Maintworld 2/2018

2/2018 www.maintworld.com
maintenance & asset management
The criticality
spectrum p 6
ALIGN WIND TURBINES SAFELY P 12 PRE-OPERATIONAL CHECKLISTS REINVENTED P 24 IOT BRINGS MAINTENANCE REWARDS P 44

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Simply,
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DEEPER UNDERSTANDING of the skill of
vibration analysis, allowing them to confidently identify a wider vartiety of machine fault conditions at their earliest stage.
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interactive software simulations making complex concepts more easy to understand.
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ISO 18436-2, meaning that your certificate is traceable to the ISO standards for Category
I-IV Vibration Analysts and is recognized worldwide.
Mobius Institute analysts OFFER A GREATER VALUE to their employers because of their
ability to identify the most difficult machine fault conditions and offer clear corrective
action. Having a Mobius trained analyst on a plant’s CBM/reliability team ensures
competence, insight and confidence that the program can rely and build upon.
Learn more about MOBIUS INSTITUTE by visiting our website or by reaching us by email
at learn@mobiusinstitute.com or by phone at (+1) 615-216-4811.
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EDITORIAL
Is it Time to Increase
Collaboration?
FOR MUCH of the industrial world,
the old way of working isn’t working
so well anymore. The traditional productivity
and profitability levers that
companies can pull have been pulled
plenty. It is time to find new sources
of value and become more nimble.
But what does that mean and what is
the solution?
The increased rate of digitalization
has led to the Fourth Industrial
Revolution, which in turn is creating
tremendous opportunities for
businesses. Connected devices, data
storage technologies and advanced
analytics have empowered organizations
with information that lead to
profitable business decisions.
Automation and centralization
have improved productivity in past
decades. However, in the digital era the next major improvement stems from
collaborative operations. In an integrated industry, devices and systems are
connected across domains and industries. Customers and suppliers now
work together in a collaborative way.
Most advanced companies have established collaboration centres as digital
transformation incubators in order to help their customers to improve
speed, yield and quality, turn their data into action and innovate with others
seamlessly to become more productive. These centres provide customers
with industrialized solutions in a form of Software as a Service (SaaS) and rely
on a new collaborative operating model, which not only forms digital partnerships
with customers but also improves customers' operations together
by, for instance, utilizing the domain expertise of the global network of these
connected remote centres.
Those experts at collaboration centres monitor data remotely and connect
with customers in real time to quickly identify and resolve issues. In various
industries digital value-add solutions are already used to optimize process
performance, combine, analyze and visualize large amounts of data for right
decision making, ensure all aspects of cyber security are in place and deploy
condition-based asset health programmes for electrical and mechanical
equipment for instance. Similar collaborative solutions are available to other
sectors too, making cities and transportation smarter and greener.
The world is changing fast. This change is led by digital innovation and
transformation that, if harnessed correctly, delivers productivity and profitability
gains powered by collaboration. Only those companies that are able to
combine both OT and IT expertise will turn these innovations into real benefits
for all parties involved.
Let’s build the future. Together.
Timo Jatila,
Vice President, Business Development, Service ABB Oy
4 maintworld 2/2018
24
New leadership
is beginning to
enter the mining
industry and
“daring” to rock
the pillars of a slow
to change culture.
40
Flexible
cobots
allow more Nordic
companies to
automate numerous
tasks, from assembly
to polishing and
painting to testing.

IN THIS ISSUE 2/2018
46
Digitalisation and the improved use
of forest asset data are bringing
both considerable savings and
efficiency improvement to the
forest industry.
6
The criticality spectrum: a
means to focus our attention
where it is warranted
12
14
16
20
How to Safely Align Wind
Turbines
Six Signs of a Successful
Acoustic Lubrication Programme
Intelligent Leak Handling with
the LeakExpert app
Best Practices for Ultrasonic
Compressed Air Leak Detection
24
28
30
34
36
Pre-Operational Checklists
Reinvented; Data Driven
Reliability in Mining
SMRP: A Leading Voice in
Maintenance, Reliability and
Physical Asset Management
Stock It? Don’t Stock It?
How IIoT improves operations:
Impact of OPC UA
New Ways in IGBT Control:
Electrical Plugging – Optical
Transmission
38
40
42
44
46
48
L4MS - A one-stop shop for
SMEs for lean and agile intrafactory
logistics
Cobots place Nordic countries in
the global top five
Why Your Service Techs Are
Deciding Your Future
IOT Brings Maintenance Rewards
to Exmar Ship Management
Digitalisation is Transforming
the Finnish Forest Industry
ANALYSIS OF THE ROOT-CAUSE
EFFECT; simple but effective
Issued by Promaint (Finnish Maintenance Society), Messuaukio 1, 00520 Helsinki, Finland tel. +358 29 007 4570
Publisher Omnipress Oy, Mäkelänkatu 56, 00510 Helsinki, tel. +358 20 6100, toimitus@omnipress.fi, www.omnipress.fi
Editor-in-chief Nina Garlo-Melkas tel. +358 50 36 46 491, nina.garlo@omnipress.fi, Advertisements Kai Portman, Sales
Director, tel. +358 358 44 763 2573, ads@maintworld.com Layout Menu Meedia, www.menuk.ee Subscriptions and
Change of Address members toimisto@kunnossapito.fi, non-members tilaajapalvelu@media.fi Printed by Painotalo Plus
Digital Oy, www.ppd.fi Frequency 4 issues per year, ISSN L 1798-7024, ISSN 1798-7024 (print), ISSN 1799-8670 (online).
2/2018 maintworld 5

ASSET MANAGEMENT
The criticality spectrum:
a means to focus our attention
where it is warranted
Developing an asset criticality
ranking (ACR) is an
important part of any reliability
and performance
improvement initiative.
The criticality ranking
enables an organization
to prioritize and justify a
wide range of activities
and investments.
JASON TRANTER,
CMRP, Mobius Institute,
jason@mobiusinstitute.com
6 maintworld 2/2018
UNFORTUNATELY, it is all too common to
perform a very basic criticality analysis
that does not allow decisions to be made
(and has very little buy-in). And in the
author’s opinion, it is also too common
for people to perform an analysis that is
far too detailed, in the form of RCM or
FMECA.
The aim of this article is to propose a
graduated approach to assessing criticality
which makes best use of your time
while providing the decision-making
information you need.
The criticality spectrum
The basic idea of the criticality spectrum
is that we perform more and more
detailed analysis based on criticality. At
one end we have very little information
to go on, i.e., a system criticality analysis.
At the other end we have a great deal of
information to go on, i.e., a detailed (but
expensive) reliability centered maintenance
(RCM) or failure modes, effects,
and criticality analysis (FMECA).
We could start with the system criticality
ranking and then perform more
detailed analysis on the assets within a
critical system. As you will soon read, we
can perform a more and more detailed
asset criticality analysis, and then a component
criticality analysis on the critical
assets, and finally the far more detailed
RCM or FMECA analysis on the most
critical assets or components. As we
move from left to right on the spectrum
we will determine which assets warrant
a more detailed analysis, thus saving
time and providing focus where it is necessary.
Let’s take a closer look.

