performance | reliability efficiency || asset mana managementgement lose it don’t ·...

Don’t Lose ItSix ways to capture knowledge – or do without

Don’tLose ItDon’tLose ItDon’tSix ways to capture knowledge – or do without

Compressed Air: Storage vs. Horsepower

Unvarnished Hydraulics

Avoid Leak-Prone Ball Valves

CMMS Meets GPS

Power Signatures Foretell Failures

Energy Strategy Made Visible

Sic Weibull on Cost Justifi cation

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PERFORMANCE | RELIABILIT Y | EFFICIENCY | ASSE T MANAGEMENTPERFORMANCE | RELIABILIT Y | EFFICIENCY | ASSE T MANAGEMENT

PERFORMANCE RELIABILIT Y EFFICIENCY ASSE T MANAGEMENTPERFORMANCE | RELIABILIT Y | EFFICIENCY | ASSE T MANAGEMENT

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LEED® certification

Energy-saving products

Energy & environmental calculators

Regulations & legislation

Environmental trends & data

Educational conferences

GE Consumer & IndustrialLighting & Electrical

Plant Services

For our new Environmental Information Center, Mother Nature not only provided the inspiration, but also the model.

© 2008 General Electric Company. EcomaginationSM is a service mark of General Electric Company.

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FEATURES

A .PLANTSERVICES. 5

SPECIALISTS

COLUMNS AND DEPARTMENTS

PlantServices.com

PlantServices.com7 FROM THE EDITOR

� e NudgeA powerful tool for modifying human behavior

9 LETTERSDrill for Energy • Reduce Consumption • Competitive Advantage • Apprenticeships Are In

11 THE PS FILES

How Did You Get Here?By choice or by chance, we want to hear about your maintenance experience

13 UP AND RUNNINGArc Flash Research Collects Contribution • Win a Free Forklift Truck

17 CRISIS CORNER

Critical StepsFrom South Carolina to Chicago, leaders are taking steps to cure the crisis

19 WHAT WORKS

Grit Blows Blower BearingsReliability problem solved by sealed units and strain sensors

52 IN THE TRENCHES

Love at First SightAcme learns about dancing on employees’ mating habits

55 PRODUCT PICKS

58 MRO MARKETPLACE

60 CLASSIFIEDS

21 ASSET MANAGER

Where Are Your Assets?Integrating GIS/GPS with your CMMS reveals that and much more

25 TECHNOLOGY TOOLBOX

Predicting Motor FailurePower signatures reveal potential problems with performance and reliability

49 WEB HUNTER

Reliability: Documented and ProvenUse Weibull analysis to support your requests for a greater maintenance budget

62 ENERGY EXPERT

Visualize the InvisibleDrawing attention is a fundamental part of any eff ective energy strategy

SKILL TV VIDEO: CANADIAN MAINTENANCE CRISISMaintenance Evangelist and Plant Services Contribut-ing Editor Joel Leonard talks to Bill Thrasher, vice presi-dent of PEMAC, about the shortage of skilled workers in Canada. Watch this video at www.veotag.com/player/?pid=fc7b3559-ae2f-42ed-9383-c4bcc6a18d83.

WEBONLY ARTICLE: COOLING ON THE CHEAPER AND CHEAPERStephen Puryear, quality engineer in the facilities op-erations group of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics in Emeryville, Calif., shows you how data analysis pro-duces a refrigeration health metric. Find out more at www.plantservices.com/articles/2008/162.html.

PODCAST: COULD THIS U.S. MANUFACTURINGFACILITY HAVE BEEN SAVED?Director of Operations and Engineering Tom Clark tells what his plant’s shutdown and move to Mexico taught him about maintenance and production effi-ciency. Listen to his story at www.plantservices.com/multimedia/2008/080703_Tom_Clark.html.

26 COVER STORY


35 COMPRESSORS

Volume Equals Power How to balance storage against excess air compressor capacity

39 LUBRICATION

An Inside StoryYou must keep your hydraulic system clean of varnish or pay the consequences

43 VALVES

Ban the LeaksChoose a ball valve with leak-tight seals to curb fugitive emissions

V , N

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August 2008 www.PLANTSERVICES.com 7

As experts in facts and figures, managers, engineers and economists tend to assume people will do what’s best for them providing they’re incentivized to per-

form or punished if they don’t. Sure, we know we should be nice and explain everything, but once expectations are clear, why wouldn’t they simply do what makes sense?

But, of course, they don’t.According to “Nudge,” a new book on economics by Uni-

versity of Chicago Economist Richard Thaler and Law Pro-fessor Cass Sunstein, that’s because the rational choice often comes in third behind going with the flow (herd mentality) and doing nothing (maintaining the status quo). The authors say we should consider these and similar identified aspects of human psychology when we want to guide the behavior of others (and by implication, ourselves).

One key is to harness the power of the de-fault condition. The now-classic example is increasing people’s participation in their em-ployers’ 401(k) plans by changing them from opt-in to opt-out. This not only makes getting out or staying out a matter of changing the status quo, it implies that the herd has opted in. And it’s raised participation rates from 50% to more than 90%. A similar approach has been taken in Spain with organ donation: opt out or you’re automatically a donor.

Tax collectors in Minnesota, frustrated by the number of last-minute and late returns, improved the response by switch-ing from threatening people with fines to to publicizing statis-tics on the number of residents who had already filed.

I imagine the U.S. Internal Revenue Service would have a lot harder time collecting income taxes if more people were writing checks instead of filing to collect a refund of their overpayments. But you don’t have to look far to find oth-erwise intelligent people deliberately overpaying so they’ll have something to put toward their post-holiday credit card bills, using one irrational behavior to support another.

If those credit card purchases were tagged with the prices people actually pay (with interest) when they carry a card balance, would it affect their buying decisions? Maybe so, but people are notoriously poor at comparing long-term costs to short-term benefits, or vice-versa.

You can overcome the bias toward the short term by converting time frames. The government can offer you tax credits this year for improving your energy efficiency partly because it can expect to get them back by taxing your in-creased profits. Meanwhile, you can borrow the cost of the improvement, pay back the loan with some of the savings and still generate a positive cash flow from the investment. That is, if you can convince your boss and find the money.

Anyone who is watching the price of oil, the Dow Jones in-dustrial average or the current global economy can’t help but marvel at the power of herd mentality, made obvious lately by the skittishness of the herds. And like a bunch of college kids with stunning hangovers, going with the flow is about the only excuse the perpetrators have come up with for the subprime

mortgage fiasco.Out of sight, out of mind. How much of the

real-world fuel economy advantage of a hybrid is due to its technology, and how much comes from the behavior-modification effect of a prominent miles-per-gallon display? Own-ers are claiming 50 mpg and more, but when Car & Driver magazine drove a Prius as they would any other test car, it delivered 42 mpg.

In this month’s Energy Expert column (p. 62), Peter Garforth emphasizes the impor-

tance of making energy visible, for instance, by displaying natural gas consumption in dollars per day instead of cfm.

The U.K.’s conservative Tory party leader David Cameron wants household gas and electricity bills to include a section at the bottom that tells whether the homeowner is using more or less energy than his or her neighbors, combining visibility with pressure to join the herd.

Take advantage of people’s willingness to do the right thing by also making it the easiest, most popular and most obvious option. Chances are they’ll take you up on it.

The NudgeA powerful tool for modifying human behavior

Anyone watching the

price of oil can’t help but marvel at the power of herd mentality.

PAUL STUDEBAKER, CMRPEDITOR IN [email protected]

(630) 467-1300 ext. 433

FROM THE EDITOR

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BACKTALK

editorial staff

paul studebaker, cmrp editor in chief

[email protected]

russell l. kratowicz, p.e. cmrp executive editor

[email protected]

lisa towers managing editor

[email protected]

stephen c. herner group art director

[email protected]

jennifer dakas art director

[email protected]

david berger, p.eng. contributing editor

peter garforth contributing editor

sheila kennedy contributing editor

joel leonard contributing editor

bob sperber editor at large

publication services

carmela kappel assistant to the publisher

[email protected]

jerry clark v.p., circulation

[email protected]

jack jones circulation director

[email protected]

rita fitzgerald production manager

[email protected]

claudia stachowiak reprints marketing manager

Foster Reprints (866) 879-9144 ext. [email protected]

administrative staff

john m. cappelletti president/ceo

julie cappelletti-lange vice president

keith larson v.p., content

rose southard it director

PLANT SERVICES (ISSN 0199-8013) is published monthly by Putman Media, Inc., 555 West Pierce Road, Suite 301, Itasca, IL 60143. Phone (630) 467-1300, Fax (847) 291-4816. Periodicals Postage paid at Itasca, IL and additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40028661. Canadian Mail Distributor Information: Frontier/BWI,PO Box 1051, Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, L2A 5N8. Printed in U.S.A. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PLANT SERVICES, Putman Media, Inc., PO Box 3435, Northbrook, IL 60065-3435. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Qualified reader subscriptions are accepted from PLANT SERVICES managers, supervisors and engineers in manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Canada. To apply for qualified-reader subscriptions, please go to www.plantservices.com. To non-qualified subscribers in the U.S., subscriptions are $96 per year. Single copies are $15, except the August and October issues which are $36. Canadian and foreign annual subscriptions are accepted at $145 (Foreign airmail $200/yr). Single copies are $81. © 2008 by Putman Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner. In an effort to more closely align with our business partners in a manner that provides the most value to our readers, content published in PLANT SERVICES magazine appears on the public domain of PLANT SERVICES’ Website, and may also appear on Websites that apply to our growing marketplace. Putman Media, Inc. also publishes CHEMICAL PROCESSING, CONTROL, CONTROL DESIGN, FOOD PROCESSING, INDUSTRIAL NETWORKING, THE JOURNAL, PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING and WELLNESS FOODS. PLANT SERVICES assumes no responsibility for validity of claims in items published.


Reduce Consumption We need to do more car-pooling, walking and bicycle-riding to reduce our fuel consumption. Minimize the use of air-conditioners in the summer and turn the thermostat down in the winter. We’ll be using our stimulus check to travel out East for a family wedding and for miscellaneous house-hold repairs.Pat Fogarty, D.W. Davies & Co.

Racine, Wis.

Competitive AdvantageI very much enjoyed your article, “Washington Gets an Aha! Moment” (July, p. 17, www.plantservices.com/articles/2008/137.html). Minor point: In Porter’s classic about competitive advantage and value chains [“Com-petitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competi-tors”], Dr. Porter talks about service as

one of the primary generic activities. Service includes after-sales support, including maintenance. He also talks about linkages to maintenance activi-ties throughout the book. Alan S. Michaels, head of research

Cofounder of www.eCompetitors.com

Norwalk, Conn.

Apprenticeships Are InManufacturers need to develop ap-prenticeship programs to replace per-sonnel retiring from skilled trades. Local community colleges would be a starting point for people interested in machining, welding and elec-tronics. Most people learn by do-ing. Shop personnel from the Rock Island Arsenal have been attending local job fairs to lure young people into manufacturing.Thomas Acuff, professor

Apprenticeship Programs, Rock Island, Ill.

Drill for Energy

We were un-American and used our stimu-lus check to pay down some debt, though we did treat ourselves to dinner (“Stimu-

lation Conundrum,” June, p. 7, www.PlantServices.com/articles/2008/111.html). On a national scale, there should be no conundrum: Drill! Drill! Drill! Massive oil exploration has more benefits than just future oil production and a poke in the eye of the oil traders. To explore, drill, pump and distribute the oil will require products and services from in-dustries like steel, construction, instrumentation, machinery, engineering, maintenance, automotive, transport, and on and on. Get drilling and watch the mills and plants in the Northeast spring back to life. Watch the demand for engineers, machinists, maintenance techs and more soar. The old economic multiplier we learned about in Econ 101 could not be more valid. Massive oil development in the United States could spur a surging economy on the back of good old heavy industry. Oh, and did I mention all those employees would have more money in their pockets to spend at their local merchants with an optimistic outlook for lower gas prices? Ken Stone, Fluke Thermography

Plymouth, Minn.

Putman media, inc.555 W. Pierce Rd., Ste. 301, Itasca, IL 60143Phone: (630) 467-1300, Fax: (630) 467-1120

mike brenner, gRoup [email protected]

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How did you get here, today, to the moment in which you’re reading this article? If you could put your life in reverse and review all the moments

leading up to this one, what would you see? Your journey in the maintenance field likely began with

a career choice, whether conscious or unconscious, that led you down the path to a couple of decades of steady employ-ment in a manufacturing facility – or, perhaps not.

People’s career paths are rarely that simple, and most have had a couple of detours here and there that helped them decide whether to stay the course or find a new vocational angle to pursue. But, however your story has progressed, we want to hear about it.

And so do the high-school and college-aged kids who are looking for career information that will allow them to make decisions about their own journeys. They’re getting ready to go back to school right now, leading their parents by the hand from the mall to the local superstore to pick up new clothes and shoes, pencils, calculators and personalized laptops.

Sure, having the right supplies in the classroom is im-portant, but what’s even more valuable is your advice: What stories would you like to share with students? Because I can guarantee that they can use your guidance.

