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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

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Section 1 Maintenance Objectives [ Table of Figures and Diagrams ]


1. Introduction
1.1. Maintenance Goal
2. Terotechnology
Section 2 Failure Theory
3. Reliability of Systems, Equipment and Components
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Definitions
3.2.1. Reliability
3.2.2. Maintainability
3.2.3. Availability
3.2.4. Repairable & Non Repairable Systems
3.3. Reliability Function
4. Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD)
4.1. Introduction
4.2. System Configurations
5. The "Bath Curve"
6. Six Patterns of Failure
7. The Nature of Failure
8. Bell Curve
Section 3 Implementing Maintenance Tasks
9. Maintenance Plan
9.1. Introduction
9.2. On-Failure Maintenance
9.3. Fixed Time (Planned) Maintenance
9.4. Condition Based Maintenance (CBM)
9.5. Design out
9.6. Opportunity Maintenance
10. Potential Failures and the P-F Curve
11. P-F Curves and inspection interval timing
12. Condition based maintenance (CBM)
12.1. Introduction
12.2. Operating Parameters
12.2.1. Vibration
12.2.2. Temperature
12.2.3. Lubricating Oil Analysis
12.2.4. Acoustics
12.2.5. The Human Senses
12.2.6. Other Parameters
13. Vibration Analysis
13.1. Introduction
13.2. CBM Tours
13.3. Overall Vibration
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13.4. Fast Fourier Transform


13.5. Failure Modes
Section 4 Optimum Maintenance Tasks
14. Plant Register (Asset Hierarchy)
14.1. Introduction
14.2. Hierarchy
15. Failure Modes Effects & (Criticality) Analysis (FME(C)A)
15.1. Introduction
15.2. Benefits
15.3. Maintenance Review
16. Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
17. Cause and Effect Diagrams (Fish Bone or Ishikawa Diagrams)
18. Reliability Centred Maintenance
18.1. Introduction
18.2. Seven Basic Questions
18.3. Implementing RCM
19. Review of Equipment Maintenance
19.1. Introduction
19.2. Reliability and Criticality Analysis
19.3. Maintenance Review
19.4. Maintenance Tasks
20. Why-Why Analysis
20.1. Introduction
20.2. Maintenance & Production Records
20.3. Example of Why Why
Section 5 Measure Maintenance Performance
21. Maintenance Management System (MMS)
21.1. Introduction
21.2. Asset Manager
21.3. CBM Manager
21.4. Spares Manager
21.5. Work Control Manager
21.6. Report Manager
22. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
22.1. Introduction
22.2. Six big losses
22.3. Availability
22.4. Performance Efficiency
22.5. Yield
23. Pareto Analysis

TABLE OF figURES [ go to Main Index ]

Figure 1 Maintenance Goal


Figure 2 Life Cycle Costing
Figure 3 Contribributers to Life Cycle Costs
Figure 4 The Terotechnology system
Figure 5 Difference between MTTR and total downtime
Figure 6 Series Reliability Diagram
Figure 7 Active Redundancy
Figure 8 M-out-of-N System
Figure 9 Bath Curve
Figure 10 Average life and planned maintenance intervals
Figure 11 Six patterns of failure
Figure 12 The Bell Curve
Figure 13 Maintenance Strategies
Figure 14 the P-F Curve showing inspection intervals
Figure 15 P-F curve and inspection interval timing
Figure 16 Summary of Condition Monitoring Techniques
Figure 17 Application of Condition Based Monitoring Techniques
Figure 18 FMECA Worksheet

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Figure 19 Fault Tree for Calculator Display


Figure 20 Fish Bone Diagram
Figure 21 Review of Equipment Maintenance
Figure 22 Job Details Page from a Work Control Module
Figure 23 Example Calculation of OEE
Figure 24 Man-Man Hours recorded against each unit number
Figure 25 Pareto Analysis of Maintenance Man-Hours recorded by unit

Section 1 Maintenance Objectives


Section 1 Maintenance Objectives [ go to Main Index ] [ Table of Figures and Diagrams ]
1. Introduction
1.1. Maintenance Goal
2. Terotechnology

1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ]

• In British industry, the maintenance plan has often evolved rather than being consciously set-up resulting in an over
reliance on breakdown and fixed time maintenance (planned maintenance). Historically plant equipment has been robust
and less automated than modern equipment making it relatively easy to work on. These plants have relied on large and
expensive maintenance departments to enable rapid attention to breakdowns. Single-line single-product plants with no
standbys have allowed profitability to be increased through the economies of scale. On the downside, this has resulted in
ever increasing breakdown costs. In this changing environment, historical maintenance plans cannot provide the required
level of plant performance.

1.1. Maintenance Goal [ Maintenance Objectives Index ]

The goal of any well run maintenance organisation is to have the lowest cost of the sum of two quantities, i.e.:

• Maintenance labour and material: and


• Production loss (which includes lack of ability to produce, and value added material that is lost as a result of a break
down) reduction resulting from an inadequate maintenance program.

Maintenance itself can result in excessive downtime and costs. This results from the requirement to take the machinery off-line
to carry out (possibly unnecessary & invasive) maintenance. The danger of infant mortality after it has been put back on line
again and also the cost of the maintenance action itself contributes to costs. Achieving the lowest cost is an optimisation
technique shown graphically in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Maintenance Goal [ Table of Figures ] [ Maintenance Objectives Index ]

Companies should be able to put a cost to their loss of production resulting from equipment down time. This figure added to the
maintenance budget results in the total costs as shown. When maintenance costs are at a minimum the cost of lost production is
at its highest. As maintenance effort and costs are intelligently increased the production loss gradually decreases until the lowest
combined cost is achieved. This is the maintenance goal. Maintenance effort applied beyond this point, increases

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costs. Maintenance can increase costs because of the need to take equipment off line to carry out maintenance, infant mortality
after being put back in service, etc. There are also the costs of the maintenance itself with labour and material costs.

2. Terotechnology [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Objectives Index ]

Definition

Terotechnology: a combination of management, financial, engineering and other practices applied to physical assets in pursuit of
economic life cycle costs. Life Cycle Costing (LCC) involves collecting all the cost information incurred during plant life. This
information will show the inter-related cost areas (Figure 3) and give an indication of their importance for cost reduction.

Top - Figure 2 Life Cycle Costing at Design Review Stages [ Table of Figures ]
Bottom - Figure 3 Contribributers to Life Cycle Costs [ Table of Figures ]

Decisions made at an early stage in the concept and design of an item of plant can have significant effects on the cost of running
that piece of equipment throughout its life (Figure 2).

Preliminary design review - 15% to 35% of the life cycle costs have been determined

Concept design review - 25% to 40% of the life cycle costs have been determined

Critical design review - 95% of the life cycle costs have been determined.

The designer must be aware of the consequences of his decisions. If for instance, he installs a bearing in an inaccessible position,
that bearing will certainly have to be changed a number of times during the life time of the equipment. Due to the difficulty of
access this will incur excessive costs. If this inaccessible position is unavoidable, the installing of a top quality and/or an
oversize bearing, will increase the purchase costs but may reduce the overall life cycle cost. The same applies during the
operating life in the purchasing of spare parts, maintenance tools, and training of operators and maintainers. A saying sums this
up "buy cheap-buy twice". Terotechnology recognises that attention to maintenance alone will not provide the complete answer
to the problems arising in the maintenance sector (or otherwise attributed to maintenance). It is necessary to look at other

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management functions having an influence on the performance and costs of physical assets. Figure 4 shows the contributors to
the total life cycle costs.