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MEASUREMENT DIVISION

ASSET MANAGEMENT
Basic system criticality
ranking
The easy place to start with criticality
analysis is to assign a criticality ranking
to each system. If the failure of the system
would result in serious consequences,
then we would give it a high system
criticality ranking. The normal approach
is to therefore assign every piece of
equipment within that system the same
high ranking. While it is an okay place
to start, it simply does not provide the
granularity we need. To begin with, we
can examine the assets within the critical
systems to achieve the desired level
of detail.
Basic asset criticality ranking
Our minimum goal should be the asset
criticality ranking: what do we really
need?
At one extreme, which is all too common
in the author’s experience, is to
assign either “critical,” “essential,” or
“nonessential” to each asset. While better
than the system criticality ranking,
such a simple ranking again does not
provide the granularity we need to make
the key decisions that must be made. But
rather than analyzing every asset, we can
now dig deeper on the “critical” assets.
Basic criticality ranking.
Asset Criticality Ranking
Instead of a crude system criticality
ranking, we can define a scoring system
that differentiates between different assets.
The score can be defined as a combination
of the consequence of failure
and the likelihood of failure.
ACR = Consequence x
Likelihood
In order to provide structure and accountability
to the process, we need a
scoring system:
• The consequence could be scored
from 1 to 5. If there is a chance of
injury or death, the consequence
would be scored ‘5.’
• The likelihood of failure will be
scored from 0 to 1. It is the opposite
of reliability. If there is a very
high likelihood of failure occurring,
it would be given a score of ‘1.’
The following chart illustrates how the
likelihood of failure can be combined
with the consequence of failure with a
basic scoring system.
Asset criticality + failure
detectability ranking
We should go one extra step. It is insufficient
to just consider the likelihood
of failure based purely on reliability. If
we have a means to detect the onset of
failure, then we are in a better position
to avoid the consequences of failure. The
score can be redefined as a combination
of the consequence of failure and the likelihood
of undetected failure.
ACR = Consequence x
Likelihood x Detectability
The detectability can be scored from 1 to
0. A score of ‘1’ would indicate that there
is no chance of detecting the onset of
failure; it would be a complete surprise.
Note that this is not a ranking of whether
such a failure mode was detectable; it is a
ranking of the likelihood that the onset
of failure would be detected.
Asset criticality + consequence
differentiation
Scoring the consequences of failure is
important. It is common to view a series
of assets on a production line as having
the same criticality because if any one
of them failed, they would stop production.
But we need to distinguish between
those assets; they really do not have the
same criticality—they do not pose the
same risk. Therefore, we can develop a
more sophisticated way of ranking the
consequences of failure based on a range
of factors including the likely maintenance
cost, the cost of lost production,
the impact on quality, the impact on the
environment, and very importantly, the
impact on the safety of employees or
customers. We should therefore assess
the risks and develop a scoring system in
each area of risk identified. The following
is an example of such a system.
LIKELIHOOD
Will almost inevitably occur in the next 12 months > 90% Almost certain M 8 S 14 H 20 H 22 H 25
Will probably occur in the next 12 months 51–90% Likely M 7 M 10 S 15
H 21 H 24
Could possibly occur occur in the next 12 months 10–50% Possible L 3 M 9 M 12
S 17 S 23
Possible but not expected to occur in the next 12 months 1–10% Unlikely L 2 L 5 M 11 S 16 S 19
Will occur only in exceptional circmstances in the next 12 months < 1% Rare L 1 L 4 L 6 M 13 S 18
CONSEQUENCE Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Extreme
An example with the ‘consequence’ and the ‘likelihood’ of failure. Ranking = Consequence x Likelihood = 3 x 4 OR use a
ranking score as illustrated.
50% 4
FINAL LIKELIHOOD
2
18
DETECTABILITY
Almost certain M S H H H
Likely M M S H H
Possible L M M S S
Unlikely L L M S S
Rare L L L M S
CONSEQUENCE Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Extreme
3
An example with the ‘consequence’ and ‘likelihood’ of failure, and the detectability of the onset of failure. Ranking = Consequence x
(Detectability x Likelihood) = 3 x (50% x 4) = 3 x 2 = 6.
8 maintworld 2/2018

ASSET MANAGEMENT
50%
4
FINAL LIKELIHOOD
2
18
DETECTABILITY
Almost certain M S H H H
Likely M M S H H
Possible L M M S S
Unlikely L L M S S
Rare L L L M S
CONSEQUENCE Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Extreme
Equipment
(EQR)
Minimal damage
to equipment. No
effect on other
equipment. Spare
held on site.
Moderate damage to
equipment. Minimal
damage to other
equipment. Spare held
in region.
Major damage to
equipment. Damage
to other equipment.
Spare available in
1
day.
Destruction
of equipment.
Destruction of other
equipment. Spare not
available in state.
3
People (HSR)
Minor first aid.
No medical
treatment. Low
level short term
inconvenience or
symptoms.
Restricted work injury
(RWI), occupational
illness (OI) or medical
treatment injury
(MTI). Objective but
reversible disability/
impairment.
Loss time injury
(LTI). Moderate
irreversible
disability or
impairment to one
or more persons.
Single or multiple serious
injury. Severe irreversible
disability or impairment.
Single or multiple
fatality.
1
Environment
(EVR)
Negligible spillage
or emissions
(technical ENCR)
Spillage or emission
on site but contained
(internal ENCR)
Discharge to the
environment
outside of consent
conditions (external
ENCR rating Minor),
prosecution not
likely.
Discharge to the
environment outside
of consent conditions
(external ENCR rating
Moderate). Infringement
fine likely, prosecution
possible.
Major event,
pollution of air or
river, fish kill, public
outcry, prosecution
certain (external
ENCR Major).
2
Production
(PPR)
Negligible plant
downtime. Output
targets affected
but not missed.
Net cost of issue
$0.5m ≤ $2m USD
Plant downtime >
1 ≤ 2 days. Critical
output target
missed.
Net cost of issue
>$2m ≤ $5m USD
Plant downtime > 2 ≤
5 days. Several critical
output targets missed.
Net cost of issue
> $5m ≤ $10m USD
Plant downtime
> 5 days. Several
critical output targets
missed by significant
margin.
Net cost of issue
>$10m USD
2
Product
Quality /
Safety
Minor product
quality issue,
negligible harmful
food safety
implications.
Moderate product
quality issue or mildly
harmful food safety
issue.
Significant product
quality issue or
harmful food safety
issue with potential
consumer illness or
discomfort.
Highly harmful product
safety issue with
potential single consumer
death or widespread
illness.
Highly harmful food
safety issue with
potential multiple
consumer deaths or
widespread serious
illness.
1
An example with consequence categories. Ranking = (3+1+2+2+1) x (50% x 4) = 9 x 2 = 18.
FINAL CONSEQUENCE
9
Asset criticality +
consequence weighting
There is an extra step we need at this
point. Thus far we have given equal
weight to each consequence of failure.
For example, we are assuming
that the death of an employee has the
same consequence as the loss of production
for five days. We need to do
better. Therefore, we need to weight
each consequence against the other.
If each consequence is scored from 1
to 5, we should apply a weighting to
each consequence category so that only
safety-related consequences can score a
maximum of ‘5.’ Depending upon your
circumstances, the consequence score
related to production loss may only
achieve the maximum score of ‘3.’ It is
up to you to make that determination.
Asset criticality + consequence
likelihood ranking
We now have a much better idea of the
consequence of failure on the assets
that we have been analyzing. Unfortunately,
the system is still flawed. While
we are considering the different risks,
we are assigning the same likelihood of
occurrence to each of those risks. For
example, it may be rare for the asset to
fail resulting in injury or death, but more
common for the asset to fail resulting in
downtime. Therefore, we can assign the
likelihood and detectability to each consequence
of failure. This requires more
detailed analysis, but initially we would
only perform that analysis on the more
critical assets.
2/2018 maintworld 9

