POWER UP A WINNER - Plant Services

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PERFORMANCE | RELIABILIT Y | EFFICIENCY | ASSE T MANAGEMENT 


POWER UP A WINNER 

How to find the right asset management system 

A P R I L 2 0 0 9 

Power Isn’t Measured by Amps Alone 

p.31 

Properly Sealing Piping Systems 

p.35 

Green Diesel: An Oxymoron 

p.50 

Maintenance and Motivation 

p.19

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

APRIL 2009 / VOL. 30, NO. 4 

FEATURES 

31 / COMPRESSORS 

Compressor Power Is Not Measured By Amps Alone 

Use kilowatts or characterize the motor curve to determine 

operating conditions 

35 / PIPING 

Keeping the Loop Closed 

Properly sealed piping systems are critical to efficient, 

sustainable plant operations 

38 / INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 

Keep Process Analyzers On-Stream 

Despite computerization, skills are still needed to achieve 

the full benefits 

24 / COVER STORY 

Power Up a Winner 


PlantServices.com 

WEB EXCLUSIVE: 

The Role of Returnable Shipping Containers 

Reusable containers can increase plant and warehouse 

availability, and reduce plant downtime. Visit www.plant 

services.com/articles/2009/053.html to learn how you can 

implement this time- and money-saving practice in your 

facility. 

WEB EXCLUSIVE: 

Choosing the Correct Strainer Technology 

Bulk raw water users protect process and downstream 

equipment by selecting multi-element water strainer technology. 

Find out the details about how they did it and how 

it works at www.plantservices.com/articles/2009/054.html. 

WHITE PAPER: 

Manufacturer Reduces Thread Failures 

With Anti-Seize Paste 

An equipment manufacturer searches for a high-performance 

lubricant that can withstand extremely high torque 

in stainless steel threaded connections to prevent cold 

welding or galling of the sealing surfaces and reduce an 

unacceptable failure rate. See how they did it at 

www.plantservices.com/wp_downloads/PS090326_ 

Molykote.html 

SPECIALISTS 

19 / HUMAN CAPITAL 

Maintenance v. Motivation 

Who’s Herzberg and why 

should I care 

21 / ASSET MANAGER 

New Roles for 

CMMS Vendors 

Expect more than a shrinkwrapped 

box of software 

23 / TECHNOLOGY TOOLBOX 

Alternative Materials 

High-tech options have steel, 

brass, copper and other metals 

on the run 

COLUMNS AND DEPARTMENTS 

7 / FROM THE EDITOR 

Who Will Pay 

How to win the carbon game 

9 / LETTERS 

• Has Alternative Reality 

• Detained By Security 

11 / THE PS.COM FILES 

New on PlantServices.com 

We are transforming this 

column to focus on the 

in-depth resources of 

PlantServices.com. 

12 / UP AND RUNNING 

Automation and Power 

Joined in Orlando 

42 / WEB HUNTER 

Barter If You 

Don’t Have Cash 

A time-honored way to get 

what you need despite 

budget cuts 

50 / ENERGY EXPERT 

Green Diesel – 

An Oxymoron 

Biodiesel and ethanol 

don’t belong in the 

same breath 

15 / CRISIS CORNER 

Get Out of This Hole 

Now is the time to take 

action that will help during 

the economic upturn 

16 / WHAT WORKS 

44 / IN THE TRENCHES 

Insured to the Hilt 

Acme attempts to save money 

by modifying its pension plan 

47 / PRODUCT FOCUS 

48 / MRO MARKETPLACE / 

AD INDEX 

49 / CLASSIFIEDS 

WWW.PLANTSERVICES.COM APRIL 2009 5

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from the editor 

paul studebaker, cmrp 

Who Will Pay 

How to win the carbon game 

Ongoing climate-change treaty negotiations in preparation 

for the November 2009 United Nations Climate Conference 

have focused a lot of attention on the costs of carbon 

emissions. President Obama has pledged to put the United 

States on a path to cut emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 (with 

an additional 80% reduction by 2050). 

The current Kyoto Protocol covers only about 30% of 

global emissions, mainly because the United States and 

China didn’t ratify it, and the rest of the world is unlikely to 

go forward without us. So, the world’s leading greenhouse 

gas emitters are grappling to determine which country will 

lose more ground as a consequence of cleaning up our acts. 

U.S. Energy Secretary David Chu recently suggested that the 

United States might use tariffs against trading partners who 

don’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “If other countries don’t 

impose a cost on carbon, then we would be at a disadvantage,” 

Chu told the House Science and Technology Committee. Import 

duties could be used to offset that competitive advantage. 

The next day, China climate change negotiator Xie Zhenhua 

responded, “I oppose using climate change as an excuse to 

practice protectionism on trade.” A dust-up ensued over who 

should shoulder the cost of cutting emissions for goods produced 

overseas. If a product manufactured in China is sold in 

the United States, who’s responsible for its carbon footprint 

Li Gao, director of China’s Department of Climate Change, 

says countries that buy Chinese goods should be held responsible 

for the carbon dioxide emitted during manufacturing. 

“About 15% to 25% of China’s emissions come from the 

products which we make for the world, which should not be 

taken by us,” Gao said at a forum sponsored by the Pew Center 

on Global Climate Change. “This share of emission should be 

taken by the consumers, not the producers.” 

Principles are important, but what’s a ton of CO 2 

actually 

worth on the global market Numbers commonly bandied 

about range from about $10 per ton to $40 per ton, equivalent 

to about 10 cents to 40 cents for the 20-odd pounds 

generated by combusting a gallon of a fuel like gasoline. This 

cost isn’t trivial, but it’s not large compared to the variations 

in the cost of the fuel itself during the past year (from about 

$2 per gallon to $4 per gallon) brought on by vagaries of 

supply, demand and speculation. 

People tend to focus on the cost of carbon credits, how 

they’ll affect prices of fuel and electricity, who will have to 

pay, and whether the government will get the money. But for 

a broad range of carbon-emission-reducing activities, the 

price is negative – more than offset by lower energy costs. In 

effect, a market in greenhouse gas emissions credits offers 

smart people a lot of opportunity to improve their competitive 

positions and bottom lines. 

McKinsey and Co. analyzed more than 250 sources of 

U.S. carbon dioxide emissions and the per-ton costs to 

For a broad range of carbonemission-reducing 

activities, 

the price is negative – more than 

offset by lOWer energy costs. 

reduce them. (See the full report at www.mckinsey.com/ 

clientservice/ccsi/pdf/Greenhouse_Gas_Emissions_Execu 

tive_Summary.pdf.) They found that the United States could 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 3 gigatons CO 2 

equivalent by 2030, using tested approaches and high-potential 

emerging technologies, at marginal costs of less than 

$50 per ton. The total outlay between now and 2030 would 

average $50 billion a year, a total of about $1 trillion. 

That’s chump change at AIG, but more interesting are 

McKinsey’s calculations of measures that offer sizeable paybacks 

for CO 2 

-equivalent reductions. These include: 

• Higher-efficiency commercial and residential electronics: 

$90 per ton 

• Residential and commercial lighting: $80 to $90 per ton 

• Combined heat and power: $15 to $40 per ton 

• Industrial process improvements: $15 per ton 

Bear in mind, these measures pay back whether or not a 

value is attached to those tons of greenhouse gases. Any significant 

U.S. market for carbon credits will add the prevailing 

per-ton price to those returns. 

While Chu, Zhenhua and Gao brandish words about who 

should get stuck with the bill for greenhouse gas emissions, 

the smart money is lining up behind the people who understand 

how avoid them in the first place. 

Paul STUDEBAKer, CMRP, Editor In Chief 

pstudebaker@putman.net, (630) 467-1300 ext. 433 

www.PLANTSERVICES.com APRIL 2009 7

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PS0901_01_Cover.indd 1 

WWW.PLANTSERVICES.COM 

p.33 

p.21 

p.41 

1/13/09 11:30:38 AM 

Putman media, inc. 

555 W. Pierce Rd., Ste. 301, 

Itasca, IL 60143 

Phone: (630) 467-1300, 

Fax: (630) 467-1120 

mike brenner, 

Group Publisher 

mbrenner@putman.net 

ediTOriAL sTAff 

paul studeBAKer, cmrp 

Editor in Chief 

pstudebaker@putman.net 

russeLL l. krATOWicz, p.e. CMrp 

Executive Editor 

russk@putman.net 

lisa towers 

Managing Digital Editor 

ltowers@putman.net 

stePHen c. herner 

Group Art Director 

sherner@putman.net 

jennifer dakas 

Art Director 

jdakas@putman.net 

DAvid berger, p.eng. 

Contributing Editor 

peter garforTH 


sheiLA kennedy 


joel leonard 


BOB sperber 

Editor at Large 

puBLiCATion services 

carmeLA kappel 

Assistant to the Publisher 

ckappel@putman.net 

jerry clark 

V.P., Circulation 

jclark@putman.net 

jACK jones 

Circulation Director 

jjones@putman.net 

riTA fitzgerALD 

Production Manager 

rfitzgerald@putman.net 

CLAudia stachowiAK 

Reprints Marketing Manager 

Foster Reprints 

(866) 879-9144 ext. 121 

claudia@fostereprints.com 

administrATive sTAff 

jOHn m. cappeLLeTTi 

President/CEO 

julie cappeLLeTTi-LAnge 

Vice President 

keiTH larson 

V.P., Content 

rose souTHArd 

IT Director 

Has ALTernative ReALity 

BACKTALK 

In response to your article (“Invest in Reality,” January, p. 7, www.plantservices.com/ 

articles/2009/003.html), where do I start 

“Never invest in something you don’t understand” is a good idea. Maybe 

you can help me understand how mortgaging our children’s future to the tune 

of more than $1 trillion is going to be good for them. The 

Congressional Budget Office estimates the stimulus package 

will cost every man, woman and child in the United 

States $298,000 each when the whole bill is paid. 

Of course, the package contains hundreds of billions in 

tax cuts and infrastructure projects that are basically good 

ideas. But what is the value of the “new” infrastructure if 

INSIDE, 

there are no businesses producing goods that need to be 

Contracting strategies 

for a new economy 

shipped across country The capital gains tax has a stranglehold 

on business in this country and is a major reason most 

manufacturing jobs have headed out of country. Repairing 

classrooms and fixing leaking pipes isn’t the way to stimulate 

a sluggish economy. Across-the-board tax cuts to all segments of society and 

cutting the capital gains tax in half, if not eliminating it for the next five years, are. 

There is bipartisan support for a smart infrastructure investment as 

you stated, and there is a widespread willingness to pay for smart investments 

that create wealth (not a dirty word) and well-paying jobs, 

but there is only partisan support for a giant spending bill. 

“Invest in Reality … ” The reality is, this is not a good investment. 

Doug Penning, vibration analyst 

Georgia Pacific Corp. Wauna Mill Clatskanie, Ore. 

DeTAined by Security 

I enjoyed a recent issue of Plant Services and agree with your views on the importance 

of keeping maintenance up at all times. As a vendor representative, I am 

struggling to convince our customers of the cost-effectiveness of remote diagnostics 

of our systems over the Web. The customer engineers who are responsible for operation 

generally agree, though the customer IT is usually the barrier that is nearly 

impossible to overcome because of the cybersecurity concerns that are both valid 

and increasingly popular in publications. 

Remote diagnostics promises huge traveling cost-savings, but customers have no 

option but to request our field service visits even for issues that could be effectively 

resolved remotely given Web access to our computers in the customer plant. 

I would be interested in your opinion on the issue. 

Iouri Pereltsvaig, director of customer support 

Compressor Controls Corp., Des Moines, Iowa 

Asset management expert David Berger, P.Eng, replies: I agree that remote diagnostics is a 

superb technology that saves considerable time and money. However, it will take time for 

the security fears to subside. This is what happened 20 years ago, when it became possible 

for a vendor to access someone’s server or mainframe remotely, and later, when software 

became available, to take over control of a remote PC. The pattern is the same – when the 

technology emerges, it’s raved about, becomes popular, security is breached, the security 

fears flourish and sales drop for vendors. Then, safeguards are put in place, the media calm 

the masses, some other issue steals the headlines, and vendors are back in business. 

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9 




www.PLANTSERVICES.com APRIL 2009 9 

Compressors: When Rules 

of Thumb Are Dumb 

New Expert on 

Human Capital 

Buying and Selling 

Preowned-Equipment

New 

on 

Welcome to the new, interactive version 

of the PS.com Files. We are transforming this 

column to focus on the in-depth resources 

that the staff of Plant Services offers on our 

Web site, www.PlantServices.com and our 

companion site, www.SkillTV.net. In addition 

to the “More Resources” boxes that appear 

at the end of many articles in this magazine, 

you will be able to refer to this column for the 

most intriguing additions we have made to the 

Web site each month. New content is added to 

PlantServices.com daily, so be sure to bookmark 

the site and check back often! 

ARE YOU ON TWITTER YET 

If you’re not a member of Twitter nation 

yet, you might want to take a look around 

www.twitter.com to see if it’s a tool that 

you might find to be useful. While you’re 

there, go to http://twitter.com/help/how 

to watch a short video explanation about 

how the site works. Once you get the hang 

of it and create your own account, follow 

us at twitter.com/plantservices and 

twitter.com/skilltv. You’ll always be up 

to date on what’s happening on our Web 

sites, and we’ll get the bonus of being 

able to follow your updates as well! 

Have questions or 

suggestions about content 

you would like to see on 

PlantServices.com or 

SkillTV.net 

Send an e-mail to Lisa Towers, 

managing editor of digital 

media, at ltowers@putman.net. 

COOL ARTICLE OF THE MONTH 

Read all about “Electricity and circulating 

fluidized bed power technology” 

at www.plantservices.com/ 

articles/2009/056.html to find out 

how circulating fluidized bed technology 

is a part of the solution to 

meeting the world’s energy needs 

while conserving natural resources 

and preserving our environment. 

MAINTENANCE EVANGELIST 

VISITS YOUTHBUILD 

In a collection of videos he taped 

while visiting the YouthBuild USA 

program in suburban Chicago, Maintenance 

Evangelist Joel Leonard talks 

to students about how the program 

has helped them get training that 

allows them to work in the building 

trades. Meet students like Eric Gallegos, 

who now has career opportunities in HVAC thanks to the training 

he received. Access this six-video series at www.skilltv.com and 

click on the YouthBuild tab at the top right of the video player. 

FREE E-NEWSLETTERS 

Sign up to receive free newsletters 

at www.plantservices.com/news 

letters and you’ll get the newest 

content in asset management, 

energy efficiency and updates on 

solving the skilled labor shortage 

sent right to your inbox. Don’t miss 

out on our newest monthly e-newsletter, 

Skill TV Solutions, and all of 

the helpful resources that Maintenance 

Evangelist Joel Leonard will 

be bringing to your attention each 

month. Look for the next edition 

of this newsletter on April 28. 


up & Running 

Automation and Power Joined in oRlando 

ABB event acknowledges economy, focuses on efficiency 

Despite economic uncertainties and tight travel budgets, 

more than 3,300 ABB representatives, partners and users met 

March 23-25 in Orlando, Fla., to share practices, identify trends 

and check out 72,000 sq. ft. of exhibits designed to help them 

make the most of automation and power systems. 

The consensus is that the current economic climate is only a 

temporary impediment and distraction from pursuing the rich 

potentials in optimizing production, increasing reliability and 

improving energy efficiency that can come from integrating 

process and electric power monitoring and control. 

