Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008 - (Page 47)

So, process plants would do well in thoroughly explaining many needed factors and many abnormalities. Among them, you will find: • Conditions that could cause bearings to be deprived of lubrication even though constant level lubricators are full of oil • Operating conditions where plenty of cooling water is applied, but bearings fail due to overheating • Situations where compressor suction drums are free of liquid, but liquid is found in the compressor and causes serious damage • Unacceptable flow conditions that will drastically reduce pump life • Pump switch-over and warm-up issues that have reliability impact And, while the aforementioned can often be remedied by informed operators, other misunderstandings are best addressed by informed engineers and managers. They, too, need training. • Catastrophic failure and loss of life occurred because there was water in the lube oil Where Only a Competent Operator Can Avoid Machinery Failure There are many areas where only a wellinformed, competent and conscientious operator can avoid equipment failures. In each of these areas, success is linked to “operator buy-in.” In other words, things are more likely to be done in a timely and procedurally correct fashion if the operator understands not only how, but also why a reliability-focused plant engages in: • Slow rolling (warm-up) of turbines • Measures that prevent water slugging of turbines • Understanding contaminated lube oil: How bad is bad? • Exercising steam turbine T/T valves My point is simple: A well-trained work force is essential to safety and reliability performance. Process plants and utilities can reverse unfavorable trends by paying attention to training topics that limit exposure to philosophies, and by emphasizing the tangible details to which operators and mechanical work force members can respond. Heinz P. Bloch (hpbloch@mchsi.com) is a professional engineer with offices in West Des Moines, Iowa. He advises process and power plants worldwide on reliability improvement and maintenance cost reduction opportunities. Heinz is the author of 17 full-length texts and over 400 papers and technical articles. His most recent texts include “A Practical Guide to Compressor Technology” (2006, John Wiley & Sons, NY, ISBN 0-471-727930-8); “Pump User’s Handbook: Life Extension,” (2006, Fairmont Publishing Company, Lilburn, ISBN 0-88173-517-5) and “Machinery Uptime Improvement,” (2006, Elsevier-Butterworth-Heinemann, Stoneham, MA, ISBN 0-7506-7725-2) Misunderstandings Involving Engineering and Specifications Plants that subscribe to the logical premise that operations, maintenance and technical groups must cooperate will encourage their engineers to participate in operator training sessions. At a recent training location, engineers and maintenance technicians benefited from the functionally overlapping learning experiences. They were apprised of and learned why and how: • Vented bearing housings are being phased out • Lubrication by oil rings often has serious shortcomings • Oil mist lube: Why so successful at some locations and seemingly deemed of little value elsewhere • Mechanical modifications can extend bearing life • In certain easily definable pumping services mechanical seals do not require external flush fluids www.uptimemagazine.com 47 http://www.alignmentsupplies.com http://www.uptimemagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008

Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008 Contents Upfront Upclose: An Asset Management Oasis in the Desert Information Technology: Streamlining Through Simplicity Lubrication: Phases for Framing a Solid Foundation Infrared: Do Your Homework Before You Buy Maintenance Management: Get It Together by Getting Together Motor Testing: Key Elements in Motor Decision Making Precision Maintenance: Shedding Some Light on Tolerances Reliability: RCM & the Mortgage Meltdown Ultrasound: A Multidimensional Tool Vibration: The Whirling Pump Mystery, Solved with ODS Upgrade: Are You Looking in the Right Place for Your Wear Debris?

Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.