Global Plant Engineering - October 2010 - (Page 24)

Predictive diagnostics welcome surprise. One error in judgment call can result in an equipment failure sufficient to reduce or halt production. In some cases, a catastrophic event can rack up sevenfigure losses. Predictive Analytics provides early and actionable real-time warnings of impending equipment and process problems that otherwise would have gone undetected. These warnings enable operators to fix what needs to be fixed but not fix what doesn’t. They allow plants to move from reactive and time-based maintenance to proactive and predictive maintenance. Plants, therefore, improve their availability and reliability, increase efficiency and reduce mainMost plants lack proper intelligence to perform only the appropriate maintenance. tenance costs. Typically, the cost of getting ahead of a problem is 30% to 80% less with predictive technologies than without. pressures, vibration readings, ambient condiand provides exception-based notifications Predictive Analytics works by understandtions and more. It then takes actual real-time of developing problems to users. It does this ing that every piece of equipment is unique. sensor readings and compares them to that automatically, continuously and relentlessly, It develops the unique set of fingerprints for particular machine’s normal fingerprints. 24 hours a day. each individual Based upon Said differently, Predictive Analytics can Predictive Analytics provides early and piece of equipthe differences determine that, even though a temperature actionable real-time warnings of impending between real ment across all reading is in the middle of the minimum/ known loads, time and normaximum range, the sensor value is abequipment and process problems that ambient conmal, along with normal for a particular piece of equipotherwise would have gone undetected. ditions and their persistence, ment in the context of its unique operating operating contexts. It calculates the proper Predictive Analytics detects and isolates conditions. operational relationships among all relevant abnormal behavior, in the context of operatInstead of plant personnel sorting through parameters, such as loads, temperatures, ing conditions. It then posts these incidents vast amounts of data to extract meaningful

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Global Plant Engineering - October 2010

Global Plant Engineering - October 2010
Contents
Comment
Global Views
Hannover Messe Report
Asia Report
Americas Report
Winning the Race Against Equipment Failure
Take 8 Steps to Debug Process Control System
Optimize the Enterprise: Measurement, Empowerment, and Control are the Essential Ingredients
Air Apparent: Compressed Air Audits Let You Find the Leaks in Your System
The Promise of the Smart Grid: A Flexible, Dynamic Energy Management System
Europe Report

Global Plant Engineering - October 2010