How else can you speak to kids who like to tinker, col-lect tools and watch the Discovery Channel because they love to see science and engineering in action? If ever there were a video brochure to get young minds thinking about the marvels of manufacturing, the show “How It’s Made” is it. Or even those who idolize Jesse James and his West Coast Choppers or Paul Teutul Sr. and his boys on “Ameri-can Chopper” are great candidates to be recruited into the field of maintenance. How will you reach them to tell them about all of the opportunities that exist in this career path?

Equally important to reaching kids is getting their par-ents to be receptive. Yes, Mom and Dad, your child will be successful if he or she doesn’t become a doctor or lawyer. Pursuing a person’s vocational passion is what’s important, as anyone from Oprah Winfrey to Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, will tell you.

And you certainly don’t want your kids to stumble into that half of the American workforce that reports not being satisfied with their jobs.

“How much time do young people spend planning it [their careers] and considering options?” asks Stanford University Professor of Education John Krumboltz. “Many give more thought to choosing a new pair of shoes. For many people, it’s a decision they never knew they made – it was made by default.”

Krumboltz’s own experience was recorded in the article, “How people choose ‘career paths,’” where he details how he originally planned to be a doctor until he discovered that he was prone to nausea when viewing com-mon injuries such as broken bones.

It seems like such an obvious piece of ad-vice, but to someone who has his or her heart set on being a doctor, finding out whether he or she can handle the unspoken horrors of

patients’ ailments in order to treat them is something one should to consider before filling out that medical school ap-plication form.

That’s where you come in. Haven’t you had moments in your career when you wished someone would have given you certain advice before you had gone to the trouble of having to discover it for yourself? Here’s your opportunity to record for time and posterity the pointers that could make the dif-ference for the next generation of maintenance technicians and engineers. Your words could be the ones that convince an undecided teenager to dedicate himself to a career in maintenance, and to experience for himself the pride that comes with keeping American facilities up and running.

You can start by sending us your story, advice and career tips, which we’ll gladly print in the magazine and post on PlantServices.com and SkillTV.net. And, if the company you work for engages in any recruitment or mentoring pro-grams, we want to hear about them, too.

When you’ve got something good going, especially some-thing as coveted as a satisfying career, the noblest thing you can do is to pass that knowledge on.

E-mail Managing Editor Lisa Towers at [email protected].

How Did You Get Here?By choice or by chance, we want to hear about your maintenance experience

Pursuing a person’s vocational

passion is what’s important.

K E N S C H N E P f

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UP AND RUNNING

Arc Flash Research Collects ContributionProject targets increased safety through sensible codes

The Arc-Flash Collaborative Research Project, orga-nized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the National Fire Protec-

tion Association (NFPA), has received a contribution of $500,000 from Cooper Bussmann, St. Louis. The platinum-level sponsorship will help expand knowledge of the electric arc-flash phenomena with the objective of advancing codes and standards for greater workplace safety.

Arc flash, an electric current that is passed through air when insulation or isolation between energized conductors can no longer withstand the applied voltage, can cause se-vere injury, and accounts for more than 2,000 workers being admitted to burn centers for extended treatment every year.

The IEEE and the NFPA joined forces on this initiative to fund research and testing to increase the understanding of arc flash. The results of this collaborative project will pro-vide practical safeguards for employees in the workplace, as well as statistical data for improving electrical safety stan-dards and predicting the hazards associated with arcing faults (and accompanying arc blasts). The multiyear project is estimated to cost a total of $6 to $7 million.

Cooper Bussmann offers products and services that ad-dress electrical safety issues. These range from current-lim-iting fuses (that minimize the arc flash hazard) to engineer-ing services that perform arc flash analysis to electrical safety training and development of electrical safety programs.

“Electrical safety and knowledge of the hazards associated with arc flash has come a long way since arc flash tests were initiated in 1996 at the Cooper Bussmann Gubany Center for High-Power Testing,” says Kevin Stein, president, Coo-per Bussmann. “That groundbreaking research led to the award-winning IEEE paper, ‘Staged Tests Increase Aware-ness of Arc-Flash Hazards in Electrical Equipment,’ and has since improved arc flash understanding exponentially. Cooper Bussmann has led the industry with our Safety Ba-sics electrical safety training program, so it is only natural that we continue to lead as a Platinum-Level contributor for the latest round of electrical safety research.”

Do you think you have the oldest Mitsubishi fork-lift truck still in operation today? If so, Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks wants to hear from you. The com-

pany announced the launch of its inaugural “Keeps on Run-ning” contest, inviting owners to showcase their Mitsubishi forklift trucks that have withstood the test of time.

To qualify, contestants must own and currently operate a small internal-combustion, cushion-tire Mitsubishi forklift truck with a capacity range of 2,000 lbs to 6,500 lbs. Contes-tants will be able to upload photos and share fun facts about their forklift trucks, including its company-given nickname

and interesting details about how the forklift truck has been used. Photos and applications can be submitted online.

All contestants have a chance to win, whether their truck is 20 years old or brand new. Prizes will be awarded to 20 applicants, with a grand prize winner of the oldest truck receiving a brand-new FGC15N-FGC33N Mitsubi-shi forklift truck. Runners up will be chosen at random from the entrants and will receive a complimentary year of Planned Maintenance (PM) service. To enter or to see complete rules and details, visit the contest Web site at www.mit-lift.com/keepsonrunning.

Win a Free Forklift Truck

Arc flash accounts for more than 2,000 workers being admitted to burn centers for extended treatment every year.

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What is theimpact of leaksin your facility? Endless.

Don’t let emissions or leaks affect your bottom line. Spills and releases are not to be taken lightly.When you factor in product loss, downtime and fi nes, the impact on your profi ts can be exponential.At Garlock, we’re dedicated to providing you with seals that protect both the environment and your bottom line from leakage. So, no matter what you need to seal, you can be sure that Garlock will help your facility stay secure.

To fi nd out more, visit us online at www.garlock.com.

1666 Division Street Palmyra, NY 14522

©2008 Garlock Sealing Technologies.

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UP AND RUNNING

Siemens Shares Bullish Perspective

We provide solutions to assist our customers with the very real challenges they face,” began Hein-rich Hiesinger, CEO of Siemens’ Industry Sec-

tor business and member of the Siemens Board of Directors. Hiesinger was in Chicago July 21 for the U.S. debut of exi-derdome, Siemens’ traveling technology expo. On display in conjunction with the Siemens Automation Summit and Users Conference, exiderdome (www.exiderdome.com) was beginning a nine-city tour of industrial centers across the United States.

Hiesinger discounted much of the effect of the current “recession.” He said, “It isn’t whether or not we will have growth, but how much.” Depending on whether we see worst-case, best-case or something in between, Hiesinger predicted growth of between 1.9% and 3% during the next several years, rather than the typical contraction of a true recession. “Industry trends buck reductions in capex [capital expenditure] spending,” he said. Those trends include re-source scarcity, environmental issues and greening, energy demand, productivity growth and urbanization.

He pointed out that the six businesses that make up the industry sector are designed to meet those trends head on. “Metals will continue to grow, up approximately 5% until 2012,” he said. “Drives for wind power will be up by 20%, limited only by capacity.” Opto-semiconductors will grow by 9%, Hiesinger continued, while PLM software will grow by 8%, and traffic solutions, such as light rail, will grow by 11%. Hiesinger noted that Siemens is currently No. 1 in the metals and mining, water treatment, wind gearboxes, build-ing automation and fire safety markets.

Like other Europe-based industrial giants, Siemens is very focused on green markets. Hiesinger said that he be-lieved that “green” would grow by at least 10% per year and showed some data indicating that Siemens has a better en-vironmental portfolio than its competitors. “Our environ-mentally friendly portfolio,” he said, “is approximately 23% of revenue, growing at 10% per annum and expected to be 25% of revenue by FY2011.”

In honor of the exiderdome’s U.S. tour kickoff, Hiesinger reiterated Siemens’ strong commitment to its U.S. opera-tions. “The U.S. is home to game-changing investments,” he said. He pointed out that acquisitions like US Filter, which made Siemens the largest water-treatment company in the world, also have strengthened Siemens’ position here.

AFE facilitates site improvementsThe Association for Facilities Engineering has retooled www.AFE.org, adding features to make it easier to use. “We have uploaded an extraordinary amount of data – from technical articles to event notices, links to our chapters, and all the appli-cations and forms necessary for our certification and member-ship programs,” says CEO Laurence Gration. The “help wanted” career center is expanded and the site continues to encourage networking among facilities colleagues with the online mem-ber search feature.

Get enlightenedGE Consumer & Industrial has opened training opportunities at the GE Lighting & Electrical Institute in Cleveland to plant professionals. The lighting and electrical distribution training facility features full-scale demonstration centers and a staff of lighting and electrical experts. Sign up for streamlined registra-tion procedures, individual and group tracking capabilities and report generation, and links to online courses at www.gelearn ingcentral.com.

Hydraulic Institute ups your pumps“Optimizing Pumping Systems: A Guide to Improved Efficiency, Reliability and Profitability” is being made available courtesy of Pump Systems Matter and the Hydraulic Institute. Based on the collaborative efforts of 22 industry experts, the more than 250-page compendium explains how optimizing both existing and new pumping systems, and purchasing based on life cycle cost, can lead to increased profitability through a reduction in unnec-essary, expensive energy consumption and maintenance costs. The reference retails for $195 in the e-store at www.pumps.org.

What green meansCamfil Farr resources show what air filter performance can mean in terms of energy savings, air quality, waste reduction and environmental impact. Also discussed are technologies used to generate comparisons to make the best-possible filter decisions, including life cycle cost analysis, in situ testing, the energy cost index and a newly introduced “CamTester” mobile unit that measures energy used by any manufacturer’s air filter. Visit www.green-air-filters.com.

24/7 compressor supportAtlas Copco Compressors LLC has launched a national emer-gency service hotline that provides customers in the United States with a single, toll-free resource for compressor-related emergency service needs. The emergency service hotline will operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to increase service lev-els and convenience for domestic customers. The new hotline replaces local toll-free numbers: (877) 2 GET ATLAS COPCO or (877) 243-8285.

Attack staticA new edition of the Grounding & Bonding handbook from Newson Gale Inc. provides information on controlling static electricity in hazardous areas. Learn more at www.newson-gale.com.

RESOURCES

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©2008 Baldor Electric Company

PS0808_FPA.indd 16 8/7/08 9:22:02 AM


As more infrastructure disasters are exposed by major news outlets, awareness about the maintenance cri-sis continues to grow. However, much more action

is needed to resolve the challenges of the retiring “Geezer Bust” (a.k.a. baby boomer) generation. Here are my recom-mendations for steps the United States needs to take if the economy is to sustain its performance and gain a competi-tive advantage in the process.

We still need more maintenance and reliability evangelists proving to the nation’s leaders the competitive advantages of increased levels of capacity. I’m thrilled that Duke University’s MBA leadership wants to learn more about the value of maintenance and reliability programs, and wants to explore further methods for educating their current and future students about this critical business driver. Yes, this development made me shout in exultation that fixing the maintenance cri-sis isn’t a hopeless endeavor.

Perhaps Harvard and other top-tier programs will be-come curious about reliability as well. My hope is that in the future, U.S. MBA graduates won’t need to be trained by their engineering and maintenance staff, and executives will provide the leadership necessary to drive the business to optimal performance levels.

With the recent devaluation of the dollar, we now have a window of opportunity to maximize our productivity and distribute U.S.-manufactured goods with a serious profit margin. As reported on BBC business news, U.S. companies are striving to hire skilled workers to address refinery and energy-capacity issues. According South Carolina World Trade Center Vice President Mark Condon, “The devalued dollar makes U.S. products, real estate and manufacturing plants a bargain.” Who would ever have thought that Amer-ica’s favorite beer, Budweiser, might become the property of Belgians? That’s one bar bet most would never have taken, regardless of their current level of consumption.

If top-level executives catch on, they’ll invest more in re-liability skill-development programs and more companies will flourish. At the American Competitiveness Summit in Chicago (www.americancompetitiveness.com), Intel’s Chairman of the Board Craig Barrett said that if a foreign

country managed our education system, we would perceive its output as an act of war. A contributing factor is that the average teacher makes about $43,000 per year, but what is particularly alarming is that the average bad teacher and the average good teacher both make about $43,000 per year. A system that doesn’t recognize excellence won’t have excellence. That explains why more than 30% of students never graduate from high school. Vocational education is frowned upon while every student is encouraged either to go to college or be a loser. Employers continue to wail

that high-school and even college graduates don’t have any discernable skill sets, nor the attitudes or motivation to attain them. Em-ployers complain that the few viable candi-dates expect to start at top wages and aren’t willing to work hard at or invest in their own vocational development.

We need to quit looking at our youth with a binary mind-set that there are winners – i.e., college students – or losers, a category in which electricians and millwrights are lumped in with burger flippers and future convicts.

If we’re to thrive with the increased competition in the global economy, career technical education needs a serious renaissance. We need a national skills strategy and policy to advance our country and work toward building a “Re-liability Nation.” Pockets of excellence exist. For example, Chicago is introducing new workforce-development strate-gies. Mayor Richard M. Daley, who leads the country in implementing green building systems and now governs a city with hundreds of rooftop gardens that conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions, also has been instrumental in striving for tangible results in his city’s educational system. He points out that the United States is the only modern country that allows our youth to have a three-month va-cation each summer. He is building formal apprenticeship and mentorship programs so when kids graduate from high school, they already will have been exposed to the workforce and can immediately begin to make a contribution.