Figure 4 The Terotechnology system [ Table of Figures ] [ Maintenance Objectives Index ]

The Terotechnology system is generally shown as a combination of management systems and communication channels which
provide support for maintenance. Typical contributions include:

• Design - assets designed for maintainability and reliability


• Procurement - application of 'best buy' procurement techniques
• Projects - provision of assets having operability and maintainability features
• Operations - introduction of operating techniques which reduce downtime and improve care of assets
• Finance - cost control, cost monitoring and feedback
• Personnel - selection and training programmes for operating and maintenance personnel

Section 2 Failure Theory


Section 2 Failure Theory [ go to Main Index ] [ Table of Figures and Diagrams ]
3. Reliability of Systems, Equipment and Components
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Definitions
3.2.1. Reliability
3.2.2. Maintainability
3.2.3. Availability
3.2.4. Repairable & Non Repairable Systems
3.3. Reliability Function
4. Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD)
4.1. Introduction
4.2. System Configurations
5. The "Bath Curve"
6. Six Patterns of Failure
7. The Nature of Failure
8. Bell Curve

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3. Reliability of Systems, Equipment and Components

3.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

A reliable piece of mechanical equipment is understood to be basically sound, to be able to meet its design specifications, and to
give trouble-free performance in a given environment. However, it is necessary to have an understanding of the technical,
engineering use of the term 'reliability' as specified for mechanical equipment. All plant, equipment and components have a
finite life, and so eventually all pieces of equipment will fail. Without a technical definition of reliability it would not be possible
for engineers or managers to make meaningful comparisons between the reliability of alternative plant and equipment.

3.2. Definitions [ Failure Theory Index ]


3.2.1. Reliability

Reliability is the probability that a plant or component will not fail to perform within specified limits in a given time while
working in a stated environment. For the case of mechanical systems the following definition can be used to define reliability

Mechanical Reliability is the probability that a spare, item, or unit will perform its prescribed duty without failure for a
given time when operated correctly in a specified environment.

The definition of reliability includes a number of variables that are external to the artefact being analysed. Identical equipments
may have very different duty requirements such as frequent stop-starts or continuous running. Environmental conditions such as
fine dust can also effect a machine. It is thus necessary to understand completely the operating conditions under which an
artefact is expected to operate.

3.2.2. Maintainability

Once a piece of equipment has failed it must be possible to get it back into an operating condition as soon as possible, this is
known as maintainability. To calculate the maintainability or Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) of an item, the time required to
perform each anticipated repair task must be weighted (multiplied) by the relative frequency with which that task must be
performed (e.g. no. of times per year). MTTR data supplied by manufacturers will be purely repair time which will assume the
fault is correctly identified and the required spares and personnel are available. The MTTR to the user will include the logistic
delay as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5 Difference between MTTR and total downtime [ Table of Figures ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

3.2.3. Availability

The probability that an item, under the combined influence of its reliability, maintainability and maintenance support, will be
able to fulfil its required function over a stated period of time, or at a given point in time. The operating context of a piece of
equipment will determine its performance requirements. An airliner will be expected to reach its destination once it has taken
off. To guarantee this it will spend a relatively large amount of its time being serviced. In this case the reliability must be 100%
but it's availability may be relatively low. In process industries which run continuously the availability is of prime importance.
The definition of availability is:

The availability of a system is the probability that the system is functioning at time t. The Availability for a single machine is:
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A = MTBF/(MTBF+MTTR)

The implication of this formula is that high availability can be obtained either by increasing the MTBF, and hence the reliability,
or improving the maintainability by decreasing the Mean Time To Repair (MTTR). The MTTR would include the repair time
and the logistic delay (obtaining labour and spares).

3.2.4. Repairable & Non Repairable Systems

In reliability engineering repairable and non repairable systems are treated differently. A non repairable item is replaced with a
new item which will be as good as the item replaced. Over time as items are replaced with identical new items the failure rate
will remain constant. In a repairable system the repaired item following a breakdown will not be as good as when it was first
installed (as good as new (agan)) General wear and errors in the repair carried out will result in the failure rate increasing over
time.

3.3. Reliability Function [ Failure Theory Index ]

Some batches of components can display a constant failure rate Alternatively some items can contain many spares of varying
failure rates. With the mixing of failure rates of new and old spares within the unit the failure rate of the unit can be constant
(known as a 'pseudo-constant' failure rate. In these situations:

R(t) = e-t

R(t) = Reliability at time t

= 1/MTBF

and so

R(t) = e -t/MTBF

Where: t = time since the last failure

MTBF = Mean time between failures

Example

A motor is required to run for two years without a failure

Manufactures MTBF 2 years

= e-2/2 = 0.36

MTBF 2 years R(t) = 0.36 Approx. two in three chance that it will fail in
the first two years. The manufacturers guarantee of a MTBF of 2 years is not
adequate to give a high probability of survival for two years.

Manufactures MTBF 10 years

= e-2/10 = 0.82

MTBF 10 years R(t) = 0.82 82% chance that it will run for two years without failing

4. Reliability Block Diagrams (RBDs)


4.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

Up to now the reliability of individual spares has been discussed. A number of spares will make up an item which in turn make
up a unit, plant area, and then an entire plant. In industry it is necessary to estimate the reliabilities of equipments that interact
with each other. Before any form of reliability analysis is attempted, it is necessary to represent the system under consideration,
as a block diagram. A block diagram with an individual block for each unit can represent the entire plant. If necessary lower
level block diagrams can represent items within units. Two basic types of diagrams can be used to represent a system.

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A functional block diagram (system layout) can represent the actual plant layout showing how plant units are interconnected.
This helps to describe how the system is expected to operate.

For reliability assessment a Reliability Block Diagram (RBD) is more useful.

4.2. System Configurations

It is necessary to have an understanding of the basic types of unit layout that exist in industry

Series Systems: In a series system, failure of any unit constitutes system failure. The reliability of the system is the product of
the reliabilities of the units making up the system.

Figure 6 Series Reliability Diagram [ Table of Figures ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

A B C

Placing units in series increases the failure rate and reduces the overall availability of the system (Figure 6)

system = A + B + C

Avsystem = AvA x AvB x AvC

Full Active Redundancy: In an active redundancy system (Figure 7Figure 7), a number of units sustain the function until one
fails; the remaining unit can continue to provide the function.

Note: If both of the pumps in Figure 7 must be operational to sustain the function, in reliability terms they would be in series
despite being in parallel on the system diagram.

Figure 7 Active Redundancy [ Table of Figures ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

The System Reliability Rs for one out of two units in parallel is:

Rs = 1-{(1-RA)(1-RB)}

M-out-of-N In these cases individual units share provision of the function, which can be sustained at a satisfactory level should
one or more of the units fail. In active and standby redundancy systems this can be known as m-out-of-n models. In Figure 8, at
least m units out of a total of n must be in operation for the system to operate.

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Figure 8 M-out-of-N System [ Table of Figures ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

Example:

Three units are in active parallel, of which at least 2 must be in operation for satisfactory system operation.

System Reliability Rs = R1R2R3 + R1F2F3 + R2F1F3 + R3F1F2

If R1 = R2 = R3

Then RS = R3 + 3RF2

5. The "Bath Curve" [ go to Top of Page ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

Many differing batches of mechanical and electrical industrial components have been tested to determine if it is possible to
predict when they will fail. These tests have revealed that during their normal working life, they do not reach a point of wear-out
at some likely time that could be called "old age". On the contrary a given item is as likely to fail in a given week shortly after
installation as in a given week many months later. This probability of failure which is known as the failure rate (symbolised by
the Greek letter lamba ) can go through three distinct failure patterns. Batches of components can display one, two or all three
(Figure 9 Bath Curve) of these patterns (stages) through their life time.

Figure 9 Bath Curve [ Table of Figures ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

In the first of the three stages, the failure rate plunges downward rapidly from a very high starting point - this is "infant
mortality". Failure during this stage can be attributed almost entirely to manufacturing & installation defects. Failure caused by
manufacturing defects or poor installation tend to show up almost immediately, accounting for the high starting point. The term
"Burn In" which can also be used to describe this period, comes from the computer industry where new machines are run in a hot
environment before dispatch. Any hardware faults will show up quickly in this elevated temperature. Once a machine passes it
shall have a long trouble-free life. Equipment can also return to the infant mortality stage after maintenance intervention (Figure
10). For various reasons, equipment can suffer problems as a result of maintenance. Planned maintenance can actually reduce its
availability.

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Example: a group of similar bearings are changed every year as part of a planned maintenance activity. If they were condition
monitored and changed on showing signs of imminent failure, it would be found that these bearings have an average life of 2.5
years. This over maintaining then results in increased probability of failure due to the infant mortality after each maintenance
activity.

Figure 10 Average life and planned maintenance intervals [ Table of Figures ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

As the curve levels off, it enters the second stage that is a straight segment indicating an essentially constant failure rate. In the
final stage, the failure rate climbs sharply as spares wearout.