ASSET MANAGEMENT
Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Extreme Likelihood Detectability
0.5
Equipment
(EQR)
Minimal damage
to equipment. No
effect on other
equipment. Spare
held on site.
Moderate damage to
equipment. Minimal
damage to other
equipment. Spare held
in region.
Major damage to
equipment. Damage
to other equipment.
Spare available in
1 day.
Destruction
of equipment.
Destruction of other
equipment. Spare not
available in state.
Rare < 1%
Will only occur
in exceptional circumstances
in the
next 12 months
Confident > 90%
Frequent testing with
Condition Monitoring
and are confident that
faults will be detected
9
1
People (HSR)
Minor first aid.
No medical
treatment. Low
level short term
inconvenience or
symptoms.
Restricted work injury
(RWI), occupational
illness (OI) or medical
treatment injury
(MTI). Objective but
reversible disability/
impairment.
Loss time injury
(LTI). Moderate
irreversible
disability or
impairment to one
or more persons.
Single or multiple serious
injury. Severe irreversible
disability or impairment.
Single or multiple
fatality.
Unlikely 1-10%
Possible, but not
expected to occur
in the next 12
months
Likely 51-90%
CM in place, but not
extremely confident
that fault will be
detected
1
0.9
0.8
1
Environment
(EVR)
Production
(PPR)
Product
Quality /
Safety
Negligible spillage
or emissions
(technical ENCR)
Negligible plant
downtime. Output
targets affected
but not missed.
Net cost of issue
$0.5m ≤ $2m USD
Moderate product
quality issue or mildly
harmful food safety
issue.
Discharge to the
environment
outside of consent
conditions (external
ENCR rating Minor),
prosecution not
likely.
Plant downtime >
1 ≤ 2 days. Critical
output target
missed.
Net cost of issue
>$2m ≤ $5m USD
Significant product
quality issue or
harmful food safety
issue with potential
consumer illness or
discomfort.
Discharge to the
environment outside
of consent conditions
(external ENCR rating
Moderate). Infringement
fine likely, prosecution
possible.
Plant downtime > 2 ≤
5 days. Several critical
output targets missed.
Net cost of issue
> $5m ≤ $10m USD
Highly harmful product
safety issue with
potential single consumer
death or widespread
illness.
Major event,
pollution of air or
river, fish kill, public
outcry, prosecution
certain (external
ENCR Major).
Plant downtime
> 5 days. Several
critical output targets
missed by significant
margin.
Net cost of issue
>$10m USD
Highly harmful food
safety issue with
potential multiple
consumer deaths or
widespread serious
illness.
Possible 10-50%
Could possibly
occur in the next
12 months
Likely 51-90%
Will probably
occur in the next
12 months
Certain > 90%
Will almost
inevitably occur
int he next 12
months
Possible 10-50%
Some CM, but due to
test frequency and/
or technology, not
confident
Unlikely 1-10%
No CM, but local
operators and
inspectors may detect
signs of failure
No Warning < 1%
No condition
monitoring and no
local operators and
therefore no warning
6
21
1
Criticality ranking incorporating the consequence weighting and the assessment of likelihood and
detectability on each consequence of failure
FINAL CONSEQUENCE
38
Component criticality ranking
Although it has not been clearly stated,
thus far we have considered the asset as
a combination of components: for example,
a motor coupled to a gearbox which
drives a pump. Now it is time to take the
assets with the highest criticality ranking
and split them up into individual components.
It is quite likely that we will find
that the motor has a much lower criticality
ranking than the gearbox (assuming
that it is expensive and will have a longer
lead time), which may have a lower
criticality ranking than the pump (if the
failure of the pump could cause an explosion
and harm to the environment).
With this information we can better
determine which spares to hold, how to
prioritize maintenance, where to employ
condition monitoring, and much more.
RCM and FMECA
Once we divide our analysis into individual
components, we will identify
the components that pose the greatest
risk to the organization (and to the employees
and customers). Now it is time
to perform more detailed analysis of
each individual failure mode, the consequence
of each individual failure mode,
10 maintworld 2/2018
and the likelihood of each failure mode.
This is traditional reliability centered
maintenance (or failure modes, effects,
and criticality analysis), but at least we
have performed that analysis only where
it is warranted.
Back to the criticality
spectrum
And thus, we have our criticality spectrum,
with very basic system criticality
analysis at one end, and RCM/FMECA at
the other. Taking such an approach will
ensure that the critical components are
given the attention they require without
having to perform detailed analysis on
each and every component within the
facility.
Conclusion
While the above sequence has described
the transition process from a very basic
criticality analysis to a highly detailed
analysis based on criticality, when time is
available, we can circle back and review
the ranking provided to the least critical
assets, just to make sure we did not miss
anything. This is part of the continuous
improvement process. We should review
the criticality assigned to all assets as improvements
are made to reliability, our
ability to detect the onset of failure, and
the perceived consequences of failure.
The key is to determine the criticality
with as much detail as possible and then
use that information to prioritize and
justify everything from the reliability improvement
process to the maintenance
work that is performed on a daily basis.
The complete
criticality spectrum.

PARTNER ARTICLE
Coupled shafts that may not be rotated by hand
during the alignment measurement, such as in gear
generator wind turbines, can be measured safely
for alignment thanks to Pruftechnik’s unique laser
sensor technology.
How to Safely Align
Wind Turbines
Safety engineers around the world can breathe
easy. The PRUFTECHNIK ROTALIGN® and OPTALIGN®
technology has made aligning machine shafts,
especially gear shafts, much safer.
COUPLED SHAFTS that may not be rotated
by hand during the alignment
measurement, such as in gear generator
wind turbines, can be measured absolutely
safely for alignment thanks to the
unique laser sensor technology. By now,
this process has advanced so much that
manufacturers of wind turbines explicitly
require this special technology from
Bavaria because of the special HSE regulations
(Health and Safety Execution)!
The example gear generator wind
turbine illustrates the importance of
occupational safety. We all agree that
an extremely heavy wind turbine rotor
with a rotor blade diameter of well
over one hundred or even two hundred
meters generates tremendous forces on
the generator shaft already at a low rotational
speed – especially when a gear is
interposed.
The rotor blades transfer the energy
into a rotational movement in order to
generate pure energy from wind in the
form of electricity. The rotational movement
runs via the hub into a directly
connected gearbox in order to optimize
the running speed for the power generator.
The simple laws of physics suggest
that the extreme leverage effects of the
rotor blade to the input shaft create a
tremendously high torque at the coupling
from the gearbox to the generator
shaft. Therefore for safety reasons, the
complete drive linkage must operate
under a protective cover during normal
operation.
A special challenge is now the alignment
of the gear shaft to the generator
drive shaft. Both shafts are regularly
connected to each other via a coupling.
Text and photos: PRUFTECHNIK
However, both shafts and the coupling
run “invisibly” under the protective cover.
In order to ensure a safe, trouble-free
and low-maintenance operation, both
shafts must be aligned precisely to each
other within the specified tolerances.
The only safe and precise way to align
both shafts of the manufacturer’s specifications
accordingly is the laser-optical
alignment procedure. In the process, a
laser and a sensor are mounted onto the
coupled shaft, rotated around the shaft
axis, thereby measuring the alignment.
But this is exactly where the crux lies!
The cover of the drive linkage may
only be removed if the system is shut
down. In other words, the rotor must
be secured against strong gusts of wind
with the service brake and at the same
time also mechanically with a locking
pin. This ensures that no torque can
be transferred to the input shaft. Conversely,
however, this also means that
the shaft cannot be rotated for the alignment
measurement. The process is thus
virtually impossible: The cover has been
opened to mount the laser-sensor unit
and cannot be closed with the measurement
device installed. According to HSE
regulations, it is not permitted to tamper
with the open drive linkage with a freely
rotatable rotor! The brake and locking
pin rule out a manual rotation.
12 maintworld 2/2018

PARTNER ARTICLE
Nevertheless, PRUFTECHNIK technology
makes a simple, quick and above
all safe alignment measurement possible
while remaining within the bounds of
occupational safety! Once the lasersensor
unit has been securely mounted,
the service brake and the locking pin are
released. The rotor blades are turned
by the wind so that a rolling operation
is briefly set. The on-site maintenance
workers move as far back from the shaft
as possible or to a safe location, even in
the narrow enclosure if possible, during
the axial rotation. PRUFTECHNIK’s
own SWEEP-Mode in the ROTALIGN®
and OPTALIGN® alignment devices
makes it possible to determine the quality
of the alignment in any angle position.
This is already possible from a minimum
torque angle of just 60° degrees. During
the shaft rotation, all readings are automatically
and continuously recorded.
However, in practice a wind turbine can
never be stopped again so quickly. Several
rotations at once are the reality and
are absolutely no problem in SWEEP
mode. On the contrary: the higher the
torque angle, the more precise the measurement.
The ROTALIGN® or OPTALIGN®
computer calculates the alignment result
in just a few seconds. The angular
position at which the laser-sensor unit
comes to a standstill does not matter
here. The sophisticated sensors with two
detector surfaces can calculate the alignment
result from any position in which
they are located. They do not have to be
rotated to a certain work position for
this purpose, which is almost impossible
given the technical prerequisites in the
wind turbine without endangering one’s
own health by manually intervening in
the input shaft. The PRUFTECHNIK
technology is completely contact-free
and does not require any additional
manual controls. Of course, all brake
and locking mechanisms must be active
again for the subsequent mechanical
alignment process: Rotor brake on, locking
pin locked! The laser and sensor remain
mounted to monitor the alignment
process.
Since all braking device are activated,
the shaft cover can still remain
opened. In PRUFTECHNIK’s own “Live
Move” function of ROTALIGN® and
OPTALIGN®, the alignment result can
be tracked at any time in real time (i.e.
‘live’) until the alignment targets are met
at the end! HSE regulations must also be
observed and implemented here. There
is no conflict here with the PRUFTECH-
NIK devices. The work steps can be carried
out properly and with the necessary
care.
This safe alignment process means
that operators of wind turbines have
already become aware of it. The unique
safe PRUFTECHNIK procedure has
therefore already found its way into
various installation instructions of wind
turbine manufacturers. They explicitly
refer to the obligatory use of only
PRUFTECHNIK equipment. The world
market leader for laser optical alignment
equipment from Bavaria is therefore
synonymous with perfect and safe alignment
in the wind turbine industry. The
PRUFTECHNIK devices from the RO-
TALIGN® and OPTALIGN® series perfectly
symbolize the two most important
features of aligning wind turbines: Safety
and Precision!
Discover
the hidden
treasure in
Maintenance
Discover
the hidden
treasure in
Maintenance
There is value hidden in every maintenance organization. All companies have the potential to further improve, either by reducing
costs, improve safety, work on the lifetime extension of machinery or by smart maintenance solutions that improves uptime. The
question is where maintenance managers should be looking to fi nd these areas of improvement and where they need to start.
You will fi nd the answer to this question at Mainnovation. With Value Driven Maintenance ® and the matching tools like the VDM
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Do you want to discover the hidden treasure in your maintenance organization?
Go to www.mainnovation.com
CONTROLLING MAINTENANCE, CREATING VALUE.