Among the more than 500 presentations was “Electrical 

Integration: A Strategy for Achieving Unified Operations 

resources 

Calculate cost of condition monitoring 

Azima DLI’s WATCHMAN in-house condition-monitoring 

program cost calculator allows plant and maintenance 

managers to calculate the annualized cost of current 

machine condition-monitoring programs to help determine 

the right mix of on-site and outsourced solutions. Complete 

a brief questionnaire to get a detailed assessment. 

www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2009/061.html 

See real-world results of energy audits 

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched 

energy-saving assessments at six industrial plants. As of 

March 2009, it has completed 2,053 assessments, and 

1,873 of the plants have identified energy cost savings totaling 

more than $1.2 billion, implemented savings totaling 

more than $190 million, and documented potential carbon 

dioxide emissions reductions of 10.3 million metric tons. 

www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2009/057.html. 

Dig into performance-BAsed outsouRCing 

The University of Tennessee (UT) offers instruction on 

getting the most from service providers using performance-based 

outsourcing (PBO), starting with the article 

at the link below. “Companies wanting to improve their 

relationships should have a sound guidebook,” say authors 

Kate Vitasek and Mike Ledyard, so you’ll also find 

links to a free book and UT classes on the subject. 

www.plantservices.com/articles/2009/046.html 

and Extended Asset Management,” by Stefan Bollmeyer, 

ABB fieldbus product manager for its System 800xA. 

“Electrical integration is the next frontier in driving productivity, 

increasing safety and reducing costs,” Bollmeyer said. 

“It enables users to achieve total plant visualization so they 

can make decisions based on dollars and cents, and not just 

on temperatures and voltages,” Bollmeyer said. “This also 

means they maximize production by reducing the impact of 

an unreliable power supply, as well as reduce energy costs by 

conducting peak shaving.” 

“Electrical integration also allows users to reduce operational 

costs by unifying their operations environment, performing 

condition-driven maintenance, reducing spares and training, 

and establishing cross-discipline cooperation. They further can 

reduce investment costs by minimizing cabling and engineering, 

by implementing an optimized network design and by 

establishing asset management for their electrical subsystems.” 

Despite these potential gains, Bollmeyer added that several 

persistent barriers continue to block electrical integration. 

“In the past, electrical integration was hampered by a 

lack of communication standards and architectural design, 

high project execution and commissioning costs, and high 

life cycle costs,” he said. “Organizational barriers among 

departments within plants and suppliers also have hindered 

integration, and these mind-set-based barriers often are 

harder to deal with than the technical challenges to integration. 

Many users have their own department and kingdoms, 

and they want them to stay just as they are.” 

To help process control and power staffs cooperate on 

achieving better electrical integration, ABB recommends 

they adopt a unified integration method based on a single 

system environment, use a fieldbus network to handle electrification 

control and management, and use the IEC 61850 

standard to tie together process instrumentation, process 

electrification and power distribution networks. 

For example, he reported that using IEC 61850 to integrate 

MV motor controls gives users several benefits, including 

fewer cables, easier installation, higher performance, 

alarm and events from devices, and improved diagnostics. 

In his presentation on the company’s future direction, Peter 

Terwiesch, ABB chief technology officer, outlined how ABB 

will continue to help industry save energy and improve productivity. 

“Across all industries, 80% of energy is lost between 

generation and use. It’s a leaky pipe, as it were,” Terwiesch said. 

12 APRIL 2009 www.PLANTSERVICES.com

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UP & RUNNING 

ABB technology can reduce losses by 20% to 30%. 

“We aren’t seeing customers that are too interested in 

building new plants right now, so our objective must be 

to extend asset life,” Terwiesch said. “We must help our 

customers optimize energy use and help them overcome 

workforce shortages now and in the future. We must focus 

on integration, new functionality, more flexible infrastructure 

and open standards.” 

For example, Terwiesch cited Statoil Hydro Grane, 

which has reduced engineering labor hours by 20% to 30%. 

“They’ve reduced supply-chain labor hours by 50%. Change 

orders have been reduced by 90% to 95%, with capital 

expenditure savings of greater than 20%, and operations expenditure 

savings of approximately 20% as well,” Terwiesch 

added. “We expect to see the same savings as a result of our 

new five-year agreement with Petrobras.” 

Terwiesch described how ABB remote access can help 

customers by providing 24/7 access to subject matter experts 

who might no longer be available at the plant level because 

of workforce reductions and retirements. “This remote 

access and connectivity can lead to integrated operations between 

production, operations and maintenance and can save 

customers substantially,” he said. 

To help usher in this new era, Jim Kline, global business and 

product manager for ABB’s Collaborative Production Management 

division, presented “The Next Generation of Managing 

Information.” Kline summarized trends in information 

management and showed how ABB’s collaborative production 

management software can help users move data between the 

production and business levels. He defined CPM as “a method 

to unify disparate systems to achieve operational excellence.” 

“It still all comes down to money, but today it’s no longer 

enough simply to execute a production plan,” Kline said. 

“Economics and energy are now even more key factors 

across every enterprise, and so they must be constantly 

monitored, even in the control room. This means everyone 

is involved, and so they need the right data, all the time and 

in every location. This level of collaboration and cross-functional 

capabilities is vital to success, but it also means users 

need their data in minutes instead of hours.” 

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14 APRIL 2009 WWW.PLANTSERVICES.COM

Crisis COrner 

Contributing editor 

Let’s Get Out of This hOLe 

It’s time to prepare for the economy to turn around 

Never before have we had an economic downturn 

dominated by a 24-hour news cycle. As soon as we see a little 

upward movement, somebody throws out another depressing 

statistic, trumped-up scandal or sensational tidbit apparently 

designed to catch attention and sow fresh fears. 

Now pundits are pushing the idea of a depression as the 

economy continues spiraling down. What a difference a few 

years can make. As little as a year ago, the general mood was, 

“Hey, we are the U.S.A., let’s party and spend money on the 

latest thing, regardless of need, with or without the cash to pay 

for it.” My late father once grabbed my arm from his hospital 

bed in the cancer ward and said with tears in his eyes, “Son, the 

country will be going through a depression soon and you’ve got 

to be ready.” At the time it seemed like an impossibility. 

A few years later, major banks, businesses and industries 

are on the brink of bankruptcy, mortgage foreclosures are at 

all-time highs and crowds of unemployed gather at every job 

fair. Yes, all of America now knows that the party is over. 

But this economic downturn is showing silver linings that 

might mitigate the maintenance crisis. For example, we won’t 

see the projected rapid exodus of skilled boomer-aged workers 

because would-be retirees now must put in more years to 

rebuild their retirement savings. Also, the general public is no 

longer so snooty about jobs in the technical and skilled trades. 

The federal government is taking the lead by backing numerous 

initiatives to attack the enormous deferred maintenance 

backlog of our nation’s infrastructure. Companies that have 

chosen to avoid performing maintenance are facing more 

public scrutiny in the aftermath of the now infamous roof leaks 

at Georgia Peanut Corp. that contributed to the deaths of more 

than 30 people and generated Congressional hearings. 

Now, we have to find a way to reverse the spiral and get out 

of this economic hole. Common sense says that training, new 

technologies and efficiency programs are part of the pathway 

to prosperity. However, we also must deal with the training 

paradox: When times are good, companies have the money, but 

don’t have time to send people to training sessions. When the 

economy is bad, they have the time but no funds to spare. 

Replenished with $4.5 billion, the Workforce Investment 

Act of 1998 allows locations around the country to gear up 

quickly to implement a variety of training projects. These 

range from training displaced workers for growth sectors to 

youth-development programs, as well as some incumbentworker 

training. 

This eCONOmic downturn is showiNG 

silver liniNGs that might mitigate 

the maintenaNCe crisis. 

The Department of Commerce has a Workforce Development 

executive director to manage the One-Stop or JobLink 

centers in each state. Each state is divided into workforce 

regions and has a Workforce Advisory Board and executive 

director to identify areas of need and to implement solutions 

to resolve these challenges. In April and June 2009, Workforce 

Investment Funding will be hitting state treasuries to 

be dispatched to the regions with approved plans. Numerous 

projects around the country will begin this summer and fall. 

Those interested in upgrading workforce performance 

and garnering professional assistance can take action. Meet 

the key people who can help you. Your local, county, region 

and state economic development teams are busy working to 

establish an environment to grow and maintain the business 

community. They are sensitive to incumbent workforce 

training and can connect you to new initiatives that retain 

and grow workforce skill levels. 

Reach out to the continuing education wing of your local 

universities, community colleges and private technical 

schools. Connect with your state, region and local workforce 

development boards to forge a strong relationship with the 

executive director. Shared problems can lead to shared solutions. 

As you get to know these public officials, provide them 

with facility tours and let them see your company’s opportunities 

and challenges. 

Those who have a plan are rewarded. Perform a workforce 

needs analysis to determine your current and future requirements. 

Then, construct a workforce development plan with a 

strategy geared for retention, recruitment and training. 

Companies that get connected, share their challenges and 

develop strategies will be the ones that receive maximum internal 

and external assistance. They will be ready to emerge 

from this downturn with renewed focus and vigor to handle 

future growth as economic skies clear. 

E-mail Contributing Editor Joel Leonard at joel@skilltv.net. 


what works 

Crack Troubleshot Over Web 

Million-horsepower steam turbine problem solved by remote stress analysis 

A power plant in Asia was experiencing high vibration and 

cracking in the exhaust hood of a critical large low-pressure 

steam turbine (Figure 1). The typical troubleshooting approach 

Mechanical Solutions Inc. (MSI, www.mechsol.com) 

uses in such situations is to travel to the site of the machinery, 

collect the data, analyze it and recommend a fix. However, in 

this case, such a trip might have jeopardized company personnel 

in an area where insurgents and bird flu were threatening, 

so a remote problem-solving approach was implemented. 

Figure 1. Exhaust hood cracking produced a reliability and safety 

concern. 

Figure 2. Remote test data were applied to a CAD model (left) 

and diagnosed by finite element analysis (FEA, right). 

Data acquisition hardware and a large amount of instrumentation 

was prepped and shipped to the jobsite, with 

proper export licensing and paperwork filed consistent with 

U.S. State Department and ITAR controls. The equipment 

included a large number of accelerometers, pressure transducers, 

strain gages and a modally tuned impact hammer. 

An Internet Protocol (IP) telephone and camera also were 

included to facilitate inexpensive verbal and visual real-time 

communication between the expert engineers in the United 

States and the plant personnel in Asia. The plant’s local 

personnel installed the instrumentation under MSI’s careful 

oversight from 12,000 miles away. 

MSI’s troubleshooting process was carried out step by 

step, with the local plant personnel acting as MSI’s hands 

and legs at the site. Visual and voice communication 

were continuous to avoid misunderstandings despite the 

distance and language difference. MSI staff controlled a 

40-channel FFT analyzer and a 16-channel strain gage 

amplifier and recorder remotely over the broadband 

Internet connection, available through a high-speed satellite 

intermediary. 

Remotely collected data were immediately compared 

with theoretical results provided by finite element analysis 

(FEA) performed at MSI’s U.S. offices (Figure 2). Assumptions 

about boundary conditions, flange-to-flange 

stiffness and dynamic loads were confirmed or adjusted 

until the theoretical predictions matched the actual behavior. 

The resulting analysis was calibrated with reality 

in this manner, and then was used with confidence to 

evaluate potential fixes. 

The remote test data on the exterior of the machine, and on 

the shaft within the bearing housings, were extrapolated from 

the locations where data acquisition was feasible, to zones inside 

the machine where it was impractical to locate data probes. 

This is a form of noncontact stress-measurement system 

(NSMS) that MSI pioneered in government research projects 

during recent years. The approach determined behavior of the 

complete (not just the exposed) turbine rotor, and revealed how 

rotor motion coordinated with structural motion. 

The combined test and analysis model identified a dangerous, 

running-speed resonance of a natural frequency of the 

exhaust hood that involved synchronous motion at both 


ends close to the turbine operating speed. It furthermore 

proved that the structural natural frequency coupled with 

an S-shaped rotor natural frequency that was supposed to be 

comfortably above running speed, but instead was resonant, 

causing a feedback relationship that led to enough motion to 

crack the casing at the problem locations. 

Figure 3 shows the motion of the natural frequency combination. 

A mistake in the alignment between the turbine 

and generator, which would have normally resulted in minor 

vibration increase, was driving the rotor mode, which, in 

turn, was driving the bearing housing, which drove the 

exhaust hood casing motion. The swaying structural motion 

reinforced the rotor second bending (S-shaped) mode shape, 

completing the dangerous cycle. 

The ends of the exhaust hood were stiffened with thick, 

bolt-on support ribs, and thick metal plating across the 

casing ends. The vibration was dramatically reduced, and 

the cracking stopped for the first time in several years. 

Costly trial-and-error problem-solving was avoided by the 

Figure 3. Operating deflection shape (ODS) and modal test data 

show motions of the exhaust hood (green), bearing housing 

(blue) and shaft (red). 

rapid-response and low-cost approach, allowing the plant 

to get back to what it does best: producing megawatts for an 

electric-power-hungry region of the world. 

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HUMan CAPitaL 

Tom Moriarty, P.E., CmrP 

Maintenance vs. motivation 

Who’s Herzberg and why should I care 

Frederick Herzberg was a highly respected social psychologist 

who developed a theory of employee motivation. 

He asked a group of workers to think about times when they 

had particularly good feelings about their jobs, and times 

when they felt particularly bad about their jobs. Herzberg 

also asked them to describe the feelings they had at those 

times. What he found was that workers associate distinct 

types of conditions as either good or bad situations. His 

research separated the factors that influence how people feel 

about their work into two categories: maintenance factors 

and motivational factors. 

Maintenance factors are necessary to maintain a reasonable 

level of job satisfaction. Maintenance factors include: 

• Policies and administration – the adequacy or inadequacy 

of a company’s organization and management 

• Supervision – its competency, fairness and ability 

• Interpersonal relationships – the bond between people 

and their peers, subordinates and supervisors 

• Working conditions – the physical environment where 

work is performed 

• Salary – the employee’s total compensation package 

• Personal life – the effect the job has on personal concerns, 

including family, recreation, etc. 

• Status – the attainment of perks relative to the person’s 

position, including parking spots, better computer, etc. 

• Job security – the work environment safety and stability 

He found that people talk about maintenance factors 

when they cite bad feelings about their jobs. The presence of 

maintenance factors won’t motivate people to achieve higher 

performance, but some minimum level of each maintenance 

factor is required to prevent dissatisfaction with the work 

environment. Too much dissatisfaction can lead to a longterm 

problem and a roadblock to motivation. Some longterm 

problems likely to surface include retaining employees, 

requests for transfer out of the department, absenteeism, etc. 

Motivational factors increase the likelihood that people 

will perform better, with less supervision. When people have 

good feelings about their jobs, they usually were talking 

about motivational factors. Motivational factors include: 

• Achievement – personal satisfaction in completing a job 

• Recognition – feedback about job accomplishment 

• Work – the actual content or the individual’s perceived 

value of the work 

• Responsibility – control over one’s job, or being in 

charge of a team 

• Advancement – an upward change in job status 

• Growth – learning and trying new skills or experiences 

On a daily basis, a supervisor has much more control over 

In the day-to-day grind, we often 

don’t think enough about enriching 

job satisfaction. 

motivational factors than maintenance factors. A supervisor 

can arrange to give workers a sense of achievement and positive 

recognition for good work. A supervisor can empower 

team members with greater responsibilities and provide 

opportunities for professional growth. 