Visit SkillTV.net for our most recent coverage as we strive to fix maintenance and reliability to advance us all.

E-mail Contributing Editor Joel Leonard at [email protected].

Critical StepsFrom South Carolina to Chicago, leaders are taking steps to cure the crisis

Career technical education

needs a serious renaissance.

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WHAT WORKS

At its Lovelock, Nev., plant, EaglePicher mines and pro-cesses diatomaceous earth, a

naturally occurring, soft, chalk-like sedimentary rock used as a filtration aid, a mechanical insecticide and a component of dynamite, as well as other applications. Its composition typically is 86% silica, making it mild-ly abrasive, and its microscopic particle size makes it difficult to exclude from bearings on the large blowers used in processing the material.

Blower bearings were failing pre-maturely because of installation diffi-culties and the abrasiveness of the ma-terial. The installation of split-housing bearings requires premeasuring the clearance, then tightening the tapered adapter nut in increments, using feeler gauges to determine when a specified clearance is reached. If this procedure is performed incorrectly, the bearing might not grip the shaft, or the clear-ance might be too tight.

Second, it’s necessary to assemble the bearings and set the clearances on-site, and at EaglePicher, the perva-sive fine dust in the air made it almost impossible to keep particles out of the bearings during this procedure.

When the bearings on one large blower failed, EaglePicher replaced them with Rexnord ZAF6000 Series Adapter Mount Roller SHŪRLOK bearings with optional auxiliary end caps. The ZAF6000 bearings are sol-id-housed, shaft-ready units that are a drop-in to traditional SAF units. They are greased and the clearance is preset, so they can be taken out of the box and mounted to the shaft immediately.

A positive locking system maintains mounting tightness during operation, and a tapered adapter sleeve provides greater shaft grip and eliminates the shaft damage caused by loose bearings. (The tapered sleeve also eases removal of the bearings without shaft damage.)

The new bearings incorporate Spyglass optical strain sensor (OSS) technology, which provides in-stant feedback during installation to achieve optimal shaft grip and avoid shaft and bearing damage caused by improper tightening.

The blower was about 8 feet in diam-eter, rotating at 900 rpm and mounted on a 215/16-in. shaft supported by two bearings. The blower’s weight and configuration produced an overhung load, which made it more difficult to determine when zero clearance was reached between the inner race, sleeve and shaft during installation.

“When we removed the caps from one of the SAF split-block bearings, it was completely loose on the shaft,” says Mark Czubak, manager of product engineering, Rexnord Bearing (www.rexnord.com), who was involved in the installation. “That made it necessary to replace the shaft because the loose bearing caused it to wear excessively.”

Once the shaft was replaced, in-stalling the new bearings took less than an hour, including training the EaglePicher maintenance technicians in the process. “The bearings are com-pletely assembled and lubricated, so we just slid them onto the shaft and tightened them in place,” Czubak says. “Our service instructions call for tightening until there is no clearance

between the adapter sleeve and the in-ner ring, and then tighten one more turn. The overhung load of the large blower made it difficult to determine that point. Once we got it as close as we could, we tightened the locknut a bit more, and the Spyglass OSS win-dow on the bearing indicated we were at the correct torque.”

The patent-pending OSS technol-ogy is a full-field stress analysis and incorporates materials that respond to strain by changing reflected light wavelengths. Marlon Casey, the Rex-nord engineer who developed this technology, explains, “As the ambient light is reflected through the element, it appears clear. The element isolates the wavelengths, depending on the direction of strain and the angle by which the light passes through the strained member. We calibrated it so that the window stays clear until there is enough strain on the locknut to pro-vide a sufficient load. At that point, the light seen in the window changes, showing that the minimum threshold of load has been reached.”

Grit Blows Blower BearingsReliability problem solved by sealed units and strain sensors

Consistent installation is eased by optical strain sensing (OSS) technology, which gives a visual indication when proper mounting torque is reached.

PS0808_19_WhatWrks.indd 19 8/7/08 2:54:05 PM

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Read our white paper on Design, Operate, Maintain for valuable insight onhow your maintenance activities can play a greater role in the success ofyour business. Call 1.888.437.4968 today to get your copy.

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ASSET MANAGER


The growth of global positioning system (GPS) tech-nology has been significant. GPS devices for con-sumer applications abound. They’re in automotive

navigation and security systems, portable navigation sys-tems, and embedded in mobile phones. In industry, GPS devices are used primarily for surveying, mapping and track-ing assets using a geographic information system (GIS).

CMMS vendors have kept pace with the demand for GPS- and GIS-related applications. Most have added fields and functionality to collect GPS coordinates, as well as to integrate with the more popular GIS systems. This is useful for a large, wide-spread asset base, such as utilities and pipe-line companies, or where assets are moving constantly, such as transportation companies. However, any company in any industry usu-ally can find benefit in this technology.

DefinitionsThe GPS is a satellite navigation system de-veloped and maintained by the U.S. De-partment of Defense and is officially named NAVSTAR-GPS. Your GPS receiver inter-prets microwave signals from satellites in geo-synchronous orbit to determine your location (latitude, lon-gitude and elevation), speed, direction and time. Although the GPS was originally developed by the military, President Reagan promised to make it available to all in response to the tragic downing of Korean Airlines Flight 007 by Soviet aircraft, when a navigational error led the plane to wander into Soviet airspace. Although the European Union, Russia, China and India are developing their own satellite naviga-tion systems, NAVSTAR is currently the only one that is fully operational.

A GIS manages spatial data, such as a map showing where key assets are located. Canada’s Department of Forestry and Rural Development pioneered the first commercial applica-tion of GIS technology to analyze rural land-use data. By the early 1980s, Intergraph, ESRI and CARIS used the technology to combine spatial data, attribute data such as descriptors of assets at given coordinates, and the ability to collect, store, present and analyze these data. Within the

past decade, CMMS vendors have developed interfaces with GIS software. They integrate asset tombstone data and work history with the spatial and digitized mapping data. Linear assets refer to plant equipment, facilities, fleet/mobile equipment, roads, bridges, pipelines and IT assets. They’re what we’d call infrastructure: assets that are defined spatially, divided into segments, each of which has length, width, height, start and end points, and other spatial data, including GPS coordinates.

Asset locationMost CMMS packages can record extensive asset attributes, regardless of its class. Even if attributes are missing, usually there are a number of custom fields that can be added or configured to accommodate your needs. In-creasingly, CMMS vendors are adding spatial data fields and related information.

Let’s describe where the fire extinguish-ers are located in your plant. Perhaps you tag the steel columns in your facility, or describe the approximate location, or simply number them using a logical sequence that makes it easy to locate. But, some assets are difficult to

describe, except by using mapping references or GPS coor-dinates. Such assets can be:

• spread out (park furniture, gas wells, utility poles)• hidden or undetectable (underground valves or vaults)• linear assets (water mains and cables)

Tracking assets and peoplePersonal digital assistant (PDA) devices and laptop com-puters place a lot of computing power and freedom into the hands of maintenance technicians. They can download work order information onto their devices, access equipment his-tory or diagnostic information, and upload work order in-formation upon job completion, all from the field. Most advanced CMMS packages support this capability. With GPS add-ons, you can accurately determine the location of fixed assets, mobile equipment and people on a regular or continuous push basis, or the location information can be pulled from the server on an as-required basis. Companies

Where Are Your Assets?Integrating GIS/GPS with your CMMS reveals that and much more

Canada’s Department of Forestry and Rural

Development pioneered the

first commercial application of

GIS technology.

PS0808_21_22_AssetMan.indd 21 8/7/08 11:18:54 AM

that track a technician’s location report productivity gains of 30% or more because people know they’re being monitored. � e downside, however, is the potential pushback by tech-nicians because “Big Brother is watching.” Some feel such close scrutiny of one’s every move fosters mutual mistrust, thereby straining labor relations. As usual, it’s more likely that a change-management snafu will initiate such attitude problems. Make sure your objective in adding GPS is seen primarily as a benefi t to the technicians, such as dispatch-ing the technician closest to the work, improved safety and security, assisting with route optimization and eliminating traffi c problems.

CMMS/GIS integration� e CMMS-GIS software interface can be as basic as ac-cess to simple maps to sophisticated features:

• Synchronized static asset data, including the asset num-bering scheme for cross-referencing and location references within the CMMS and GIS applications

• View a GIS map from within the CMMS, showing hot

spots for drilldown to more detailed information about a given asset or location (eg, static data, condition history, repair history, and move history, including splitting linear assets and maintaining parent/child data)

• Draw a polygon on the GIS map from within the CMMS, for fi ltering and displaying specifi c information such as a list of assets of a given type within the polygon, past-due PM work orders for equipment within the poly-gon, or a list of aff ected assets if service is interrupted in the area

• Redline the GIS map from within the CMMS in the fi eld, for example, if technicians discover an asset has moved or to show where repair work was done.

� e demand for integration between GIS systems and CMMS packages has caused at least one GIS software ven-dor to develop its own fully integrated CMMS modules to capture market share.

E-mail Contributing Editor David Berger, P.Eng., partner, Western

Management Consultants, at [email protected].

ASSET MANAGER

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To avoid the WHAT NOW – switch to Flexitallic. Gasket failures can lead to system downtime and serious environmental impact. As the industry leader, Flexitallic Spiral Wound Gaskets are consistently manufactured to exacting engineering standards. They’ll stand up to the toughest temperature and pressure conditions, they’re resistant to virtually all corrosive and toxic media, and you get the same high quality gasket on time, every time.

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Because we’re not your typical industrial distributor.

At Applied Industrial Technologies, we believe it’s our job to get into the trenches with you, roll up

our sleeves and get dirty. We feel at home when we are on your plant floor, in the bowels of mills, and

working alongside assembly lines. We’re always on the job; never clocking out from our responsibility

to serve your maintenance repair needs. And we continually infuse the knowledge we gain from these

experiences into our future associates so that your maintenance needs are served today and decades from

now.

Delivering unparalleled service, securing knowledge and training for the future – Applied® delivers

the difference when it matters. Call your local Applied Industrial Technologies representative at

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TECHNOLOGY TOOLBOX


Motor reliability and efficiency are directly influ-enced by power supply quality. Disturbances such as transients, unbalance and harmonics

can harm the windings and decrease performance. Voltage sags and interruptions can stop an industrial process. Surges might induce equipment failure. The costs will be signifi-cant if downtime, production losses and premature equip-ment replacement or repairs are involved.

Surge protectors, voltage regulators and ride-through sys-tems limit the effect of power disturbances, but ongoing motor analysis and power-quality monitoring increase the chance of detecting degradation before damage is done. Trending, benchmarking and warnings improve your predictive maintenance.

Motor analysis revival: Monitoring oper-ating motors has long been an effective strat-egy for performance management. Factoring in the influence of electrical supply and dis-tribution extends these benefits. For instance, the rotor signature determines a motor’s load and efficiency, but power quality affects its accuracy. “Sys-tems that take the signature of a motor rotor and use it as an analysis tool are most useful when they calculate efficiency while the equipment is online,” says Dennis Bowns, execu-tive director of Green Motors Practices Group. “Other al-ternatives require shutting the equipment down to perform a resistance test, and then bringing it back online.

In-service analyzers: Baker Instrument offers the EXP3000/3000R portable, battery-operated Motor Control Center that allows remote monitoring of voltage levels and balance, harmonic and total distortion, overcurrent, torque ripple, motor efficiency and other power-quality conditions. The newest feature, CM3000 continuous-monitoring soft-ware, allows users to choose which of more than 40 data points to monitor in real time. The continuous data feed as-sists in detecting and analyzing intermittent problems.

The online motor current analysis capabilities of Emerson’s CSI MotorView technology support the diagnosis of prob-

lems that vibration monitoring might miss. Motor signa-ture data are transferred to the MotorView module of AMS Suite: Machinery Health Manager, from which automated analysis, trending and comparison with other diagnostics is possible. Also, All-Test Pro On-line II performs signature and power-quality analysis from a handheld device.

Start-up controls: Soft-starting technologies manage the power supply at startup to reduce motor wear. Baldor’s mi-croprocessor-controlled Digital Soft-Start control regulates

voltage, reduces inrush current and optimizes power factor to eliminate over-fluxing.

The Allen-Bradley SMC-3 offers soft-start-ing technology with extended current ratings. Electronic overload protection with adjustable trip class, motor and system diagnostics, con-figurable auxiliary contacts and multiple start and stop modes are among this controller’s features. In a networked environment, it can perform signal conditioning, event detection and alarming.

Cost factors: Some devices, plus instal-lation, exceed the cost of a small motor. Hard-wiring or adapting the plant to Ethernet might be involved. A cost/benefit analysis can determine whether it’s cost-effective.

See if your utility will offset the cost of upgrading motor systems and controls. Idaho Power’s Custom Efficiency for Complex Projects program compensates eligible efficiency projects — as much as 70% of the cost — to modify a pro-cess or install a more efficient one.