In reality the bath curve has little application in industrial process. Very simple components can follow this failure pattern such
as a light bulb where faulty manufacture may result in very short life. A rare example of a more complex system that follows the
bath curve is a petrol engine. Engines have to be taken care of in their early life to allow them to "bed in". Following this they go
through a period of constant failure. Most petrol engines then fail following a life of 100,000 to 150,000 miles. Even this so
called wearout period can cover a significant part of the engine's life.

6. Six Patterns of Failure [ go to Top of Page ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

Figure 11 Six patterns of failure [ Table of Figures ]

During the development of the Boeing 747, batches of aircraft components were tested to determine their failure patterns (ref.).
The results are displayed in Figure 11.

Pattern A is the well-known bath curve.

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Pattern B shows constant or slowly increasing failure probability ending in a wear-out zone.

Pattern C shows slowly increasing probability of failure, but there is no identifiable wear-out age.

Pattern D shows low failure probability when the item is new or just out of shop, then a rapid increase to a constant level.

Pattern E shows a constant probability of failure at all ages (random failure).

Pattern F starts with high infant mortality, which drops eventually to a constant or very slowly increasing failure probability.

In highly complex equipment, such as an aircraft, infant mortality followed by random failure is the dominating failure pattern as
shown by the above studies carried out on civil aircraft. Within manufacturing industry, approximately 30% of industrial failures
are related to age as in A & B. With increasing complexity of modern equipment the failure pattern from industry will more
closely match the studies from the aircraft industry.

7. The Nature of Failure [ go to Top of Page ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

Failure pattern B depicts age-related failures as in the figures from the aircraft industry very few failures show a relation-ship
with age. An example would be abrasion, e.g. the abrasive action of piston rings on the cylinder walls of a reciprocating engine.

Failure pattern C shows a steadily increasing probability of failure, but there is no one point at which we can say, "that's where it
wears out". Cyclic stresses resulting in fatigue are the main cause of this failure pattern.

Failure Pattern E is pure random failure. All the empirical evidence shows that rolling element bearings usually conform to a
random failure pattern. However it is still possible to compute a mean time between failure (MTBF) for such items. It is given as
the point at which 63% of the items have failed. Often poor MTBF for bearings can be attributed to poor choice and/or fitting.

Failure pattern F is the most common failure pattern and like the bath curve shows a failure rate decreasing with age before
going into a period of random failure. The high infant mortality has a variety of causes:

poor design bad workmanship

incorrect installation poor reassemble

incorrect commissioning incorrect operation

invasive maintenance poor quality manufacture

unnecessary routine maintenance cleanliness

8. Bell Curve [ go to Top of Page ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

Some engineers and managers tend to be over optimistic about the effectiveness of Planned Maintenance (PM). There are
limitations to PM:

• the limitations set by random failure events. Random machinery failure events, according to their definition, could occur
with equal probability in time. Identical components could be as likely to fail after 1 week as 5 years after installation. In
effect, they are always as good as new. There is no period of time after which it would be effective to change these
components.
• the life dispersion of machinery components. Even time dependent failures are not all that predictable. They do not appear
after absolutely equal operating intervals, but after very dissimilar time periods (Figure 12). This dispersion increases as
the MTBF increases.

The example below (failure distribution A) shows the occurrence of MTBF for a compressor bearing:

10 bearings failed between 2.5 years and 3.5 years.

20 bearings failed between 3.5 years and 4.5 years, etc.

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From 3.25 years the incident of bearing failure started to increase

By 5.5 years 50% of the bearings had failed

Some bearings did not fail until 8.5 years

Imagine a strategy of changing all the bearings at 4.7 years.

The frequency of failure had started to increase over a year earlier and some bearings would continue to run satisfactorily for
another 3.7 years. Even though this planned maintenance is 0.8 years before the average life of 5.5 years, a considerable number
of failures still occur (area a + b).

This planned maintenance is expensive in that it changes the majority of bearings needlessly early (up to 3.7 years early) and it
does not prevent failures as a small amount still occurs.

Planned maintenance for failure distribution "B" in which the majority of failures occur in the period 4.3 years to 7 years would
be more effective. A PM strategy at 4.7 years would allow a small number of failures (area b). It again takes place 0.8 years
before the average and 2 years before the maximum expected life. While in this case it is more suitable for PM than distribution
"A", it still incurs costs due to early maintenance. Distribution A type curves would be more usual in industry than distribution
B. For failure distribution "B" and possibly "A" Condition Based Maintenance would be suitable.

Bell Curves of
Failure
Distribution

Failure Failure
Distribution A Distribution B

MTBF Years Frequency of MTBF Years Frequency of


Occurrence Occurrence

0.5-1.5 10 0.5-1.5 10

1.5-2.5 10 1.5-2.5 10

2.5-3.5 10 2.5-3.5 10

3.5-4.5 20 3.5-4.5 10

4.5-5.25 80 4.5-5.25 30

5.25-5.75 100 5.25-5.75 180

5.75-6.5 80 5.75-6.5 26

6.5-7.5 20 6.5-7.5 4

7.5-8.5 10 7.5-8.5 0

Figure 12 The Bell Curve [ Table of Figures ] [ Failure Theory Index ]

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Section 3 Implementing Maintenance Tasks


Section 3 Implementing Maintenance Tasks [ go to Main Index ] [ Table of Figures and Diagrams ]
9. Maintenance Plan
9.1. Introduction
9.2. On-Failure Maintenance
9.3. Fixed Time (Planned) Maintenance
9.4. Condition Based Maintenance (CBM)
9.5. Design out
9.6. Opportunity Maintenance
10. Potential Failures and the P-F Curve
11. P-F Curves and inspection interval timing
12. Condition based maintenance (CBM)
12.1. Introduction
12.2. Operating Parameters
12.2.1. Vibration
12.2.2. Temperature
12.2.3. Lubricating Oil Analysis
12.2.4. Acoustics
12.2.5. The Human Senses
12.2.6. Other Parameters
13. Vibration Analysis
13.1. Introduction
13.2. CBM Tours
13.3. Overall Vibration
13.4. Fast Fourier Transform
13.5. Failure Modes

9. Maintenance Plan [ go to Top of Page ] [ Implementation Index ]

Figure 13 Maintenance Strategies [ Table of Figures ] [ Implementation Index ]

9.1. Introduction [ Implementation Index ]

Once equipment has been purchased it must be maintained. The decisions made at the purchasing will have an input into the
type of maintenance to be carried out. Maintenance actions can be divided into four general categories or strategies as shown in
Figure 13. The maintenance plan for a company's assets will be a combination of these four strategies, often they could all be
used on the same machine.

9.2. On-Failure Maintenance [ Implementation Index ]

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On failure maintenance can be effective if applied correctly. For example, non-critical low cost equipment, or where no other
strategy is possible

Advantages

Low cost if correctly applied

Requires no advanced planning other than ensuring spares are available

Disadvantages

No warning of failure - safety risk

Uncontrolled plant outage - production losses

Requires large standby maintenance team

Secondary damage - longer repair time

Large spares stock requirement

Provision of standby plant

9.3. Fixed Time (Planned) Maintenance [ Implementation Index ]

Planned maintenance is the most widely used form of maintenance. It is most effective if implemented as equipment begins to
wearout and failure probability increases. Planned maintenance tasks are often grouped together into maintenance downtimes or
windows to minimise the total number of planned maintenance stoppages per year. This strategy is seriously flawed because the
majority of industrial failure modes are random in nature and so maintenance tasks based on time will have limited effected in
improving equipment performance.

Advantages

Failures reduced

Labour used cost-effectively

Maintenance planned well in advance (provision for labour and material)

Disadvantages

Maintenance activity and costs increased

Unnecessary and invasive maintenance is carried out

Applicable only to age related deterioration

Maintenance sometimes induces failures (infant mortality)

9.4. Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) [ Implementation Index ]

CBM relies on the fact that the majority of failures do not occur instantaneously but develop over a period of time (P-F Curve).
CBM involves recording some measurement that gives an indication of machine condition (temperature increase on an
insulation surface, vibration increase on a bearing housing). Condition monitoring is not purely a 'high tech' tool to be used by
highly skilled engineers. From the early days of steam trains "wheel tappers" used a hammer to strike a wheel to listen for the
distinctive "ring" that said the wheel is healthy and without cracks. Operators who work with equipment every day can listen to
equipment and identify changes in noise levels and vibrations. Temperature changes can be felt and these give warnings that
something is 'not right'. An investigation can then be carried out to identify the exact problem.