Keep maintenance factors as stable as possible to prevent 

dissatisfaction, and load the work environment with motivational 

factors. Think of the work environment as a ship. The 

ship has to float on the water; a watertight hull is the nautical 

equivalent of the maintenance factors. However, a ship 

that sits at the pier won’t do much, so you need motivational 

factors, a propulsion device and rudder, to maneuver. 

In the day-to-day grind of trying to keep ahead of things, we 

often don’t think enough about enriching the job satisfaction of 

our subordinates. If you lead people, focus on providing at least 

one of the following things to everyone on your team: 

• Meaningful work – purposeful tasks that are perceived 

to be important 

• Responsibility – an appropriate level of autonomy in 

how a person carries out a task 

• Knowledge of the results of their efforts. Provide either 

direct feedback about how a specific task was completed 

or enable the worker to see how their efforts fit into the 

larger picture. 

Tom Moriarty, P.E., CMRP, is president of Alidade MER Inc. 

Contact him at tjmpe@alidade-mer.com and (321) 773-3356. 


“Our business changes 

every six months. 

Our systems take a year 

to catch up.” Customer mandates, regulation and 

market conditions are changing faster 

than ever. How do you keep pace By the 

time you implement most enterprise 

applications your needs have already 

changed. The answer is IFS. 

IFS – first in enterprise agility 

• The first software package built from 

the ground-up on a Service-Oriented 

Component Architecture (SOCA), combining 

the agility of service orientation 

with the proven benefits of components 

• IFS’ seventh generation of components 

and second generation of SOA -- the 

most stable platform on the market 

• Roll out functionality in stages, 

addressing your needs in priority order 

• Easily integrate with legacy systems 

or other third-party software 

• ERP, EAM, SCM, CRM, PLM 

Read our white paper on Design, Operate, Maintain for valuable insight on 

how your maintenance activities can play a greater role in the success of 

your business. Call 1.888.437.4968 today to get your copy. 

SEE US ON PLANT SERVICES’ ONLINE CMMS COMPARISON TOOL. 

I F S – T H E G L O B A L E N T E R P R I S E A P P L I C AT I O N S C O M PA N Y 

www.IFSWORLD.com

asset manager 

david berger, P.Eng. 

new Roles for CMMS Vendors 

Expect more than a shrink-wrapped box of software 

AS CMMS software becomes more sophisticated and 

mission-critical, the dependence on your vendor increases. 

It’s therefore important not only to choose a CMMS package 

that is right for you, but a CMMS vendor with whom you 

can partner over the long term. 

As they move from suppliers of software licenses to full 

strategic partners, vendors have amassed a number of products 

and services that can help you manage your growing 

investment in assets. 

Best pRACtices 

One noteworthy change is the increasing reliance on vendor 

knowledge of asset-management best practices. You might 

assume that because a given vendor has sold CMMS software 

to hundreds or even thousands of companies, it must 

have acquired considerable knowledge. Savvy vendors have 

picked up on this supposition, and are offering many of the 

following products/services: 

Industry-specific software: As competition increases, 

CMMS vendors are looking for more marketable competitive 

advantages such as deep knowledge of a given industry. 

This includes software features that ensure compliance with 

industry-specific legislation, as well as more intimate understanding 

of industry practices. Some vendors have hired 

experts with extensive experience in a given industry to help 

develop relevant product and service offerings. 

Standard data: A handful of CMMS vendors have standard 

data to sell or provide free of charge when customers purchase 

their software. Standard data can include job plans, standard 

operating procedures (SOPs), preventive maintenance routines, 

estimated or standard hours to complete tasks and coded field 

options (e.g., problem and cause codes). Data can be specific to 

an asset type or classification, such as data for electrical devices. 

As well, it can be industry-specific, for example, data relevant to 

pulp and paper mills. 

Process mapping: CMMS vendors can facilitate process improvement 

during the software implementation. This typically 

involves drafting process maps reflecting the current state, and 

comparing them to future-state processes with the appropriate 

CMMS functionality. The gap between current and future 

states must be addressed carefully in terms of configuration of 

software, training on processes, project management and, most 

importantly, change management to ensure CMMS users buy 

into the new processes. 

Configuration: The flexibility of modern CMMS software 

is demonstrated by the ease with which it can be tailored to 

your needs, such as configuring menus, data entry screens, 

reports, alerts, approvals, equipment hierarchy and workflows. 

In years past, this often required customization, a 

term synonymous with a large, upfront investment in time 

and money, and a costly upgrade path. Today’s software 

A sMAll handful of CMMS vendors 

hAVe standARd data to sell, or 

provide free of chARge. 

is easy to configure to a wide range of business process 

options, regardless of company size, industry, competitive 

strength, level of sophistication or organizational readiness. 

Configuration takes little time and the cost is minimal 

compared to customization. Because the source code isn’t 

altered, there is little or no effect on the upgrade path. 

Training: Once best practices are embedded in procedures 

through process mapping and baked into the software via 

configuration, users must be trained in the new processes and 

supporting systems. The CMMS vendor plays a critical role, 

especially if industry experts are available who can better gain 

the trust and confidence of nervous users and skeptics. 

Consulting: If you have gaps in the capabilities or availability 

of specialized resources in your company, the CMMS 

vendor can fill them in with its consultants. For example, 

a vendor might have specialists who are familiar with best 

practices in implementing process, system and organizational 

change, as well as technical areas like call centers, 

reliability-centered maintenance, linear assets or calibration. 

Although CMMS vendors might not be 100% third-party 

objective, they usually can be relied upon to conduct surveys 

on organizational readiness before implementation and 

stakeholder satisfaction following implementation. Vendors 

also can assist with benchmarking other organizations. 

Web site: Users can tap the vendor’s Web site to search for 

and download information such as white papers, technical bulletins 

and conference proceedings that cover a host of relevant 

topics. In addition, some vendor Web sites provide opportunities 

for users to share tips and traps, solve problems in chat 

rooms and conduct surveys. 


asset manager 

Fee for results 

One option (that hasn’t yet gained 

much momentum) is to pay the vendor 

based on long-term results. This can 

dramatically increase the probability 

of a successful implementation if objectives 

are well documented and communicated, 

payment is in the form of a 

bonus (not built into the base fee), users 

also receive an equally meaningful 

bonus for meeting the same objectives, 

and targets are achievable. 

dc: It’s not what 

it used to be 

ABB Inc. 

Low Voltage Motors 

800-752-0696 

www.abb.com/motors 

© Copyright 2009 ABB 

The ABB DMI – Leading edge DC motor technology 

With the DMI DC motor, ABB has made 

something good even better. ABB has 

applied the latest modeling software 

to ensure DMI motor designs have the 

most efficient magnetic flux and heat flows attainable. 

This leads to an increase in the power densities of each frame 

size, making more power available in a smaller package. 

ABB rotational brush gear design allows maintenance personnel 

to check and change brushes from either side of the motor. 

For more information, call 800-752-0696 or visit 

www.abb.com/motors. 

Software as a service 

Although CMMS vendors don’t yet define 

software as a service (SaaS) consistently, 

there are some common threads. 

At a minimum, a monthly subscription 

rate covers at least software licenses and 

maintenance fees, for example, $30 per 

module per user per month. At the other 

end of the spectrum, some SaaS providers 

bundle absolutely everything into the 

subscription price, including software, 

hosting infrastructure, maintenance, 

and unlimited support, training and 

implementation services. The pricing 

might be, say, $200 per 100-hour block 

of use, regardless of the number of 

named users or modules accessed. 

Users have jumped on the SaaS 

bandwagon because of the reduced 

burden on cash flow, the appeal of 

paying only for what is used, and the 

flexibility to scale up or down quickly 

in terms of functionality or the 

number of users. But, there’s no way 

to compare it to traditional pricing 

without crunching the numbers. 

Formal long-term partnership 

One extreme is a formal, long-term 

contract such as a joint venture or 

outsource arrangement. Most CMMS 

vendors are happy to work with a 

third-party contract maintenance 

company and supply the CMMS, but 

are reluctant to supply and manage 

the maintenance technicians or their 

managers. Perhaps this will eventually 

change if CMMS vendors continue 

on their current path of transformation, 

from CMMS software supplier to 

asset-management services provider. 

E-mail Contributing Editor David Berger, 

P.Eng., partner, Western Management 

Consultants, at david@wmc.on.ca. 

22 APRIL 2009 www.PLANTSERVICES.com 

ABBlovoIsland309.indd 1 

3/19/09 9:03:37 AM

Technology Toolbox 

Sheila Kennedy 

Alternative Materials 

High-tech options have steel, brass, copper and other metals on the run 

Scientists, engineers and manufacturers are expanding 

the choices for material of construction. They’re 

eliminating nano-scale flaws that promote corrosion, 

impregnating alloys to enhance bearing properties, developing 

copolymers that enhance performance, and leveraging 

amorphous metals and thermoplastics for new applications. 

Alloy refinements: Oxide scale that forms on steel alloys 

at high temperatures defends the metal from corrosion, but 

some carbon can get through. Scientists at the U.S. DOE’s 

Argonne National Laboratory detected a nano-scale flaw 

that allows carbon to dissolve and diffuse through the oxide 

scale and cause brittleness and corrosion. 

Argonne eliminated the iron and nickel nanoparticles and 

developed alloys that are more corrosion-resistant and exhibit 

as much as 10 times longer life than commercial alloys 

of similar chromium content. When commercialized, this 

could reduce costs for the chemical, petrochemical and refining 

industries. The findings can influence metal dusting, 

carburization, alloy development and surface coatings for 

high-temperature industrial as well as fuel cell applications. 

Sulfonated copolymers: These structures can provide a 

lower-cost, high-performance material for breathable protective 

clothing, sensor, actuator, filtration, energy-recovery 

and antifouling applications. The sulfonated copolymer 

technology in Kraton Polymer’s MD9150 and MD9200 

products exhibit water vapor transport, ion exchange, 

chemical resistance and gas permeability. The structure 

reduces processing temperatures, which saves energy. Kraton’s 

products are suited for wet and dry environments, and 

will be offered in membrane and solution forms for use in 

shapes, coatings and laminates. 

Babbitt impregnation: Materials that combine carbon’s 

hardness and wear resistance with graphite’s self-lubricating 

properties and babbitt’s resistance to galling led to hightemperature 

bearings. Metallized Carbon Corp.’s oil-free, 

self-lubricating high-temperature bearings (to 350°F ) made 

with Metcar grades M-161 and M-162 materials exhibit 

stability and strength They won’t score the mating shaft and 

provide continuous lubrication for their service life. The 

materials are applicable to mechanical components used 

in elevated-temperature applications where conventional 

lubricating methods are impractical. 

Amorphous metals: A material more durable than silicon 

and stronger than steel shows promise for the manufacture 

of nano-devices. Yale engineers developed amorphous metals 

– bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) with no structure beyond 

the atomic level – for molds that imprint fine details from 

13 nanometers to several millimeters. Grain size limits the 

level of detail imprinted. BMGs an be molded like plastics 

and are more wear-resistant than metals at normal working 

temperatures. Template molds made from this material are 

A MATerial more durable than silicon 

and stronger than steel shows promise 

for the MAnufacture of nano-devices. 

long-lasting, reliable and cost-effective. Nano-molds, -wires 

and -gears have been fabricated by molding metallic glass. 

Engineered thermoplastics: These provide a safe, costeffective 

alternative to copper, stainless steel and brass water 

valves for fluid-handling systems. Copper theft is a growing 

crime and the lead in brass alloys is a health hazard. From 

a design perspective, thermoplastic can be integrated into a 

single part, but metal involves assembling multiple parts. 

SABIC Innovative Plastics offers engineered thermoplastics, 

including Noryl and Ultem amorphous resins and LNP 

Lubricomp compounds. Noryl and Ultem creep less than 

semi-crystalline thermoplastics and preserve dimensions 

and valve sealing abilities. Noryl GFN1430V resin reduces 

fatigue and damage caused by pressure fluctuation because 

thinner wall sections are possible. The Noryl polyphenylene 

oxide (PPO) has better hot-water resistance than semicrystalline 

resins. SABIC’s Fluid Engineering Center of 

Excellence offers access to testing equipment and scientific 

resources to assist in developing fluid-handling solutions. 

E-mail Contributing Editor Sheila Kennedy, managing director of 

Additive Communications, at Sheila@addcomm.com. 

Reference Web sites: 

www.anl.gov 

www.metcar.com 

www.kraton.com 

www.yale.edu 

www.sabic-ip.com 

www.corrim.org 


Power Up a Winner 


By David Berger, P.Eng., Contributing Editor 

So, you’re thinking about a new or replacement computerized 

maintenance management system or enterprise 

asset management system (CMMS/EAM). Have you thought 

about what could go wrong I hate to be negative about it, 

but many studies over the years put the odds at more than 

50% that your CMMS/EAM system implementation will end 

in failure – even if this isn’t your first time trying. 

It’s therefore worth your while to try to understand the 

typical problems that companies face when selecting a CMMS. 

Choosing the right software is by no means a guarantee that 

you’ll be successful through to the end of implementation and 

beyond, but at least you’re off to a great start. The more time 

and effort you put into the initial planning, design and selection 

phases, the greater your prospects for success. 

Top 10 selection miSTakes 

Some of the typical blunders made when selecting a CMMS/ 

EAM are described in a recent white paper titled, “10 Pitfalls 

to Avoid When Selecting a CMMS/EAM” (www.plantservices. 

com/knowledge_centers/infor/assets/wp_ten_pitfalls.pdf). This 

white paper, based on a reader survey Plant Services conducted 

in December 2008, details the top 10 selection mistakes: 

1. You’re far too focused on the software’s “look and feel.” 

2. You’re purchasing software based on functional fit only. 

3. You think your CMMS/EAM is just a static data and 

reporting system. 

4. You’re hung up on the slicing and dicing of CMMS/ 

EAM data. 

5. You believe that “green” functionality is just today’s 

“flavor of the month.” 

6. You’re focused solely on how the CMMS/EAM will 

satisfy your current needs. 

7. You tend to focus on how the CMMS/EAM benefits your 

location, instead of what benefits the organization overall. 

8. You think implementing a single-vendor ERP/EAM solution 

translates into the most “fully integrated” solution. 

9. You think it’s always better to own and control your 

hardware, software and support services. 