LUBRICATION
Six Signs of a Successful
Acoustic Lubrication
Programme
Acoustic Lubrication is just one of the 8
application pillars adopted by world-class
ultrasound programmes. And what an
important one it is.
ALLAN RIENSTRA,
Director of Business
Development for SDT
POOR LUBRICATION practices account for as much as 40% of all
premature bearing failures. When ultrasound is utilized to assess
lubrication needs and schedule grease replenishment intervals
that number drops below 10%. What would 30% fewer
bearing-related failures mean for your organization?
Keep up with the changes in on-condition bearing lubrication
or risk falling behind. For example, technology advancements
from ultrasonic innovator SDT are transforming the way
we look at the grease replenishment task. SDT’s LUBExpert, an
ultrasound solution that helps grease bearings correctly, simplifies
a complex process into a simple, 2-step procedure.
A successfully implemented world class, acoustic lubrication
programme delivers many wins for your company. Reduced
maintenance costs as well as other savings on grease consumption
and less unplanned downtime are two big doors that open
other possibilities for factory maintenance teams. Another
win will be factory-wide efficiency. Properly maintained and
lubricated bearings run more efficiently, using less energy and
lowering their environmental impact.
With so much innovation available, the question begs, is
your lubrication programme world-class? Here are six signs to
help you decide.
SIX SIGNS YOUR LUBRICATION
PROGRAMME IS ON TRACK
1. A change in the quantity of grease consumed
Maintenance departments should track grease consumption to
monitor and control costs. Root Cause Analysis on failed bearings
points to over-greasing as the leading contributor. Bad
procedures lead to bearings routinely receiving more grease
than they are designed to handle. The excess ends up being
pushed into the motor casing or purged onto the floor. Reduction
in grease consumption is a sure sign that your lubrication
programme is on the right track.
Over lubrication happens when grease replenishment intervals
are scheduled based on time instead of condition. Control
lubrication tasks with ultrasound to monitor condition and
maintain optimal friction. The time between greasing intervals
increases, resulting in less grease used per bearing.
Over-greased machines are not only more susceptible to
fail, but run less efficiently. Optimally greased bearings draw
far less energy and contribute to a greener factory. That alone
should be motivation enough to Grease Bearings Right.
Acoustic
lubrication is the
proven method
to ensure
precise bearing
lubrication.
14 maintworld 2/2018

LUBRICATION
Maintenance
departments
should
track grease
consumption
to monitor and
control costs.
Machines that are
properly lubricated
require less energy
to run.
2. Fewer lube-related failures
Your organization should track failures and perform root cause
analysis to eliminate sources of defects.
Optimized greasing programmes experience fewer luberelated
failures. Less fixing and fire-fighting translates to more
creative time for maintenance. Use that time to bring more machines
into the greasing programme.
Additionally, with ultrasound you find many non-trendable
defects. For example, broken or blocked grease pipes and incorrectly
fitted grease paths that prevent grease from reaching
the bearing.
3. Optimized MRO spares management
Your new and improved lubrication programme is delivering
wins; better control of grease consumption, fewer failures, and
more productivity for maintenance. Use this time to study
trends and better manage your storeroom.
A decrease in bearing-related failures improves spares optimization.
Share your ultrasonic lubrication data with your
MRO Stores manager to create a plan to reduce the number of
emergency parts on hand.
Since you are taking stock, why not shift some burden to
your suppliers? Ask them to confirm your emergency parts
against their own stock. If it can be supplied on the same day
then why keep it on your balance sheet?
4. Increased number of machines monitored
One benefit of an effective lubrication programme is time.
• Time allotted to monitoring machines instead of fixing
them.
• Time allotted to correctly assessing the real needs for
lubrication.
• Time to look at the big picture.
Take for instance, criticality assessment. Many lubrication programmes
begin with small steps. All the “A” critical machines
receive priority, rightly so. But what about the rest? With more
time to plan, organize, and schedule, increase the number of
machines acoustically monitored for optimal lubrication.
5. Save time. Combine acoustic lubrication and
condition monitoring
You worked hard for these results. It is time to use your data
for more than just lubrication.
Acoustic lubrication is the proven method to ensure precise
bearing lubrication. New technology from SDT, LUBExpert,
combines the power of onboard lubrication guidance with
Four Condition Indicators for bearing condition assessment.
The time savings from assessing bearing condition during
the lubrication process is beyond valuable and another sign
your acoustic lubrication programme is on the right track.
6. Inspector Confidence at an All-Time High
Reliable machines are the product of an effective lubrication
programme. You have:
• Managed grease consumption
• Fewer grease-related bearing failures
• Optimized MRO spares
• More machines under watch
• Increased data collection intervals
The power of adding ultrasound to your greasing programme
delivers win after win for reliability. Reliability breeds confidence.
More confident inspectors make better decisions and
infect a positive culture throughout the organization.
Ultrasound-assisted lubrication of plant assets offers significant
benefits that calendar based lubrication cannot. Lubrication
serves a primary purpose, which is to create a thin layer
of lubricant between rolling and sliding elements that reduces
friction. So, it makes sense that the best way to determine the
lubrication requirement of a machine is to monitor friction
levels, not time in service.
Machines that are properly lubricated require less energy to
run. Imagine that reducing grease consumption can lower your
energy bills. Machines that consume less electricity run cooler
and enjoy longer life cycles.
Finally, by monitoring the condition of your machinery’s
lubrication, you are at the same time collecting valuable
condition data about the machine itself. Dynamic and static
ultrasound data coupled with the 4 condition indicators (RMS,
Max RMS, Peak, and Crest Factor) are all indicators of bearing
health.
Optimizing lubrication of plant machinery with ultrasound
results in a significant reduction in grease consumption. Successful
ultrasound programmes accelerate the velocity of positive
culture change.
Who knew so much good news could come from such a simple
shift from calendar to condition-based maintenance?
2/2018 maintworld 15

PARTNER ARTICLE
Text and photos:
SONOTEC
Do you really want to save your company money?
Then eliminating compressed air leaks would
be an important step forward.
The intuitive Sonaphone ultrasonic testing device with LeakExpert
app locates, evaluates and classifies compressed air leaks.
Intelligent Leak Handling
with the LeakExpert app
16 maintworld 2/2018
COMPRESSED AIR IS one of the most
expensive energy sources and is responsible
for 10% of industrial energy costs.
30% of this expensive energy is lost
simply due to leaks in compressed air
systems. This makes detecting and eliminating
leaks worthwhile.
A digital ultrasonic testing device from
SONOTEC makes it possible to detect
leaks on compressed air and gas systems
and on gas lines with pinpoint accuracy.
Thanks to a new, intuitive app, leaks can
also be evaluated automatically with the
ultrasonic testing device. Additionally,
the LeakExpert app makes it easier to
generate a report as a decision-making
tool for follow-up actions and as evidence
of successful energy management in accordance
with EN ISO 50001. This means
that SONOTEC measuring technology
helps pave the way for Maintenance 4.0.
Do you really want to save your company
money? Then eliminating compressed
air leaks would be an important
step forward. The SONAPHONE ultrasonic
testing device with the LeakExpert
app for locating and evaluating leaks on
compressed air and vacuum systems and
gas lines a device that can help with the
process. It can be operated intuitively
and includes numerous innovative functions
for search, evaluation and documentation.
This is how it works:
INTELLIGENT LEAK HANDLING
WITH THE LEAKEXPERT
APP – THE SOFTWARE
FOR SUCCESSFUL ENERGY
MANAGEMENT.
The search for a leak begins
Switch on SONAPHONE with LeakExpert
app, put on the headphones, and
start the search. Here too everything
depends on the right method and equipment.
First insert the large acoustic horn
on the device’s airborne sound sensor.
Through this horn, the SONAPHONE
receives noises in the ultrasonic range
caused by the escaping of compressed
air or the sucking in of ambient air into
vacuum systems, and then transforms
them into audible or visible signals. In
this way the leak can already be heard
from a distance of approximately eight
meters. As soon as you receive a signal
through the headphones, orient the
ultrasound sensor toward the noise and
switch the integrated laser pointer on.
This will already allow you to roughly
locate the leak. The closer you get to the
leak, the clearer the ultrasound signal

