Page 194 - Practical Machinery Management for Process Plants Major Process Equipment Maintenance and Repair

ChaDter 5
Reciprocating 6as Engines and

Compressors*

Introduction
The degree to which engines and compressors are maintained today
varies from a “wait until destruction” type of negative thinking to a
“complete” but extravagant program. The former extreme has always
existed but, of course, has never been justified; the latter extreme is
costly but it has some strbng points in its favor. The ideal preventive
maintenance procedures, however, should be economical but give the
equipment good coverage, and the purpose of this section is to describe
such procedures.
Regardless of past thinking, modern economic practices are squeezing
the appropriations for maintenance. The drive for better profit margins
forces managers to cut costs everywhere, and in certain highly competi-
tive industries, drastic cuts in maintenance budgets require a streamlined,
but still effective, maintenance program.
The maintenance tips or pointers that have been used for years are ba-
sic and all could be used today, but in order to cope with the modern
economic trend we will deal with the ones that best apply to modern
equipment. It should be remembered that any maintenance program will
not fit two or more installations exactly, placing the burden of forming a
specific program on the operators. Therefore, we will discuss preventive
maintenance (PM) procedures in general terms, explaining why each
point is essential and how it may or may not apply to a large or small
reciprocating machine. The various arrangements of compressors should
be familiar to all, but the terminology may differ.

* By permission of Cooper Energy Services, Mt. kron, Ohio 43050

176