10. You celebrate the day the CMMS/EAM system goes live. 

Do any of these mistakes sound familiar Your best defense 

is to allocate adequate time for the right resources in the early 

planning and selection stages. This can save you years of aggravation 

during and after implementation. Follow a solid, stepby-step 

methodology for designing new processes, developing 

the system requirements that support them, and selecting the 

right combination of CMMS/EAM package and vendor. Thus, 

to increase the odds that your CMMS/EAM software implementation 

will be a success, consider following these steps: 


Table 1. On tap at www.PlantServices.com/CMMS_Review 

Company and 

Web site 

Aleier Inc. 

www.aleier.com 

Aleier Inc. 

www.aleier.com 

Ashcom Technologies, Inc. 

www.ashcomtech.com 

AssetPoint 

www.assetpoint.com 

Blue Mountain Quality 

Resources 

www.coolblue.com 

Centric Maintenance Systems 

www.centricmaintenance.com 

CWorks Systems Inc. 

www.cworkssystems.com 

Cybermetrics 

www.cybermetrics.com 

IBM 

www.ibm.com 

Infor 

www.infor.com 

IFS 

www.ifsworld.com 

Invensys 

www.avantis.net 

Ivara Corporation 

www.ivara.com 

Lawson Software 

www.lawson.com 

Maintenance Connection 

www.maintenanceconnection.com 

Megamation Systems Inc. 

www.megamation.com 

Mincom Inc. 

www.mincom.com 

Oracle 

www.oracle.com 

Package 

FM1i INNOVUS 

1.0.055 

FM1j 

interprise 6.2 

Review 

date 

Annual 

sales 

Number of 

customers 

12/13/06 $1.7 million More than 

50 

12/13/06 $1.7 million More than 

50 

Cost 

$19,750 per site, rental/hosted/ 

ASP pricing customized 

Single-site enterprise $27,500, 

multi-site enterprise $37,950, rental/ 

hosted/ASP pricing customized 

MaintiMizer 4.0 3/6/08 $3 million 3,500 $1,679 per concurrent user, hosted/ 

ASP $90 per month per user 

TabWare EFX 

EFX00 

Regulatory 

Asset Manager 

R2 

API Pro 

V5Xe SP2 

CareWorks 

4.0.0 

2/27/06 Less than 

$25 million 


$20 million 

Annual 

maintenance 

cost 

22% 

20% 

18% 

123 $4,000-$7,000 per concurrent user 20% 

50 $18,750 for 5 users, $37,500 for 10 

users includes server license, $2,000 

per additional user, unlimited requester 

licenses included with all systems 

1/12/07 $6 million 350 $5,000 per concurrent user, rental 

$250/month/concurrent user 


$5 million 

FaciliWorks 8i 2/6/06 $3.9 million More than 

1,500 

IBM 

Maximo Asset 

Management 

7.1 

3/2/09 More than 

$200 

million 

Infor EAM 8.4 2/23/09 More than 

$120 

million 

IFS 

Applications 7 

Avantis. 

PRO 4.1 

Ivara 

SuprEAM 5.0 

Lawson 

Enterprise 

Asset Management 

(EAM) 

Maintenance 

Connection Onsite/Online 

2.5 

DirectLine 

2.14 

Mincom 

Ellipse 6.3 

Oracle Utilities 

Work and 


1.7.15.2 

1/18/07 $150-$200 

million 

2/10/06 More than 

$35 million 

700 $2,100 per concurrent user (minimum 

3), ASP $60/month/concurrent user 

More than 

10,000 

More than 

15,000 

More than 

2,500 

1/26/07 $16 million More than 

60 

5/21/07 $41 million More than 

250 


$25 million 

$2,499 server license plus 

$1,699 per concurrent user 

$4,770 per user (minimum 5); 

enterprise 50 registered users for 

$150,000-$175,000 (add-on modules 

extra), hosted/ASP starts at 

$9,000/year for up to 10 users 

$4,799-$9,995 per concurrent user, 

$1,599-$3,395 per named user, SaaS 

at $99/month/named user, hosted/ 

ASP $33/month/named user 

Infrastructure hosting $5,000- 

$7,000/month plus license costs 

15% 

15%-18% 

15% (free 

if ASP) 

21% 

20% 

20% 

18% 

720 $5,000 per concurrent user 18% 

Site license or rental fee based 

on business metrics 

$2,460-$3,800 per named user 

(minimum 20) 

500 $2,799 per concurrent user, rental/ 

hosted/ASP, $199/month/user 

3/5/09 $4.5 million 550 $195 per 80 hrs of use (unlimited named 

users), including training, support, 

hosting all infrastructure, upgrades 

More than 

$150 

million 

2/11/08 $18 billion 

total 

company 

More than 

650 

$4,400 per concurrent user, hosted/ 

ASP $7,000-$70,000/month 

$2,995 per user (0-75), $2,495 per user 

(76-150), $1,995 per user (more than 

150); hosted/ASP available, pricing 

depends on scope 

20% 

18% 

18% 

Included 

22% 

Smartware Group 

www.bigfootcmms.com 

Bigfoot CMMS 

Internet/ 

Enterprise 

Edition 8.0.1 


$5 million 

1,032 Subscription $33 per month per user, 

minimum 5; Hosted/ASP $22,500 for 

20 users and 20 requestors; $500 per 

additional user 

18% (free 

if Bigfoot 

hosts) 


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performance / software 

Table 2. Sample Selection Criteria 

Company Information Weight 

Company profile 4 

Financial position 6 

Customer installations 5 

Competitive advantage 5 

20 

Product & Hardware 

Configurability 4 

Web architecture 2 

Open systems 3 

9 

Technical Information 

Recovery & backup 2 

Auditing & security 2 

Documentation 2 

Interface requirements 4 

10 

Support Services 

Support 6 

Ease of implementation 10 

Training 5 

21 

Cost Effectiveness 

Base package 35 

Options & additions 10 

Ongoing services 10 

General 5 

60 

Technical Specs 

User interface 16 

Work planning & scheduling 16 

Health, safety & environment 16 

Maintenance optimization 16 

KPIs & analysis tools 16 

80 

Total Score 200 

Build process/system requirements: 

One of the most critical steps in planning 

for a new or replacement CMMS/EAM 

is to determine your needs. Procuring a 

CMMS/EAM system isn’t about finding 

the best software package on the market. 

The key to a successful implementation 

is selecting a CMMS/EAM package that 

best fits with your requirements. There 

are many wonderful CMMS/EAM packages 

available today, but every one of 

them has its strengths and weaknesses. 

Your task is to determine user specifications 

based on the needs of stakeholders 

(e.g., maintenance, operations, engineering, 

IT, materials management, purchasing, 

finance), and then choose the 

combination of CMMS/EAM vendor and 

software package that can best deliver on 

your needs. 

It’s critical to invest about three to six 

months in the design of new processes 

and supporting system specifications 

with participation of key stakeholders. 

This must be done before the selection 

phase begins so you can filter the sales 

pitch from each vendor and steer them 

to exactly what you need to see demonstrated 

to determine the best fit. Many 

companies naively believe that there’s no 

point in spending time on process design 

until the system has been selected. Although 

it’s true that your process design 

can’t be finalized at a detailed level before 

knowing which software package you’ll 

purchase, it also has been shown through 

30 years of track records that neglecting 

to engage stakeholders in process design 

before the selection will increase the 

probability of failure. 

The methodology should define 

process flows that reflect the current state 

and the desired future state. The futurestate 

processes will be supported by best 

practices and enabling system specifications. 

For example, perhaps the future 

state processes indicate stakeholder desire 

to move to a more planned environment 

from the current state of firefighting. Reducing 

the high percentage of emergency 

and reactive maintenance requires more 

preventive and condition-based maintenance, 

better planning and scheduling, 

and a variety of analysis tools for 

managing the transition. Addressing the 

gap between current state and the desired 

state presents a number of challenges that 

should be discussed long before a system 

is selected, such as: 



What organizational changes are 

necessary to support the future state 

(e.g., add a maintenance planner and 

change the shift structure) 

What changes in management attitude 

and support are required (e.g., no 

longer tolerate, say, a chronic overtime 

problem and a lack of documentation 

of work requests and work orders 

completed) 

What “get ready” activities are needed 

(e.g., inventorying assets, determining 

asset criticality, and developing PM job 

plans for at least critical assets) 

Throughout the process/system design 

phase you can also identify Quick 

Wins, or improvements that can be 

made immediately because they don’t 

rely on implementing the new CMMS/ 

EAM package. These provide immediate 

savings, and they also generate 

excitement, build momentum and 

establish credibility for the project. 

Develop a request for proposal: Once 

the system requirements supporting 

the future state process flows have been 

established, the next step is to draft an 

RFP and send it to at least three CMMS/ 

EAM vendors that are most likely 

to provide a best fit. If you’re unsure 

which vendors are good candidates, 

then conduct some research, such as 

examining the Plant Services CMMS/ 

EAM Software Review (www.plantser 

vices.com/cmms_review) to get a feel for 

which packages offer which features and 

functions. The review site allows users 

to manipulate the weightings of about 

350 criteria to better understand which 

packages fit with your requirements. 

As of this month, it includes vetted 

information on the capabilities of 19 

packages (Table 1) including six that are 

new for 2009. 

The RFP should outline your company, 

including the organizational 

structure, your current technology 

environment, the reason for launching 

the CMMS/EAM project, and your 

definition of success for the project, both 

quantitative and qualitative. There also 

should be a section on your procurement 

policy, key steps in the procurement 

process, expected timeline, and 

any terms and conditions. Be aware that 

throwing in too many nonnegotiable 

constraints might scare away vendors 

because it’s not worth their while. Of 

course, the RFP provides technical user 

requirements, such as “ability to create a 

third-party invoice for labor and materials 

the technicians used” and general 

requirements like “ability to define 

default values for any field.” The CMMS/ 

EAM Software Review offers many 

more examples of user requirements. 

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Turn on www.PlantServices.com/cmmS_Review 

The Plant Services CMMS/EAM Software Review is designed to allow you to 

compare packages across a comprehensive range of capabilities. It offers 

the option of weighting capabilities to reflect their importance in your application 

and receiving a calculated ranking of the software offerings according 

to your specifications. 

As the “Introduction” screen 

explains, you can use the review 

to simply browse the results of 

our verified vendor survey data, 

compare products and find 

further information on particular 

packages and vendors. Or, you 

can have the system rank packages 

according your customized 

and advanced criteria. Clicking 

on “Software Aspects” lets you 

weight them individually so the 

Introduction screen 

comparison engine can calculate 

scores and present packages 

according to how well their 

strengths match your weightings. 

Clicking on an individual 

software aspect in the “Introduction” 

screen brings you to a 

“Priorities” screen, which shows 

the exact survey questions used 

to establish the package score 

for that aspect. Exercising your 

option to rank a question less Priorities screen 

than “very important” factors 

its score so it has less weight 

in the calculated comparison. 

You can hand-pick packages 

and compare them for various 

aspects, or enter weightings and 

priorities and click “calculate” 

to bring you to the comparison Comparison screen 

screen. Here, you’ll see a sideby-side 

comparison detailing the level of functionality for each capability. 

The site also offers articles, white papers and resources to help you 

increase your familiarity with CMMS/EAM software, solve problems 

and get the most from your existing or future implementation. 

mittee: To ensure the key stakeholders 

are well represented when selecting the 

CMMS/EAM vendor and software, it’s 

important to establish a vendor selection 

committee. This committee is best 

kept to approximately 7-12 people for 

greater efficiency and effectiveness. 

You always can supplement the process 

with additional stakeholders by inviting 

specialists to various activities during the 

selection phase. For example, you might 

want to have a few technicians and their 

supervisors attend when the vendors are 

demonstrating their mobile solution, or 

people from purchasing during demos of 

the spare parts procurement process. 

Determine short-list evaluation 

criteria: In the first meeting of the 


vendor selection committee, consensus 

must be reached on what criteria will 

be used to short-list proposals. Obviously, 

it’s futile to evaluate proponents 

at a detailed level without using or at 

least seeing the package, and meeting 

the vendor. But just like short-listing a 

stack of resumes, more general criteria 

can be used to fairly evaluate the written 

material received. 

The survey for the aforementioned “10 

Pitfalls …” white paper asked users to 

rank 21 CMMS/EAM selection criteria 

in terms of importance to their organization, 

then in terms of how well their current 

CMMS performs them. The results, 

which are detailed in the paper, offer a 

perspective on selection criteria that may 

make sense for your organization. 

Table 2 provides a sample breakdown 

of selection criteria and associated 

weightings. By adding columns for 

each vendor proposal, the vendor selection 

committee can use such a table to 

rate, score and compare vendors. 

Note that the weighting and scoring of 

the evaluation criteria is a subjective process. 

Different stakeholders have varying 

opinions on what is important, and this 

is why it’s critical to build consensus. Try 

to finalize the table before receiving any 

vendor responses to avoid any prejudice. 

Read through the proposals: Each 

vendor selection committee member 

should read through the proposals to get 

an overall feeling for how the vendors responded. 

Ratings shouldn’t be attempted 

in the first reading, however, notes should 

be made on each proposal, otherwise 

you’ll forget your initial impressions. 

Rate the proposals: Each vendor selection 

committee member should, on their 

own, attempt to short-list the proposals. 

This is best accomplished by completing 

the rating table. The many ways to rate 

vendors all have a lot of of subjectivity. 

One suggested approach is to read 

through only the sections relevant to a 

given selection criterion for the proposals. 

As you read through the relevant 

section of each proposal, physically rank 

the proposals. Thus, if there were 15 

proposals submitted, at the end of the 


read-through on, say, the first selection 

criterion (Company Profile), you’ll have a 

pile of 15 proposals sitting on your desk 

with the uppermost proposal being the 

best and the proposal at the bottom of 

the pile being the worst response to the 

first selection criterion. 

Then, each proposal must be rated 

with the highest score possible being 

equal to the weighting, and the lowest 

score zero. Two or more proposals 

might receive the same score for a given 

selection criterion. You don’t have to give 

any proposal a perfect score (i.e., a rating 

equal to the weighting) if you feel none 

deserve it, because the rating process is 

strictly a means of determining relative 

scores. This physical ranking followed 

by rating of the proposals is repeated for 

each selection criterion. 

When rating the cost-effectiveness 

category, an easy way is to assign the 

cheapest solution the highest rating and 

the most expensive solution the lowest 

rating. The difference is then apportioned 

for the balance of respondents. 

Final rating of vendors: The vendor 

selection committee reaches consensus 

on the ratings for each of the proposals. 

One way is to have the person best qualified 

to evaluate the proposals on a given 

criterion begin the discussion by stating 

the highest score and who received it. 

Discussion might ensue, but eventually 

the group will agree on a winner(s) and 

their score. This process is repeated for 

the lowest score for the same criterion, 

followed by the rest of the proposals. It’s 

critical to be accurate on the relative ratings 

but not as critical to be accurate on 

the absolute value of any given score. 

Short-list vendors: Eventually, the 

group will complete the table with 

agreed-upon scores, and extract a short 

list. If at all possible, only two or possibly 

one vendor should be short-listed to 

maximize the opportunity to analyze 

in detail their software solution(s) 

before a firm contract is in place. 

Follow-up to short-listed vendors: 

Some of the vendors who don’t make the 

short list might request a postmortem on 

their proposals. Retain the rating table 

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New for 2009 at www.PlantServices.com/cmmS_Review 

Blue Mountain 

Regulatory 

Asset Manager, 

designed for life sciences, is well suited 

for companies with strong compliance 

requirements. Built with rigorous life 

science business practices in mind, the 

software system is a complete CMMS/ 

EAM with integral functionality to maintain 

control over maintenance costs and 

compliance requirements. Compliance 

and business processes are mapped 

into the software, helping ensure strict 

compliance to and documentation of 

procedures and processes. The package 

also offers the best-in-class calibration 

and validation management functionality 

required by life science companies. 

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cworks Systems Inc. 

believes the essence 

of a successful 

system is the easy 

collection of detail information so that 

when it is condensed in reports nothing 

important is missing. In addition, 

it is critical that all users adopt the 

system as THE SOURCE of information 

on maintenance work without recourse 

to hardcopy or other data records. The 

key to this is to ensure that it is easy 

to use and intuitive. The system also 

needs to provide appropriate and current 

data so that it can be used to identify 

problems areas and point to continuous 

improvement, particularly as pertains 

to preventive maintenance routines. 

