Implementing Ultrasonic Testing In a World Class Brewery

Anheuser-Busch

• 14 Breweries• Started 1852• Quality Product• Profitably

Manufactured

Predictive Technologies

• 4 years ago• Dan Durbin,

Corporate Operations Engineering

• Vision to improve maintenance practices

Dan Durbin, EngineerCorporate Operations

Anheuser-Busch Companies

Focus

• Limited Initial Technologies to– Vibration Analysis– Oil Analysis– Infrared

Thermography – Ultrasonic Inspection

Where to Start?

• Develop Policies, Best Practices and Standards

• Develop In-House Training

• Establish Metric and Track Results

Hurdles

• Utilities Pays for Compressed Air

• Packaging and Brewing Use the Air

• Challenge: • Get Buy-in at the

Brewery Level

Solution

• Quarterly Scorecard• Leak Reduction is a

Corporate Program• Compliance is

Tracked on Scorecard• Improvement is

Awarded Thru Bonus

Documentation

• All Breweries Surveyed During Shutdown

• Developed Project Papers for Leak Detector Purchase

• Purchase 17 SDT 170 Leak Detectors

• Project ROI < 12 months

Challenge Met

• Program in Full Implementation

• Has Support to VP Level• Frequency is Driven by

Data• In House CBT Developed

and Mandatory

Implementation Guidelines

Implementation Guidelines

• Separate Brewery by line or cost center• Generate Repetitive Work Order• Perform Ultrasonic Scan• Document Potential Savings

Implementation Guidelines

• Determine Cause of Air Loss– Design Issue– Actual Leak

Implementation Guidelines

• Design Issue– Notify Reliability Mgr– Determine Cost

Effectiveness to Re-design

• Yes– Notify Corporate Liaison of

Re-design

• No– Stop

Implementation Guidelines

• Air Loss is a Leak– Can Leak be Repaired

Now?

• No– Generate Work Order– Schedule Repair

• Yes– Repair Leak

Implementation Guidelines

• Verify that Leak is Repaired

• Re-assessment and Follow-up

Conclusions and Summaries

• Objective– Lower Cost of Maintenance & Production

• Reduce demand for Air and Steam• Reduced waste of CO2

• Future Implementations– Condition Monitoring– Condition Based Lubrication

Final TipIt is often noted that

“finding a leak never saved a dime” and no truer words can be spoken on the subject of

ultrasonic compressed air leak detection. As satisfying as it may be to spend 8 hours identifying 100’s of compressed air leaks, there is no payback in wrapping a yellow ribbon around a leaking pipe fitting.

“It has to be fixed to save”

Contact Us

More Information? Contact:SDT North America

1-800-667-5325 Toll Free USA/Canada(905) 349-2020 Internationalwww.sdtnorthamerica.cominfo@sdtnorthamerica.com