Up Time Magazine- April/May 2008 - (Page 43) have failed first. As we carefully look at the outboard bearing (Figure 5), we see carbon deposited evenly on Maintenance Deficiencies 30% 1 the entire bearing. That’s evidence of lubrication being present right at Assembly/Installation Defects 25% 2 the time of failure. There is no damOff-Design Service 15% 3 age to this bearing. However, the Improper Operation 12% 4 inboard bearing was damaged – its riveted cage had broken. Why didn’t Fabrication or Processing 8% 5 the facility use the brass or bonze Faulty Design 6% 6 cages stipulated in the standards of the American Petroleum Industry, Material Defects 4% 7 API-610? That would be an interestFigure 3 - These seven cause categories cover ing issue to pursue. All we know is all machinery failures. that at the end of the investigation would be a person, and his actions, holes before you even think of installing a or inactions, or decisions, or indecisions… coupling hub”? What reliability improveCause % Incidence Probability Ranking ment processes does this facility have – or not have – that might have allowed this to happen? What’s my point? People make it happen. Puller holes can be provided by you, the lowly maintenance worker. They can also be mandated by the engineer who didn’t catch the deficiency when he last reviewed your specification document. No, puller holes should not have to be requested by the CEO of your company. You, the lowest man on the totem pole, are the one who can make a difference, one issue at a time, from this day forward. Shaft Alignment Rotalign® ULTRA Figure 4 - This mechanical seal shows that an antifriction bearing must have failed first. OPTALIGN® smart Seven Root Causes Cover All Failures When the dust settles, all machinery failures, be they pumps, motorcycle engines, home sewing machines, compressors or industrial gas turbines, fit into just seven cause categories. In Figure 3, you can see the percentages for refinery pumps. About 55% of the incidents involved maintenance and installation issues, and 27% related to operational parameters. A full 100% involved decisions, omissions, action or inaction by people. Well, no wonder we said “People Make It Happen.” h Watc O IDE e V n Onli ALIGNEO® A Fatal Pump Fire In 1982, a fatal incident in Texas resulted from a pump-related fire; Figures 4 and 5 show the mechanical seal and one of the two bearings involved. The seal scraped and galled as it contacted the surrounding stationary component in a multistage pump. But the pump ran for four years before the incident happened, and the seal couldn’t have scraped for four years. So, the bearing must www.uptimemagazine.com Figure 5 - Outboard bearing found in good condition (although exposed to high temp). Rotor dismantling produced a bucket of scrap, shown in Figure 6. Whose fault was that? All we would have needed to know was reflected in the failed gear coupling. Gear couplings are maintenance-intensive. The one that failed in this instance no longer had grease; a step was worn into it. At the time of the incident there was severe vibration, The right tool for every user, job and budget 305-591-8935 • www.ludeca.com 43 http://www.ludeca.com http://www.uptimemagazine.com
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