Up Time Magazine- February/March 2008

Figure 4 – Main buss duct with major heating problems. in time production and 24/7 availability of power is the expectation. A small problem with a disconnect, fuse clip or termination on one of the main distribution circuits can lead to a failure of critical operations. simulations can be run. Figure 6 By pulling power from a load bank, resistive load testing is used to fully simulate and test all equipment on the floor. Any problems that are encountered during an infrared survey should be repaired immediately and the system rechecked before putting the equipment back on-line. – Main disconnect for an important air compressor. The Organs The critical equipment, similar to the organs of the human body, is an area where many maintenance professionals focus well-deserved attention. What is defined as critical equipment is unique to your operation. I can generalize a little, which may lead you down the right path. In my experience, plant infrastructure such as boilers, chillers & air compressors all make the critical equipment list. Next is where your specific knowledge of your plant is crucial. Any equipment needed for the production of your product or process should be considered critical. I like to call this A-equipment, meaning that you have to have it, there is no back-up and/or your product or process would cease without it. No one wants to see a hot connection on their A-equipment (Figure 6). This example was caught before it failed, which is good, but damage had already occurred causing a need for extensive repairs. Figure 5 – Data center power distribution unit (PDU). The Brain Data centers, like the brain, must be nourished 100% of the time or catastrophe occurs. A loss in power to a data center can cost millions. The power, cooling and support systems are vital to the continuous flow of information and infrared predictive maintenance is a must. The power distribution panels (Figure 5), uninterruptible power supplies, automatic transfer switches, server farms and cooling systems must be checked with infrared thermography on a regular basis to insure excellent reliability. Since data center systems often cannot be tested on-line, they must be tested during “maintenance windows” or planned outages when the impact of testing is low, so that equipment is A-equipment, then this type of equipment would be B & C equipment – typically either not critical to operations or there are several pieces of back-up equipment in place. I have had many clients want to take valuable survey time to inspect these non-critical items that have little impact on overall plant operations. If you are working with time constraints, for instance, an 8-hour day in which to perform the survey, you do not waste the first couple of hours looking at small, less important electrical equipment like welders, battery chargers (Figure 7) or small control panels (Figure 8). This equipment should only be surveyed if there is time left after finishing the vital organs. That said, some B & C equipment has a way of shutting down an operation, but it is certainly not the a high priority. I am not saying these items should never be inspected, but they can be inspected say, every three years or every other year. Generally, every finding takes about the same amount of time to document, so it is wise to spend your time documenting important equipment first, then move to the less important equipment. In the case of multiple day Non-Critical Equipment If the critical Figure 7 – DC charger disconnect for a fork lift battery. 32 february/march 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Up Time Magazine- February/March 2008

Up Time Magazine- February/March 2008 Contents Upfront Upclose: Lessons Learned from the Walter Reed Story Information Technology: Parenting and Asset Performance Infrared: It's Alive! Lubrication: A Sense of Change Maintenance Management: PdM, Standardized Motor Testing: Being Well Connected Precision Maintenance: How to be Marketable Reliability: The Voyage of Wells Dairy Ultrasound: Two is Better Than One Vibration: Diagnosing a Cracked Shaft Upgrade: A Different Kind of Journey

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