Making rewound motors more resistant to overload and voltage imbalances reduces energy costs and the risk of fur-ther equipment failure. The Australasian Chapter of the Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA) is devel-oping a new Code of Rewinding Practice that will increase efficiency and reliability, and strengthen the financial argu-ment for choosing rewinding over replacement.

E-mail Contributing Editor Sheila Kennedy, managing director of

Additive Communications, at [email protected].

Predicting Motor FailurePower signatures reveal potential problems with performance and reliability

See if your utility will

offset the cost of upgrading

motor systems and controls.

For more information, see:www.greenmotors.orgwww.bakerinst.com

www.mhm.assetweb.comwww.alltestpro.comwww.baldor.com

www.ab.comwww.idahopower.comwww.easa.com

PS0808_25_TechTool.indd 25 8/7/08 11:19:30 AM

The current generation of experienced plant profes-sionals is being lost to retirement, displaced by job relocations and antiquated by advances in manu-

facturing technology. � e supply of appropriately skilled, educated and trained personnel is, at best, strained, and in many places, totally inadequate.

An April 2008 survey of 100 senior manufacturing ex-ecutives indicates that in the past three years, the need to replace lost skilled workers has grown from a concern to a crisis. � e executives say the shortfall will cost their compa-nies an average of $52 million, and even more, $100 million, for the nation’s largest companies that report more than $1 billion in annual revenue. � e benchmark survey, commis-sioned by Advanced Technology Services Inc. (ATS) and conducted by Nielsen Research, says that during the next fi ve years, about 40% of your skilled labor force will retire.

We can be confi dent that societal, government and mar-ket forces eventually will close the gap, but in the mean-time, how much institutional knowledge can you aff ord to let walk out the door? Most would agree that a company’s competitive edge relies heavily on its intellectual capital – the knowledge it possesses within its organization – and much of that resides in its employees (Figure 1). It makes sense to take steps now to capture the departing expert’s critical know-how.

� e same strategies and infrastructure you use for capturing knowledge also can provide a way to gather and compare alter-native approaches, distill best practices and distribute them to

A .PLANTSERVICES.26

Headline

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Pump curve

System curve

2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000

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Corporate knowledge sources

Employees’brains42%

Electronicknowledge

12%

Electronicdocumentation

20%

Paperdocumentation

26%


By Paul Studebaker, CMRP, Editor in Chief

Figure 1. Employees’ brains remain by far the largest repository of the knowledge companies rely on for a competitive edge. (Source: The Delphi Group)

PS0808_26_32_CvrStry.indd 26 8/7/08 11:59:40 AM

A .PLANTSERVICES. 27

dispersed personnel, shifts and locations. Captured knowledge also might signifi cantly reduce the time and expense of disaster recovery, and can be invaluable for training new recruits.

Rely on the Web?It seems that everything anyone really needs to know can be found on the Web. But as mathematician and writer John Al-len Paulos said, “� e Internet is the world’s largest library. It’s just that all the books are on the fl oor,” to which a wag once added, “and the lights are off .” It takes some time and skill to home in on truly relevant information, and experience is helpful for determining which sources can be trusted.

Web sites, including www.PlantServices.com, have amassed huge amounts of information about industrial maintenance, plant engineering, reliability and more. Ex-ploration can lead you to a set of sites you can draw upon to replace general knowledge, establish standard procedures,

fi nd specifi cations and get instructions for many common situations and pieces of equipment.

But the public portions of the Web can’t off er details about your own facility, nor a secure structure for storing that site-specifi c (and perhaps proprietary) information. And other people’s Web sites aren’t very useful for capturing know-how or organizing, storing and sharing your body of knowledge.

Subscribe to wisdomMuch of the Web’s most arcane but useful knowledge resides behind paid subscriptions or pay-by-the-download. Paid ac-cess to a reputable source might ensure that information is accurate, complete, organized and up to date. And a paying client might obtain a competitive edge by getting informa-tion that’s not available for free.

One example is SKF’s @ptitudeXchange. Originally planned as the database model for the company’s decision-


support system, it gives access to knowledge and experience in rotating equipment, machinery, components, software and instrumentation from SKF and its alliance partners.

Contents focus on asset management (achieving the lowest total cost of ownership with maximum availability, performance efficiency and product quality), reliability en-gineering (RCA, FMEA, predictive maintenance, vibra-tion analysis, inspection techniques and thermography) and

mechanical maintenance (alignment, balancing, bearing installation and equipment history tracking).

It includes overview documents, technical handbooks, white papers, application notes, best practices, interactive tutorials and benchmarking information, as well as interac-tive advisory systems for help with day-to-day analysis and decision-making. There also are public and private forums, where you can get answers to questions or search for and find solved problems.

“If someone finds a problem with a motor or imbalance in a fan, they can look for an easy an-swer in the repository and prevent a recurrence,” says Rob Bretz, team leader, SKF Internet, SKF (www.aptitudexchange.com). “We built the capability to add interactive tutorials on sub-jects like bearings, lubri-cation and thermography that we could turn into courses with certificates of completion. Then we added expert systems, like LubeSelect, so you could enter parameters and get information on what lubricant to use and the proper service regimen.”

Part of the knowledgebase can be accessed for free after registra-tion, whereas other parts require a subscription. “From the beginning, @ptitudeXchange has been intended as a profit center, where we sell con-tent,” Bretz says. “The bulk is behind subscription, and some of it is proprietary

and accessible only to specific organizations. We also in-clude it as part of service packages and employee training programs.” For example, the product support package for a vibration system could include @ptitudeXchange.

Add smarts to internal systems“When a seasoned individual is getting ready to retire or take their leave, take them off their job for the last two to six months and grill them on different aspects of the jobs they’ve done for 30+ years,” suggests Al Yonkman, a recent-ly retired DTE control and computer systems engineer now working with IBM (www.ibm.com) as a business develop-ment executive. “Capture that information in standard work instructions [SWIs] linked to job plans so people can access them without trying to dig up Old Joe’s last comments to find out what you do in a particular situation.”

Knowledge that’s used routinely to perform regular tasks can be added to a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), document-management system and en-gineering software. Associate it with specific tasks so it’s readily accessible whenever the task comes up.

Engineering programs can be interlocked to reflect in-stitutionalized knowledge. “If you’re designing a multiple-pole line extension, the pole tops and pole spacings are pretty standard,” Yonkman says. “You can build them in so a fairly new employee is able to design a sophisticated

line because the system

August 2008www.PLANTSERVICES.com28

MANAGEMENTPersonnel

When a seasoned individual is getting ready to retire, take them off their job for the last tWo to six months and grill them.

improve productivityThe white paper, “Workforce Trends: Tools for taking control of today’s skilled labor shortage,” by Advanced Technology Services (ATS) provides guidance on what companies can do to stem the tide. It shows the immediate and long-term benefits of taking pro-active steps to recruit, train and promote a multiskilled labor force to make factories more produc-tive in-house, so manufacturers won’t look elsewhere for less-ex-pensive production alternatives. Find it at www.plantservices.com/ industrynews/2008/102.html.



won’t allow you to, for example, put a 4,800 V insulator on a 13,200 V line, or plan a 350-ft. span when the guys will only support a 200-ft. span.”

The approach depends more on following procedures than on buying specific software. Many CMMS packages allow job plans to be linked to work orders so crews have access to drawings and standard work instructions. A variety of document-management systems allow you to store, sort and assign versions to the documents, and more than one design package can accommodate a rulebase.

“The key is, when you’re doing work, you don’t want to have to do a bunch of sorting and searches,” Yonkman says. “You tend to work with specific construction units and job plans, and when you work on a piece of equipment you click on it. What comes up is a job plan that reaches out and grabs sketches and SWIs associated with that piece of equipment so you’re not searching and sorting.”

Once you’ve built and populated the database, you can im-prove, build on and modify standard work instructions based on learnings. “The idea is, it’s never done,” Yonkman adds. “You’re always learning – new equipment, new design process-es, new maintenance approaches. On a day-to-day basis, as you get new equipment and new procedures, you continue to build that SWI database so it’s available for future generations.”

Build a better databaseAdvanced Technology Services (ATS, www.advancedtech.com) began building its information system – called Knowl-edgebase – about two years ago. When the maintenance ser-vices company gets involved in a new site, teams go through the files, scanning in manuals and documentation. “We use a Web-type database and Google search technology,” says Jeff Morrow, ATS KnowledgeBase database administrator. It can search by word or phrase, and the full-text searches can be fil-tered to a particular site, keywords, equipment type, etc.

Along with scanned documents, the system captures information from maintenance work orders, technician’s questions and answers from its “Factory Forum,” and rel-evant information from the public domain. “We now have about 14,000 files and expect 100% growth during the next year,” Morrow says. “About 20% is tribal knowledge – PMs, procedures and real-world tips and tricks.”

That tribal knowledge isn’t easy to capture. “When root-cause analysis [RCA] is mandatory – and we have rules for that, based on safety, regulations, equipment criticality and excessive downtime – the analysis goes into the system,”

Morrow says. “We’re using RCA-based problem/solution forms that are filled out by the technician and signed off by the maintenance planner and site management. This is how we get the knowledge that’s not in the manuals.”

Users can rate information for how much it helped, or comment on accuracy or missing information. Higher rat-ings raise the information’s position in the search results.

“We just used the knowledgebase this weekend to pull up the manual for a measuring instrument on a bearing pro-duction line,” says ATS Traveling Technician Jason Scales, who was caught in transit between jobs near Hamilton, Ala. “Until we found the manual, we thought we would have to shut down the line and send the instrument back to Japan.”

Scales says he routinely uses the system to prepare for a site visit. “With a machine model and number, we can access manuals, schematics and PLC logic,” he says. “It’s a lot bet-ter than flipping through hundreds of pages of manuals.”

It also comes in handy for troubleshooting. “We had a drive on a Gleason machine tripping,” Scales adds. “The knowledgebase gave us a tip to adjust the gain, which solved the problem. It saved us a lot of time and trouble.”

ATS now provides services at about 60 sites, so an important function is to share, as well as capture, knowledge. It also helps for training new employees. “It drives us toward best practices because we can capture and share the best way to deal with a particular machine or problem. And as we add more, it does more,” says Vlad Bacalu, product manager, ATS.

“It’s a great tool that improves efficiencies,” Morrow adds. “Every day that you don’t use it, you risk losing knowledge.”

Another option is to buy a software system preloaded with information relevant to the equipment in your facil-ity. Some such systems allow you to modify the informa-tion and add specific details to build a powerful, compre-hensive support and reference system.

For example, SKF’s @ptitude Decision Support sys-tem offers failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and failure symptom information for more than 100 kinds of equipment, from shafts and bearings to heat exchangers and motors. It also supports and monitors operator-driven reliability (ODR) inspection data and can accept process data via OPC. Decisions are made on multiple variables.

Like a seasoned reliabil-ity expert, Decision Sup-port can help identify problems, determine how serious they are, recommend a course of action and priority, and highlight potential risks to productivity, qual-ity, worker safety and the environment.

MANAGEMENTPersonnel

Buy a software system preloaded with information relevant to the equipment in your facility.


“The system is preloaded with the models needed to sup-port a user’s technology,” says Scott Brady, director of mar-keting and ODR, SKF. “We might have to add some special aspects for a specific piece of equipment, but that part is small compared to the standard information.” The plant can use the same editing tool to make changes to variables such as rules and detection levels, or to add information from other sources such as engineering and purchasing.

In practice, as an expert nears retirement, “We set up the system with content, get Old Joe and go through it with him,” Brady says. “Perhaps the settings for temperatures or vibration will have to be changed. Old Joe might say the pipe starts shaking and you’ll pick it up. When the process interacts, we’ll use OPC and pick up the process conditions

to set the rules.” After Old Joe is gone, if the system says there’s a fault, a new technician can see why Old Joe said it’s a problem. “It’s not a black box,” Brady says.

Plants are trying to monitor more equipment with fewer people, and many find that there are too many data to look at. “You can use it as a highly technical filter,” Brady adds. “It looks at all the data and tells you which parts to look at.”

At a plant in Brazil, “One of our contracts has 5,000 piec-es of equipment and two analysts on contract,” says Luis Econom, SKF product line manager, software. “They can do the job because they’re presented with the information they need on the critical assets.”

Get more from controlsYour automation and controls might be holding a lot of in-formation about your facility. Some plants are leveraging the expertise and historical data embedded in advanced process control (APC) and change-management systems to empower operators, pinpoint process problems and expedite repairs.

“The new generation of workers expects information on demand, from their experience with Google and the Web, rather than by studying or by reading manuals,” says Don Hart, vice president, Rockwell Automation Pavilion marketing (www.pavtech.com).

APC can handle disturbances and non-steady-state con-ditions such as startups and shutdowns where operators tra-ditionally ran under manual control using their experience. This can be helpful in complex processes. “We have a poly-mer plant in Canada with 1,300 variables,” Hart says. “It’s way beyond operator capabilities.”

Pavilion Technologies is widely known for APC and emission compliance/virtual analyzer packages. In 2007, Pavilion expanded into production and performance-man-agement software to improve visibility of APC performance with information such as time on control, time at constraints and valve performance metrics. This system has been ex-tended to display metrics and analytics of entire plants.

Meanwhile, change-management systems guard against trouble on a much simpler scale by unobtrusively backing up variables into larger programs. During normal opera-tions, any changes, tweaks and modifications are being captured for change management, disaster recovery and calibration information.