PARTNER ARTICLE
will become.
In the immediate vicinity of the leak,
immediately switch from the acoustic
horn to the precise locator. Then check
the lines and connections in the previously
located area until you have precisely
identified the damaged area.
Evaluating the leak
To correctly evaluate the leak, you only
have to enter your system pressure and
the type of gas in the device and start
the specially developed leak evaluation.
With just a touch of a button, the measurement
and evaluation of the leak will
begin, whereupon the loss in liters per
minute will be displayed to you immediately.
Additionally, the device will rank
the leak in a class from 1 to 5 (1 = small
leak, minor loss [green]; 5 = large leak,
very high loss [red]). This evaluation
process is based on a procedure patented
by Sonotec.
Documentation for
management
The LeakExpert app offers the option
of structured and process-supporting
documentation. This is easier than it
sounds, since the app guides you through
the testing process step by step. First you
identify the exact location of the leak by
entering the building, area, system and
component. This information is saved in
the app and is available to you again for
the next search. However, the LeakExpert
app not only allows you to specify
the location and size of the leak, but
also to note if and how urgently the leak
needs to be repaired and how extensive
the expected repair efforts will be. Even
The integrated
camera can be used
to take pictures of
the leak.
the repair dates can be entered directly
for each leak.
Next, photograph the area of the leak,
flag the damaged area with a marker in
the photo and save the image in a folder.
You can also record a voice memo with
special details about the leak that has
been found and save this memo. Finally,
you can mark the leak to be repaired
with our LeakTag and then move on to
the next leak.
After the testing procedure, with just
a few clicks export a CSV or ZIP file into
ULTRASONIC TESTING DEVICE
Leak Detection
Condition Monitoring
Electrical Inspection
Steam Trap & Valve Inspection

PARTNER ARTICLE
your maintenance system for further processing
of the measurement data, or generate a
PDF report. You can then compile the report
itself individually depending on the requirements,
and, for example, sort the leaks according
to size.
All information on the leaks is saved in the
device and can be called up again during the
repairs. After the leak has been eliminated, the
repaired location can be checked again with
SONAPHONE and touched up if necessary.
The successful repair is then also documented
in the report – as evidence for management.
Conclusion
With the new SONAPHONE and the LeakExpert
app, leaks on compressed air and vacuum
systems and gas lines can be detected and
A parabolic sensor can be used for leak detection up to 25 meters.
WITH THE NEW SONAPHONE AND THE LEAKEXPERT APP FROM SONOTEC, YOU CAN DETECT,
EVALUATE AND DOCUMENT LEAKS ON COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEMS WITH
PINPOINT ACCURACY...
evaluated with pinpoint accuracy. The multifunctional
device with touchscreen processes
the ultrasound signals directly. A report can be
generated quickly and easily and used as a decision-making
tool for follow-up actions and as
proof of successful energy management. With
a single click, the documentation of the results
is available for management, with comprehensive
information about the precise location of
the leak, the energy loss, a photographic record
and the priority level of the repair.
Additionally, by systematizing the search
for leaks and their evaluation, the device contributes
to significant time and cost savings in
maintenance. Error-prone paper records are a
thing of the past, since all data can be evaluated
and updated directly in the device. This also
facilitates the verification of energy saving
measures in the context of the documentation
obligation for companies that are certified
in accordance with EN ISO 50001. The new
device technology also helps to realize a verifiable
energy savings of 5% so companies can
retain their certificate and uphold their claim
to a reduction of their Renewable Energies Act
(EEG) cost apportionment and of their electricity
and energy taxes.
Thus ultrasonic testing device not only is
appropriate for leak detection and classification,
but is also useful for tightness testing of
unpressurized systems and condition monitoring
through checking bearings. The new
device is also used for electrical inspection by
detecting partial discharges and for checking
valves and steam traps.
By integrating broadband sensors and advanced data processing, SONOTEC has
successfully provided a completely new analysis of the ultrasonic signal. This makes
new applications like automatic loss evaluation for leaks possible.
SONAPHONE + LeakExpert
app – The advantages at a
glance
• Everything in a single device: search –
evaluation – documentation – report –
repair status
• Evaluating the leaks + displaying the
loss
• Easy and intuitive operation
• Broadband analysis in the frequency
range from 20 to 100 kHz
• Optimized testing routines
The LeakExpert app offers the option of structured,
process-supporting documentation
18 maintworld 2/2018

Be a LUBExpert
®
A COMPLETE ULTRASOUND SOLUTION TO MANAGE YOUR ACOUSTIC LUBRICATION PROGRAM
Poor greasing practices are
a leading cause of bearing failure.
Many lube departments re-grease on a wasteful
calendar-based schedule. This leads to over and
under greased bearings that fail to deliver their
engineered value.
LUBExpert tells us when to grease...
and when to stop.
Grease reduces friction in bearings. Less friction
means longer life. LUBExpert alerts you when
friction levels increase, guides you during
re-lubrication, and prevents over and under
lubrication.
Grease Bearings Right
Right Lubricant
Right Location
Right Interval
Right Quantity
Right Indicators
Ultrasound Soluons
sdtultrasound.com/lubexpert

ASSET MANAGEMENT
Best Practices
for Ultrasonic
Compressed Air
Leak Detection
ADRIAN MESSER,
CMRP
adrianm@uesystems.com
Contrary to what some might think, compressed air is
not free. In fact, for what it takes to produce it, the
compressed air that is generated is often considered
the most expensive utility in a typical manufacturing
facility. To further add to the problem, the US
Department of Energy notes that more than 50% of
all compressed air systems have energy efficiency
problems. Air Compressor experts have also estimated
that as much as 30% of the compressed air generated
is lost via leaks in the compressed air system.
OFTEN, WHEN a compressed air system
struggles to meet the current demands
on the system, spare compressors are
rented and used as back-ups, or time and
effort is placed in installing an additional
compressor to the existing system. Both
strategies are expensive, and depending
on the size of the compressors needed,
could cost hundreds of thousands of
dollars.
Since compressed air systems inherently
have leaks, regardless of piping,
use, and design, implementing
a compressed air leak management
20 maintworld 2/2018

OPTIMIZE LUBRICATION
& EXTEND BEARINGS
LIFETIME
An Ultrasound
instrument is
the perfect tool
for lubrication
management
60-80% of
premature bearing
failures are
lubrication related
Avoid downtime
and premature
bearing failures with
Ultrasound Assisted
Lubrication
ULTRAPROBE
401 DIGITAL
GREASE CADDY
Can be attached to
a grease gun for
ease of use
Know when to stop
adding lubrication and
record the amount used
Set up and store routes
for easy condition
based lubrication
Trend and report your
lubrication data with UE
Systems free DMS Software
DOWNLOAD NOW FOR FREE AND START
IMPROVING YOUR LUBRICATION PRACTICES
www.uesystems.eu/ebook-lubrication
UE Systems Europe - Windmolen 20, 7609 NN Almelo, The Netherlands
T: +31 546 725 125 | E: info@uesystems.eu | W: www.uesystems.eu

