Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/825468
www.machinerylubrication.com | May - June 2017 | 5 On the right side of the table, list the condition monitoring options. I have identified heat gun/thermography, inspection, vibra- tion and oil analysis. In the pink area of the table, put O marks under each root cause that is detectable by the condition monitoring method. One O is for slightly effective, two are for moderate, and three are for highly effective. Finally, tally up the number of X's and O's in the columns below the root causes. For instance, under water contamination, there are seven X's and six O's. Ideally, the number of O's should be more than the number of X's, or at least close. The number of O's should never be fewer than four for a given root cause. The purpose of this is to align the condition monitoring strategy with the ranked failure modes and their root causes. Inspection and the Power Frequency The best countermeasure for short P-F intervals is constant inspec- tion and measurement. For many machines, real-time monitoring with imbedded sensors is justified, especially for high-speed, high-risk machines. This enables instant detection of certain root causes and symptoms. However, this is not a practical reality for the vast majority of common plant machines. Instead, a more realistic and simple solu- tion for early detection must be achieved. There is no better option than skillful and motivated daily inspection aided by inspection windows and tools. Often the simplest solution is best. How do you get the optimum level of reliability at the lowest possible cost? Inspection presents some benefits and advantages that are difficult, if not impossible, to dupli- cate with other condition monitoring options. These include: • Inexpensive, simple, lasting deployment • Operator-driven • More emphasis on examination skills, less on technology • Root-cause-oriented to avoid developing fault bubbles; more proactive, less reactive • Early fault detection; more predictive; fewer misses and "just- in-time" saves • The power of frequency and the one-minute daily inspection We all seek more for less, and no one likes the pain and frustra- tion that often come with exceedingly complex solutions to simple problems. KISS (keep it simple, stupid!) solutions should always be your first priority. Their application is at the core of inspection. No array of sensors and computer intelligence can outperform a human inspector at a large number of condition monitoring tasks. Ballooning and Escalating The unique nature of fault bubbles cannot be misunderstood or understated. These are rapidly ballooning and escalating events. Many lie in the shadows and go unnoticed, and then suddenly burst and do their damage. The belief that all failures are like a tire's tread wear —slow and progressive — must be discarded. With the full understanding and respect that fault bubbles command must come a vigilant reliability culture of education, condition monitoring and frequent inspection. This is my main message. About the Author Jim Fitch has a wealth of "in the trenches" experience in lubrica- tion, oil analysis, tribology and machiner y failure investigations. Over the past two decades, he has presented hundreds of courses on these subjects. Jim has published more than 200 technical ar ticles, papers and publications. He ser ves as a U.S. delegate to the ISO tribology and oil analysis working group. Since 2002, he has been the director and a board member of the International Council for Machiner y Lubrica- tion. He is the CEO and a co-founder of Noria Corporation. Contact Jim at jf itch@noria.com.