“Technicians can store standard operating procedures, predefined actions or variables in an integrated system, at


Get Wikied“I think every company should consider starting its own Wiki. We put everything in ours: client information, progress reports, etc. It’s searchable and much more convenient than e-mail threads. We have nine people on our international team, most with English as a second language. E-mail, instant messaging, teleconferences and Wikis – I’ve tried them all and the Wiki is best for aggregating information and keeping records. Search is so much better than it used to be. Every company should keep track of what they’re doing in a large database.”

– Rob Bretz, team leader, SKF Internet

LeveraGe the expertise and historicaL data embedded in advanced process controL (apc) and chanGe-manaGement systems.

MANAGEMENTPersonnel


PS0808_FPA.indd 31 8/7/08 9:23:54 AM


MANAGEMENTPersonnel

the hands of operators or maintenance engineers, not in a file cabinet,” says Scott Miller, business manager, asset management, Rockwell Automation (www.rockwellautomation.com/rock wellsoftware/assetmgmt).

It can be a challenge to justify the ROI without having a disaster and losing all your machine settings. “It’s an insurance kind of sale,” Miller says, “but its value is in the daily occurrenc-es that add up. Changes in run rates due to small changes don’t shut the plant down, but they add up. The sys-tem lets you detect and back out small problems.”

“One client had a problem they worked on over a weekend. They

thought it was in the automation sys-tem and made about 150 modifica-tions – tweaks – before they figured out it was actually a mechanical prob-lem. They fixed that in an hour, but now the machine was out of control.

They were able to point back 150 ver-sions and put the machine controls back where they were on Friday.”

Sublet expertise“Years ago, there used to be big mainte-nance programs,” says Tim Last, busi-ness development manager, Atlas Cop-co (www.atlascopco.com). “We used to train customers and sell spare parts, and show owners how to maintain and trou-bleshoot. But now, maintenance depart-

ments aren’t doing the work – they’re managing and outsourcing.”

Industrial facilities have always relied on outside services for niche expertise as well as manpower to help handle short-term heavy work loads. Now many are trusting contractors to fill a broader range of knowledge gaps.

Equipment vendors, specialist com-panies and full-service contractors are offering every level of assistance, from scheduled maintenance to full responsi-bility for systems and machines.

“It saves cost due to economy of scale,” Last says. “We know compres-sors, and we improve reliability of pressures and machines. We actually do the preventive maintenance and we change parts in time, so uptime has risen from 80% to 90% 10 years ago to 99.9% these days.”

Focusing on an area of expertise and competing against other service pro-viders can give vendors an edge over your in-house staff. “We are always learning new things and trying new things, and some of them work,” Last says. “We often can solve a problem, reduce a cost, or make an improve-ment at much lower cost than clients could do on their own.”

Vendors often offer global breadth and deep expertise. “Wherever you are, we have people with 10 years or 15 years of experience,” Last says. “People tend to stay with us, so they know the processes and machines. The same is true of our distributors.”

Service technician pools are growing quickly. “There’s lots of competition for the kinds of people we’re recruiting,” Last adds. “We must offer good possi-bilities, packages and training.

“Will a service provider watch out for your best interests? We offer value for money, to help you invest in solu-tions like systems that save energy, monitor compressors 24/7, etc., that we’ve come up with because we’re monitoring so many compressors in so many places. And there’s plenty of competition – companies that can do similar things – and that’s raising the standard.”

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ndustrial compressed air users often misinterpret the role the air compressor plays as an energy source in support of manufacturing. Air compressors don’t supply the air

directly to the production demands; the connecting pipes serve that purpose. As such, the energy extracted from the system to perform the required tasks actually comes from air already in the pipes. � e compressors replenish that air as it’s consumed. � is is an important distinction to under-stand when confi guring a compressed air system to perform at optimum effi ciency.

Every air system reaches a balance between the air the compressors supply to the air distribution system and the air the downstream users withdraw from the distribution system. � e energy that compressors input will equal the energy the users consume plus the system’s inherent inef-fi ciencies. Anything left over either goes into or is re-leased from storage. � e basic equation representing this fact is:

Energy in = energy expended energy stored

Changes occurring to either side of the equation result in the system rebalancing at a new point. Taking proactive, positive measures to manipulate the balance between sup-ply and demand ensures the system always operates at its optimum energy effi ciency. Compressed air is an ineffi cient energy source: Putting between 7 and 8 electrical hp into the compressor motor gives only 1 pneumatic hp of output to the system (Figure 1).

Also, in a typical plant, production only uses about 50% of the pneumatic output the compressors generate, with the rest lost to ineffi ciencies, waste and inappropriate uses. Compressed air is often the principal, if not the greatest, production cost component. As such, it off ers substantial savings opportunities from reducing consumption and us-ing the air more effi ciently (Figure 2).

A key factor for realizing the available savings is properly applying storage, which, in this context, refers to the stored energy, as indicated by the pressure contained in the fi xed volume of your air system. Volume alone, however, doesn’t

equal storage. � ere also must be a change in the pressure within that fi xed volume to produce useable storage. Take, for example, a large receiver installed in the compressor room. If the pressure at the tank inlet is the same as the pressure at the outlet, the useable stored energy contained in the tank is zero.

� e volume adds to the overall system capacitance, but it can’t be applied to manipulating the energy balance be-tween the system’s supply side and the demand side unless it’s accompanied by a controlled change in pressure. � e simplifi ed storage relationship for fi xed volume vessels like air receivers is:

Compressed air is an ineffi cient energy source.

HOW TOBALANCE STORAGE

AGAINST EXCESS AIR COMPRESSOR CAPACITY

PS0808_35_38_Compressors.indd 35 8/7/08 11:22:00 AM

Vs = ΔP x Vf/Pawhere Vs = the stored volume

ΔP = change in pressure Pa = atmospheric pressure Vf = the vessel ’s fixed volume

Pressure changes in the storage ves-sel are based on the flow of air into and

out of the receiver. If more air flows out than in, the air expands into the piping distribution system and the in-ternal pressure decreases. Conversely, if the air flow into the receiver exceeds the outflow, the delivered air increases the pressure in the piping distribution system. Monitoring the outlet pressure

and controlling the release of the air from storage by means of an interme-diate pressure/flow control produces a stable reference point for balancing the system. The results:

• A reliable, stable compressed air source for production purposes.

• Fewer compressed air-related problems and work stoppages.

• Energy savings from optimizing system efficiency.

An unanticipated compressor shut-down usually dictates the minimum amount of storage. To prevent seri-ous production interruptions while the standby compressor starts, comes on line and begins to contribute air, storage must sustain the system. The required amount of storage, therefore, depends on the compressor capacity and how much pressure degradation can be tolerated before production begins to shut down.

If, for example, the standby com-pressor takes 30 seconds to begin fill-ing in for a failed 100 hp compressor rated at 500 scfm, and atmospheric pressure is 14.5 psia, the storage re-quirement is 250 cf (500 scfm x 1 min./60 sec. x 30 sec.). If the storage pressure is allowed to degrade 15 psi during those 30 seconds, the receiver capacity would be:

Vf = (Vs x Pa /ΔP) x 7.481 gal/cfWhere Vf = Receiver volume

Vs = 250 cf Pa = 14.5 psia ΔP = 15 psi

In other words, a fixed volume of 1,870 gal (250 x 14.5/15 x 7.481) will release 250 scf while dropping 15 psi in pressure. If the storage pressure is allowed to degrade only 5 psi during the 30 seconds, the receiver capacity would be 5,500 gal (250 x 14.5/5 x 7.481). These examples clearly dem-onstrate the relevance of the allowable pressure change.

Demand surges that cause flow spikes also influence the storage requirement. Evaluate them to determine if addition-al storage is needed either in the com-


EfficiEncyCompressors

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compressor. Specialized 100% synthetic lubricants forRotary Screw, Reciprocating, Centrifugal,

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Summit synthetic lubricants are manufactured from the highestquality PAO, Ester and PAG synthetic basestocks. These superiorbase fluids, coupled with Summit’s unique additive technology,assures our customer that theyare getting the best lubricantsfor their compressors. Summitsynthetic lubricants provide aneffective alternative to OEMlubricants. Summit syntheticsare engineered for specificapplications.

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of operating temperature• Eliminates sludge and varnish• Extended service life• Higher product purity• High flash point• NSF H1 and Kosher approved lubricants for most applications

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A

pressor room or at the local workstations to mitigate unacceptable pressure fl uctuations.

� e energy required to keep a system in balance comes from a combination of storage and available excess compressor capac-ity. Running a compressor partially loaded provides the unused reserve that can be drawn upon as needed. Partially loading a compressor, however, can be ineffi cient and costly, particularly if the compressor is oversized.

In fact, an unloaded, fi xed-speed compressor can consume 20% to 25% of its rated horsepower even when idling. Storage, therefore, must be suffi cient to allow an unloaded compressor to time out and shut down, even during short-duration events. � e compressor would come on line only when the operating compressor(s) plus storage could no longer sustain the minimum system pressure.

Using motor horsepower as an energy reserve is costly. � e better approach is to take advantage of the storage-based reserve in advance of the intermittent peak demands and keep unloaded compressors shut down.

EFFICIENCYCompressors

Headline

120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

3020

10

0

Pump curve

System curve

2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000


Hea

d (fe

et)

Supplyside

Airreceiver

500 gallons

Intermediatecontrol

Demandside

7-8 hpInput

Inlet pressureatmosphere

Outlet pressure100 psig

1 hp pneumaticoutput

6-7 hpWaste heat & inefficiences

Aircompressor

Motor

Artificialdemand

15%

Inappropriateuses 10%

Leaks 25%

Normal production50%

200 hp VSDwith built-in dryer

200 hp compressor

Big losses

Figure 1. Most of the energy input to a compressor is lost and unable to perform useful work.

Headline

120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

3020

10

0

Pump curve

System curve

2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000


Hea

d (fe

et)

Supplyside

Airreceiver

500 gallons

Intermediatecontrol

Demandside

7-8 hpInput





Aircompressor

Motor

Artificialdemand

15%


Leaks 25%



200 hp compressor

Only half does useful work

Figure 2. This is a typical distribution of the air consumption in a manufacturing operation.

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Speed factorCompressors with variable-speed drives (VSD) change the storage variables in the balance equation because they have no consequential cost penalty from operating partially load-ed. Horsepower is essentially matched to the demand load. Oversizing a VSD compressor to provide an energy reserve is an acceptable practice.

For example, if a system needs 100 hp in reserve, a 200 hp VSD compressor could run at 50% load without introduc-ing appreciable waste and inefficiency. In systems with VSD compressors, the energy required to maintain the system balance can rely more on a reserve of rotating motor horse-power and less on storage than a system configured with only fixed-speed machines (Figure 3).

The arbitrary substitution of storage with the reserve en-ergy of motor horsepower from a VSD compressor must be weighed carefully. There’s still a time lag between the demand event and the compressor response that you must take into account. Insufficient storage puts the compressor in a catch-up mode, in which it constantly chases system demand, never taking maximum advantage of its inher-ent highly efficient part-load performance. In general, you can realize an additional 7% to 10% savings by trimming the system using the VSD compressor through controlled

storage produced by the pressure/flow control.The storage required to swing a trim compressor into the

base position without interrupting production in the event of an unanticipated compressor failure still must be ad-dressed. Also, VSD compressors frequently are networked with fixed-speed machines and centrifugal units. Proper ap-plication of storage ensures the VSD always can trim the system and not cause other networked compressors to load up or blow off.

Applying storage to control the system balance is essential for optimizing the energy efficiency, regardless of the com-pressor configuration. Storage ensures that a stable, reliable source of compressed air always is available for production.

Effective compressor sequencing can be automated in a balanced system. The reduced air consumption from leak management and the elimination of wasteful practices and inappropriate uses will fully translate into real energy sav-ings back at the compressor motors. You can profile the system, design the storage response and then control the energy balance of the system at the optimum level.

Bob Wilson is the products manager at Pneumatech LLP in Kenosha,

Wis. Contact him at [email protected] and (727) 866-8118.


EfficiEncyCompressors

Optimum receiver location – “The compressed air receiver: the endless question”Efficiency through higher loading – “Load ‘em up”Baseline measurements – “Vital signs”Speed-regulated drives – “Drive down the cost of compressed air”Air system design – “Keep it simple”Proper line sizes – “The secret is in the pipe”Compressed air leaks – “Stop the bleeding”Efficiency gains – “Compress efficiently”

For more, search www.PlantServices.com using the keywords demand, horsepower and pressure.

More resources at www.PlantServices.com

Headline

Supplyside

Airreceiver

500 gallons

Intermediatecontrol

Demandside

7-8 hpInput





Aircompressor

Motor

Artificialdemand

15%


Leaks 25%



200 hp compressor

A versatile approach

Figure 3. This schematic illustrates a typical application of a VSD with intermediate control. (Block diagram courtesy of Tom Taranto and ConservAIR.)