Advantages

Maximises equipment availability

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Some forms of inspection utilising human senses can be inexpensive

Allows shutdown before severe damage occurs

Production can be modified to extend unit life

Cause of failure can be analysed

Maintenance can be planned;

Labour can be organised

Spares can be assembled

Disadvantages

Vibration monitoring, Thermograph and Oil Debris Analysis require specialised equipment and training. A company must
carefully choose the correct technique. A period of time will be required for trends to develop and then machine condition can be
assessed.

9.5. Design out [ Implementation Index ]

This can prove to be a very effective method of solving a recurring problem. However it can easily be inappropriately utilised.
Putting in a more powerful motor due to frequent tripping may be an ill-thought out reaction to malpractice by an operator,
whilst simple instruction may solve the same problem. Before considering designing out a problem, it is important to identify
exactly what the root cause of the problem is. Having identified the root cause; is it possible to monitor the condition at this
problem area? If so, it may be cost effective to monitor the condition and take action as necessary. If this is not the case; can the
problem be designed out? If it can; what will this involve and can it have any adverse effects elsewhere? Once the procedure has
been thoroughly developed, proceed with the design out project. Finally if design out is been considered, is it a symptom that
mistakes were made during the original designing of the equipment?

Advantages

Some minor design out projects can be inexpensive and guaranteed to work

A recurring problem can be completely resolved

Disadvantages

The root cause of the problem may get missed in the exercise

Larger design out projects can prove to be very expensive.

Production can be disrupted for a considerable period of time with larger projects

The expected result may not materialise

Unexpected problems may occur as a result of a major project

Solving a problem in one area may overload and cause problems in another.

9.6. Opportunity Maintenance [ Implementation Index ]

This in not actually a maintenance strategy but a combination of fixed time (planned maintenance) and breakdown maintenance.
It can be useful when a forced stoppage gives maintenance unexpected access to machinery to carry out inspections and/or
maintenance. Inspections during routine down times can identify unexpected tasks that need to be carried out but time does not
allow it to happen. These tasks can be recorded on a maintenance management system and scheduled into the first available
down time.

10. Potential Failures and the P-F Curve [ go to Top of Page ]

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With a growing awareness of the random nature of many failures, condition monitoring techniques are becoming more popular.
Modern condition based maintenance practices like vibration analysis rely on the fact that many failures do not occur
instantaneously, but actually develop over a period of time. If evidence can be found that this failure process is under way, it
may be possible to take action to prevent failure and/or avoid the consequences. At the early stages of failure it is not possible to
detect the signs of an impending failure. As the failure develops, there comes a point at which it can be measured. At this stage
the failure has not yet reached a stage in which the equipment is unable to operate effectively. However the maintenance
department has now the opportunity to correct the fault, before it becomes more serious. The point in the failing process at which
it is possible to detect that the failure is occurring or is about to occur is known as a potential failure (potential because a serious
failure has not yet occurred). Examples include:

• hot spots on bearing housings and in electrical panels.


• vibrations indicating imminent bearing failure
• particles in gearbox oil showing imminent gear failure
• visible leaks and wear.

The P-F curve (Figure 14) shows how a failure starts, deteriorates to the point at which it can be detected (the potential failure
point "P"), if it is not detected and corrected, continues to deteriorate - usually at an accelerating rate - until it reaches the point
of functional failure ('F') The P-F interval can be known as the "Lead Time To Failure."

Figure 14 the P-F Curve showing inspection intervals [ Table of Figures ] [ Implementation Index ]

The "condition" being measured can take a variety of forms. Any condition that shows a change, as the health of the spare
deteriorates, can be used. It must however, give enough of a warning between "P" and "F" to allow actions to take place
otherwise nothing will be gained by having a warning. Equipment condition being measured could include:

• reducing pressure supplied by a pump indicating impeller wear, slip ring wear, etc.
• increased surface temperature on the outside of an insulating surface indicating insulation deteriorating
• increased vibration from rotating equipment; these vibrations must be analysed further to identify possible causes.

Having identified point P then two actions can take place:

to prevent the functional failure. Depending on the nature of the failure mechanism, it is sometimes possible to intervene to
repair the existing component before it fails completely.

to avoid the consequences of the failure. In most cases, detecting a potential failure does not actually prevent the spare from
failing, but still makes it possible to avoid or reduce the consequences of the failure. For example the necessary spares, personnel
and equipment could be made available, or the effected part could be changed out of production time before it actually fails.

11. P-F Curves and inspection interval timing [ go to Top of Page ]


The life of a component and the P-F curve are often confused. On-condition task frequencies are often based on the real or
imagined "life" of the item. If it exists at all, this life is usually many times greater than the P-F interval, so the task achieves

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

little or nothing. The component life is measured forward from the moment it enters service. On the other hand the P-F interval
is measured back from the functional failure to some point that a warning of the forthcoming function failure can be detected
(potential failure). The two concepts are often unrelated.

Figure 15 P-F curve and inspection interval timing [ Table of Figures ] [ Implementation Index ]

In the above example (Figure 15), the batch of components has a random failure pattern with two failures in the first year. Let us
assume that over a large batch these components have an average life of 3 years. From condition monitoring it has been
observed that these components have a P-F interval of about 4 months. Because they started to fail in the first year of service the
condition monitoring tasks must commence immediately after installation on a 2 monthly basis. The timing of the inspections
has nothing to do with the age or life of the component.

P-F curves can have considerable variation in length from minutes to months. A P-F curve of 4 months is desired because:

• fewer on-condition inspections are required


• there is more time to organise the people and materials needed to correct the potential failure
• it is easier to plan to correct the potential failure without disrupting operations or other maintenance activities
• it is possible to do whatever is necessary to avoid the consequences of the failure in a more considered and hence more
controlled fashion.

12. Condition based maintenance (CBM)


12.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Implementation Index ]

Earlier it was shown that due to the randomness of many failure modes, planned maintenance (based on time elapsed, machine
running time, machine cycles, etc.) will have limited effected on improving the performance machinery. Often it can actually
make it worse. In many situations it can prove cost effective to measure the condition of the equipment and plan maintenance as
required. This is known as condition based maintenance (CBM).

12.2. Operating Parameters

How best to monitor machine or bearing condition requires one to know which measurements to take and where and how to take
them. Commonly measured operating parameters include:

12.2.1. Vibration

In rolling element bearings, vibration results from the impact generated by a ball rolling over a defect. Methods such as Shock
Pulse and Spike Energy are used to detect bearing damage. Vibration measurements taken and trended over time can be a good
indication of bearing damage. Vibration is the best operating parameter to judge rotating machinery conditions such as balance,
alignment, bearing stability, and stress applied to components. Measuring the overall vibration of a machine; a rotor in relation
to a machine; or the structure of a machine, and comparing the measurement to its normal value (baseline reading) and alarm
setpoints, indicates the current health of the machine.

12.2.2. Temperature

Temperature measurement (Thermograph) is a useful indicator of electrical or mechanical condition such as the load applied to a
thrust bearing. As a bearing fails, friction causes its temperature to rise. The use of infrared cameras or installing thermocouple
Page 17 of 34
Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

sensors in the housing of a bearing and measuring temperature changes within the bearing or lubricant allows problems to be
recognised early (potential failure).

12.2.3. Lubricating Oil Analysis

Monitoring oil condition warns of an increase in foreign substances, such as water, (>2.5%) which can degrade the lubricating
properties of the oil and cause bearing failures. It also detects the presence of metallic particles carried into the oil stream. These
metallic particles are analysed to determine which part of the machine is wearing and how fast. Particle Counting and
Ferrograph are two analysis techniques.

12.2.4. Acoustics

Very high frequency, acoustically transmitted vibration is measured with a high frequency piezoelectric sensor. This sensor is
excited by compression waves produced by metal-to-metal contact and by metal as it mechanically fails. The acoustic flow
detection signal is conditioned to produce outputs which can be measured as numerical values on a meter. These measurements
are used to judge the overall condition of a bearing and evaluate local defects. This technique is highly effective in very early
detection of bearing failure.

