Managing a Condition Monitoring Program

Get the Monitoring Right!

Summary
This article explores the business processes required to support condition monitoring activities to ensure they are justified and effective. In doing so, it suggests a systematic approach to generated information.

MB02018

Dr Brian Murray 9 pages May 2002 SKF Reliability Systems @ptitudeXchange 5271 Viewridge Court San Diego, CA 92123 United States tel. +1 858 496 3554 fax +1 858 496 3555 email: info@aptitudexchange.com Internet: www.aptitudexchange.com

Use of this document is governed by the terms and conditions contained in @ptitudeXchange.

Managing a Condition Monitoring Program

Introduction

a group of activities involving the collection and interpretation of data to form a view on the condition of plant and equipment. Condition Based Maintenance, on the other hand, is an approach to asset management, encapsulated in a maintenance philosophy. This distinction is important for several reasons. Many organizations practice condition monitoring without fully implementing a CBM strategy. This often means that potential benefits are not fully realized, and optimum return on expenditure of capital and effort is not achieved. Furthermore, if condition monitoring is relied upon to ensure asset integrity, an appropriate business process (i.e. CBM) must surround the activities to protect the organization from exposure to unplanned losses. In this respect, the principle concerns are not related to equipment or software, but rather about who does what in the organization and why. The term Condition Based Monitoring is also sometimes heard. This is arguably corruption of the two terms previously referred to, and hence has no real meaning! These are the issues explored in this paper.

In the wealth of available literature on the subject of Predictive Maintenance / Condition Monitoring, little emphasis is placed on management and planning issues surrounding such a program. The terms Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) and Condition Monitoring are not synonymous. Condition Monitoring can be considered to comprise a series of tools aimed at allowing us to learn about the condition of plant and equipment. Within that toolbox a considerable variety of techniques are available. These range from a number of objective technologies (vibration analysis) to more subjective measures (visual inspection by technicians and operators). However, as the name suggests, these are all monitoring techniques. In order to practice Condition Based Maintenance additional business processes need to be put into place. These processes act on the knowledge gained from Condition Monitoring activities to ensure: Appropriate corrective measures are undertaken Unnecessary maintenance activities are eliminated

The Condition Monitoring Toolkit

Thus, CBM and Condition Monitoring are not the same. Condition Monitoring is essentially

The condition monitoring toolkit is outlined above. These are just some of the tools available to support condition-monitoring activities. 2

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Managing a Condition Monitoring Program Vibration monitoring is well established as one mean of ensuring the integrity of rotating equipment. When properly implemented its effectiveness is well proven by field experience. Similarly, Lube Oil Analysis found its place in almost all North Sea operations, both as a means of verifying the suitability of the lubricant for further service, and as a means of detecting the early signs of failure through the presence of debris or contaminants in the lube oil. A variety of special techniques for verifying the health of electrical machines exist. They include: Thermography Partial Discharge Testing Study of Distinctive HF Electrical Signals (indicate loss of insulation integrity) In the following section we look at what is involved in planning these activities.

Failure Characteristics

Figure 1. Failure Characteristics: One of the Most Fundamental Ideas in Maintenance Planning.

Machines fail in various ways. The machine has a predictable life, so appropriate maintenance or overhaul activities can be planned. However, some machines exhibit more random failure characteristics. For such machines, probability of early failure is almost the same as probability of failure after a long life in service. This could arise as a result of unpredictability in material behavior, but experience suggests that random failures are usually the result of mal-operation, overload, or another external factor that the machines designer could not foresee. Calendar or running-hours based maintenance interventions are likely to be ineffective for machines that exhibit random failure characteristics. The only practical option is to identify measurement parameters indicative of machine degradation, and schedule maintenance when the machine shows signs of distress. In other words, Maintaining on Condition is the only approach to ensure asset integrity when faced with random failures.

Performance monitoring is widely practiced on pumps, turbines, and compressors to detect wear or fouling that can reduce machine integrity and process efficiency. This data may also be used for early detection of various machinery problems. For example: On water injection pumps, a loss of head/flow performance is often the precursor to thrust bearing failure. On aero-derivative turbines fouling of the compressor can significantly shorten the turbines life as a result of elevated firing temperatures.

Arguably, one of the most effective means of undertaking condition monitoring is the implementation of routine operator and maintainer checks. Typically, this data provides vital condition information that requires management and action in exactly the same way as the most sophisticated vibration analysis.

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Managing a Condition Monitoring Program However, it is not uncommon to determine the check interval according to machine criticality. For example, a company may decide that highly critical pumps warrant monthly monitoring, while medium criticality pumps are only checked every three months. In reality this means the user simply hopes for the best two months out of three, as there is no condition data! Sometimes, monitoring tasks are scheduled on a 12 month basis, often related to the frequency of planned maintenance activity replaced by condition monitoring. The value of tasks carried out at such an extended interval is usually questionable since they really amount to occasional condition assessment rather than condition monitoring. Targeting Condition Monitoring Effort

Figure 2. The Benefits of Condition Based Maintenance.

Targeting Effort

Figure 3. Monitoring Frequencies.

Condition monitoring involves expenditure on equipment to facilitate the required measurements, and collect and record data. Such expenditure must be justified. A widely accepted way of setting the interval between condition monitoring surveys is to study at the p-f interval. In other words, study the warning time obtained from a clear change in the observed parameter to the point where failure occurs. The inspection interval is then typically set at 1/3rd of the p-f interval.

