Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/730290
FROM THE FIELD M a i n t e n a n c e a n d R e l i a b i l i t y I Machines to the Proper have written several articles on inspection recently, as I strongly believe it is foundational to condi- tion monitoring, machine reliability and asset management. My last Machinery Lubri- cation column introduced the term "Inspection 2.0" to differentiate conven- tional inspection practices from the intense, probing and purposeful methods needed to optimize benefits. As common as inspection activities may be in any plant, Inspection 2.0 is largely untapped in my opinion. In fact, it is delusional to imagine world-class reliability without the coexis- tence of world-class inspection. Inspection 2.0 borrows from many battle-tested philosophies, including the practice of autonomous maintenance advanced by total productive maintenance (TPM) doctrine. However, not detailed in these philosophies is the "how-to" to move an organization past the inspection status quo to the real game-changing opportunity that eludes their view. I plan to address these differences and the "how- to" tactics in several upcoming Machinery Lubrication articles. This article introduces the concept of machine readiness as a critical enabler to Inspection 2.0. An inspector who is eager to determine the state of machine health — good or bad — needs help from the machine. What hurts, where does it hurt and what are the symptoms of being hurt? Information exchange, like basic commu- nication, is a two-way street. There is a need to enhance the quality of machine-transmitted conditions so the inspector gets a clear and complete picture of the state of the machine's health. Now, assume that each and every machine in your plant is not yet Inspection 2.0 ready. That is very likely the case. Opportunity is knocking! Work Backward Start by compiling a list of machine faults and root causes you want your inspection program to reveal. This is generally a list of all the things that could go wrong that you definitely don't want to go wrong without adequate (early) warning. There is usually a need for some prioritization related to the list. Criticality analysis helps define the probability and consequences of failure. Failure mode ranking (e.g., failure modes and effects analysis) delineates specific failure mode pathways, starting with root causes, that could possibly occur. Next, take this prioritized list and construct an inspection gameplan that will reveal each of these alert conditions in real time. For instance, how might shaf t misalignment be quickly recognized or aerated lube oil immediately detected? Is the machine currently able to reveal these inspection facts? If not, what modi- fications are necessar y? Do the same with the other failure modes as you move down the list. AS I SEE IT Jim Fi t ch | Nori a Corpor at ioN State of INSPECTION GETTING READINESS 2 | September - October 2016 | www.machinerylubrication.com