12.2.5. The Human Senses

The simplest condition monitoring techniques are the four human senses (look, listen, feel, and smell)

Machinery faults such as:

• visible wear on slides.


• vibration levels from rotating equipment
• damage on conveyor belts, drive belts.
• tension adjustment on belts, drive chains.
• oil, water levels.
• pressure and other types of gauges can be monitored
• heat build-up on bearing housings refractory linings, etc.

They are not as accurate as the more scientific methods but still have considerable advantages:

• A human being is versatile and can detect a wide variety of failure conditions, (an infrared camera can only detect heat)
• Operators are always near the equipment so if a P-F curve is very short, an operator can check specified measurement
points many times a shift if necessary. The only alternative in the case of very short P-F curves is highly expensive on-
line monitoring equipment.

Many of these monitoring tasks are ideal for operators due to their close proximity to equipment. Skilled maintenance engineers
may not be always available to carry out these tasks and would prefer to be doing more highly skilled jobs.

12.2.6. Other Parameters

Information available in a machine's control system such as pressure, flow, and speed, or from machinery gauges can be
incorporated into a condition monitoring program for assessment and historical trending.

Figure 16 Summary of Condition Monitoring Techniques [ Table of Figures ] [ Implementation Index ]

Technique Measurement Point Instrumentation Skill Required Comments

Thermal

Contact Surface or Thermocouples, Little skill Label &


internally mounted crayons, labels required cray-ons
must be in contact etc. cheap
with hot surface alternative
to non
contact

Non Surface temperature Infra red cameras, Experience Easy to use,


contact measurements made Pyrometers needed to accurate
locate hot equipment
spots

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

Vibration

Overall/ Any moving component Vibration Skill required Wide range of


spectra typically rotating analysers/data for diagnosis equipment
machinery e.g. collectors, hand and measurement usually
bearing housing. held overall meters linked to
Transducer placed in software for
path of vibration analysis and
transmission trending

Bearing Bearing housings, as Detection meters Skill required Range of


Damage close to source of Shock pulse, Spike to position meters choice
vibration as energy, enveloped measuring depending on
possible signal etc. points operation

Performance

Flow Fluid flow through a Thermometric Skill required Application


pump venturi principle, to position determines
turbine element probes technique
type

Pressure Fluid in system Gauge, No skill Pressure


time/pressure required tappings,
required

Current Current required to Simple analysis Skill required Techniques


drive electric motor system, time domain in diagnosis useful
of spectrum transmission
analysis systems

Lubrication

Condition Any lubrication Portable lab kit or Some skill to Collection of


between wearing analytical lab apply relevant relevant
surfaces techniques tests

Wear Wear debris in Spectrographic Diagnostic Range of


Debris lubricant used analysis, On-line skill required techniques to
between wear systems, to distinguish suite size of
surfaces via Ferrography abnormal from wear
magnetic plugs, on normal wear particles to
line systems, oil be counted
sample

13. Vibration Analysis


13.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Implementation Index ]

Different machinery problems cause different types of vibration. For example, a bent shaft causes a machine to vibrate
differently to a worn bearing. Generally, these differences are indistinguishable to the touch or ear. However, with sensors and
micro-processors, some condition monitoring equipment coverts' vibration data into various plotted formats that are recorded
and analysed to help diagnose machinery problems. Vibration analysis is the analysis of these plotted vibration signals to
diagnose the cause(s) of abnormal vibration. Popular vibration analysis formats include overall vibration trend plots, time
waveforms, spectra analysis and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).

13.2. CBM Tours


Condition Based Maintenance utilising vibration analysis involves setting up "tours" (a list of condition based maintenance tasks
to be carried out). One particular tour may take place every two months. The measurements taken on this tour can be recorded
using a data collector and trended in a maintenance management package with automatic alarm signals if increases in vibration
signatures are recorded. The vibration measurement at each measurement point will vary dependent on the type of failure mode
being trended.

13.3. Overall Vibration

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

Overall vibration measures the total energy associated with all vibration frequencies coming from a given measurement point.
Overall vibration values are compared to past vibration measurements taken when the machine was in good running order.

13.4. Fast Fourier Transform


Because different types of problems often occur at different frequencies it is very useful to analyse measured vibration signals
with respect to frequency. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) can mathematically breakdown the overall vibration signal and
arrange it according to frequency. The amount of vibration occurring at any particular frequency is called the amplitude of
vibration at that frequency. FFT analysis can be very useful when analysing the causes of vibration. Vibration associated with
say a bent shaft or impeller problem will occur with the frequency of rotation of the shaft. Problems associated with the roller
bearings will occur at higher frequencies that are a function of the number of rollers in a bearing.

13.5. Failure Modes


A selection of common detectable failure modes are:

Imbalance: a peak at shaft speed.

Misalignment: typically 1x, 2x & 3x shaft speed

Looseness: often at 1x or 2x shaft speed

Bearing Damage: higher frequency peaks typically between 2 KHz and 5 KHz depending on shaft speed and transducer
resonance.

Electrical Problems: synchronous frequency and side bands.

Gear Damage: gear mesh frequency depending on shaft speed and number of teeth and side bands.

Oil Whirl: approximately half shaft speed.

Blade Damage: number of blades by shaft speed.

Cracked Shaft: typically 2x, 3x shaft speed.

Figure 17 Application of Condition Based Monitoring Techniques [ Table of Figures ] [ Implementation Index ]

Equipment Causes of Failure Techniques Comments

Fans Out of balance, Misalignment Overall acceleration, Spike Simple application using windowed
spectra
Bearing Damage, Aerodynamic energy measurement, Overall to trend deterioration in
specific faults.
forces, Belt problems Vibration, Vibration analysis, Equipment performance is
monitored by
Flow measurement measuring process parameters.

Filters Filter Blockage Pressure Measurement Allows change of filter by


condition

Pumps Misalignment, Bearing damage, Overall vibration, Vibration Windowed spectra to trend
deterioration in
Cavitation, Impeller damage, analysis, Overall acceleration, specific failure modes.
Cavitation can be
Hydraulic forces Spike energy measurement, Flow detected using frequency
analysis. Often
& Motor current measurement blade pass frequency indicated
hydraulic
problems

Turbo Out of balance, Misalignment, Proximity probe analysis, Turbomachinery is supercritical


and
machinery Flexing in shaft, Oil whirl, Temperature measurement, therefore requires multiplane
balancing.
Compressors/t Rubbing, Looseness, Aerodynamic Pressure measurement, Flow Process parameters provide a good

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

urbines forcing. measurement, Rundown tests indication of performance. Drops


in
process efficiency correlate with
deteriorating mechanical
condition

Reciprocating Out of balance, Misalignment, Vibration analysis, Overall Must be tested at same load and
speed.
Machinery Gearing faults, Looseness, Dynamic vibration, Performance Accurate diagnosis can be made
when the
Compressors, unbalance, Ancillary component measurement, Compression fundamental of each rotating
component is
engines faults checks, PV diagrams known

Transfer Bearing damage, Worn guides, Motor Overall vibration, Vibration Drive problems can be detected
using
equipment failure, Gearbox failure analysis, Spike energy, Cycle vibration analysis
time measurement, Gearbox oil
analysis

Resistance Worn electrodes, Insufficient Current measurement, Pressure These measurements are used as a
condition
welding pressure, Current setting, setting, Circuit resistance check and do not require
permanent
machines Pneumatic cylinder leaks, records.
Deterioration of jumper cables

Hydraulic Motor breakdown, Pump failure, Pressure measurement, Flow & Changes in flow rate and pressure
signal
powerpacks Valve problems temperature measurement, changes in piston rings, rotor or
gear
Vibration analysis, Spike condition.
Energy.

