Key points
Here, Frederic Thomas, Managing Director at AVT Reliability at Warrington, Cheshire, looks at how technology has changed the way that Condition Monitoring is carried out and how it is improving reliability and helping manufacturers manage asset costs better.
“Technology is driving evolution in the area of Condition Monitoring (CM) in conjunction with manufacturers’ needs to manage costs and improve machine reliability”.
Condition monitoring utilises a variety of measurement tools to monitor a machine’s performance in order to detect changes that may indicate a developing fault.
This allows identification of a defect at an early stage, enabling engineers to take corrective steps before it leads to failure and lost production. Condition monitoring is widely used on most rotating equipment such as pumps, augers, electric motors, conveyors and as such, forms a vital element in a modern production process.
As well as avoiding a piece of equipment reaching a stage where it results in costly downtime, a technology-based Condition Monitoring program can help maximise efficiency.
In addition to this, it can offer wider business-related advantages such as a reduction in spare part inventory as replacement parts can be predicted more accurately. All of this is essential for manufacturers looking to gain a competitive edge.
The evolution of Condition Monitoring
Condition monitoring has evolved from a position where maintenance engineers often had to dismantle and reassemble equipment at set intervals in order to determine its condition, to one where tasks such as vibration, lubrication and thermal analysis are carried out continually – all whilst the machine is running.
This has resulted in significant improvements in the efficiency of the production process, whilst providing better quality data from a live manufacturing environment.
In fact, one of the more recent issues is that the quantity of data generated, all of which is highly accurate and ‘live’, meant that some Condition Monitoring programs were in danger of overloading engineers with too much information.
We identified this potential problem a number of years ago and as a result focussed our efforts on creating a low cost, easy to use system that could present the data in a visual, easy to read format.
Trending and Root Cause Analysis
The latest Condition Monitoring programs use a number of parameters including vibration and lubrication analysis, thermal imaging and ultrasound amongst others.
These are capable of generating a huge amount of high-quality data for each piece of equipment, therefore the effectiveness of a Condition Monitoring program has shifted from how the data is gathered, to one where the manner in which it is presented can make all the difference.
Software that enables the operators and engineers to analyse and trend this data is now critical in allowing them to make informed decisions about a piece of equipment. Once this method of trending and analysing the data is set up, the operation of a Condition Monitoring program becomes routine.
So, for example, if the operating parameters are stable, no action is required. However, if these parameters begin to show adverse trends, the maintenance teams can quickly identify the cause, allowing them to determine the corrective action before failure occurs.
These improvements in trending data is changing the perception of Condition Monitoring. Previously it may have been thought of as a burden due to the sheer cost of hardware, training and experience required to ensure that maintenance staff were competent in its correct use and also be able to interpret the vibration spectrum. Advances in the way data is now presented has transformed its usability.
This user-friendly hardware and software, which is cost effective even for small organisations, incorporates features such as automatic fault diagnosis assistants that identifies potential issues with rotating equipment before it results in failure.
Crucially, manufacturers now don’t even need to have highly qualified reliability engineers on site anymore as the software has been designed to present data in a simple, intuitive manner.
In terms of functionality, these kinds of solutions integrate all condition monitoring techniques with watch keeping data, enabling effective maintenance planning and management reporting.
Many incorporate vibration analysis hardware and software that runs on off-the-shelf tablets or PDAs via the internet; making them a versatile and cost-effective method of helping engineers implement a Condition Monitoring regime.
These kinds of advances place a powerful tool within the reach of engineers, whilst utilising the power of the internet to ensure that the user is never alone with the analysis of raw data from a critical piece of machinery.
The algorithms used in these new Condition Monitoring systems have been developing using thousands of hours of data coupled with field experience of vibration analysis engineers. Generally, these tools take multiple vibration measurement readings from an asset to assess the likelihood of faults being present.
This is completed in a similar time frame to better evaluate different failure modes. As well as helping to identify faults present in the asset, the assistant also suggests verification steps to confirm the diagnosis.
Five typical reasons why traditional condition monitoring has limited impact in many companies:
- The cost of deployment versus return on investment – if this is no longer the case would you not deploy your condition monitoring to more assets in your plant?
- Poor performance indicator of the program – but now, our Machine Sentry® includes a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboard dedicated to demonstrating the performance of the condition monitoring program. KPIs reported include: schedule compliance, cost benefit analysis and a range of reports dedicated to ensuring compliance and support of your maintenance strategy.
- Poor analysis as a consequence of a lack of experience and training – An effective Condition Monitoring system should include an in-built Fault Diagnosis Assistant (FDA) that can automatically detect certain fault conditions and advise you of potential solutions.
- The time required to collect data – Traditional data-collectors have been slow and this has often dissuaded manufacturers from using a Condition Monitoring program. However, the latest systems are able to collect data in a 1/5 of the time required of traditional methods.
- Large multi-site locations – In businesses where the Condition Monitoring engineer is responsible for making measurements at multiple sites, the time taken to visit each site and collect data can outweigh the value. We overcame this issue by simplifying data collection enabling it to be easily performed by onsite engineers. Using the power of the internet, the data is then seamlessly uploaded to a central database that can be reviewed by an authorised person anywhere in the world.
Summary
Traditionally, it has been difficult to justify the cost to implement and operate a Condition Monitoring program. Training and retaining key personnel is both challenging and expensive.
However, the latest systems have changed this by improving usability, combined with a focus on keeping costs low by the use of ‘off the shelf’ mobile devices for data collection.
In addition there is no longer a need to invest in expensive training as internet hosted software allows the end user to have access to specialist engineers from anywhere in the world.
Latest Condition Monitoring programs therefore provide engineers with accurate advanced knowledge of imminent equipment failure, allowing them to carry out maintenance before it results in lost production.
An ability to instantly see when a piece of equipment tracks from the norm has become a vital part of managing an efficient production process. Offsetting the downtime that would otherwise occur against the more cost effective technology-based Condition Monitoring systems means that the investment can quickly achieve a positive return.
Many process operators also find that with latest Condition Monitoring programs it means it is now possible to plan repairs and maintenance in advance. This is conducted in a controlled environment that results in minimum disruption to the system, for example, during periods of low demand or planned shutdown.
Technology-based Condition Monitoring is a valuable tool in achieving system reliability and throughput. Over the next few years, as its benefits become more widely understood, its uptake is likely to increase.