Figure 4. Targeting Condition Monitoring Efforts.

Reliability Centered Maintenance has gained some acceptance as means of selecting an appropriate maintenance strategy.

Figure 4 shows (in a simplified form) how The criticality of an equipment item does not analysis would proceed in terms of watch have significance when setting the inspection keeping and condition monitoring activities. interval. It is the sensitivity of the monitoring The first step is to determine the equipments technique that determines (via the p-f interval) plausible failure modes. If these failure modes inspection frequency. The machines do not have consequence from a safety, criticality then becomes a factor when commercial, or environmental perspective, the deciding whether the benefit of condition process does not proceeds. However, if a monitoring is sufficient to justify cost. 2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved

Managing a Condition Monitoring Program maintenance defense is required to mitigate the consequences of failure, then selection proceeds by a process of elimination from first line housekeeping tasks (lubrication, routine servicing, etc.) to the consideration of more objective condition monitoring technologies. If a technically effective monitoring task can be defined it is likely to be the selected maintenance strategy, subject to verifying its cost effectiveness. Experience dictates that a risk-based approach offers much more, by allowing the cost of a monitoring activity to be directly evaluated against the risk associated with equipment failure. Where the failure mode is considered to be critical, but condition monitoring is not viable, the analysis proceeds to consider time based intervention, or if all else fails, the designing out of failure mode. Setting Watch Keeping and Condition Monitoring Strategy Figure 5 illustrates several issues. If condition monitoring is selected as maintenance defense, it is necessary to go further and define the monitoring parameter. Occasionally, this is simple, such as an overall measurement of vibration level or temperature. More commonly, it is a derived parameter, such as the vibration component at 1x running speed, or the turbine exhaust temperature corrected to allow for load and ambient temperature. The action limits must also be defined to complete the process. These ideas are illustrated in the following case study.

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Managing a Condition Monitoring Program

Figure 5. A Risk Based Approach to Watch Keeping and Condition Monitoring.

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Managing a Condition Monitoring Program

Case Study Centrifugal Gas Compressor

to decide on acceptable seal oil leakage rates or a valid sign of high vibration carries it out. A watch keeper needs more support in analysis and diagnosis. Also, if critical variables are left as numbers on a log sheet, can we be sure that proactive decisions will be made on time? The introduction of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) for watch keeping and first line maintenance data addresses this issue. Software is now available to analyze raw data and automatically prompt operators and supervisors toward appropriate action when acceptable limits are exceeded.

Figure 6. Planned Maintenance Routine for a Centrifugal Gas Compressor.

Figure 6 outlines a planned maintenance routine for six monthly inspections of a gas compressor system. The example is typical of current North Sea practice. The routine seems reasonable and addresses some plausible and critical failure modes with technically competent tasks. It is essentially a condition monitoring routine, since the tasks it comprises are aimed at gathering information about compressor health. However, when viewed in the context of this discussion, other issues emerge. First, sixmonthly intervals between checks on filter DPs, seal oil leakage rates, or general inspection for leaks is excessive. In reality, watch keepers on their daily rounds address much of this. The same is true of vibration checks since these are carried out as part of the installations vibration monitoring program. This is all a question of aligning the activity frequency with the p-f interval. However, not everything in this routine can replace by watch keepers tasks.

The CBM Business Process

Figure 7. Business Process for CBM.

Figure 7 illustrates the business process required to raise maintenance on condition to the same level as planned intervention. The collected data may include: Vibration Lube Oil Samples Visual Inspection Oil Top Up Quantities

Exceptions are identified through a process The value of the PM routine is its of calculations and comparison with action registration in the Maintenance Management limits. These calculations and action limits System, which provides a clear audit trail to show its stats. A specialist who is competent 2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved

Managing a Condition Monitoring Program are part of the documentation strategy and should be available for examination. In the event of an alarm condition, a process of analysis and diagnosis is initiated. A competent specialist usually undertakes this activity. However, front line technicians are increasingly taking over this work with the assistance of decision support software systems. The event is then closed out when an appropriate corrective action is taken and verified, and the outcome is recorded. Condition monitoring software provides an audit trail through this process, in the same way a Computerized Maintenance Management System provides an audit trail through planned maintenance events. This means that compliance can be demonstrated to partners and regulatory bodies, which includes complete supporting information: What activity was performed, and when did it occur? Who undertook the activity? Why was it done (with reference to the strategy)?
Figure 9. CBM Processes to Support Condition Monitoring Activities. Figure 8. Condition Based Maintenance Approach.

CBM System

The elements of the CBM system as it relates to the case study are outlined above. Figure 9 offers a more complete overview of the whole CBM approach.

A properly implemented CBM system is also a valuable source of corporate learning, for example: What fails? How does failure occur? Which CM techniques bring benefits?

Conclusion
The main conclusions from this discussion are as follows: Condition Monitoring is an activity, which should exist as a subset of Condition Based Maintenance. Condition Based Maintenance is a business process that surrounds monitoring techniques. It ensures they are applied in a manner appropriate to the business goals of the enterprise. CBM manages the information and turns monitoring into action. The use of sophisticated analytical

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Managing a Condition Monitoring Program techniques is a part of this process. However, a more significant aspect is effectively using routine watch keeping and first line maintenance information. Scope exists on many installations to better utilize this type of data: It can be used to reduce operating costs by eliminating scheduled tasks that often represent a duplication of routine activities. It ensures systems are in place to make proactive use of this data as part of the overall maintenance information management process.

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