PS0808_35_38_Compressors.indd 38 8/7/08 2:44:16 PM


The competitive nature of the hydraulics market has created a trend of increasing power outputs along with smaller fl uid reservoirs. � is produces conse-

quences for manufacturing plants. � e operating tempera-tures of hydraulic fl uids in these systems are signifi cantly higher, leading to greater risk of oxidation and thermal deg-radation of the additives in the fl uid. � e result of that deg-radation is varnish, and it can cause unplanned downtime, higher maintenance costs and reduced profi tability.

Over time, varnish buildup increases the friction inside the valves, especially those with fi ne tolerances such as servo and proportional types, where this phenomenon can be es-

pecially troublesome. � e eff ect of hydraulic-system valves sticking and operating erratically leads to impaired respon-siveness and reduced oil fl ow, which reduces effi ciency and increases maintenance costs.

The lowdown on varnishOxidation, thermal decomposition and the natural process of additive consumption is what causes fl uid to degrade as it ages. Additives – the performance-enhancing chemicals – are consumed during the fl uid lifespan. � e concentration of degradation byproducts increases as oil ages, eventually forming varnish.

Because varnish is a polar material, it’s attracted to metal surfaces such as servo valves. Varnish starts as a sticky, soft residue. � e sticky nature of this material allows it to attract wear debris, resulting in formation of a sandpaper-like sur-face. Eventually, the soft, sticky material changes to a hard lacquer that can be diffi cult to remove (Figure 1).

Be assured that varnish harms equipment. Oxidized oil generally doesn’t lubricate very well. � e result can be re-duced oil fl ow, plugged fi lters, plugged valves, greater fric-tion, poor heat transfer and elevated operating temperature. Because varnish acts as an insulator, it compromises the sys-tem’s cooling capacity.

For example, in high-performance vane pumps, varnish adhering to the vanes can cause a vane to jam in the ro-tor slot. � e consequences are increased noise, decreased volumetric and mechanical effi ciency, increased energy con-sumption, side plate scuffi ng, rotary seal damage and pos-sible bearing damage.

Challenges for hydraulic oils

Original equipment manufacturers report that the most frequent problems with high-performance hydraulic systems are:

• Systems are getting smaller while the fl ow rates in the reservoir have increased.• The reservoir size and shape are not optimum for fl uid life.• Oil fl ow rates are high compared to oil volumes.• Hydraulic systems are designed to have higher power densities.• Oil temperatures are higher.• Oil pressures have increased in general.

The consequences of those challenges include:• Foaming and cavitation because oil spends insuffi cient time

in the reservoir to release air and allow foam to collapse.• Shorter fl uid life because of increased oxidation.• Poor hydraulic valve response because of sludge and varnish

buildup.• Greater need to replace blocked fi lters.• Increased valve and pump wear.

An InsideYou must keep

your hydraulic

system clean of

varnish or pay the

consequences

By Rob Profi let

StoryAn InsideStoryAn Inside

PS0808_39_41_Lube.indd 39 8/7/08 11:38:05 AM

Avoiding varnishElectrostatic filtration systems can remove contaminants, but they can’t address the causes of varnish formation. They also tend to be expensive, and can be susceptible to water contamination.

So, some end users routinely change or clean servo valves in hydraulic equipment to keep their systems running. One new valve can cost $3,000, and the cost to clean and refur-bish a valve can be about $2,000. Don’t forget to add the labor and lost production costs.


ReliabilityLubrication

It’s on everything

Figure 1. If varnish is present in the sump, you can count on it being present in servo valves and other places in the system.

Vanishing varnish

Figure 2. Using fluid that contains varnish-reducing additives results in a clean sump.

PS0808_39_41_Lube.indd 40 8/7/08 11:38:22 AM


Neither approach is particularly economical. The ideal so-lution is to use hydraulic fluids that don’t deposit varnish on metallic surfaces. The additive packages in such fluids react with varnish precursors, thus minimizing the formation of tenacious, hard films on system hardware (Figure 2).

Laboratory testing confirms the keep-clean feature of fluids using this technology. In industry-accepted pump tests, most additive technologies exhibit varnish formation within 500 hours of operation. In the same pump tests, fluids containing varnish-reducing additive technology showed no evidence of varnish formation after 1,000 hours of operation.

Fluids containing the newer additives are particularly suited to applications in which high temperatures compromise oil life. This includes mobile equipment, plastic injection-molding ma-chines, glass transfer systems, heavy presses and the like. These fluids also are suitable for plants that need to extend oil and equipment life, including valves, filters and pumps.

Hydraulic fluids are being subjected to increasingly tough operating conditions. Demands that raise production while

reducing oil volume emphasize the need for high-quality hydraulic fluids. A varnish-reducing additive chemistry is the perfect partner for hydraulic fluids used in those harsher operating conditions.

Rob Profilet is commerical manager for Industrial Hydraulic and

Gear Oil Additives for The Lubrizol Corp., Wickliffe, Ohio. Contact

him at [email protected] and (440) 943-4200.

ReliabilityLubrication

Hydraulic PdM - “Hands-on hydraulics”Filtration - “Clean up hydraulic circuits”Hydraulic RCM - “The smart way to troubleshoot hydraulics”Hydraulic cleanliness - “Hydraulic maintenance”Hydraulics - “Forces to be reckoned”

For more, search www.PlantServices.com using the keywords additive, hydraulic and varnish.


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Because varnish is a polar material, it’s attracted to metal surfaces such as servo valves.

PS0808_39_41_Lube.indd 41 8/7/08 11:38:40 AM

PS0808_FPA.indd 42 8/7/08 9:26:47 AM


More attention worldwide is being focused on fu-gitive emissions, which are equipment leaks, as opposed to point-source emissions from reactor

vents or boiler exhaust stacks. � e trend is toward stringent limitations and more scrutiny, and fugitive emissions will be in

the vanguard as regulators attempt to impose the next set of emissions standards.

Fugitive emissions are defi ned variously and might re-fer to a range of emissions not confi ned to a stack, duct or vent, including emissions from bulk handling or process-ing of raw materials, windblown dust and other industrial

processes.Not every leak is considered a fugitive emission. Leaks might ei-

ther be internal or external. In the case of a ball valve, an internal leak could refer to a leak across the seat, from the upstream to the downstream side. So long as the valve doesn’t vent to atmosphere, an internal leak wouldn’t result in a fugitive emission. By contrast, an ex-ternal leak refers to a leak from inside the valve into the environment, for example, by way of the stem seal or body seal. To the extent that leaks pose harm to the environment, they’re fugitive emissions.

Let’s focus on discrete component leaks, in particular, the ex-ternal leaks from ball valves, a widely used valve type that enables high fl ow and eff ective shutoff s in many industries, including the chemical, petrochemical, oil and gas exploration, power and alterna-tive fuels industries.

To control fugitive emissions from ball valves, the critical point is to select the right valve for the application. Begin with accurate information about the application. � en, choose the valve technology that most close-ly accommodates your operating variables. � is article can’t address every ball valve type, so it focuses on two design features that are especially important in controlling fugitive emissions and overall cost of ownership: body seal and stem seal designs.

Body seal designTwo common types of body seals are screw type and fl ange type. � e screw type provides a stronger seal that tolerates higher system pressure, but the fl ange type allows for fast and easy maintenance with the valve in line.

� e screw type consists of one or two threaded end screws affi xed to the valve body after the ball and seat packing have been loaded inside. � e sealing area of a screw-type fi tting is relatively small and can be an especially effi cient seal, enabling eff ective sealing at pressures as high as 10,000 psig or 20,000 psig (689 bar or 1,378 bar).

Valves using the fl ange-type body seal have three discrete sections that are joined together with fl anges, seals and bolts (Figure 1). � e sealing area across these components is larger, so this design usually results in a lower pressure rating. Because the fl anges are sealed with gaskets, there are fewer geometric constraints on the sealing material and, therefore, a wider choice of sealing ma-terials is available.

Choose a ball valve with leak-tight seals to curb fugitive emissions

By Michael Adkins and Pete Ehlers

PS0808_43_48_Valves.indd 43 8/7/08 11:40:31 AM

The manufacturer’s standard sealing material isn’t always the answer. Sys-tem designers should research sealing materials in conjunction with their system operating conditions, consid-ering the full range of options includ-ing metal gaskets, the many different types of elastomer O-rings, and Gra-foil packing, which might offer a more robust valve design.

Beyond sealing materials, an advan-tage of the flange-type design is ease of maintenance. Once the bolts are re-moved, the valve’s body swings out for

easy repair without removing the entire valve from the system.

A ball valve requires some means of ensuring that the system medium, whether liquid or gas, doesn’t leak from the stem and body interface. This is the role of the stem seal. With sufficient cy-cling frequency, stem seals are subjected to wear, and wear can lead to leakage. However, some seals are more effective than others in certain applications.

One-piece stem packingThe most basic technology is a one-piece gasket that encircles the stem. As the packing bolt is tightened down on the stem, the gasket, usually made

of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), is crushed, filling the space between the stem and the body housing.

Unfortunately, PTFE and similar packing materials are subject to cold flow, which is the tendency for certain materials to change shape over time. Cold flow can be exacerbated by pres-sure and temperature. In some cases, the material might extrude into areas where it wasn’t intended to go, undermining its effectiveness and leading to leakage.

To compensate for cold flow, the packing bolt might need to be tight-

ened frequently to maintain a constant compression load on the stem seal. With enough retightening, the pack-ing bolt might bottom on the valve body, at which point the packing will need to be replaced.

This basic packing technology re-quires frequent inspection and adjust-ment; otherwise, leakage might occur. Unfortunately, to the untrained opera-tor, it’s not always clear when adjust-ment is required.

Two-piece chevron stem packingA two-piece chevron stem packing is an improvement on the one-piece design and allows for wider temperature and


SafetyValves

Easy in, easy out

Figure 1. Valves that have a flange-type body seal consist of three discrete parts that are joined together with flanges, seals and long bolts. Such valves come apart for easy repair in situ.

The manufacturer’s standard sealing material isn’t always the answer.

Ball valve assembled Ball valve disassembled

PS0808_43_48_Valves.indd 44 8/7/08 11:40:49 AM

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pressure ranges, as well as regular and easy actuation without excessive wear.

A chevron packing consists of two matched gaskets, one fitting inside the other. The cross section of the gaskets is triangular. Fitted together, the two gaskets form a rectangular cross-section (Figure 2). As force is applied from the stem’s packing nut, the two gaskets are pushed against each other along the di-agonal point where they meet, which dis-tributes the force horizontally and evenly against the stem and body housing. A minimal pressure from the packing nut produces a substantial seal between the stem and the body housing.

For the chevron seal to work correct-ly, the two PTFE gaskets – the pack-ing – must be held in place to reduce cold flow during thermal cycling. The packing in the chevron design, there-fore, must be adequately contained and supported by packing support rings and glands, which evenly distribute pressure to the packing.

To increase the interval between in-spections and adjustments, the chevron design also might include Belleville washers, which are springs that pro-duce a live load on the packing. Live loading places uniform force on the

packing: As temperatures and pres-sures fluctuate, the springs provide a constant bias force against the seal and the body to maintain the appropriate amount of sealing force.

O-ring sealAnother effective stem seal technol-ogy is the O-ring. When properly designed, O-rings provide flexibility for applications requiring high pres-sure, low pressure, or a broad pressure range, such as a cylinder where, for ex-ample, pressure might drop from 2,300 psig (158.5 bar) when full to 100 psig (6.9 bar) as it nears empty.

The O-ring usually is made from a highly elastic material, such as fluo-rocarbon FKM. Like the two-piece chevron design, the O-ring design doesn’t require excessive packing nut pressure. Rather, the O-ring is ener-gized by pressure in the media stream. As that pressure increases, the O-ring further deforms and increases pressure on the stem. Conversely, as pressure in the gas stream decreases, the O-ring relaxes, filling the space between the stem and the body.

A proper stem design with an O-ring configuration requires a back-up ring or

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Figure 2. On the left is the standard one-piece packing. On the right are the two ferrules that make up a chevron stem packing. In the chevron packing, minimal pressure from the packing nut pushes down on the two triangular shapes, resulting in outward, even pressure between the stem and the housing.

One-piece packing Two-piece chevron packing

PS0808_43_48_Valves.indd 46 8/7/08 11:41:13 AM


SafetyValves

some other mechanism, usually made of PTFE, which contains the O-ring under high pressure. This back-up ring reduces the extrusion gap of the O-ring gland and thereby keeps the O-ring contained. If the O-ring is permitted to extrude beyond specific limits, it might be sheared during actuation.

The O-ring design is highly effective at high pressure. In terms of temperature, pressure and chemical attack, the de-sign is limited by the properties of the elastomer.

Stem misalignmentBeyond issues relating to stem seal design, there are some additional causes of stem leaks. These have to do with stem alignment. If for any reason the stem becomes tilted or forced to one side, there might be uneven wear on the stem seal, re-sulting in leakage.

There are two basic causes of misalignment. In the first, mis-alignment might result from improper actuator installation. If the actuator and stem centerlines aren’t properly aligned, the stem tilts or skews, resulting in uneven stem seal wear.

In the second case, damage to the seat seal inside the valve might cause the stem to tilt. To understand this issue, we must first review basic ball valve anatomy. Ball valves can have either a floating or trunnion ball design.

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Figure 3. A cross-section of a floating ball valve in the shut position shows downstream pressure pushing the ball to seal on the right-hand side. Arrows indicate the contact with the seat seals.