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IBM Maximo 


delivers a 

comprehensive view of all asset types 

– production, delivery, facilities, infrastructure, 

transportation and IT – across 

an enterprise. This holistic perspective 

allows companies to see all of their 

assets. To help maximize the return on 

these assets, Maximo provides the ability 

to develop comprehensive programs 

for preventive, predictive, routine and 

unplanned maintenance. Together, 

these programs help reduce costs and 

increase asset reliability. Maximo is used 

in a wide range of industries including 

manufacturing, construction, transportation, 

utilities and telecommunications. 

www.ibm.com/doing/maximo 

Infor acquires 

and develops 

functionally 

rich software backed by thousands 

of domain experts and then makes it 

better through continuous innovation, 

faster implementation options, global 

enablement, and flexible buying options. 

In a few short years, Infor has 

become the third-largest provider of 

business software. Infor EAM solutions 

are used by more than 20,000 

asset-intensive companies, including 

manufacturers, distributors and services 

organizations to maximize return 

on assets, increase asset availability, 

eliminate risk, minimize energy consumption 

and reduce operating costs. 

www.infor.com/eam 

Founded in 1984, Megamation 

Systems has 

been providing maintenance 

management 

solutions for more than 

25 years. Megamation’s flagship offering 

is DirectLine maintenance management 

software as a service (SaaS) delivered 

over the Internet. DirectLine is designed 

to help clients streamline work orders, 

perform comprehensive preventive 

maintenance and leverage industry best 

practices. It is one of the most featurerich, 

customizable and reliable maintenance 

solutions available. In the company’s 

past three annual surveys, more 

than 98% of clients say that DirectLine 

meets or exceeds their software needs. 

www.megamation.com 

Mincom is a 

leading software 

and services 

provider specializing in enterprise asset 

management (EAM) solutions for 

asset-intensive organizations in mining, 

utilities, transport, defense and government. 

Mincom’s solutions integrate business 

processes and deliver insight into 

global operations. Mincom’s people have 

successfully linked organizations with 

their mission-critical assets for almost 

30 years, delivering dramatic process 

improvement and reduced costs. Mincom 

is owned by Francisco Partners – one of 

the world’s largest technology-focused 

private equity firms, with approximately 

$5 billion of capital under management. 

www.mincom.com 

and backup notes from the vendor selection committee meeting 

so you can give objective reasons why it wasn’t short-listed. 

Individual committee member evaluation: Immediately 

following vendor demonstrations for each short-listed vendor, 

selection committee members must complete individual 

detailed ratings, line-by-line, on the specification. Note 

that any vendor involved in the demos should prove that its 

software works using your data and your processes. This is 

accomplished by supplying vendors, at least one week in advance 

of their demos, a series of test scripts or scenarios and 

accompanying data for your critical or complex processes. 

Other key inputs into the evaluation process are at least 

three reference checks, at least two site visits, and any other 

meetings where contact is made with the vendor, such as any 

preliminary meetings to negotiate terms. 

Vendor selection committee evaluation: Detailed ratings 

are presented for committee discussion and approval, and a 

master evaluation rating sheet is prepared reflecting consensus 

of the group. Ratings are multiplied by weightings and tabulated 

for all items. A selection matrix is written that compares 

the evaluation criteria, including the technical specification on 

a detailed, line-by-line basis. The committee then approves the 

final vendor selection and presents its recommendations for 

ratification by senior management. 


Compressor 

Power 

Is Not Measured 

by aMps Alone 

Too often, and most incorrectly, amperage alone is 

thought to be an accurate reflection of kilowatts (kW), 

which is then used to calculate an air compressor’s full-load 

specific power (scfm/kW) or to estimate flow (scfm). It’s 

equally incorrect to use this estimated kW to calculate the 

percent of full load in the capacity-control cycle. 

Of course, kilowatts are a function of amperage: 

kW = (A x V x 1.732 x pf)/1,000 

where kW = input kilowatts, A = motor current (amperes), 

V = line voltage and pf = power factor. 

But, you can calculate kW from measured amperage only 

if you simultaneously measure the voltage and power factor, 

or use a kW meter or motor analyzer for a direct reading. 

Table 1 is from an air audit intended to show the power 

savings, even at full load, of a variable-speed, rotary-screw 

lubricated compressor. The data are based on using current 

to find specific power for two 100-hp-class rotary screw 

compressors. Which option appears to be the most efficient 

It appears that the unit with the VSD is the best choice. 

Table 2 shows a more rigorous estimation of specific 

power. The truth is that the guess was wrong because of 

believing that amps directly reflect kW, which isn’t the case. 

Annual operATing cost 

A plant once found that its two 150-hp rotary-screw compressors 

couldn’t maintain a minimum pressure (Figure 1). 

Table 1. Current-based calculATion 

Constant-speed drive 

Variable-speed drive 

Performance 490 acfm @ 100 psig = 110 bhp 490 acfm @ 100 psig = 110 bhp 

Power 133 amps / 460 V / 60 Hz / 3 phase 130 amps / 460 V / 60 Hz / 3 phase 

Efficiency and power factor ME = 0.923 PF = 0.84 ME = 0.958 PF = 0.944 

Specific power 3.684 cfm / amp 3.769 cfm / amp 

Table 2. KilowATTs tell the truTH 

Specific power 

Constant-speed drive 

kW = (133)(460)(1.732)(0.84) 

1,000 

$38,986/year at $0.05 kWh, 8,760 hours 

Variable-speed drive 

= 89.01 kW kW = (130)(460)(1.732)(0.944) 

1,000 

5.5 acfm/kW 5.0 acfm/kW 

= 97.77 kW 

$42,828/year at $0.05 kWh, 8,760 hours 


Efficiency / Compressors 

Turbulence-driven back pressure 

110 psig 

2” 2” 

2” 

psig 

107 97 psig psig 

3” 

psig 

750 cfm cfm at 110 psig at 

110 psig 

110 psig 

2” 2” 

2” 

107 psig 

750 cfm at 110 psig 


psig 

750 cfm cfm at 110 psig at 

110 psig 

Figure 1. The turbulence-driven backpressure at the tee fitting 

Typical electric motor operating characteristics (.90 ME) 

causes one of the two units to short-cycle or back down. Both 

units kW ME/ can’t Amps feed into the air system at full load due to the piping 

% PF % 

configuration % 100 and size. 


100 


Graphical aPProach 

Part load 

87% 

75 

84% 

100 80 

kW ME/ Amps 

% 60 PF 

75 50% 

% 100 

100 

50 

40 

87% 

75 

84% 

100 

25 20 80 

No load 

Efficiency 

Amps 

Power factor 

Watts 

69% 

flow 

80% 

flow 

Rated 

load 

60 0 0 

75 500 13 25 48 50 63 75 88 100 

% Power (kW) 

Efficiency 

Note: 

1. These operating characteristics will vary with motor type, 

50 

40 

basic design, motor efficiency, constant or variable speed, etc. 

2. Amperage will vary indirectly with changes in rated voltage. 80% 

It is best to measure kW directly. 

flow 

3. 20 87% amp = 80% power 

25 

69% 

flow 

110 

0 

100 0 

Actual 0 modulation 13 25 48 50 63 75 88 100 

90 performace curve 

100% load 

% Power (kW) 

80 

100% power 

85% power 

Note: 

70 

No load 

35% flow 

60 69% power 


Estimated flow = 215 X .35 = 75 acfm 

50 basic design, motor efficiency, constant or variable speed, etc. 

2. 40 Amperage will vary indirectly Note: The with actual changes no load modulation in rated point voltage. 

will vary with each compressor. To establish 

30 It is best to measure kW actual directly. curve, measure kW at full load at rated 

20 

pressure and kW at point where valve closed 

3. 87% amp = 80% power before blowdown. Draw appropriate curve. 

10 

Figure 0 2. Use this graph to estimate power as a function of motor 

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 

current. 

110 

% Flow 

100 Actual modulation 

90 performace curve 

32 APRIL 2009 www.PLANTSERVICES.com 

80 

85% power 

70 

% kW power 

No load 

Part load 

3” 

110 psig 

Amps 

Power factor 

Watts 

97 psig psig 

Typical electric motor operating characteristics (.90 ME) 

Rated 

load 

100% load 

100% power 

The service provider used current to identify percent of load 

to indicate if additional compressors are needed. The service 

provider found the full-load amperage (FLA) for each unit 

to be 194 amps at 460 V at 100 psig. Both units draw 106 

amps to 174 amps (55% to 90% of FLA). The service provider 

concluded that when both units are at 90% of full load, they 

have 20% total reserve. The ensuing recommendation was to 

buy a third 150-hp unit to handle the perceived air demand. 

What’s really going on 

The service provider calculated the full-load amperage 

(FLA) at 480 V using: 162 hp x 1.20 = 194 A at 480 V. But, 

the actual voltage was 430 V (10.4% low). The calculation 

should have used a 10.4% higher amperage reading (194 x 

1.104), or 214.2 amps. The actual data, measured with a motor 

analyzer, was 215 amps at 430 V at 125 kW. 

Adding the voltage measurement gave a percent of 

FLA that ranges from 49% to 81%, not 55% to 90%. More 

importantly, the actual power measured ranged from 92.3 

kW (75%) to 98.4 kW (80%). This put the two units at 80% 

power, 35% to 40% flow for each (less than the total for one). 

The service provider concluded that a third unit certainly is 

needed. So, why can’t the plant hold pressure if there’s still 

900 cfm of air left 

Piping correction needed 

The fix was to increase the line size to to reduce line velocity 

and replace the right-angle crossing tee with angle-entry fitting 

to eliminate turbulent backpressure. The turbulence at 

the crossing tee in combination with smaller pipe wouldn’t 

allow both units to run together at full load. The unit seeing 

the highest backpressure modulated down and sometimes 

short-cycled. A third unit would mean installing another 

crossing tee and the increased flow would increase the air 

velocity, making a poor situation worse. 

After making this change, most of the time the plant runs 

on one unit. When the second unit comes on, it satisfies the 

extra demand, unloads and shuts off. Previously, when the 

second unit came online, it fought with the first unit at the 

crossing tee. Both units ran continuously at an unobserved 

part load. This was a very expensive misinterpretation. 

The electrical energy operating cost to run two units with 

the original piping was $91,536/year ((92.3 kW + 98.4 kW) 

x $0.06 kWh x 8,000 hr/yr). The electrical energy operating 

cost to run one unit, with corrected piping, at or near full 

load is $59,040/year (123 kW x $0.06 kWh x 8,000 hr/yr). 

The annual electrical energy cost savings is $32,496. 

The operating cost expense of a third unit (estimated 90 

kW) would have been $43,200/year (90 kW x $0.06 kWh x 

8,000 hours/year and the avoided capital expense and installation 

of a new unit was $50,000. Cost to correct the connection 

and replace the original copper line with larger, coated 

aluminum pipe and reusable fittings was $15,500.


When amps will do 

It’s possible to use measured current to approximate the 

input power and flow on a positive-displacement compressor 

when it’s not practical or possible to measure kW directly. 

Motor current measurements clearly delineate full load 

from no load (and blow down, if applicable) on a two-step 

control. This fact allows you to measure the proportion of 

the time the unit is loaded and establish an average flow. 

Estimated average kW might best be found by using the 

standard CAC/DOE performance curves with the appropriate 

storage and blow down time as part of the calculation. 

Converting the measured motor current to estimated 

kW and using these standard CAC/DOE curves might be a 

little tricky if you want to correctly identify input power and 

convert it to estimated flow using modulation, variable-displacement, 

or variable-speed capacity controls. The relative 

speed on the VSD also is directly proportional to flow. 

Remember some key facts regarding motor amperage. 

First, the amperage curve isn’t proportional to power from 

100% load to no load. Second, current measured without 

voltage gives inaccurate results. Amperage varies inversely 

with 7x4.875/4c voltage. If 2/20/03 the 460 line 12:30 voltage PM is 8% Page low (423 1 V), then 

more resources at www.plantservices.com 

Topic 

search 

Power quality “Unbalanced currents” 

Capacity controls “Compressor capacity controls” 

Control systems “Control options in 

rotary screw compressors” 

Proper line sizes “The secret is in the pipe” 

Compressed air audits “On the hunt” 

Compressor controls “The rise and fall of modulation” 

System audits “Before you call for help” 

For more, search www.PlantServices.com 

using the keywords backpressure, FLA and Vsd. 

the current will be 8% high. At 460 V, 110 hp would require 

137 A (hp x 1.25). At 430 V, it would require about 147 A. 

This condition normally would be considered acceptable. 

The power company’s supply, nominally 480 V, is allowed to 

vary by 10%, within limits. The voltage is allowed to fluctuate 

from 420 V to 510 V and still be called a nominal 460 V. 

To have a useful amp reading, measure the voltage simultaneously. 

A good guideline is that for a 460 V system, the 

full load amps (below 100 hp) is about 1.25 times horsepowr. 

"Thanks, MCEMAX!" 

Why wrangle with your motors all weekend when you 

could be reeling in a fish or two MCEMAX by PdMA 

makes it easy to monitor motor conditions. Track, trend 

and analyze test data from both dynamic and static 

operations. Plan or avoid motor downtime. Plus, 

because it is portable, you can test motors all over the 

plant—even those in 3 foot crawl spaces and 80 foot 

towers—and have all the data in one place. 

MCEMAX is an indispensable tool for predictive 

maintenance managers. Call for a demonstration 

today . . . and start spending your downtime differently! 

Revolutionizing Electrical Reliability • (800) 476-6463 • (813) 621-6463 • www.pdma.com 


0 13 25 48 50 63 75 88 100 

% Power (kW) 

Note: 



basic design, motor efficiency, constant or variable speed, etc. 

2. Amperage will vary indirectly with changes in rated voltage. 

It is best to measure kW directly. 

3. 87% amp = 80% power 

Input power estimates flow 

% kW power 

110 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

Actual modulation 

performace curve 

No load 

69% power 

85% power 

35% flow 

% Flow 

100% load 

100% power 

Estimated flow = 215 X .35 = 75 acfm 

Note: The actual no load modulation point 

will vary with each compressor. To establish 

actual curve, measure kW at full load at rated 

pressure and kW at point where valve closed 

before blowdown. Draw appropriate curve. 

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 

Figure 3. This modulation performance curve applies to a singlestage, 

50-hp class, lubricant-cooled rotary screw compressor with 

modulation control. 

If greater than 100 hp, use 1.2 times horsepower. Figure 2 

shows typical motor performance curves and their relationships 

to each other. The specific curves vary by motor type, 

but the relationships that apply to a standard 1,800-rpm 

induction motor are similar. In our example, the measured 

current is 87% of the measured full-load amperage which, 

in this case, reflects about 80% of full-load power (kW). The 

no-load current is 84% of FLA, which reflects about 60% of 

full-load power (kW). This no-load power percent is used to 

draw the “power-to-flow curve.” 

Proceed as follows to construct the curve. 

• Make simultaneous measurements of current and voltage 

at full-load and at no-load conditions. 

• The no-load current (before blow down) of 102.6 represents 

84% of full-load amps and, 69% of full-load power. 

• Draw a performance curve with the correct slope 

through the no-load point at 69% 

• At 80% power, you have 35% flow (75 acfm out of 215 acfm). 

