Page 62 - Machinery Component Maintenance

Maintenance Organization and Control for Multi-Plant Corporations 47

Safety
Work safely. Be sure all power is off, blinds in, purging procedures
followed, etc. A prework safety item checklist is strongly recommended.
as is a list of all blind locations. The latter item is important at the begin-
ning of a job to ensure all necessary lines are secure, and, at the end of
the job, to check off the removal of all installed blinds. Failure to install
or remove a blind at the appropriate time could lead to a disaster.
It is important to establish teamwork and proper communication
among the operations, safety, engineering, and maintenance personnel at
the start of the job so that each can fulfill his role in the total effort. A list
of key players and where or how they can be reached during the overhaul
period should be made available at the start of the job.

Planning

If this is a planned overhaul, as opposed to a forced outage, so much
the better. Take full advantage of the planning period to make a visual
inspcction of the machine before the shutdown. Pay particular attention
to the condition of the foundation, anchor bolts, piping, instruments, and
look for leaks. It is a good idea to keep an “evergreen” list of required
maintenance items in the equipment folder. Encourage personnel who
frequently go on the machinery deck to make written note of any prob-
lems.
Take a final check of vibration, performance, alignment, and mechani-
cal health data just prior to the shutdown. A small shirt-pocket size tape
recorder is particularly useful to record notes; it leaves the hands free to
manipulate instruments, etc. The data can then be transferred to paper
back in the office. If you are working a forced outage, the most recent set
of data will have to do. Compare the most recent information to previous
readings and develop a list of anticipated problems. Translate all of this
information into a detailed job plan as shown in Figures 2-1 1 and 2-12.
In our experience, machines are normally shut down for overhaul due
to fouling (restricted performance); excessive vibration (ingestion of a
liquid slug, a loose piece of hardware, the failure of a mechanical compo-
nent or misalignment); misoperation (surge, lube oil supply failure,
etc.); or when the whole process unit is shut down for a T/A. In general,
we do not open machines that are running satisfactorily just for inspec-
tion. At every convenient opportunity one should inspect externally ac-
cessible components, such as couplings, and also check items such as ro-
tor float and shaft alignment, and all tripping devices and general
instrumentation.