Section 4 Optimum Maintenance Tasks


Section 4 Optimum Maintenance Tasks [ go to Main Index ] [ Table of Figures and Diagrams ]
14. Plant Register (Asset Hierarchy)
14.1. Introduction
14.2. Hierarchy
15. Failure Modes Effects & (Criticality) Analysis (FME(C)A)
15.1. Introduction
15.2. Benefits
15.3. Maintenance Review
16. Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
17. Cause and Effect Diagrams (Fish Bone or Ishikawa Diagrams)
18. Reliability Centred Maintenance
18.1. Introduction
18.2. Seven Basic Questions
18.3. Implementing RCM
19. Review of Equipment Maintenance
19.1. Introduction
19.2. Reliability and Criticality Analysis
19.3. Maintenance Review
19.4. Maintenance Tasks
20. Why-Why Analysis
20.1. Introduction
20.2. Maintenance & Production Records
20.3. Example of Why Why

14. Plant Register (Asset Hierarchy)


14.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

Most organisations use, hundreds, if not thousands of physical assets. The assets range in size from small pumps to steel rolling
mills. They may be concentrated on one small site, or spread over thousands of square kilometres. The number and variety of
items means that it is necessary to draw up a comprehensive list of these assets for maintenance purposes, spares purchasing, or
accounting exercises. In maintaining equipment it must be possibly to identify individual spares and the effect of their failure on
the total plant This list is known as the plant register The plant register is a listing of the plant, equipment and buildings owned
or used by the organisation, which can require maintenance of any sort. In establishing a plant register a structured (or
hierarchical) approach to asset definition is required.

14.2. Hierarchy [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

Five terms must be defined

Spares (& Measurement Points), Item, Unit, Area & Plant

Spare: This is the lowest inventory level and is where the spare parts are found. Examples include, seals and bearings. All
maintenance actions are carried out at the spare level. When a gearbox fails it will be gears, bearings, seals or shafts that will
fail. Vibration analysis assesses the condition of individual bearings. In recording maintenance tasks, they must be attributed to a
spare. This enables historical analysis to be carried out in an FMEA and problem areas on machines can be identified from their
Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) and Mean Time To Repair (MTTR).

Mpoint & Parameter In many cases, an FMEA will lead to routing condition monitoring tasks. These tasks can vary from a
machine operator checking the fluid level in a site glass to specialist contractors carrying out crack detection tests on turbines.
Regardless of what type of inspection is being carried out, some parameter is being measured. For this parameter a pass and fail
standard must exist for comparison purposes. For some parameters such as vibration the positioning of the test probe is critical
for continuity of measurement. In these cases a measurement point (Mpoint) will be specified.

Item: An item is a collection of spare parts, For example a gearbox may consist of shafts, bearings and seals. Often items can be
replaced - a gearbox or motor can be exchanged for another item to carry out the same task.

Unit: A number of items may be grouped together to perform a specific function. A motor, gearbox, belt & rollers, together with
a frame will build up to form a belt conveyor.

Area: A number of units such as conveyors, weighing machines and packaging machines will build up to form an area of plant
that performs a specific function, i.e. packing area.

Plant: A number of areas will make up an entire plant e.g. ingredient mixing area, ovens, cooling area, and packaging area.
Often a plant will be a single cost centre.

Creating an asset hierarchy is a time consuming and complex task. This can be highlighted by the case of a water pump.

A main water pump in a hydro-electric station would be an area on its own because three levels would be required below the
pump level to describe all of the valves and hydraulic control gear needed to control the water flow.

In industry most motor/pumping units with associated valves and switch gear would be considered as a unit. The motor and
pump would be considered as items.

A motor/pump unit in a central heating system would not be serviced. In the hierarchy it could be treated as a spare.

Creating classifications may not be a simple task. In industry the hierarchy may be based on stages of the process. In building
services the classification may be based on location. Problems can arise when both may be applicable but they conflict.

15. Failure Modes Effects & (Criticality) Analysis (FME(C)A)


15.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

FMEA & FMECA (Ref. ) are engineering analysis that, if performed properly, can be of great value in assisting the decision
making process of the engineer during the design stage or maintenance review to analysis possible and existing modes of failures
of a piece of equipment. The analysis is often called a 'bottom up' analysis as it examines equipment at the spare level, and
considers the system failures that result from their different failure modes. In an FMECA analysis a relative criticality is
calculated for each failure mode.

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

15.2. Benefits [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

• It provides designers and maintenance engineers with an understanding of the structure of the system, and the factors
which influence reliability.
• It helps to identify items that are reliability sensitive or of high risk, and so gives a means of deciding priorities for
corrective action.
• It identifies where special effort is needed during manufacture, assembly or maintenance.
• It establishes if there are any operational constraints resulting from the design.
• It gives assurance to management and/or customers that reliability is being or has been properly addressed in the project.

A good FME(C)A will present in tabular form for each failure mode of all the components:

• The effect on sub-assemble, assembly, sub-system etc. to system level;


• likelihood of occurrence;
• severity and criticality (for a criticality analysis).

The report may also include further information, such as recommendations for:

manufacture and assembly (inspection, test, quality of components etc.);

maintenance (inspection, test, replacement periods etc.);

detectability (user, maintainer, etc.).

15.3. Maintenance Review [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

A maintenance review can be carried out using an FMECA approach to identify potential failure modes. This is done by
gathering the maintenance records of the plant. Accurately recorded data obviously aids the production of an optimised
maintenance plan. It is here that the benefit of associating all maintenance tasks to a particular spare becomes crucial to an
accurate review. The findings from the FMECA are then tabulated in the form of a work sheet. A FMECA worksheet with
typical columns is shown in Figure 18.

Figure 18 FMECA [ Table of Figures ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

FMECA Worksheet
PLANT AREA Unit

Plant No. 10 Packaging Carton Former

ITEM SPARE Mode of Warning Effect Root Cause CR. Task Pe R M


failure r

135 Glue system Electrical Connections Hard glue build up around Glue spills 9.8 Consider T DO
wiring get damaged elect. connect. onto rerouting hoses
by operators connections. & electrics
during Hot air gun
cleaning & knife used
to clean

136 Magazine Carton Varying Drops cartons - varying Incorrect 9 Train ops. in O T
gate carton pressure on gate setting of the setting up
performance gate sensor of sensor

137 Magazine Carton Carton Cartons pushed back or Ops change 8.6 Train ops. in O T
gate sensor dropped sensor to the setting up
incorrectly improve of sensor
set performance

138 Glue system Glue hoses Carbonised Hard glue breaks & Glue 7.2 PM system 1M T PM
glue builds contaminates nozzle carbonises flushing
up inside on walls
hoses over time

139 Infeed Infeed Miss-counting Short counts in pockets Various - 6.5 Tasks on flow
conveyor conveyor by collator see collator wrapper and
collator

Page 23 of 34
Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

140 Magazine Carton Excess Drops cartons Carton gate 6.4 Check and 1W O PM
gate carton gate sensor adjust carton
pressure operating gate sensor
incorrectly

141 Magazine Carton Vacuum Drops cartons Debris 5 Clean filters 1M T PM


gate filters/lines contamination and hoses
blocked

142 Glue system Electrical Hard glue Visual - glue drops off Excess 4.8 Consider T DO
build up underside of flap glue/glue rerouting
around incorrectly cables
electrical applied
connections

143 Conveyors Conveyors Carton gate Cartons drop Card debris 4 Clear cardboard 1W O PM
drops fouls from conveyors
cartons conveyors & and clutches
clutches

144 Glue system Glue Excess glue Glue over flow when flaps are Glue 3.2 Remove ability -- T DO
nozzle applied closed pressure too of operator to --
high adjust glue --
pressure

145 Magazine Carton Worn vacuum Drops cartons Normal wear 3.0 Inspect cups 1M T PM
gate cups and replace as
required

KEY Per = R=Responsible M = Maintenance


Periodicity Person Type

CR - OG = On 1M=Once per month T = technician C = Clean


criticality Going

1S = Once 1Y = Once per year O = operator T = Training


per shift

2D = Once N/A = not PM = planned


per 2 days applicable maintenance

1W = Once per CM=condition


week monitor

DO = Design Out

OF = On Failure

16. Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)


[ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

Fault Tree Analysis can be a very detailed process and is used in the analysis of complex systems. It complements FMECA in
that it is a "top-down" analysis, starting with a system fault (the top event) and analysing this fault in terms of sub-system faults.
For example in the nuclear industry the top event could be a leak of radio-active water from a heat exchanger. The heat
exchanger is then analysed to identify every possible way it could leak such as a leaking flange or cracked pipe. Each sub event
is then analysed to identify how each one could occur, such as incorrect flange packing fitted, incorrect flange pressure,
excessive water pressure, etc. One of the next levels would then be to identify all possible reasons for a pressure build up inside
the heat exchanger pipes. The process is complete when every possible root cause of a water leak form the heat exchanger has
been identified. Each event can have a probability associated to it. The same techniques as used in the chapter on Reliability
Block Diagrams can then be used to estimate the probability of a radio-active leak form the heat exchanger.