This method is relatively accurate and sufficient for making a 

reasonable flow estimate. One caveat: Too many times the percent 

of full-load amps is used instead of percent of load. If the 

87% of full-load amps had been incorrectly interpreted as 87% 

power, the estimated flow would have been almost 60% of full 

flow, or 129 cfm, a figure that’s almost twice the real value. 

Hank van Ormer owns Air Power USA Inc. in Pickerington, Ohio. 

Contact him at HankvanOrmer@aol.com and (740) 862-4112. 


Properly sealed piping systems are critical 

to efficient, sustainable plant operations 

BY DAVID BURGESS 

Piping is the circulatory system for manufacturing plants, 

delivering water, steam, compressed air, lubricants and other 

essential fluids where they’re needed. Piping has a direct effect 

on sustainability. Today’s piping systems pose challenges that 

can’t be met with conventional sealing methods. 

Most industrial piping systems have numerous flanged 

joints, each one of which can fail, disrupting plant operations 

and incurring damage, downtime, lost production 

and, in some cases, injury and even death. Flanged joints 

typically fail as a result 250 of insufficient cfm out gasket loading. Different 

types of gaskets seal 1 gal/CFM best at different loads. For example, 

rubber gaskets seal at loads 

110 hp 

as 

compressor 

low as 100 psi, whereas spiralwound 

and metal-jacketed 500 gal. gaskets storagemight require a minimum 

load 500 of cfm 5,000 in psi to seal effectively. 

500 cfm 

100 psig 

Problems arise when service Bleed down conditions = 40 seconds indicate the use of 

one type of gasket, but the Net flange demand design = 250 cfm suggests a different 

type. Fortunately, there are new gasket materials and configu- 

PARETO TELLS ALL 

Frequency of failures 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

Reasons for Gasket Failure 

Not recommended Lack of load Gasket crushing Other 

Figure 1. The causes of gasket leaks vary, but recent analysis of 

100 randomly selected, failed gaskets indicated 68 correlated 

with insufficient gasket load. 

T(decay) = (V)(10) = 66.8 cu ft. or 500 gal. = 11 seconds 


Reliability / Piping 

rations that can reconcile these conflicting Pressure counts 

criteria for more sustainable piping systems. 

Industry has made great strides in 

reducing the number of leaks from 

flanged joints, and some plants have even 

eliminated them. Because reliable piping 

system performance, including pumps, 

valves and other equipment, is critical to 

plant sustainability both operationally 

and environmentally, it’s vital to pay careful 

attention to these flanged joints and 

the gaskets that keep them from leaking. 

Before replacing a leaking gasket, make 

sure you’ve identified the root cause of the 

leak. A good place to start is to verify that 

the proper gasket was installed in the first place based on the 

operating parameters of the system, notably temperature, media 

and pressure. The first consideration should be temperature 

because it can eliminate many unsuitable gasket materials from 

consideration. Next, look at the media’s chemical compatibility 

with the gasket, including any secondary media to which the 

gasket might be exposed, such as fluids that are intermittently 

present during chemical or steam/hot-water flushing. Then 

consider pressure. Most systems operate at relatively consistent 

pressure, but it’s important to take into account severe spikes or 

surges that might occur. 

However, selecting the right gasket requires an understanding 

of the application that goes beyond these criteria. 

Flanged joints rarely leak because chemicals attacked the 

gasket. Most people understand that gasket materials must 

be compatible with system media. Likewise, it’s rare to find a 

piping system that exceeds a gasket’s maximum pressure or 

temperature ratings. 

Figure 2. This compressed sheet gasket 

installed in a flat-faced flange failed 

because of insufficient compression. 

flanges for vacuum service (Figure 2). 

The available stress for these types of 

flanges varies widely. For example, an 

8-in., 150# raised-face flange and a ring 

gasket having a contact area of 32.2 sq. 

in., a bolt stress of 60,000 psi and a bolt 

torque of 200 ft.-lbs. produces 4,800 

psi of gasket compression. The same 

size flange with a flat face, fitted with 

an 80-sq.-in., full-face gasket under the 

same bolt stress and torque, results in 

gasket stress of only 1,813 psi, about 

38% of that from the ring gasket with its 

smaller contact area. 

As a general rule, therefore, the best 

choice for raised-face flanges are ring gaskets made of compressed 

sheet, PTFE, graphite or metal. Use full-face rubber 

gaskets or gaskets with molded-in sealing rings with greatly 

reduced contact area for flat-face flanges. 

Valves and pumps with flat flanges and standard ASME 

drilling can produce a stress between 1,000 psi and 2,000 

psi; glass-lined flanges produce between 2,000 psi and 3,500 

psi; flat-faced, non-metallic flanges from 150 psi to 500 psi; 

and angle-iron flanges around 100 psi to 300 psi. The bolting 

on some flanges used in vacuum service produces almost no 

compressive load. 

Even within these low-load flanges, there’s considerable 

variation in available load. Not all nonmetallic flanges are flat 

faced; many have raised ridges to concentrate the load. Some 

are stub-end designs in which the contact surface is confined 

to within the bolt circle and the bolted flange slips on behind 

Technological rescue 

Compressive load key to performance 

More often than not, flanged joint gasket failures result 

from the mechanics of the application, usually from incorrect 

compressive load. Eliminating such a simple cause 

requires knowing the type of flange in which the gasket will 

be installed, including the material and bolting information, 

to determine the compressive force. This is extremely important 

because nearly 70% of gasket failures are attributable to 

insufficient load (Figure 1). 

This root cause might be uneven bolt loads, but it’s far 

more common that achieving proper loading was impossible 

given the flange design and available bolting. Under the 

same bolting scheme, a flat-faced flange with a full-face gasket, 

for example, won’t apply the same compressive force to 

the gasket as a raised-face flange with its smaller compressed 

area. Flange types that produce low compressive gasket 

loads include flat-faced cast iron flanges commonly found in 

valves and pumps, flanges on glass-lined equipment, nonmetallic 

flanges, rolled angle-iron flanges for ductwork, and 

Figure 3. This gasket’s raised, molded-in rings allow it to seal 

with 75% less surface contact. The lower seating stress makes it 

suitable for nonmetallic flanges. 


Reliability / Piping 

the stub-end. These back-up flanges often are metallic and the 

stub-end design yields a contact area comparable to that of a 

raised-face flange. These assemblies can generate significantly 

higher compressive stresses than flat-faced flanges. 

Elastomer gaskets might appear to be the obvious solution 

to low-load flanges. They’re suitable for some flanges types, 

but compressive loads are typically too high when using 

glass-lined or stub-end flanges. Moreover, elastomer gaskets 

aren’t always compatible with system media. PTFE-based 

gaskets provide chemical compatibility, but require higher 

loads to seal effectively. 

The message is that you should calculate the available 

compressive stress for a given flange when selecting a gasket 

or troubleshooting a leak. If the available stress falls between 

More often than not, flanged joint 

gasket failures derive from the 

meCHanics of the aPPlication. 

600 psi and 1,200 psi, a rubber gasket will work. If the calculated 

stress is below 600 psi, you might need special gaskets 

to maintain a consistently tight, leak-free seal. By contrast, a 

stress greater than 1,200 psi might crush and split a rubber 

gasket, but still might be too low to produce an effective seal 

with harder materials, such as rubber-bound fiber sheet gaskets 

or standard PTFE-type materials. These materials work 

best at stresses of 3,000 psi or more. 

Gasketing for low-load flanges 

For extremely low-load flanges, consider rubber-based 

gaskets with molded ridges that concentrate the compressive 

load (Figure 3). These gaskets often seal where standard rubber 

sheet gaskets leak. They achieve a tight 

seal more easily because the ridges contact 

the flanges first. As more compressive load 

is applied, larger areas of the flange come 

in contact with the gasket, preventing 

it from being crushed, even though the 

initial contact area is limited. 

These gaskets can be beefed up with 

metal backing rings that slip behind the 

flanges to provide more joint strength. 

The rings permit greater bolt torque that 

produces a significantly larger pressure 

capability. These bolted joints can survive 

pressures that nearly equal the burst pressures 

of the piping. 

There are many soft, highly compressible 

PTFE-based gaskets that collapse to 20% to 

40% of their original thickness. This, technically, 

makes these materials softer than 

Water power 

TOPIC 

Gasket tutorial 

Figure 4. This gasket reacts with water or 

oil to generate its own load, eliminating 

leaks in low-load applications. 


Joint sealants 

searCH 

“Rethinking the purchase of valves 

and valve repairs” 

“Joint sealants to the rescue” 

For more, search www.PlantServices.com using the 

keywords flange, gasket and load. 

some rubber gaskets, but they still require minimum compressive 

stress to seal the leak paths through the gasket body. Some 

flange types noted above can produce sufficient compression 

on these gaskets, but others, especially non-metallic flat-faced 

flanges, might not consistently seal using these gaskets. 

One possible alternative is an elastomer gasket with a 

PTFE envelope that wraps around the inside diameter and 

a portion of the gasket face. The envelope can be affixed to 

the rubber with an adhesive or bonded to the rubber during 

vulcanization. 

Another solution to a low-load situation is a gasket that 

swells in the contained liquid (Figure 4). These gaskets 

typically are of the fiber variety, and are less compressible 

than rubber gaskets. The advantage of a fiber gasket is that it 

handles low loads and withstands stresses that would crush 

a rubber gasket. A secondary advantage is the availability of 

sheet sizes to 150 in. square, making it possible to use a onepiece 

gasket in very large flanges. 

Another advantage of fiber-based gasket material with 

swelling characteristics is its ability to be used with flatfaced 

flanges when the operating pressure or, in some cases, 

the test pressure, is too high for a rubber gasket. The higher 

pressure rating of the fiber gasket allows the joint to function 

reliably at elevated pressures, while the swelling seals 

the flat-faced flanges. 

Compressive load has an enormous 

effect on the performance of gasketed 

joints in industrial piping systems. 

Available bolt loading is a critical factor 

in determining the type of gaskets 

to be used. Many types of gasket material 

and designs are available to meet 

the challenges posed by various flange 

configurations. Keeping your gasket 

supplier involved in the selection and 

replacement process will help your 

plant’s piping systems perform reliably, 

efficiently and sustainably. 

David Burgess is senior applications engineer 

for Garlock Sealing Technologies, Palmyra, 

N.Y. Contact him at dave.burgess@ 

garlock.com and (315) 597-4811. 


By Terry McMahon, 

Steve Walton and Jim Tatera 

Despite 

computerization, 

skills are still 

needed to achieve 

the full benefits 

Analytical instruments used for online chemical 

analysis of process streams or plant environments are generally 

called process analyzers. On-stream analytical data 

have proven to be crucial to safe and efficient operation in 

the petroleum, chemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, 

power and other industries. Historically speaking, these instruments 

have been complex, even temperamental, systems 

with relatively unique operational and maintenance needs. 

If online instrumentation, sample-handling systems and 

data-analysis software are to realize optimum performance, 

they will require continual attention from the analyzer support 

staff. 

Increasingly, however, regulatory and high-priority 

economic concerns such as operator health and safety, 

emissions control and energy conservation are raising the 

importance of analyzer reliability to normal operations. 

Particularly with respect to regulatory and safety uses, the 

time logged as out-of-limits because of an analyzer outage 

can result in stiff fines. 

In these situations, it’s important to be able to deal with 

routine maintenance needs, as well as to recognize and 

characterize maintenance needs that require more specialized 

skills. Sourcing such specialized skills and an expedited response 

to an incident frequently become high-priority items. 

Looking back 

A brief overview of analyzer history can put the current situation 

into perspective. The technology for on-stream chemical 

analysis dates back about 70 years. The first nondispersive 

infrared (NDIR) photometers were developed and deployed 

in the late 1930s at the Ludwigshafen Research Lab of I.G. 

Farbenindustrie (German Chemical Trust later broken up by 

the Allied Occupation Forces into BASF, Bayer and Hoechst). 

A schematic of UltraRotAbsorptionSchreiber (URAS), the 

first on-stream analyzer, is shown in Figure 1. The URAS 

trade name belongs to the original manufacturer, Hartmann 

& Braun, which is now a unit of ABB, a leading worldwide 

analyzer supplier. When this work was discovered, its significance 

was recognized immediately (British Intelligence 

Operations Subcommittee Report #1007, 12 June 1946). The 

report states that “I.G. Farbenindustrie’s development in recent 

years of the infrared absorption meter and the magnetic 

oxygen recorder represent a great advance.” 

U.S. chemical and petroleum companies began using onstream 

analyzers in the 1950s. By 1960, Standard Oil of New 

Jersey’s (later Exxon) Baton Rouge Refinery had a significant 

complement of on-stream analyzers (Table 1). 

The emergence of real-time digital computers in the 

1960s, followed by the microelectronics revolution and the 


SKILLS / INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 

ANALYZER COSTS AND SUPPLIERS (CIRCA 1960) 

Analyzer 

Installed 

Cost ($M) 

Suppliers 

Gas chromatograph 10 to 15 Beckman, Consolidated Electrodynamics, Greenbrier, Perkin Elme 

Colorimeter 8 Beckman 

Densitometer 8 Precision Thermometer & Instrument 

Final boiling point 9 Hallikainen, Precision Scientific, Technical Oil Tool Co. (TOTCO) 

Flash point 10 Precision Scientific 

Hydrogen sulfide (Pb acet tape) 11 Minneapolis Honeywell Rubicon 

Ionization chamber (ppb gases) 10 Mine Safety Appliances 

Initial boiling point 5 to 8 Hallikainen, TOTCO 

Infrared (NDIR) 8 to 12 Beckman, Liston-Becker, Mine Safety Appliances 

Moisture (electrolytic) 7 Beckman, Consolidated Electrodynamics, Mfrs Engineering and Equipment 

Moisture (heat of adsorption) 14 Mine Safety Appliances 

Differential refractometer 6 to 12 Consolidated Electrodynamics, Greenbrier 

Reid vapor pressure (RVP) 7 Precision Scientific 

Viscometer 8 Hallikainen 

Ultraviolet 10 Analytic Systems Co. 

large-scale integration microprocessor in the 1970s, eventually 

allowed exploitation of highly sophisticated analytical 

techniques for on-line analysis. These developments required 

several decades to develop. During the past 10 years 

or so, the full power of on-stream chemical analysis, combined 

with modern information technology, has taken hold 

throughout the process industries and is generating higher 

productivities, yields, efficiencies and product quality. 

Realizing these benefits required highly skilled and 

experienced technical personnel. The analyzer community 

evolved into a culture suited to the care and tending of these 

useful industrial analyzer tools. The question facing plant 

operations management is: How do you realize the enormous 

potential benefits of on-stream analysis without the 

overhead of on-site analyzer specialists 

In the beginning, the computer was a highly specialized 

tool surrounded by a cadre of expert-practitioners. During 

the late 1950s, mere mortals never were allowed to approach 

the computational machines. The high priests who tended 

the main console, changed magnetic tape drives and otherwise 

managed the care and feeding of the electronic monster 

were the only humans allowed to have access to the air-conditioned 

inner sanctum. These operators accepted your deck 

of punched cards and, a day later, handed you a printout of 

your results or, more frequently, a memory-dump to help 

you with your program fault analysis. What happened between 

your two visits was known only to the Most High. 