ASSET MANAGEMENT
programme can be an economical and
effective way to improve the efficiency
of any compressed air system. Such a
programme is designed to identify and
repair compressed air leaks before they
become a large problem and it can save
time, money, and energy.
For airborne ultrasound, compressed
air & compressed gas leak detection remains
the most widely used application.
Locating compressed air and gas leaks
with ultrasound, and then making the
necessary repairs, can have tremendous
payback in the dollars lost due to these
leaks.
Recent advancements in compressed
air leak detection and reporting allow
for the quantification of the money lost
from these compressed air leaks. An effective
ultrasonic compressed air leak
survey will focus on seven key factors:
• Evaluation
• Detection
• Identification
• Tracking
• Repair
• Verification
• Re-Evaluation
By implementing these steps, a typical
manufacturing plant could reduce its energy
waste by roughly 10 to 20 percent.
HOW TO USE ULTRASOUND
FOR A COMPRESSED
AIR LEAK SURVEY
1.
Select an ultrasound
instrument
For ultrasonic leak detection, an ultrasound
instrument that has frequency
tuning capability is recommended,
and the suggested frequency setting is
40kHz. For ultrasound instruments
that are on a fixed frequency, or where
frequency tuning is not a feature, 38kHz
is usually the frequency setting that the
instrument is fixed at.
There are different sources of high
frequency sound that these ultrasound
instruments detect. For compressed air
and compressed gas leak detection, the
source of the ultrasound is turbulence.
Turbulence is created when a compressed
gas inside of a pipe or vessel exits
to low pressure or atmosphere through
a tiny crack or orifice. Turbulence is also
created when there is air in-leakage, or
vacuum leaks. With vacuum leaks, since
most of the turbulence is on the inside of
the leak, there is not as much ultrasound
present; therefore, vacuum leaks are
more difficult to find with ultrasound,
but can still be possible if enough turbulent
ultrasonic noise is present.
2.
The “Gross to Fine”
method
Once an ultrasound instrument has been
selected, the planning of the compressed
air survey can begin. One thing to keep
in mind while scanning for compressed
air leaks out in the facility is the fact that
high frequency sound is very low energy.
Because it is low energy, the sound
will not travel through solid surfaces, but
rather bounce and reflect off of solid surfaces.
That is why it is important to scan
in all directions with the ultrasound instrument,
while adjusting the sensitivity.
This will help to pinpoint the location of
the compressed air leak.
Once the general area of the compressed
air leak has been located, most
ultrasound instruments will come with
a focusing probe that can be slipped over
the end of the airborne scanning module
on the instrument to more finely narrow
the field of view to more precisely identify
the location of the leak. This method
of compressed air leak detection using
ultrasound is commonly referred to as
the “Gross to Fine” method.
3.
Creating an inspection
route
The logistics of the leak detection route
should now be considered. It is recommended
to perform a walk through prior
to the inspection. The inspector should
use this as an opportunity to determine
the specific zones or areas where the
compressed air is being used. Blueprints
of the compressed air piping are also a
handy resource when conducting the
initial walk through. Make note of any
safety hazards and any areas where accessibility
to the test area may difficult,
or may require the use of ladders, extra
PPE, or access to locked areas. Also
make note of any obvious signs of compressed
air misuse, potential areas of
leakage, and improper piping installations.
Making note of any areas of potential
leakage or misuse of compressed air
(such as using air to move parts/product,
air knives, etc.) will help to take away any
confusion of what the inspector is finding
and becoming more aware of where
competing ultrasonic noise is coming
from. Part of the goal of the compressed
air leak survey could be to identify areas
where compressed air is being misused,
and look for alternatives that could perform
the same function without having
to use costly compressed air.
Considerations must also be made
to determine the type of leaks that are
to be detected with ultrasound such
as pressure leaks in compressed air or
compressed gas systems, vacuum leaks,
CONTRARY TO WHAT SOME MIGHT THINK, COMPRESSED
AIR IS NOT FREE.
or refrigerant leaks. After the initial walk
through, select one area or zone to test
at a time.
For consistency, it is recommended to
begin at the compressor, or supply side,
and then move to the distribution lines,
and then areas where the compressed
air is being used. As the compressed
air leaks are found with the ultrasound
instrument, a tagging system should be
in place to tag the leak at its site. The
tag should have places to record the
leak number, the pressure, type of compressed
gas, a brief description of the
leak location, and decibel level of the leak
that was indicated on the ultrasound
22 maintworld 2/2018

ASSET MANAGEMENT
savings of the compressed air leaks.
When done correctly, an ultrasound
compressed air leak survey can have
tremendous payback in a short period
of time. Once the leaks have been
repaired of course.
Conclusion
Compressed air is an expensive
utility whose maintenance and
cost is generally taken for granted.
A successful compressed air leak
survey depends on having the right
ultrasound instrument for the
needs of the survey, proper training
of personnel who will perform
the survey, planning how the survey
will be performed by doing an initial
walk through, documenting the
leaks and the associated costs, and
initiating repairs once the leaks have
been identified. Through proper
documentation and reporting, an ultrasonic
compressed air leak survey
can show tremendous payback and
energy savings without a significant
capital expenditure.
WHEN DONE CORRECTLY, AN ULTRASOUND COMPRESSED
AIR LEAK SURVEY CAN HAVE TREMENDOUS PAYBACK
IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
instrument once the leak location was
confirmed. An estimated cost of the leak
may also be helpful in creating awareness
of the expense of compressed air or
compressed gas leaks.
4.
Documentation and
reporting
Besides repairing the compressed air
leaks, the success of the compressed air
leak survey largely relies on the reporting
and documentation of our findings.
For documentation purposes, there
is a Leak Survey App by UE Systems,
available for iOS and Android. The app
allows the inspector to easily document
the compressed air and compressed gas
leaks, along with the associated costs.
When reporting the cost and CFM
(cubic feet per minute) loss of compressed
air or compressed gas leaks, it
is important to remember that it is an
estimated cost. The cost of a leak is based
on the decibel level once the leak has
been located, the cost per kilowatt hour
of electricity, and the pressure at the leak
site.
Ideally, the pressure at the leak site is
best. For example, the compressed air
may start at the compressor at 120psi,
but where the air is actually being used
it may be regulated down to 75psi. Look
for the nearest pressure gauge, or if
someone from the plant is available
when the leak survey is being conducted,
have someone who is familiar with the
compressed air system.
For specialty gasses, such as helium,
nitrogen, or argon, the cost of the leak is
based on the decibel level reading at the
confirmed leak location, pressure, and
the cost of the gas as in a dollar amount
per thousand cubic feet.
Several independent studies have
been done comparing an ultrasound leak
survey report to actual energy savings,
and it has been found that an ultrasound
leak survey is within 20% of the actual
2/2018 maintworld 23

MAINTENANCE MANAGEMEMT
Pre-Operational
Checklists Reinvented;
Data Driven Reliability
in Mining
When was the last time you boarded an airplane and
thought about what actually occurs in the cockpit prior
to engine start and taxi?
DALE R. EKMARK,
Senior Consultant,
IDCON
THE ACTIVITY that occurs before takeoff
is meant to insure that all the steps necessary
are accomplished to ensure a safe
flight not only for all personnel but also
the equipment. It’s not that the pilots
haven’t done it a zillion times before. To
the contrary, it is because they have and
they also know that one missed step could
lead to serious implications or tragedy.
Prior to engine start, the crew has completed,
without exception, what in mining
is called a Pre-operational Checklist.
In the 2011 seminal work on checklists,
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get
Things Right, by Atul Gawande, the following
observation by the author, even
though he is a surgeon, could have be extracted
directly from the mining world.
“We don’t like checklists. They can
be painstaking. They’re not much fun.
But I don’t think the issue here is mere
laziness. There’s something deeper, more
visceral going on when people walk away
not only from saving lives but from making
money. It somehow feels beneath us
to use a checklist, an embarrassment. It
runs counter to deeply held beliefs about
how the truly great among us—those we
aspire to be—handle situations of high
stakes and complexity. The truly great are
daring. They improvise. They do not have
protocols and checklists. Maybe our idea
of heroism needs updating.”
Pre-operational checklists
commonly ignored
For those of you with any exposure to
mining and also heavy industry, you will
be able to easily relate to Mr. Gawande’s
previous statement. Pre-operational
checklists are commonly “pencilwhipped”,
completely ignored, or sloppily
done. Of course, there is the exception
that one is actually completed accurately
and with useful notes. Why?
There are two, and probably many
more, fundamental reasons. The first
one is historically, the equipment was
quite basic and fundamental and didn’t
require extensive pre-operation inspection/tests.
Basically it was “kick the tires
and light the fires”. Secondly, which was
mentioned, human ego got in the way of
sound judgment. Without a clear understanding
of the value of doing a pre-operational
checklist, operators subjugated
the task to one of menial importance.
The complete opposite is the reality.
Well-designed and well-executed preoperational
checklists are the vanguard
of reliability and the first line of defense
in fault identification.
With history in mind, in many respects,
mining has followed a similar
path as aircraft, albeit slower. Instead
of a B-17, in the following quote, we are
concerned about a Jumbo Bolter, Remote
operated Scoop, Scissor bolter etc.
Other industries can easily substitute
their equipment.
Again, Mr. Gawande describes the
mining industry at its current stage of
technological renaissance. (feel free to
WITH HISTORY IN MIND, IN MANY RESPECTS, MINING HAS
FOLLOWED A SIMILAR PATH AS AIRCRAFT, ALBEIT SLOWER.
substitute mining for aeronautics)
“Instead, they came up with an ingeniously
simple approach: they created a
pilot’s checklist. Its mere existence indicated
how far aeronautics had advanced.
In the early years of flight, getting an aircraft
into the air might have been nerveracking
but it was hardly complex. Using
a checklist for takeoff would no more have
occurred to a pilot than to a driver backing
a car out of the garage. But flying this
24 maintworld 2/2018

