedures that will meet the demand for higher production rates without a corre-
sponding increase in maintenance cost and reduced useful life. Simply stated, these
technologies permit plant personnel to quantify the cause-and-effect relationship of
various modes of operation. This ability to actually measure the effect of different
operating modes on the reliability and resultant maintenance costs should provide the
means to make sound business decisions.

4.1.3 As a Reliability Improvement Tool
As a reliability improvement tool, predictive maintenance technologies cannot be
beat. The ability to measure even slight deviations from normal operating parameters
permits appropriate plant personnel (e.g., reliability engineers, maintenance planners)
to plan and schedule minor adjustments to prevent degradation of the machine or
system, thereby eliminating the need for major rebuilds and the associated downtime.

Predictive maintenance technologies are not limited to simple electromechanical
machines. These technologies can be used effectively on almost every critical system