PS0808_43_48_Valves.indd 47 8/7/08 11:41:31 AM



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For more, search www.PlantServices.com us-ing the keywords emissions, leak and valve.

SafetyValves

In a floating ball design, the ball isn’t fixed inside the housing but, rather, floats between two seats. In the shutoff position (Figure 3), the ball seals against the seat on the low-pressure side, pushed down-stream by a positive pressure differential.

By contrast, the trunnion design uses a ball, but it’s not a discrete sphere. Rather, its geometry includes two cyl-inders – the trunnions – affixed to the ball at the top and bottom (Figure 4). The unit fits into a space in the valve body and can’t move along the flow axis. As the ball rotates from the open to closed positions, it glides on the trunnions, which can be fitted with bushings or bearings.

In the case of high differential pressure across the seat, a free-floating ball can be pushed downstream – too far down-stream. In the absence of an advanced seat design – such as a spring-energized seat with an O-ring and spring on each side – the ball might not return to the center position. As a result, the stem will tilt to one side, and, with time, uneven stem wear will occur.

The trunnion design prevents exces-sive movement of the ball downstream. The trunnions keep the ball centered and the stem properly aligned.

The different ball valve designs have appropriate applications, strengths and relative merits, and these have a direct effect on fugitive emissions. When choosing a ball valve, give due consid-

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PS0808_43_48_Valves.indd 48 8/7/08 11:43:05 AM

We owe a lot to theoreticians who start with a blank sheet and noodle their way into something that can be applied to the issue of plant reliability. Consider

Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier, whose work ultimately led to the idea of Fast Fourier Transforms, the technology that made modern vibration analysis possible. Gustav Kirchhoff and Max Planck codified the equations that describe black body radia-tion, which, of course, forms the basis for the way your infrared camera interprets images. Nearly everything that engineers get involved with on the plant floor is the end of a chain of devel-opments and improvements on something that started with the pencil scratchings of some brilliant person a long time ago.

The mathematician types know more about the possible combinations and permutations of those 10 digits than anyone. Sometimes they invent a protocol that provides us with a crys-tal-clear approach to answering a question with more precision than we ever thought possible. One such example is Waloddi Weibull, who developed an algorithm that finds application to reliability and failure analysis. This month, we’re going to slosh through the digital morass we call the Web in search of practi-cal, zero-cost, noncommercial, registration-free resources that will help you prove, unambiguously, that your reliability ini-tiatives help keep your plant competitive in a global market. Remember, we search the Web so you don’t have to.

The big pictureWeibull analysis can be a daunting exercise if you’re not pre-pared for it. A quick side trip to Wikipedia is a good place to begin exploring and learning how to apply it to mainte-nance and engineering. Open up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weibull_distribution, for a page that’s heavy with the theoretical and abstract mathematics underlying the analysis. Before your eyes glaze over, though, take advantage of the “External links” section at the extreme bottom of the page.

Here you can read a biography about Weibull. Pay particular attention to the last few lines of this story, which appear just above the author’s contact information and the bibliography. Another external link will let you read a reprint of Weibull’s original 1951 paper, in which he methodically derives the mathematics behind his approach using some degree of rigor. The link to Mathpages concludes with a numerical example that shows how to do Weibull analysis with pencil and paper. The article about using Microsoft Excel for Weibull analy-sis includes a worked-out numerical example and walks you through the process, step by step. You also can download the Excel spreadsheet used in the example.

Plot the dataIf you’re going to perform Weibull analysis the old-fashioned way, you’ll need several sheets of something called, amazingly enough, Weibull paper. It’s graph paper that features nonlinear axes, not something you’re going to find in the local stationery store. Just mark up a sheet of plain-vanilla graph paper to get the appropriate axis configuration or, because this is the 21st century, you can use your computer and printer. If you elect the latter option, “Graph paper printer” is the name of a software package that you can install on your PC or network. It has three features to recommend it. First, it’s totally free. Second, it can be used to generate nearly every type of graph or chart you’ve ever seen in your life. As the author claims, the software prints “graph papers, music manuscripts and pattern papers, with user-defined sizes and colors.” Third, loading it to your machine adds no DLL files and leaves the registry unchanged. One can’t expect a free digital wonder to be any more unob-trusive than that. This work of art is brought to you through the kind generosity of Dr. Philippe Marquis, biologiste des ho-pitaux, in Metz, France. Pay a visit to http://pharm.kuleuven.be/pharbio/gpaper.htm for the self-explanatory instructions for downloading. The only potential drawback is that the graph layouts are dimensioned in metric units.

Practical examplesBarringer & Associates Inc., Humble, Texas, is a reliability consultant and purveyor of reliability software. The compa-ny’s Web site (www.barringer1.com) has much relevant in-formation for the plant professional, more than I have space

WEB HUNTER


In spite of the fact that only two space shuttles have experienced fatal

crashes, Weibull analysis predicts when the next will occur.

Reliability: Documented and ProvenUse Weibull analysis to support your requests for a greater maintenance budget

PS0808_49_51_WebHunt.indd 49 8/7/08 11:44:19 AM

to highlight here. You’ll need to explore it on your own. But, you might want to start by opening the home page and scrolling down to the section called “Handy Tools & Infor-mation” and click the entry titled “Problems of The Month.” This gives you links to a selection of articles that explain how Weibull analysis can be applied to pump seals, relief valves, process reliability and other practical concerns in the typical plant setting. Look for the article about NASA. It’s a study in the simplicity of two points determining a line on a Weibull chart. In spite of the fact that only two space shuttles have experienced fatal crashes, Weibull analysis uses that pair of data points to predict when the next will

occur, assuming NASA keeps the craft flying while main-taining its current reliability trend. Then, check out the link to “Free (Or Low-Cost) Software” to investigate, among other things, the RAPTOR software he military that mod-els reliability, availability and maintainability.

Case in pointA protocol related to Weibull analysis goes by the name Crow-AMSAA. It was originally developed for the U.S. Army Ma-teriel Systems Analysis Activity, hence the AMSAA acronym. And, it was Dr. Larry H. Crow who realized it could be rep-resented as a Weibull process. Because you didn’t ask how to build a watch, I now direct your attention to a case study that used the Crow-AMSAA technique to analyze the forced out-ages and reliability at a New Zealand power-generating sta-tion. The first six pages of this 22-page presentation cover the background and justification for the work. It’s on that seventh page that the data analysis begins and continues through sub-sequent pages to explain how and why various conclusions be-came obvious. It might not be incredibly detailed, but it gives a flavor of the power of quantifying reliability gains or losses. The paper is posted at www.plant-maintenance.com/articles/Crow-AMSAA.pdf for your edification.

For product selectionWeibull analysis helps if you need to choose the most reli-able product, assuming that the competing vendors provide life cycle test data or you subject the designs to your own run-to-failure field testing. A Web resource that explains

how this is done is operated by Quanterion Solutions Inc., Utica, N.Y. For a concise description of the input data and the interpretation of the analytical results, with none of those perhaps confusing, intervening mathematical machi-nations, go to http://quanterion.com/ReliabilityQues and click on the link to the article titled “Which Design is More Reliable? Weibull Provides Answers!” Be forewarned, the several offers of free stuff you’ll see on this site require you to register your e-mail address, if not your entire identity.

Bedtime readingWeibull analysis is only one of many approaches to model-ing your reliability data. The good folks at The Statistical Engineering Division of NIST’s Information Technology Laboratory, Gaithersburg, Md., know about all of them and is willing to impart its collective wisdom to those of us who fund their efforts through our taxes. In fact, the Laboratory has an online handbook that should serve you well if you’re into numbers and maintenance statistics. Put on your read-ing glasses and crack the cover on www.itl.nist.gov/div898. Listed under the “Products and Services” heading at the center of the page is a link to the “NIST/SEMATECH Engineering Statistics Handbook.” This is a biggie – you’ll wind up with more than 3,100 pages if you download the entire PDF version, an action definitely not recommend-ed. Instead, use the search feature on the left side. Enter “Weibull” and look for the entry named “1.3.6.6.8. Weibull Distribution.” Then, read about Weibull and take advantage of the many links to cross-referenced pages.

You’ll definitely want to investigate the software offer-ings also shown under the “Products and Services” heading. When the page opens, take a look at Dataplot, a software package for graphical analysis on data you furnish. When you get to the Dataplot home page, click on “Dataplot Summary” to see the 17 broad categories of analysis it will handle. And each category has a string of subcategories and finer gradations. Even if you have no practical application for the software, at least tell some college engineering un-dergrad about it.

From your peersThe concepts underlying Weibull analysis provide powerful, objective evidence about the efficacy of the current mainte-nance philosophy the plant is using. Despite the fact that the technique has been available for some time, its reliance on heavy mathematics and the user’s uncertainty about its appli-cability to a given situation can be off-putting. Well, friends, there’s no sense trying to reinvent the Weibull wheel when many of your associates in industry have gone this way before you. How would you like to tap into an online forum dedi-

WEB HUNTER


The concepts underlying Weibull analysis provide powerful,

objective evidence about the efficacy of the current maintenance

philosophy the plant is using.



cated to Weibull and related issues? It’s there for the asking. Simply ask your desk rodent to go in the direction of www.reliasoftforums.com/archive for the Q&A hosted by Relia-Soft Corp., Tucson, Ariz. Click on “Weibull and Life Data Analysis” and you’ll be able to access more than 120 forum threads, each of which begins with a question from a user. These threads sometimes have only one answer from some-one in the company’s technical support group. Others gener-ated a lively debate. You can read it for free, but if you want to participate, the cost will be a loss of your anonymity.

Another reliability-based forum comes from the Reli-ability Information Analysis Center (RIAC), a part of the Department of Defense (DoD). As its mission statement says, RIAC provides “the information, tools, training and technical expertise in the engineering disciplines of reliabil-ity, maintainability, quality, supportability and interoper-ability (RMQSI) to support accurate decision-making and implement cost-effective solutions throughout all phases of a product or system life cycle.” That’s government speak for products that are, of course, military assets. Anyway, to

see the forum postings you’ll need to score a direct hit on http://theriac.org and click on “RIAC Forum” found under “Help Desk” on the left side of the page. The most relevant of the choices might be those about data analysis and test-ing, maintainability and supportability, reliability models and non-electrical component reliability.

E-mail Executive Editor Russ Kratowicz, P.E., CMRP, at russk@

putman.net.

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The Acme operation is a 100-person manufacturing plant, part of a larger, privately held, London-based organization owned and operated by Sir Buford

Nashua Conklin Acme III, the most socially conservative tycoon in the history of capitalism.

Dan Saband was hired as a production engineer five years ago by Les Wallz, the plant director. By virtue of three years of dedicated hard work and his charismatic personality, but mainly because of some fortuitous retirements, Dan found himself promoted to production manager. His duties now included supervising the day-shift crew.

About a year ago, Sir Buford became so displeased with the lack of revenue from this facility, he threatened to close it. Les contracted Sara Bond, a part-time, self-employed marketing consultant, hoping she could jump-start the sales needed to quiet the old man down a bit.

It was inevitable that Dan and Sara would meet sooner or later, and they began dating a few weeks later. At a small plant, everyone knows everyone else’s business. Soon, the buzz around the facility was that Sara was pregnant.

Les asked Dan if the rumor was true. Dan said that Sara wasn’t pregnant. Les warned that an out-of-wedlock pregnan-cy would be a problem. Dan could make his assertion because he knew that Sara had miscarried about a week earlier.

During the next few months, Les approached Dan and Sara several times, complaining that their lack of discretion was ruining the morale of the other employees. Each time, Les admonished them to be more discreet. Les said he feared that Sir Buford was already highly displeased – his underlying conservatism made that a certainty – and Sir Buford had al-ready heard from neighbors complaining about the lunchtime Tai Chi lessons in the parking lot, the employees who came to work on “noisy” motorcycles, and the “hippie freaks” assigned to grounds work and building maintenance. He already threat-ened a shutdown because of the plant’s lack of profitability.

But, Dan urged Les to hire Sara as a full-time employee, subject to a three-month trial period, to develop a new ad campaign to keep Sir Buford happy. After Sara started, she and Dan announced their engagement.

The tension between Dan and Les flared up again when two production workers complained about Dan’s management style and his behavior. They issued Les an ultimatum: Either Dan

leaves or they leave. When Les couldn’t give them a straight answer immediately, they placed their ID cards on the desk, left the office, emptied their lockers and walked out.

Les conferred with the plant’s executive team, which sup-ported the decision to terminate Dan. When he was informed of his fate, he and Sara went to Les’s office to learn why he was being fired. Les claimed to be uncomfortable with Dan’s ability to supervise workers effectively. Les also terminated Sara, saying Acme no longer needed her services. Sara then told Les that she had a miscarriage just three weeks ago and that she suffered another one the previous year.

Dan and Sara sued Acme, claiming that they’d been dis-criminated against because of their intimate relationship, and claimed a breach of contract and emotional distress, as well as discrimination based on an out-of-wedlock pregnancy.

How could this situation have been avoided? Should an ab-sentee owner’s belief system have any bearing on the “morality” of some backwater operation? Does an employer have a right to control what an employee does with his personal life? Should in-teroffice romances be regulated by company guidelines? What is appropriate conduct in the workplace when it comes to coworkers who are dating? Is a miscarriage a pregnancy?