MAINTENANCE MANAGEMEMT
new plane was too complicated to be left
to the memory of any one person, however
expert. The test pilots made their list simple,
brief, and to the point—short enough
to fit on an index card, with step-by-step
checks for takeoff, flight, landing, and
taxiing. It had the kind of stuff that all pilots
know to do. They check that the brakes
are released, that the instruments are set,
that the door and windows are closed,
that the elevator controls are unlocked—
dumb stuff. You wouldn’t think it would
make that much difference. But with the
checklist in hand, the pilots went on to fly
the Model 299 a total of 1.8 million miles
without one accident. The army ultimately
ordered almost thirteen thousand
of the aircraft, which it dubbed the B-17.
And, because flying the behemoth was
now possible, the army gained a decisive
air advantage in the Second World War,
enabling its devastating bombing”
A similar scenario is rapidly unfolding
in the world of mining and especially
mobile equipment. The rate of
technological advancement is rapidly
outstripping the capacity of operations
and maintenance to keep pace. The
traditional generic five-minute walkaround,
pencil whipped, checklist pre-op
no longer valid and, to be honest, likely
never was. Below is a classic generic preop
checklist that came into existence in
the 1950’s or earlier and is still used commonly
in North America.
Classic Traditional Generic Underground Mining Pre-Operational Checklist.
It would be quite acceptable to say
“Unfortunately, the equipment is becoming
so complex ….” That is not the
case. Instead, “Fortunately”, mining
equipment is becoming increasingly
complex today that traditional preop
checklists are truly obsolete. It is
important to note that manual hand
written checklists are typically turned
in at the END of shift. In modern underground
mining operations, most shifts
are 12 hours and even a small equipment
fault that is unreported and potentially
uncorrected can develop into a major
2/2018 maintworld 25

MAINTENANCE MANAGEMEMT
breakdown over a span of a single shift.
However, all is not lost in the wonderful world of mining.
New leadership is beginning to enter the industry and “daring”
to rock the pillars of a slow to change culture. One of those
mines is Goldcorp’s new underground gold mine in Chapleau,
Ontario, the Borden Mine. The team at Borden, and Goldcorp,
is truly “Disrupting Mining” in a myriad of ways. As Canada’s
first totally electric underground mine, it is on the cutting edge
of both technology and management operating systems (MOS)
for the mining industry. The all electric mobile mining fleet
(trucks will be arriving in the future), in many cases, is just out
of the prototype phase and represents not only first of a kind
application in production but also represent a quantum technological
leap from traditional diesel powered manual operated
equipment.
A revolution in maintenance management
It is not just the mobile mining equipment that has advanced.
The advent of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is now enabling
an enhanced underground asset health and maintenance
management revolution. The Borden underground mine, like
others, is now completely connected to the surface via high
speed Wi-Fi to the “cloud”.
Luc Poulin, the maintenance manager at Borden, astutely
recognized the opportunity and his vision is to completely
automate and convert operator pre-operational inspections
from generic paper based pencil-whipping exercises, with a
time latency of over 12 hours, to real-time data-driven tabletbased
checklists to drive uptime through early fault detection.
Defects will be noted, prioritized and a SAP notification will
be automatically or manually generated for the supervisor/
planner to be able to properly plan and schedule the work directly
real time, if necessary, directly from underground to the
surface.
“Here at GoldCorp’s Borden mine we are pushing the envelope
of technology; we are ‘Disrupting Mining’. We are Canada’s
first completely electric underground mine and are extremely
dependent on early detection of defects of our advanced underground
mobile fleet, to properly plan, schedule and execute our
maintenance to safely and reliably achieve our production goals.
Our first line of identification is from our operators during their
pre-operational checklists. Together with IDCON, we are creating
the next generation of digitally driven, real-time, operational
pre-op checklists to drive reliability”
Luc Poulin, Maintenance Manager, GoldCorp Borden Mine
Stepping back to basic reliability, the classic P-F Curve, clearly
illustrates the value of early fault detection.
MacLean Omnia 975
Electric Scissor Bolter
EARLY DETECTION ALLOWS FOR PROACTIVE
MONITORING, PROPER PLANNING &
SCHEDULING AND ULTIMATELY EFFECTIVE
COST EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE.
Early fault detection bears fruit
Early detection, as close to the fault starting point, allows
for proactive monitoring, proper planning & scheduling
and ultimately effective cost effective maintenance which
maximizes uptime. The new tablet-based “Borden” underground,
pre-operational checks harness not only the value
of data driven inspections but also the real time capability of
the internet, which not too long ago was not possible underground.
With the increasingly complex equipment, real time
monitoring of assets and assessing the operator inspections/
machine generated data is paramount to early detection of
problems for corrective maintenance prior to catastrophic
failures.
Together with IDCON, inc., of Raleigh, North Carolina, the
Goldcorp, Borden Mine reliability journey commenced in early
2018. Recognizing that in order to capitalize on the opportunity,
not only must pre-operational checklists become datadriven,
operators also need to be extensively trained to understand
what a pre-operational check is and actually why they
26 maintworld 2/2018

MAINTENANCE MANAGEMEMT
are doing it. Recognizing that reliability is a shared responsibility
between maintenance and operations, the approach undertaken
included creating an operator reference guide called
“Pre-operational Condition Monitoring Standards” (CMS).
This is a concise operational reference document that doesn’t
supersede OEM manuals, but compliments them.
The Condition Monitoring Standard is then converted to
the new data driven pre-operational checklists that capitalizes
on the concept of Operation’s led reliability.
In an industry that not too long ago was unfairly labeled as,
“Dark, Dirty and Dangerous” and where Maintenance and Operations
were “opposing” forces, the leadership of GoldCorp,
Borden Mine has recognized that the vision of Safe Reliable
and Profitable Operations is actually a powerful shared vision
of excellence for the entire organization. The high tech
revolution has taken it by storm and not only will it enable
dramatically improved reliabilities and cost efficiencies but the
collateral benefit is a safe operation. This all begins with leadership
and the daily commitment to a thorough and accurately
completed pre-operations inspection.
Checklists are not “new”, “sexy” or exciting. Checklist discipline
is difficult. However Goldcorp’s Borden mine has taken
the age-old concept and transformed it into a 21st Century
real-time Reliability tool. Effective pre-operational checklists
are the very foundation of a safe, highly efficient, reliable and
cost effective mining operation!
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PARTNER ARTICLE
SMRP: A Leading Voice in
Maintenance, Reliability and
Physical Asset Management
The maintenance, reliability and physical asset management profession is one that
spans almost every industry around the world. From manufacturing plants to food
processing facilities and oil rigs, practitioners and professionals are responsible for
the maintenance and upkeep of expensive, complex assets that are the lifeblood
of small to large organizations and companies. This requires a dedicated workforce
that has the skills and knowledge to deal with equipment issues that can have severe
implications on a business’s bottom line.
VLAD BACALU,
CMRP, CMRT, CAMA,
SMRP Vice Chair,
VP, Strategic and
Technical Solutions at
AECOM
THE SOCIETY for Maintenance & Reliability
Professionals (SMRP) is a global,
nonprofit professional society created
in 1992 with a mission to develop and
promote excellence in maintenance and
reliability. Over time, this phrase evolved
to include physical asset management
as our members have seen increased responsibilities
in managing assets across
their entire lifecycles. Our society now
boasts more than 6,000 members around
the world that work in vital industries.
SMRP is committed to providing education,
networking and opportunities for
skills validation through certification to
benefit our members and those seeking
to positively impact their careers and
their companies. We offer educational
events, professional development webinars,
best practice guides and various
other resources that follow the SMRP
Body of Knowledge (BoK), a roadmap
to world-class performance in maintenance,
reliability and physical asset
management. Our Annual Conference
attracts more than 1,000 attendees while
28 maintworld 2/2018
our SMRP Symposium events allow us
to reach individuals in key areas of need.
We currently have two Symposium
events scheduled for 2019 in Peru and
the United States on top of the Annual
Conference.
We also recognize the need for collaboration
among leading organizations
and societies around the world. Many of
the issues affecting our members, such
as the increased need for skilled workers,
the advent of technologies like internet
of things (IoT), and the need for data analytics,
are global in nature.” We have recently
entered into agreements with the
Institute of Asset Management (IAM)
and the Gulf Society for Maintenance &
Reliability (GSMR) to increase the availability
of resources to individuals and
share best practices. It is important for
everyone in this profession to think outside
of their facilities in order to uncover
solutions that others have experienced.
Not only do we provide opportunities
and resources for individuals within
our profession, but we also advocate on
behalf of the maintenance, reliability
and physical asset management profession
to ensure the public at large is aware
of the importance of what we do. There
are many issues currently affecting our
profession that require a reputable,
expert voice. Our government relations
program works with U.S. policymakers
on critical issues impacting the U.S.
economy such as workplace safety, cybersecurity
and critical infrastructure,
smart grid and workforce development.
Our members are leading these discussions
at the highest level by sharing their
unique experiences and perspectives.
The remainder of 2018 will be an
exciting time for SMRP as we host the
SMRP Symposium in June, our 26th
SMRP IS COMMITTED TO
PROVIDING EDUCATION,
NETWORKING AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILLS
VALIDATION THROUGH
CERTIFICATION.
Annual Conference in October, as well
as attend and present at a number of
other key industry events. We invite all
individuals working in maintenance,
reliability and physical asset management
to join us at these events to learn
from others and find out how SMRP may
benefit them.
To learn more about the organization,
visit: www.smrp.org

