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Equipment
becomes more reliable, costs go down, and behaviors change along the way.
The key is focusing on results?the kind of results that will get people's
attention on the plant floor as well as in the key decisionmakers' offices.
Select the equipment that, if it ran better and was more reliable, would
generate sizeable savings. But more importantly, choose equipment that
would generate more throughput and revenue. Focus on that equipment and
virtually pull out all the stops. Put the applicable "best practices in
place" only on that equipment and help everyone understand why. |
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For other articles related
to this topic visit the RCM section of the
Reference Library.
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| Browse the . . . |
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| where you'll find titles
on
plant engineering and maintenance
topics from A to Z, including John Moubray's book entitled Reliability
Centered Maintenance. |
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| But beware!
The biggest mistake I have seen companies make is that they begin with
a "focus on results" approach. Then somewhere just a short distance into
the mission, they default to the same old thing?implementing a program
on a broad scale?and they lose sight of what they set out to do: improve
the reliability of a selected piece of equipment. It's fairly easy to become
enamored with setting up a new program to improve broadscale performance.
It's fairly easy to get a small group of people rallied around a maintenance
improvement project. The problem with this "activity-based" approach is
that the enthusiasm typically runs out before the sustainable results are
realized. How many times have we heard about successfully installing a
CMMS, or a preventive maintenance program, or a training program but then
we haven't been able to show the top decisionmakers a return on investment?
Or perhaps short?term improvements just were not sustained. |
| Here is
the key: Stay focused on results. If the goal is to improve performance,
be specific. Focus on the desired results, and measure the progress every
step of the way. If it doesn't improve, try something else. Engage the
people who work in, on, and around the equipment in the improvement activities
every step of the way if you hope to change, or at least influence, the
way they operate and maintain the equipment. |
| For example,
one of our clients had a lube oil problem. In a recent three-month period,
they spent more than $70,000 on lube oils for rotating equipment (compressors,
engines, pumps, etc.). This was excessive and had to be attacked. When
focusing on improving the performance of four pieces of rather large critical
equipment, we repeatedly stressed the need to not just stop oil leaks but
seek to eliminate the causes. Two reasons were discussed. One was easy:
By stopping leaks, we will reduce the cost of lube oils. The second reason,
which was not as obvious, was also easy: Leaking lube oil means that a
component that depends on regular lubrication is probably not getting it.
And this type of leak will result in premature equipment failure. |
| After spending
a day on the equipment with the operators and maintenance mechanics discussing
the woes of leaking lube oil, the oil consumption was reduced from an average
of 12 to 14 gallons per day down to four gallons. The workplace and the
equipment looked cleaner because the leaks were eliminated, and it definitely
was easier to work there without getting dirty and oily. |
| The next
step was to address contamination found in the lube oil that contributes
to premature failure since these four large machines have each experienced
a catastrophic failure within the past 12 months and signs of lubrication
problems were discovered. The same work group found at least four sources
of water and sand getting into the oil: |
The bulk oil tank had a screw cap (bung)
in the top, and it was stored outside.
The rubber oil transfer lines were draped
over the handrail, also outside.
The fittings and hoses from the bulk
oil tank to the day tank and from the day tank to the equipment were designed
for compressed air, not liquids.
The pump used to transfer oil to the
equipment was stored on the floor with its inlet and outlet ports uncovered.
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| We also
found that oil sampling and analysis was done on an intermittent basis
and never on the new oil from the bulk tank. |
| The good
news is that they have begun hard piping the oil lines, storing the bulk
tank under cover, and have developed a procedure for regularly sampling
oil from the bulk tank and the equipment. |
| I tell this
story because it is an example of focusing on results. Our client could
have lost focus and implemented a massive lube oil cost? cutting program
by stopping leaks. In their work culture, it is commonly believed that
"Equipment is designed to leak" and "Leak containment is what we need to
do." Results were achieved and new practices were learned by involving
the workgroup in a focus on four specific machines. There was a clear business
case to improve performance and reduce costs. The benefits of this short
session were seen not only by the workgroup but also by the management
and leadership at many levels in the organization. The next step is to
build on this success and target other reliability and work culture issues
on the same equipment. |
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