A corporate consultant says:Let’s look at the real problem, and then the obvious inter-personal relationship issue. Les Wallz could have been a

IN THE TRENCHES

Love at First SightAcme learns about dancing on employees’ mating habits


The scenario presented here is based on a true story;only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

PS0808_52_54_Trenches.indd 52 8/7/08 2:55:12 PM


better leader and manager. He appears to be someone who chips away at the edges of a problem instead of diagnosing and repairing the cause. He was poking around at symp-toms by hiring a marketing consultant. The buck stops at the top person, who must understand the business and have skills needed to achieve high performance levels.

It’s likely that Dan lacked either experience or knowledge about how to manage operations effectively, which resulted in poor revenue performance. If Les were a solid leader, he’d have assessed Dan’s performance and either helped him to develop or he would have found a more qualified manager.

When Les hired Sara to shore up sales, he did so with-out any objective evidence that it would solve the problem. Hiring a marketing consultant was insufficient. It’s likely that Dan wasn’t controlling costs, or maintaining critical production assets. When equipment isn’t maintained prop-erly, it becomes unreliable, leading to missed deliveries and higher production costs that limit pricing flexibility.

A leader needs to master five areas: technical expert, coach, manager, architect and trailblazer. Technical exper-tise means having a thorough understanding of your areas of responsibility – not necessarily being the absolute expert. Coaching means motivating and professionally developing your team. A good manager is a good coordinator, antici-pating what is needed and getting resources. Also, manag-ing is ensuring policies and procedures are followed. An architect constantly looks for ways to improve policies and processes: supporting or leading continuous improvement efforts through Lean, process mapping, Root Cause Analy-sis, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, and so forth. Trail-blazers look beyond what’s currently being done, growing an organization’s capabilities by step-changes in methods, materials and technologies. Both Les and Dan would ben-efit from a leadership self-assessment.

The issues surrounding the conservative owner and the appropriateness of the relationship between Dan and Sara would fade in importance if business results earned respect within the corporation. Yes, the owner can have a signifi-cant influence over the culture of an organization. However, people are free to take part in that culture in exchange for their compensation; two operations people confirmed this by voting with their feet. If Les and Dan had better leader-ship skills, they probably wouldn’t need a marketing consul-tant and they might not be putting their jobs, and those of other people, at risk.

An effective leader would have addressed the noncom-pliant behavior with specific language that delineated con-sequences for future occurrences, and he would have acted on those consequences. Instead, Les engaged in repeated, ineffective “lines in the sand.”

As for Dan, he’s a senior member of the plant’s staff. How can he expect others to follow policies and procedures if he doesn’t? With regard to Sara, I learned a long time ago as a military service member that to preserve integrity, when faced with an ethical or moral choice, you must choose the path that eliminates the appearance of impropriety. Respect the client’s policies; don’t maneuver around them. Both Dan and Sara should have either discontinued the marketing ser-vices contract or immediately ended even the appearance of an inappropriate relationship.

Whether there was pregnancy, miscarriage or cross-dressing involved is immaterial. Have integrity and avoid the appearance of an impropriety.

Tom Moriarty, PE, CMRPOrganizational Reliability Professional Services Consultant(321) [email protected]

An academician says:If you own a business, you have latitude in the rules you set for your employees. You can have them dress up like chickens as one restaurant owner has done, refuse to employ smokers (as we saw in a recent case), or even ban dating between em-ployees. These “no dating,” and “husband-wife” bans have a long history. Some companies have prohibited engaged or

married couples from working there, and other companies allow married couples to work, but not in the same depart-ment. Others allow working in the same department as long as one of the pair wasn’t supervising the other.

These bans aren’t that common anymore, but they were instituted with good reason. Regarding the “no dating” bans, many sexual harassment complaints are against (usu-ally male) supervisors who ask for dates or sexual favors from (usually female) employees, who might think that she will be fired if she complains and if she doesn’t comply with the supervisor’s wishes. Moreover, the employee might re-ceive better job assignments or pay because of the relation-ship with the boss. This might have occurred in the Dan and Sara case, or at least other employees might have perceived it to have occurred. So, point one is that Acme’s owner is within his rights to prohibit dating between employees.

Point two is that Acme probably is located in a state that per-mits “firing at will.” Acme doesn’t need a reason to fire either Dan or Sara (assuming they aren’t covered by a union contract

There are five areas a leader needs to master.

PS0808_52_54_Trenches.indd 53 8/7/08 11:46:10 AM

that requires a specific cause and due process). The exception is that the firing can’t involve discrimination as covered by Title VII, and Title VII doesn’t cover being married, dating or mis-carriages, or (in Dan’s case) having a lousy management style. Thus, Acme is within its legal right to terminate both, and it’s doubtful that either have any recourse in the courts, although I leave this point up to my very competent attorney colleague.

How could this have been avoided? Perhaps if the “no dat-ing” policy had been written out in a policy manual, and if Les had been more forceful in enforcing it (for example, hir-ing Sara full-time while knowing about the relationship was a mistake), this problem might not have occurred. However, love (or is it LOVE) is supposedly the most powerful force in the universe. I’m doubtful as to as to whether the out-come would have been any different regardless of what Les or Acme did or didn’t do.

Professor Homer H. Johnson, Ph.D.Loyola University Chicago(312) [email protected]

An attorney says:Employers don’t have the right to intrude upon or dictate their employees’ personal lives. However, when employees’ personal lives interfere with the way in which they perform their job duties or negatively affect the company, an em-ployer has the right to regulate workplace conduct and to discipline or discharge employees who don’t comport with expected standards.

Office romances present a host of workplace problems. When one member of the couple supervises other employees,

those employees often feel that they have gotten short shrift over the supervisor’s beloved. Even too much handholding at the water cooler or smooching at the company picnic can lead to diminished morale. What happens when the romance goes bad? Sexual harassment claims sometimes follow.

No law precludes an employer from discriminating on the basis of an intimate relationship, but employees have used a number of laws to challenge discharges on the basis of a ro-mantic relationship. A California case made headlines when a female employee was terminated because her paramour worked for a competitor. She challenged on grounds that it violated the state’s right to privacy laws – and prevailed.

Federal and many state laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of both sex and pregnancy. Sara would have difficulty claiming her discharge constituted sex discrimination because Dan suffered the same fate. Whether she could claim pregnan-cy discrimination is questionable – at the time of her discharge she was not pregnant. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects employees with a history of a disability, but no similar wording can be found in pregnancy discrimination laws. From an evidentiary standpoint, Les terminated Sara before she told him she had twice miscarried, so she would find it difficult to prove that the miscarriage or the antecedent pregnancy was the cause of her termination.

When all is said and done, it appears that Dan’s relation-ship with the production workers was so poor that some quit rather than work with him. This is a lawful and legitimate reason for a termination. However, doesn’t Acme normally give warnings for this kind of performance problem before terminating an employee?

Julie Badel, partnerEpstein Becker & Green, P.C.(312) [email protected]

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PLANT SERVICES (ISSN 0199-8013) is published monthly by Putman Media, Inc., 555 West Pierce Road, Suite 301, Itasca, IL 60143. Phone (630) 467-1300, Fax (847) 291-4816. Periodicals Postage paid at Itasca, IL and additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40028661. Canadian Mail Distributor Information: Frontier/BWI,PO Box 1051, Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, L2A 5N8. Printed in U.S.A. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PLANT SERVICES, Putman Media, Inc., PO Box 3435, Northbrook, IL 60065-3435. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Qualified reader subscriptions are accepted from PLANT SERVICES managers, supervisors and engineers in manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Canada. To apply for qualified-reader subscriptions, please go to www.plantservices.com. To non-qualified subscribers in the U.S., subscriptions are $96 per year. Single copies are $15, except the August and October issues which are $36. Canadian and foreign annual subscriptions are accepted at $145 (Foreign airmail $200/yr). Single copies are $81. © 2008 by Putman Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner. In an effort to more closely align with our business partners in a manner that provides the most value to our readers, content published in PLANT SERVICES magazine appears on the public domain of PLANT SERVICES’ Website, and may also appear on Websites that apply to our growing marketplace. Putman Media, Inc. also publishes CHEMICAL PROCESSING, CONTROL, CONTROL DESIGN, FOOD PROCESSING, INDUSTRIAL NETWORKING, THE JOURNAL, PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING and WELLNESS FOODS. PLANT SERVICES assumes no responsibility for validity of claims in items published.

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When walking through Copenhagen or Man-nheim on a sunny day under blue skies, am I really aware of the decades of integrated en-

ergy strategies that put them among the most efficient and least-polluting cities on the planet? The efficiency of the buildings, the widespread use of district heating, the heat recovery from electric generation and the comprehensive use of nontraditional fuels and renewable energy are invis-ible. Even less visible are the enormous competitive edges these approaches have produced for the Dan-ish and German energy productivity indus-tries. They’ve cut their teeth serving their home markets, and now enjoy enviable market shares around a world waking up to the need for energy efficiency.

It’s no different in an energy-efficient plant. The visitor walking though a Toyota facility won’t see the dollars of energy cost saved on each vehicle. But competitors see the profit advantage when those dollars are multiplied by the nearly 10 million cars Toyota makes every year.

Effective breakthrough energy-management programs, especially in the early stages, focus heavily on making the invisible visible. It’s critically important to engage and sus-tain the attention of senior business and financial manage-ment. I always remember a particularly creative example of communicating the impact of energy use in a glass furnace to the financial staff. The plant energy team attached an ultrasonic flow meter to the gas line, and instead of cali-brating in gigajoules or cubic meters, they used dollars at the current tariff. When visitors walked past the large LED display showing thousands of dollars an hour going into the furnace, the question as to how to slow the meter quickly came to the fore.

I’ve seen cogeneration installations consciously designed to have space for visitors to be briefed on the benefits, LCD displays showing greenhouse gas and energy economics compared to “business as usual,” and oversized meters that were easily read and explained. When visualization features like these are designed in from the start, the incremental costs are trivial, and the ongoing value is huge.

We also fall down when it comes to reporting energy re-

sults. In most companies, there’s nothing more boring and unattractive than the energy report. At one company, the monthly reports were 10 pages of tiny-print Excel spread-sheets. They basically went unread, so management was un-aware of an impending crisis in energy costs. They under-scored the feeling that energy is a purely operational issue, and not a strategic senior-management issue.

The new energy manager distilled the cost, usage and greenhouse gas data into some simple, colorful bar charts.

These clearly told a story of improving effi-ciency being overwhelmed by energy price in-creases. The heightened awareness triggered a root-and-branch look at every aspect of energy productivity, including procurement, efficiency and new production technology. It also triggered a basic reassessment of the company’s stance on tracking and managing greenhouse gas emissions.

It’s rare to see energy reports presented in a way that is relevant to the targeted audience. Energy teams should take some accountability for not getting the support they think they deserve. If the reports for the financial lead-ers are too technical and for the technical leaders, too fi-nancial, and too boring for everyone else, it’s not hard to see why the messages are missed.

Leaders say energy efficiency is a high priority, then fail to demonstrate that fact in words and deeds. Visible public recognition for effective energy management should be a regular event in a company seeking to change its energy cul-ture. In most companies, breakthrough energy performance drops millions of dollars to the bottom line, and should be celebrated every bit as enthusiastically as new orders.

The great ideas I’ve seen to visualize energy performance from world-class energy teams would fill a book, and are limited only by the creativity of the participants. However, they’re still the minority. If we don’t turn our attention to the challenge of energy productivity, most organizations will turn in mediocre to poor energy results. In today’s world, that increasingly means poor business results.

Peter Garforth is principal of Garforth International LLC, Toledo,

Ohio. He can be reached at [email protected].

energy eXPerT

Visualize the InvisibleDrawing attention is a fundamental part of any effective energy strategy


Management was unaware of an impending crisis in energy

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Solutions

Challenge: Salt Water CorrosionSolution: Custom-made, stainless steel canopyApplication: Energy market, worldwide drilling platform

Undeniably the world’s finest air compressors. TM

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(866) 516-6888www.kaeser.com/sigma

[email protected]

Nobody knows a winner better than Joe Gibbs Racing. That’s why they’ve installed Kaeser compressed air systems in their state-of-the-

art raceshop. Reliable air is the lifeblood of Joe Gibbs’ operation – just as it is in

yours. From CNC milling centers to the fab shop and everywhere else in your plant, Kaeser provides all the clean air you require to keep you running at peak performance, 24/7.

Available in any size you need, our units are engineered for easy main-tenance and energy efficiency ... but most of all, for reliability. So, when you want a winner, choose Kaeser.

Kaeser Compressors, Inc., P.O. Box 946, Fredericksburg, VA 22404 USABuilt for a lifetime is a trademark of Kaeser Compressors, Inc. ©2008 Kaeser Compressors, Inc.

“A team like ours runs on adrenaline … and on clean, reliable compressed air.”

— J. D. GibbsTeam President – Joe Gibbs Racing,

technology partner with Kaeser Compressors since 1998

“A team like ours runs on adrenaline … and on clean, reliable compressed air.”

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performance | reliability efficiency || asset mana managementgement lose it don’t ·...

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