Ultimately, Microsoft and Intel turned Everyman into a 

high priest, but with a big difference. Today’s user needs to 

FIRST OF ITS KIND 

Figure 1. This block diagram shows the major components and 

configuration of the first on-stream analyzer. 


Lutz Modular Flow 

Control System 

Whether you need to keep track 

of total chemical dispensed, 

or need an automatic 

Batch System. Lutz offers 

the right solution 

for your application. 

Please contact us for more information. 

TS-Series: 

For total or batching 

Economy 

TR-Series 

Lutz Pumps, Inc. 

1160 Beaver Ruin Road · Norcross, GA 30093-4898 

Phone: (770) 925-1222 · Tollfree: (800) 843-3901 · Fax: (770) 923-0334 

w w w . l u t z p u m p s . c o m · e - M a i l : i n f o @ l u t z p u m p s . c o m 

“The Safety Gate Company” 

www.safetygate.com/od • 1-800-962-6111 

know very little about hard-core programming. The large 

software producers already have done it. Save for a very few 

exceptions, computer specialists rely on preprogrammed 

software tools that come with the operating system. 

A big part of the challenge in early programming was trying 

to solve complex problems involving large data sets using 

machines that had tiny memories (2K to 32K). In today’s 

world of gigabytes, this challenge is a quaint recollection of 

only those who lived through it. 

A digital parallel 

Analyzers are now at a somewhat similar juncture. Plant 

operators need the data analyzers provide, but often can’t 

afford to dedicate a highly skilled individual to provide it. 

The big questions are these: Are analyzers ready to cut 

the cord and fly without a lifeline What steps should plant 

operations take to realize the benefits of analyzer-derived 

data while ensuring that the data flow maintains a high level 

of reliability 

Paul Pulicken is in charge of analyzer technology at BP’s 

Texas City Refinery as well as working with others in this 

technology at the company’s five U.S. refineries. With 23 

years of analyzer experience in a variety of petroleum and 

chemical processes, Pulicken is well positioned to offer 

direction in this field. 

The Texas City Refinery, with roughly 1,500 analyzers, isn’t 

your typical manufacturing operation. Servicing these instruments 

with a staff of fewer than 40 people, however, is every 

maintenance manager’s analyzer challenge – in spades. 

The No. 1 challenge, his experience shows, has been presenting 

a representative sample to the analyzer. This is a problem 

not only in the sample system’s fundamental design, but 

also in its continuing maintenance. Much effort is currently 

directed at standardizing and rationalizing sample system design 

and component interfacing, and assuring integrated data 

flow for sample-system troubleshooting and optimization. 

Traditionally, this activity has been long on experience and 

Resources for continuing education 

The typical training courses Technical Automation 

Services Corp. (TASC, www.tascorp.com) conducts 

include advanced topics in gas chromatography, basic 

industrial chemistry, improving sample system reliability, 

insight into continuous emission monitoring, introduction 

to process gas chromatography, and troubleshooting 

sample systems. Other analyzer specialists offer 

similar programs, and analyzer manufacturers offer 

extensive training on their products. Other professional 

training sources include ISA’s Analysis Division 

(www.isa.org/ad), the International Forum on Process 

Analytical Chemistry (www.ifpac.com) and the Center 

for Professional Development (www.cfpd.com). 


SkILLS / Instruments and Controls 

ad hoc decision-making, which leaves operating management 

vulnerable to key personnel reassignments. 

Challenge No. 2 is the shortage of qualified project engineers 

and managers who have sufficient experience with modern 

analyzers. This situation often shortchanges the analyzer’s 

value as a provider of key process performance measures. 

The third challenge is the lack of analyzer knowledge 

at the plant operations level. This translates to less-thanoptimum 

use of analyzer data, as well as slower response to 

impending maintenance issues. The three chief challenges 

don’t even mention instrument problems. 

In Pulicken’s view, education and training are the major 

needs. For instrument training, particularly with a new or 

520 South Front Street 

advancing technology, 

Philadelphia, 

he 

PA 

relies 

19147on the instrument manufacturer. 

For United more States system-level of America training, particularly with 

multiple vendors 

215-440-9800 

involved, he generally opts for training 

courses from analyzer systems engineering firms. 

According to a recent worldwide process analyzer market 

study (PAI/2008), the process analyzer enterprise (annual 

expenditures for instruments, sample systems, installation/ 

commissioning and maintenance) was almost $7 billion 

in 2008. The current economic malaise is likely to defer 

some, perhaps many, capital projects and cause substantial 


TOPIC 

SEARCH 

Process control “Fuzzy logic” 

Condition monitoring “The power of decentralization” 

System flaws 

“Outwit control system gremlins” 

Redundancy 

“How to validate critical controls” 

I&C options 

“Engineer a flexible facility” 

Modern instruments 

Client Name _________________________________ 

SKF_Reliability 

“Smarter PdM” 

Proof Date______________________ 

HB&M Job #_________________________________ 

8108025 

2/19/09 


Proof Time______________________ 

Job Description ______________________________ 

Baker Ad 

11:00 

keywords analyzer, HART and fieldbus. 

Proof # _________________________ 

Publication Name ____________________________ 

Plant Services 

AE Approval ____________________ 

Insertion Date _______________________________ 

March 09 

Size ________________________________________ 

Half Page horiz 

HB&M Ad #____________________________________ 

Client bought space 

reductions in analyzer-related Art Dept Approval________________ spending, but it’s unlikely to 

seriously reduce the value of the analyzer enterprise. This 

technology is now a deeply embedded, integral part of the 

safe and efficient operation of much of the world’s production 

capacity. 

Terry McMahon, Steve Walton and Jim Tatera are principals at PAI 

Partners, Leonia, N.J. E-mail them at mcmahontec135@aol.com, 

swalton208@cs.com and jtatera@seidata.com. 

SKF and Baker Instrument 

Sharing knowledge to save you time, money and energy. 

It’s not if an electric motor will fail, it’s when. 

At Baker Instrument, understanding why motors 

fail is fundamental. 

Now that Baker is part of SKF, you can benefi t from 

an unrivalled combination of knowledge, predictive 

maintenance technologies and asset management 

expertise – all from the same company. 

To learn more about how SKF and Baker Instrument 

can help maintain your assets and improve your 

bottom line, talk to your SKF/Baker representative 

or visit us at www.bakerinst.com. 


web hunter 

russ Kratowicz, P.E., CMRP 

Barter If You Don’t Have Cash 

A time-honored way to get what you need despite budget cuts 

Most manufacturing plants already have put their 

corporate spendthrifts on short leashes. When economic 

pessimism rules the day, maintenance spending has a nasty 

way of dropping to zero while the need for tools and parts 

continues on, heedless of the economic punditry on the telly. 

For centuries, mankind has exchanged goods and services 

in the absence of cash, credit, banks and the other institutions 

we now think are so necessary in the real world. We’ve 

lost our ability to haggle in an uncertain, unstructured 

marketplace. That uncertainty becomes the launching point 

The value applied to sometHIng used 

for barter can sHIft an econoMIC 

burden to one party or the other. 

for this opportunity to root around in the chaos we call the 

Internet in search of some credible, practical, zero-cost, 

noncommercial, registration-free resources that can shed 

some light on barter and trade for the industrial world. 

Remember, we search the Web so you don’t have to. 

Getting started 

Cashless transaction have three main variants and quite a 

few benefits accrue to a company from using them. So says 

Nigel M. Healey in his article titled “Why is corporate barter” 

Pay a visit to http://findarticles.com, where you’ll see 

“Find Articles in:” and select “Business.” Browse the publications 

in alphabetical order, and you should select the letter B 

to zero in on a publication called Business Economics. Scroll 

to the lower part of the page, click on April 1996, and read 

this eight-page article (including three pages of footnotes 

and references) to learn about the variants, the benefits 

derived from engaging in industrial barter and an analysis 

of the domestic barter industry. The article examines a selection 

of barter-related material published since 1974. 

Case stuDIes 

The typical warehouse holds much excess unsold inventory, 

each item of which represents cash that should be deployed 

in far more productive ways. Companies that have found 

themselves in this situation include MTD Products Inc., 

AT&T, Konica U.S.A. and Heineken U.S.A. Inc. It was a barter 

arrangement that helped each of these companies liquidate 

inventory. Maybe you could ease your budget crunch by doing 

the same thing. All that’s needed to get moving might be some 

case studies, in which case you should open your book to www. 

industryweek.com and access the drop-down menu at the top 

right corner under the word magazine. The past issue you want 

is dated May 18, 1998, and the article you want is titled “Corporate 

Barter: Out Of the Dark” In it, Karen M. Kroll shows 

you how these companies disposed of lawn mowers, sunglasses, 

handheld consumer products and, amazingly, office space. 

Now, you can go forth and be the financial hero of the moment. 

Money source 

In the beginning, there was barter. The ancients had unmet 

needs, but no way to print greenbacks. They had no choice 

but to use other items as a medium of exchange. Ultimately, 

beads and trinkets were abandoned in favor of coins. That 

scenario appears to be a point of contention between Nick 

Szabo and Mencius Moldbug, a pair of bloggers, the former 

at George Washington University and the latter being a 

pseudonym. When you have enough time on your hands, 

get a sense of the give and take between the two by reading 

Szabo’s “Logical emergence of money from barter,” 

and the subsequent online debate at http://unenumerated. 

blogspot.com. Scroll down to the archives in the right-hand 

column and select the March 2008 issue. When that loads, 

drop down to the March 5 entry (they’re listed in reverse 

chronological order) and click on “Links to this post” found 

just below the last line of the posting. That will get you the 

original essay and the comments from both parties. 

EverYBoDY’s doin’ it 

If your company isn’t investigating the barter concept, you 

folks might be missing out on something good. But, don’t 

take my word for it. The skeptics out there in readerland 

might have an interest in the next Web site. It presents the 

basic idea of how barter exchanges operate and highlights 

their dollar volume trends. Toss your mouse at http://news. 

thomasnet.com and enter the word “bartering” in the search 

feature at the upper right corner. You’ll want to select the 

article titled “Small Biz Owners Revisiting Age-old Tradition: 

Bartering,” by Jorina Fontelera. It’s a link-rich page that 

will take you many interesting places. 


For the Pacific Northwest 

Martin Kagan runs The Capital Asset Exchange Ltd., Beaverton, 

Ore., which seeks to be a forum and trading center 

for its members. The organization established the Oregon 

Trade Expansion Network (OTEN) to act as a clearinghouse 

for barter transactions among members. Of course, there’s 

a Web site associated with both and I’d like to direct your 

attention to a specific page. Head over to www.capex.com to 

access the link that takes you to OTEN. Find the link to an 

article titled “Trade Economics 101.” Kagan says that it will 

help determine whether barter can give you a competitive 

advantage in terms of getting new business, selling surplus, 

conserving cash or alternative financing. Kagan’s prose is a 

bit too abstract for my tastes and the graph that’s supposed 

to be on the page is missing, but there’s a message here that 

might prove to be of value to your real-world problems. 

Funky markets and pricing 

Money is a true, indifferent medium of exchange. Going 

outside the money economy obscures the value of commodities. 

The effect is especially pronounced when extramarket 

trading gets regionalized. Fragmented markets make it difficult 

to price offerings properly These arguments come from 

Gregg Economou, senior systems programmer at Carnegie 

Mellon University, who uses the nickname isildur, one of 

Tolkien´s characters. The rest of his musings are available for 

public inspection at www.vaxpower.org/~isildur, where you 

should scroll to the bottom of the page for the link to the 

article titled “Towards the new barter economy.” 

Worst practices 

The Soviet Union disappeared in a puff of smoke because, 

among other things, its command-and-control economy 

didn’t work very well when the rest of the world was 

booming. The profit motive was absent, and greenbacks, 

or whatever they call their ruble equivalent, were in short 

supply. What’s a good Soviet citizen to do The same thing 

that we might be forced to do: Use nonmonetary transactions. 

Before you join that game, learn from history to avoid 

making the same mistakes as our comrades. To make that 

possible, I direct your digital attention to “Explaining rise of 

barter in Russia: Virtual Economy vs. Monetary Issues,” an 

April 2004, master of science research paper written by Tuvshintulga 

Bold at East Carolina University. It examines the 

two main schools of thought concerning the collapse of that 

economy. It shows how the value applied to something used 

for barter can shift an economic burden to one party or the 

other. Before you barter, learn how this happens at www.ecu. 

edu, where your commissar orders you to enter the author’s 

first name in the search box to access the 25-page document. 


TOPic 

Online auctions 

Entrepreneurialism 

Green overview 

Industrial recycling 

Used equipment 

Domestic barter 

According to the next Web citation, from the historical 

perspective, barter is inefficient because it’s a response 

to, and not a remedy for, market adversities and uncertainties. 

In her 2003 paper, “U.S. Domestic Barter: An 

Empirical Investigation,” Barbara Cresti at the Université 

Catholique de Louvain in Belgium explores the the North 

American barter industry that came into being during the 

1950s. She points out the difference between corporate 

and retail barter. You’ll learn how our robust financial 

infrastructure explains why barter works here and how its 

lack indirectly led to the collapse of the Russian economy. 

This scholarly work is at www.uclouvain.be/en-econ.html. 

Click “Publications” on the left. Then, click on “Discussion 

Papers” and select the “ECON DP 2003” option, also on 

the left. Scroll down to select the entry listed as “2003/36” 

to read the full report. 

Reduce the national deficit 

Those who enter the bartering arena can find some deals 

that make good economic sense. But you’ll need to keep 

track of the details so you can pay taxes on whatever results 

when the dust settles on your exchange and, thus, help us 

get through this financial downturn. Learn your reporting 

obligations by visiting our hired hands working in Washington’s 

Internal Revenue Service at www.irs.gov and performing 

a search on the word “bartering.” When I searched the 

IRS site, I found nearly 300 Web pages that have something 

to say about your cashless swap. Maybe you better get your 

CFO involved in this matter. 

Without comment 

www.greatoffers4u.com/articles/3823 

www.barter.net 

search 

“Gatherers versus hunters” 

“Don’t quit your day job” 

“Growing green plants” 

“Second time around” 

“More than one kind of green” 


keywords green, exchange and trade. 

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

putman.net. 


in the trenches 

Insured to the Hilt 

Acme attempts to save money by modifying its pension plan 

Being an integral part of the macroeconomy, Acme 

wasn’t immune to the general deterioration of the market’s 

ability to keep every company afloat. The demand for Acme 

products had been plunging to levels the company last experienced 

during the early 1950s, when it was founded. Upper 

management knew that Acme was never going to qualify for 

a government bailout, subsidy or stimulus of any sort. Consequently, 

top management actually felt guilty about having 

to accept its traditional multimillion-dollar yearend bonus. 

What seemed to be dragging down the Acme profitability 

picture were the obligations surrounding the looming 

payments soon to come due on the pension plan. Seeking 

to be viewed as a credible company, Acme established a 

defined-benefit pension plan soon after its earliest operations 

achieved profitability. 

The benefits an employee would receive under this pension 

plan were a function of an employee’s total years of 

unbroken service and the final average salary during the last 

calendar quarter of work. This benefit was, in great measure, 

responsible for the long-term job loyalty exhibited by Acme 

employees. 