Example

In Figure 19 the top event is no liquid display on a calculator. This can be caused either because the LCD has failed, or because
there is no power reaching the display. The latter fault is analysed further, and may be caused by the faults shown, either switch
failed at off, or internal wiring failure, or no power to the calculator.

In this example the secondary basic events of:

Multiple failure of LCD's

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

Battery uncharged

No battery

will not be investigated because it does not really matter why the battery is uncharged or why the battery is missing.

The secondary basic events of:

Internal wiring or joint failure in the calculator

Wiring or joint failure in transformer could be investigated if desired. However it may be easier to replace the transformer or
calculator than try to fix them.

Fault trees utilise many different symbols, some similar to digital electronics e.g. AND gates (in which all of the inputs must
occur together for the event to operate) & OR Gates (in which only one of the events must occur for the event to operate).

Figure 19 Fault Tree for Calculator Display [ Table of Figures ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

17. Cause and Effect Diagrams (Fish Bone or Ishikawa Diagrams)

[ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

Fish bone diagrams are another graphical method of listing causes of an event. "The Top Event" is shown at the end of a
horizontal line on the right of the diagram. The major categories of possible causes are arranged as branches slanting off above
and below this line. Typical causes of the top event include the four "M's" - man, methods, materials, and machines. Specific
possible causes become the detailed twigs as shown in Figure 19.

Maintenance Practices & Procedures

Poor workmanship (man) can result in some of the errors such as misalignment. Errors such as impeller balance may result from
material (materials) build up on the impeller.

Page 25 of 34
Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

Equipment Design

The basic design of the machine (machine) may be deficient such as a seal design will not protect the lubricating oil from water
contamination.

Operating Practices

The system design may cause errors such as cavation. Inappropriate operating procedures (methods) such as frequent stop starts
may result in early machine failure.

The fish bone diagram helps to focus one's mind on the possible causes of equipment failure. Maintenance should look to cure
the cause and not the symptoms of the problem. For this reason causes should be pushed as far back as possible. Each possible
cause must then be analysed using techniques such as FMECA to analyse the exact cause of failure.

Figure 20 Fish Bone Diagram [ Table of Figures ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

18. Reliability Centred Maintenance


18.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

RCM grew from studies carried out during the development of the Boeing 747 (Ref. ). This work showed that the failure modes
of aircraft components are random dominated. At this time aircraft maintenance was based predominately on flying hours,
therefore, a new method of maintaining aircraft was considered appropriate. The RCM approach assumes no prior knowledge of
the components, a so-called zero-based or first principles approach. Each component in the aircraft was systematically analysed
to identify their failure modes and appropriate maintenance tasks were then assigned. This analysis is carried out by asking
seven questions about each asset.

18.2. Seven Basic Questions [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

1 What are the functions and associated performance standards of the asset in its present operating context?

Functions are categorised as follows:

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

On Line Functions that are in use continuously or at such frequency that personnel will be continuously aware of their state.

Standby Functions that are under the supervision of operations personnel but are used so infrequently that a special check is
required to identify (hidden) failures that have occurred.

2 In what ways does it fail to fulfil its functions (failure mode)?

The failure modes to be considered are:

1. Failures that have previously occurred on the equipment or similar machines.


2. Possible failures that have not occurred before but could have serious consequences.
3. Failure modes for which preventive maintenance has already been applied in order to prevent failure.

3 What causes each failure?

Each potential failure must be investigated to identify every possible cause. Maintenance actions are then put in place to tackle
the causes and not the symptoms of a failure. This stage of RCM must be controlled as time can be wasted investigating unlikely
causes of failure.

4 What happens when each functional failure occurs?

It is necessary to understand the consequences of each functional failure to determine if any preventative maintenance is actually
required.

5 In what way does each failure matter?

Once the failure consequences have been identified, they are categorised, which will aid in the determination of an appropriate
maintenance task.

6 What can be done to prevent each failure

The characteristics of the individual failure mode will determine which one of the four maintenance strategies will be chosen

7 What should be done if a suitable preventative task cannot be found. (default tasks)

An obvious maintenance task may not exist for some failure modes. RCM provides a detailed decision tree to ensure the correct
type of maintenance task is selected for each failure mode.

18.3. Implementing RCM [ go to Top of Page ]

RCM can be implemented through the setting up of cross-section review groups who will work through the above 'seven
questions' to develop the maintenance requirements for specified assets. The zero-based approach necessitates a high degree of
understanding of the asset being analysed. If the necessary skills do not exist within the company external specialists may be
invited to join the group to discuss specific problem areas. Each review group will be chaired by a facilitator who will control
the flow of information, ensuring it is recorded on specific RCM worksheets. The group will work together to answer the first
four of the 'seven questions'. The RCM Information Worksheets are used to record the answers to these questions:

• Function of the asset


• Functional failure
• Failure mode
• Failure effect

The next stage of RCM considers the final three of the 'seven questions' to evaluate the consequences of the failures and based
on the consequences, identify appropriated maintenance tasks. The RCM Decision Tree is used in this task. The output from the
groups will be RCM Decision Worksheets detailing:

• Item or component
• Proposed task
• Periodicity
• Trade

It is then the responsibility of maintenance and production management to introduce these revised tasks to the factory floor
employees.

Page 27 of 34
Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

19. Review of Equipment Maintenance


[ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

Figure 21 Review of Equipment Maintenance [ Table of Figures ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

19.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

The introduction of a comprehensive preventive maintenance program based on a thorough review of the operation and
maintenance of the plant is essential to achieve competitive production. An effective method of carrying out a maintenance
review is to use as a base line the experience of the plant that has been built into the existing maintenance program and
maintenance history rather than the 'zero-based' approach of Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM). To carry out an effective
review, it must be carried out in two stages:

19.2. Reliability and Criticality Analysis [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

A structured analysis of plant criticality (in terms of downtime, safety, quality etc.) is performed through the use of Reliability
Block Diagram modelling of the process derived from process flow diagrams This results in a prioritised list of equipment for
targeting in the next stage.

19.3. Maintenance Review [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

The optimum maintenance tasks for the targeted equipment are derived through a failure mode orientated (FMECA) review of
existing maintenance programs and history. The FMECA can be carried out by reviewing the plant maintenance history and
speaking to plant production and maintenance personnel using techniques such as Why-Why analysis (5 Whys).

19.4. Maintenance Tasks [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

This process will lead to specified maintenance tasks for each failure mode identified. The selected maintenance strategies for
the individual modes of failure will in general comprise, Design-out, Condition Monitoring, Fixed Time (planned) Maintenance,
and Opportunity Maintenance. Some items may also be allowed to run to failure. In assembling the plan for the plant,
maintenance resources and production windows will have a major influence on the maintenance program for the whole plant.
The process of assembling the plan will inevitably involve change in strategies and interactive approach to obtain the optimum
balance between ideal maintenance strategy, production constraints and maintenance resources. Figure 21 graphically represents
the procedure for carrying out a review of equipment maintenance (REM).

20. Why-Why Analysis

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20.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

Many companies will contain information about historical plant performance in a variety of sources such as maintenance records
and production records. This information can be useful in identifying the significant failure modes within the plant which can
then be targeted by revised maintenance tasks. The targeting of these failure modes will realise the maximum improvement in
plant performance for the least expenditure. However in many companies the paper based or computerised records will not
contain the required detail to enable the significant failure modes to be identified. MMSs and daily production records may also
record the same problem but it may be difficult to collate them together for various reasons.

20.2. Maintenance & Production Records [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

The down time on the daily production log would be the total time the machine was
stopped. The down time on the MMS may be the time the engineer was in attendance,
which may be considerably shorter.
1. Production personnel are often not technically minded and may put the warning effect down as the cause of failure, which
may bare no resemblance to the engineers' description of the same failure.
2. The location of the failure may vary considerably. Production operators may use different descriptions for machinery
from the maintenance department. The warning effect, as described by the production operators may occur in a different
location to the actual mode of failure as described by the maintenance department.
3. One department may be deliberately incorrectly describing a problem in-order to pass the blame to the other department.
4. Some breakdowns, for example product blockages, may not require the assistance of an engineer. Operators may accept
these problems as the norm and therefore not adequately record the details of the delay.

For these reasons it is vitally important to analyse fully the available maintenance records. By asking why, four or five times the
interviewee may be moved from using the warning effect as the mode of failure to describing the mode of failure itself.

20.3. Example of Why Why [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Optimisation Index ]

In the following example, fourteen biscuits are collated by the counting machine and then presented to the flow wrapper to be
wrapped. The pack collator then arranges three packs of fourteen biscuits together to be passed to the cartoning machine which
puts the three packs into a carton.

Why was the carton forming machine rejecting so many packs of cakes due to short pack counts in multipacks?

Poor performance by the collator results in it being unable to count and collate the required number of packs to be fed into the
cartoner.

Why was the smart feeder unable to collate the packs correctly?

The collator has difficulty in counting packs due to pack length variation. Broken biscuits along with poor quality seals results in
contamination of the drive conveyors.

Why are the packs varying in length, and why are the seals of poor quality?

Poorly arranged packs of biscuits by the counting machine are been being crushed by the cross seals of the flow wrapper
resulting in contaminated jaws and poor seals. Operators adjust the pack length to stop this happening.

Why are the packs of biscuits poorly arranged?

The cakes are held loosely because there are short cake counts in the packs.

Why is there short cake counts in the packs?

Because of various problems in the counting machine, cakes are being dropped.

In order to stop the carton former rejecting packs of cakes due to short pack counts in multipacks, it is necessary to concentrate
the maintenance actions on a machine upstream of the cartoning machine. A review of the performance of the counting machine
recommended a range of actions to improve its performance.

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

Section 5 Measure Maintenance Performance

Section 5 Measure Maintenance Performance [ go to Main Index ] [ Table of Figures and Diagrams ]
21. Maintenance Management System (MMS)
21.1. Introduction
21.2. Asset Manager
21.3. CBM Manager
21.4. Spares Manager
21.5. Work Control Manager
21.6. Report Manager
22. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
22.1. Introduction
22.2. Six big losses
22.3. Availability
22.4. Performance Efficiency
22.5. Yield
23. Pareto Analysis

21. Maintenance Management System (MMS)


21.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

Maintaining equipment involves the collection of large amounts of information to record historical equipment performance,
identify spares, etc. Historically this information has been held in paper based records. Large amounts of paper based records
can become difficult and expensive to store and analyse, errors and omissions can then easily take place. The development of the
Personnel Computer has been followed by an increasing choice of computerised Maintenance Management Systems (MMS)
which replaced the paper based records. MMS should perform functions such as:

21.2. Asset Manager [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

This example gives assess to the plant inventory . This is a multi-level hierarchical filing system using seven levels:

P Plant - Major system

A Area - Sub division of a plant

U Unit - Individual functional items of equipment

I Item - Sub assembly - highest sub division for in-situ repair or replacement

S Spare - Component that would be replaced on failure

The next two levels are used specifically in the condition based maintenance function (CBM Manager)

M Measurement Point - where is the measurement to be taken?

F Fault Parameter - with details of the measurement to be made to detect the fault

21.3. CBM Manager [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

The CBM Manager is used to generate routine inspections. This module includes the functionally required to organise, take
measurements and review trends and vibration spectra associated with condition based maintenance. These cbm tasks such as
vibration analysis can be taken paperless using hand held data collectors.

21.4. Spares Manager [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

The Spares Manager provides a stores and purchasing management system integrated with both the Asset Manager and Work
Control systems.

21.5. Work Control Manager [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

This module is used to generate and record details of planned maintenance tasks. The Work Control Manager specifies the
following information to be recorded against each maintenance task Figure 22).

Asset identification using the asset hierarchy

Asset Type, e.g. boiler, pump, motor.

Fault codes: The asset type will have a number of Fault Codes associated with it - e.g. excess vibration, will not start, monthly
PM check.

Asset code will be based on the asset hierarchy.

Expense codes can be used to define the type of cost being allocated to a job - e.g. mechanical labour, mechanical spares.

Job types define job categories, e.g. breakdown, preventative maintenance.

Priority codes are used to assist with prioritisation of work - e.g. IMMEDIATE must be done within one hour.

Skill level of the person to carry out task - e.g. fitter, electrician, operator

Figure 22 Job Details Page from a Work Control Module [ Table of Figures ]

21.6. Report Manager [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

This module can be used to produce maintenance performance reports of the users choice.

22. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)


22.1. Introduction [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

The section on reliability has discussed estimating and measuring equipment reliability to perform its intended function without
failure. Often companies are very good at recording the level of equipment breakdown. However this is only one of five reasons
why equipment is not performing up to the expected standards; availability is effected by down time; capacity lost is effected
by speed losses; and yield is effected by defect losses. In order to get the maximum performance or OEE from equipment the
"six big losses" must be eliminated:

22.2. Six big losses [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

Down Time:

Equipment failure - from breakdowns

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

Set-up and adjustment - changeovers

Speed Losses:

Idling and minor stoppages - due to the abnormal operation of sensors, blockages, contamination, etc.

Reduced speed - due to discrepancies between the design and actual speed of equipment (capacity derating over time).

Defect:

Process defects - due to scraps and quality defects to be repaired

Reduced yield - from machine start-up to stable production (following a batch change over or a shutdown).

22.3. Availability [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

It is necessary to define some terms.

Planned downtime, is the amount of time officially scheduled in the production plan, which includes, no orders, changeovers and
planned maintenance.

Loading Time, or the available time is derived by subtracting the planned downtime from the available time per day or week, etc.

Availability = Operating time

Loading time

= Loading Time -Down Time

Loading Time

22.4. Performance Efficiency [ go to Top of Page ] [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

Performance efficiency is the product of the operating speed rate and the net operating rate. The operating speed rate refers to
the discrepancy between the ideal speed (based on equipment capacity as designed) and its actual speed.

Operating speed rate = Theoretical Cycle Time.

Actual Cycle Time.

Equipment may be deliberately run at a slower speed due to, faulty equipment, quality problems etc.

The net operating rate measures the maintenance of a given speed over a given period. This calculates losses resulting from
minor recorded stoppages, as well as those that go unrecorded on the daily log sheets.

Operating Time

Net operating time = Actual Processing Time

Operating Time

= Processed Amount X Actual Cycle Time

Operating Time

Performance Efficiency = Net Operating Time X Operating Speed Rate

= Processed Amount X Actual Cycle Time. X Theoretical Cycle Time.

Operating Time Actual Cycle Time.

= Processed Amount X Theoretical Cycle Time.

Operating Time.

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22.5. Yield [ go to Top of Page ]

Yield = Process Amount - Defect Amount).

Processed Amount

OEE = Availability X Performance Efficiency X Yield

Figure 23 gives an example calculation of OEE.

Figure 23 Example Calculation of OEE [ Table of Figures ] [ Maintenance Performance Index ]

23. Pareto Analysis [ go to Top of Page ]


For maintenance management purposes it may be desirable to graphically represent historical maintenance data. This type of
data can be represented on histograms, pie-charts, etc. Another way of presenting data is to carry out a Pareto Analysis. This tool
can be applied to a wide range of maintenance control problems, for example, to highlight the relative importance of particular
key plant registers to the total maintenance effort on a line. The following histogram shows the maintenance man-hours recorded
against units numbers 1 to 30 in a 12 month period.

Figure 24 Man-Man Hours recorded against each unit number [ Table of Figures ]

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Maintenance Techniques and Analysis

Figure 25 Pareto Analysis of Maintenance Man-Hours recorded by unit [ Table of Figures ]

The Pareto analysis shows that unit numbers 23, 1, 15, 23, 18, 14, 28, 6, 13, 17, 2 & 4 have incurred the majority of the
maintenance man-hours. The maximum benefit would be gained if these 12 units were targeted to reduce their maintenance
requirement.

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