Now, however, under financial pressure, Acme’s management 

decided that pension plans are passé and most 

impractical in this day and age. Like so many companies 

In a normal economy, the value of 

employee loyalty would be difficult 

to quantify. 

before them, Acme sought to move to a defined-contribution 

retirement plan. Acme’s plan provided a pension payment 

that was a function of the number of “credits” an employee 

garnered during many years of service. The credits were 

granted quarterly and were a function of a percentage of the 

employee’s current salary and the current yield on a U.S. 

Treasury Bond. 

In deference to its long-term employees, Acme didn’t want 

to make this change suddenly and scare off the knowledgeable 

workers who were keeping things afloat. Instead, the 

company declared a five-year transition period. During 

this time window, employees accrued benefits under both 

approaches. Those who retired during the five-year window 

selected whichever plan was most beneficial to them once 

they left the company. Those who retired after the transition 

period could still select either plan, but the benefits accrued 

under the old plan were frozen when the window closed. 

One would think that people whose jobs are somewhat 

insecure would be grateful to have a paycheck and be accepting 

of change - but not this time. The pension situation was 

the source of great and vocal dissatisfaction among Acme 

workers, most of whom had been with the company for 

many years. Penny Black, the very first Acme employee, was 

most outraged. She argued that Acme’s new pension plan 

discriminated against older employees by setting the employee’s 

initial account cash balances far below the equivalent 

value of any pension annuities that would result from 

the old plan. In her view, this was an age-discrimination 

issue. She convinced several 40-year-old current and former 

Acme employees who participated in the pension plan after 

the transition period expired to join her in a class-action suit 

alleging age discrimination on Acme’s part. 

How could this situation have been avoided Do definedbenefit 

pension plans have a future in this economy What 

is the best way for an employer to get out from under heavy 

pension obligations Are employees better off using their own 

privatelyfunded plans that are independent of the employer 

Can employers make unilateral changes to an existing, longstanding 

pension plan How can a company estimate the cost 

of a change in loss of employee goodwill and loyalty 

Plant Services is searching for a plant professional to join 


our group of experts and provide an “In the Trenches” guest 

response. Put your thoughts in front of your magazine-reading 

peers and online readers. For further information, contact 

Executive Editor Russ Kratowicz at russk@putman.net or 

(630) 467-1301 x 309. 

An attorney says: 

Acme isn’t alone in moving from a defined benefit pension 

plan to a defined contribution plan. Many employers have 

made this change in recent years. 

The best way to make such a change, to disadvantage as 

few employees as possible, is to review various scenarios 

and build the new plan so that it adversely affects as few 

long-term employees who are close to retirement as possible. 

Those who have been with the company for a few years 

might not remain, and younger employees have far more 

years to accumulate contributions under the new retirement 

plan. As a result, they would feel the effects much less. 

Once the new plan has been properly developed, the key 

is good employee communications. Had Acme thoughtfully 

developed its defined contribution plan and explained to 

employees, especially older ones, such as Penny Black, that 

the change would minimally affect them, it would have had 

far fewer problems. 

In a normal economy, the value of employee loyalty would be 

difficult to quantify. But in the current economic drought, for 

every employee who quits there are probably 10 unemployed 

workers standing in line to apply for the job. Rather than a loss 

of employee goodwill and loyalty, the cost of a law suit remains 

a heftier threat to an employer today, especially one that 

struggles to stay afloat in these perilous times. 

As usual, Acme has acted too quickly and with not 

enough planning and foresight. Both the company and its 

workers likely will suffer the effects of a poorly planned 

change. 

Julie Badel, partner 

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. 

(312) 499-1418 

jbadel@ebglaw.com 

A maintenance planner says: 

In my opinion, a class-action law suit based on age discrimination 

by Acme has no basis here. Acme offered two choices 

of retirement plans for the older employees during the 

five-year transition period, which seemed to be a generous 

offer on the part of the company. If anything, the younger 

employees should have an issue with not having a choice of 

plans when they reach retirement age. Defined-benefit pension 

plans can be a drain on a company’s balance sheet, and 

might not have a place in the economy of today. 

Could this situation have been avoided Yes. Treat each 

employee, regardless of years of service, on an equal basis. 

Acme could have set a definite date for the pension plan to 

be terminated, vested all employees, and then paid out the 

retirement funds they had accrued based on the calculation 

contained in the plan. These funds could then have been 

rolled into a 401(k), IRA or similar plan. It’s not an ideal 

situation for those close to retirement, but it would provide 

a substantial lump sum to the older employees to fund one 

UPPer manAGement should forego 

some, or all, of their year-end 

bonuses in an eFFort to shore up 

the shaky financial sitUAtion. 

of these retirement options. In addition, upper management 

should forego some, or all, of their year-end bonuses in an 

effort to shore up the shaky financial situation and to show 

the employees evidence of management’s commitment to 

them and to the company. 

These changes definitely would have an effect on employees’ 

morale and their confidence in the company’s 

future. Acme’s management would need to be proactive 

and communicate to employees. Workers want to know the 

status of the company and the reasons for the change to the 

retirement plan from the beginning. Workers want to see 

a commitment to keeping the company viable. In addition, 

the company might offer some incentives such as 401(k) 

matching funds and awards for years of service as a way to 

retain valuable employees. Ideally, the employees would step 

up and support these measures and the situation wouldn’t 

deteriorate into an “us-versus-them” situation, which could 

result from less-than-clear communication. 

Acme’s biggest mistake in this situation was offering the 

five-year transition period, which allowed its obligations to 

multiply exponentially each year. Acme’s financial obligation 

to the pension plan would be better addressed early 

while the company had the means to fully fund the plan 

instead of waiting five years while hoping the company’s 

financial situation improves. Defined-benefit pension plans 

are much harder to keep funded, with even the largest 

organizations grappling for the means to fund their evergrowing 

responsibilities to the plans. 

Bryan G. Trantham, maintenance planner 

Evergreen Packaging-Waynesville Facility 

(828) 646-2140 

tranthb@blueridgepaper.com 


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AN ACADEMICIAN SAYS: 

Employees usually like defined-benefit pension plans because 

of the fixed monthly payments for the rest of their lives, regardless 

of what the stock market does. If the market is going down, 

down and down, as it is now, and pension fund assets are going 

down with the market, it has no effect on the retired person 

with a fixed-benefit plan: The check will always be there. This 

gives retirees a great sense of security. 

However, the defined-benefit plan isn’t such a great deal 

for the employer. These plans are the most costly to operate, 

and they’re administratively complex. Moreover, the company 

has an obligation to make a fixed monthly payment to 

its retirees, even under the current conditions in which sales 

and profits are declining rapidly, and the assets supporting 

the pension payments (usually stocks) have dramatically 

declined in value. This puts a severe strain on the company. 

These concerns are why fixed-benefit plans are on the decline, 

and although I’m not an expert in this area, I don’t see 

much of a future for plans of this type. Although it sounded 

like a great idea for motivating and building loyalty among 

employees (however, I haven’t seen any data that support 

this assumption), it hasn’t been so good for the employer. 

Obviously, Acme realized the problems with the fixed 

plans, and now is trying to reduce its pension commitments. 

Acme isn’t alone in this effort. For example, witness the 

restructuring plans of the American auto industry. Based on 

a 2006 study, it costs almost $2,400 more to manufacture an 

American-make of car than producing a comparable Toyota 

or Honda (manufactured in the United States). Probably 

close to half of this is in salary and benefit costs. It’s tough to 

compete when you start with a $2,400 disadvantage. So, the 

big pensions and lifetime health-care benefits probably will 

be one of the first costs to be trimmed dramatically in the 

auto industry restructuring. 

How to change the pension plan without destroying employee 

morale and loyalty is the big question. Some “change 

experts” recommend one stroke of the sword and suffer 

about three months of anger, but after that, things gradually 

will get back to normal. Others (including me) recommend 

the Acme approach in which people are given options and 

a five-year transition period. Usually the young employees 

don’t care – their energy is directed toward paying the mortgage. 

It’s the older employees, like Penny, who are nearing 

retirement and who are the most interested and affected. 

And here, Acme is simply going to have to take its lumps, 

I’m afraid. 

Professor Homer H. Johnson, Ph.D. 

Loyola University Chicago 

(312) 915-6682 

hjohnso@luc.edu 


product picks 

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Energy Management Software 

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purchased electricity is most expensive. Typical reductions 

are4 2% to 5% of total electricity cost. Completely scalable, as 

a corporate-wide solution, it can span multiple regions and 

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ABB 

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Put thermal imaging in your pocket 

The MikroSHOT offers pocket-sized portability with capabilities 

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imagers. The camera’s 

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JPEG-format data on a laptop or other mobile device using 

common software. MikroSpec 4.0 software is included for 

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Mikron 

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Immerse this 

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of 0.2% of full scale. A ¾-in. sensor 

probe inserts into ducts and pipes (to 72 

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(including hot tap). Multipoint flow averaging 

arrays are available, complete 

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Sierra Instruments 

(800) 866-0200 / www.sierrainstruments.com 


MRO MARKETPLACE 

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IA, IN, KS, KY, MI, MO, OH, TN, Canada, 

Literature Reviews, Inside Print and 

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ADVERTISER INDEX 

ABB Low Voltage Motor 22 

American Technical Publishers 46 

Atlas Copco Compressors 10 

Baker Instrument Company 41 

Baldor Electric Co. 4 

Carrier Rental Systems 14 

Clayton Industries 26 

Donaldson Company, Inc.Torit 13 

Donaldson Company, Inc.Ultrafilter 3 

Eventure Events 18 

FabEnCo 40 

Fluke 

IFC 

IFS North America 20 

Inpro/Seal Company 8 

Kaeser Compressors 

BC 

Legris 34 

Lubriplate Lubricants 6 

Ludeca 28 

Lutz Pumps 40 

PdMA 33 

Somax 29 

Topps Products 46 

Unicco 

IBC 

Winware 27 

PLANT SERVICES (ISSN 0199-8013) is published monthly 

by Putman Media, Inc., 555 West Pierce Road, Suite 301, 

C: Itasca, IL M: 060143. Phone (630) 467-1300, Fax (847) 291- 

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K: 28 

mailing offices. Canada Post International Publications 

PMS 370 C 

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 September and October issues which 

are $36. Canadian and foreign annual subscriptions are 

accepted at $145 (Foreign airmail $200/yr). Single copies 

are $81. © 2009 by Putman Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 

The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in 

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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, 

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responsibility for validity of claims in items published. 


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energy exPErt 

peter garforth 

GrEEn DIEsEL: An Oxymoron 

Biodiesel and ethanol don’t belong in the same breath 

Burning gasoline and diesel in cars is the second-largest 

cause of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions (after buildings and 

homes). About 70% of oil is imported, which exports billions 

of dollars and adds little value to the U.S. economy. In terms 

of pollution, cost and supply security, reducing automotive 

petroleum use is generally good for both the country and the 

planet. Can biofuels be a major factor in improving supply 

reliability, reducing pollution and even reducing costs 

As with all energy questions, the first supply source should 

HEAT rECOvery is THE LArGEst 

immEDIATELy avAILABLE U.S. energy 

sOUrCE. 

always be higher efficiency. Reducing the average weight of 

a car by 20% to 40% by using lighter materials and choosing 

smaller vehicles would dramatically reduce oil use. A Toyota 

Camry weighs 3,500 lbs and a Corolla weighs 2,600 lbs. This 

900-lb difference provides an 18% gain in fuel efficiency by 

dropping one vehicle size. In the next couple of vehicle-design 

cycles, we can expect significantly lower weights as new materials 

like composites and aluminum substitute for steel and 

heavier plastics. Even relatively small changes in weight across 

the U.S. fleet would reduce oil use far more than any current 

targets likely to come from a switch to using ethanol. 

After efficiency, the next step is to look at fuel choice. 

Nearly all U.S. cars and light trucks use gasoline. The United 

States recently introduced low-sulfur diesel, already available 

in Europe for a number of years. Diesel cars use 20% to 

30% less fuel. In Europe, just about every model can be purchased 

with a clean-diesel engine, including small vehicles 

like the Toyota Yaris, and sporty ones like the BMW 7 series 

and the Mercedes S Class. Even the humble Ford Focus has 

three diesel engine choices. In a recent fuel economy race, 

the diesel Yaris exceeded 70 mpg. A Corolla with a cleandiesel 

engine has fuel efficiency similar to a Prius. The same 

car would be 40% more fuel efficient than a gasoline Camry. 

More than 60% of new cars sold in Europe are clean diesels. 

Probably the next logical step for the U.S. government 

would be to encourage a switch to clean diesels, because 

every manufacturer, including Ford and GM, already has 

them; they simply don’t sell them here. 

Biofuels are proposed as a partial alternative. Ethanol 

has less energy than gasoline on a volume basis, so more is 

needed to go the same distance. In the United States, bioethanol 

is mixed at 85% with gasoline, and engines require 

some redesign to handle the fuel. U.S. bio-ethanol mostly 

is made from corn, which uses energy for planting, fertilizing, 

harvesting and refining. Even more energy is needed to 

transport it for sale. By some estimates, it takes at least 80% 

more energy to make the ethanol than it provides to drive 

the car. Thus, the overall environmental gain is very small, 

the avoided imports negligible, and the costs are high. Also, 

corn is the base ingredient of a lot of food products, including 

meat, so the diversion to ethanol pushed up food prices. 

Biodiesel, on the other hand, can be refined from many 

sources, including used cooking oil and agricultural waste. 

Oil seeds grow on poor land and need little fertilizer. Diesel 

engines need little alteration to use biodiesel, even at 100%. 

Algae are attracting a lot of attention as a source of biofuel. 

Where large amounts of mid- to low-grade heat are available, 

it’s possible to grow algae with very high natural oil content that 

can be refined into a diesel fuel with good calorific value. 

As with any biological product, energy is needed to sustain 

algae growth, so it’s essential to find heat sources that 

are cheap, readily available and low in eco-side-effects. Two 

hold out promise: sunlight and waste heat recovered from 

electricity generation. Heat recovery is the largest immediately 

available energy source, if we can work out how to use 

it. Growing algae to make biodiesel might be one such use, 

with the added advantage that the algae need carbon dioxide 

to thrive, and fossil-based power plants make plenty of it. 

The next step up the efficiency ladder will be dieselelectric 

hybrids. The first ones are expected in the market 

in 2010 from Peugeot and Volkswagen. These will reach yet 

another level of efficiency of 60 mpg to 70 mpg in a vehicle 

about the size of a Corolla. Powered with biodiesel, this will 

be a much less polluting than any other immediately available 

car technology, at a fairly reasonable cost. 

Whether it’s from plants or algae, biodiesel is likely to 

be more useful than bio-ethanol refined from foodstuffs in 

terms of being a practical, efficient and environmentally less 

damaging substitute for fossil oil-based transport fuels. 

Peter Garforth is principal of Garforth International LLC, Toledo, 

Ohio. E-mail him at garforthp@cs.com. 


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Strategic Planning I engineering I FacilitieS Maintenance I energy ManageMent I SuPPort ServiceS

At Kaeser, our tradition of saving 

energy goes back generations. 

Energy costs have never been higher. That’s why it’s so important 

to get maximum efficiency out of your compressed air system. 

And with as much as 50%* of compressed air being wasted, you 

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Trust the specialists at Kaeser to find energy savings by 

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Visit www.kaeser.com/ada to see if you’ll benefit from an 

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Kaeser Compressors, Inc. n (866) 516-6888 

* Source: U.S. Department of Energy; Compresed Air Challenge ® . ©2009 Kaeser Compressors, Inc. All rights reserved.

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