ORLANDO, FL | OCTOBER 22-25, 2018
26TH ANNUAL
CONFERENCE
Join over 1,000 attendees
for the premier event for maintenance, reliability and physical
asset management practitioners and professionals.
Register now at smrp.org/conference

ASSET MANAGEMENT
JOHN ROSS, CMRP
Marshall Institute,
jross@
marshallinstitute.com
Stock It?
Don’t Stock It?
I live in Kansas City, Kansas; the Westport District.
If you are not from that area, you most likely are
not familiar with the districts of KC. But, like most
cities, Kansas City (Kansas and Missouri) are divided
into areas or districts, ostensibly a by-product of
the communities that came together to form the
metropolis.
WESTPORT IS FAMOUS, at least it is for
history buffs. This is the area where the
Santa Fe and Oregon Trail wagon trains
provisioned-up for their journeys west.
One last stop in civilization to get those
critical, often life-preserving supplies,
before heading out into the great unknown.
Imagine those times, those hopeful
events, and all the planning and preparation
that went into a logistic execution
that quite honestly, your life depended
on. Things really have not changed that
much in 150 years.
What do you take, what can you take,
what is your limit? How do you preserve
perishables while you are travelling?
Are there other provision points along
the way? What do I have or need that is
repairable, how do I repair it, and what
do I need in order to repair it? How
about defensive equipment and supplies?
Face it, you were limited by what
your team of horses could pull. Each
wagon, or grouping of wagons had to be
a bit self-sufficient, but the enterprise,
as a whole, had to be creative in sharing
and resourcing amongst themselves to
get everyone safely to their destination.
You did not want to be a burden on the
wagon train, but then again you could
30 maintworld 2/2018
not take everything. Did you need it, or
just want it?
Fast-forward 150 years and, in many
ways, we are still having the same discussions.
Wagon trains, and indeed the
development of the West were successful
in part because people learned and
improved the process as they repeated
the journey. For certain, the steam locomotive
really opened the West for everyone,
but before then it was as described
above, a group of hopefuls heading west
for a better tomorrow.
The discussion we need to have today
is one that has been perplexing us since
those days, and quite honestly for much
longer in our history. How do we know
what to take, or more for our discussion,
how can we be sure what to stock or not
stock. In some small way, each of us is
a small collection of people trying to
survive and thrive in our environment.
Some operate in larger cities, with many
resources. Others in smaller communities,
where resources are light.
Focus on budget
In an attempt to answer this question,
I hope to generate a frank discussion
and some robust dialog by sharing what
we consider to be an effective decision
tree that will answer this stocking question.
My colleagues and I have, over
time, come to assemble what we feel
to be a very effective tool to arrive at a
measured and well-vetted decision. It
is critical at this point that the reader
understands that the decision to stock
or not to stock an item should not be an
emotional, or biased decision (or worse,
made on a whim); it is one that should
be measured, pragmatic, and apply a
standard and repeatable logic. Imagine a
team of four horses pulling the weight of
your storeroom along the entirety of the
Santa Fe Trail. You simply do not have
the capacity.
Most storerooms we visit and work
with today have exhausted the square
footage of their available space and are
now working at occupying all the cubic
footage. This is the result of a detached
and feckless approach to determining
what to stock and what not to stock.
We should begin by agreeing on a few
fundamental aspects of a storeroom. We
do not expect a chorus of agreements,
but foundationally, we should start from
the same general position.
Before we determine if an item
should be stocked or not, let us first
discuss a storeroom budget. In this

ASSET MANAGEMENT
instance, we are only talking about
repair parts for our production or facility
assets (production equipment for
manufacturing and assembly plants;
facility component for service companies,
hospitals, universities, etc.). It
costs something to keep an operation
going, what is that value relative to spare
parts? Our model is based on 1% of Estimated
Replacement Value, or 1% of ERV.
If your facility had an ERV of $100MM,
we would expect an MRO value limit of
$1MM.
I feel it necessary to tie in the Santa
Fe Trail story again and mention that
the $1MM load is the maximum that our
horses can pull over the terrain and the
distance. That is our limit.
We should next agree that whatever
parts we do intend to stock (or not
stock), are only those parts or items
that appear on an asset’s Bill of Material
(BOM). We are not going to stock everything
on a BOM, but will only stock an
item that does appear on a BOM.
Where do BOMs come from and who
is responsible for obtaining the BOM?
Much has been written on this, but to be
concise, the BOM is the responsibility
of the project engineer; maintaining the
integrity of the BOM is the role of the
maintenance planner.
Again, with our wagon train; we are
only going to take items that are in support
of the wagon itself, the horses, tack
and rigging, and the necessities for human
survival (food, water, shelter, clothing,
defensive weapons, and tools). We
are only taking items on our trek westward
that support our mission and are
associated with the wagon, horses, and
the people.
MOST STOREROOMS WE VISIT AND WORK WITH TODAY
HAVE EXHAUSTED THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THEIR
AVAILABLE SPACE AND ARE NOW WORKING AT
OCCUPYING ALL THE CUBIC FOOTAGE.
Reliability Centred
Maintenance
And, our last point of fundamental
understanding is to consider an aspect
of Reliability Centred Maintenance in
understanding the function of an asset,
and of a component. This is an essential
nuance in determining if an item should
be stocked or not stocked. Does it have
a function that is necessary? If we do
not know, understand, or appreciate the
function, how do we know if the asset or
component is important enough to put
on our wagon?
Just to recap, for the sake of this discussion
on what to stock, or not stock we
will:
• Limit our MRO inventory value to
1% of ERV
• Only consider items (for stock or
non-stock) that appear on an asset’s
BOM
• First understand the asset’s function
and then the component’s
function
Warning…disclaimer ahead. What we
are presenting in the presented diagram
is a decision tree, built over the years,
and vetted by learned individuals, just
like yourselves. This is not necessarily
meant to be the absolute final word in
2/2018 maintworld 31

ASSET MANAGEMENT
Consider one component at a time
Are function(s) of
component known?
Yes
No
Determine
function(s) of
the Component
The decision tree is a
standard workflow.
Each organization will
need to create their
own definition for the
blocks associated with
this decision tree.
what you should stock or not stock, and
its general in nature to cover a wide swath
of industries. Rather, the point that we
hope to make, and the message we hope
to drive home is that you too should have
a decision tree to guide you. A tree that is
rooted in the fundamental nutrients we
established in the paragraphs above. Solid
thought guidance should be our legacy.
No
Determine
function(s)
of the asset
Is component listed on
an assets BOM?
Yes
Are Functions of the
asset known?
Yes
Are component
s function(s) critical to
assets function?
No
Is component
electronic?
e.g. computer card,
4-20mA control
device?
No
Is
component
a safety, health, or
environmentally
criticall item?
No
Is a PM/PdM
conducted on the
component?
No
Does component
rotate and/or get
greased?
No
Does an
operator touch the
component as part of
their job?
No
Is component
used more
than once on an asset or
on more than one
asset?
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Does
component
belong on assets
BOM?
Yes
Add component
to the assets
BOM
Is component
a candidate
for Critical Spare
Part consideration?
Yes
No
Is lead time
for component
acceptable?
Yes
No
Don't stock it
Conduct
Critical
Spare Part
review
Does PM/PdM
provide a warning
greater than the components
lead time?
No
Yes
Yes
Is
loss of
component s
function(s) an
acceptable
risk
Yes
Is stocking
the item fiscally
sensible?
Yes
No
No
Critical Spare
Part?
Stock it
Is
there
a stocked
suitable substitute
component for
a temporary
repair?
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Don't
stock it
Critical or not critical
A few pull-out conversations before you
review the Stock, Don’t Stock Decision
Tree. First, your organization must also
have an unbiased method to determine if a
part is critical or not critical. Some wrongly
label items as critical to ‘ensure’ the
item is stocked. There are many schools of
thought on the meaning of a ‘critical spare
part’, only one element is to provide insurance
against the need for the part. For this
particular discussion, it is only important
that the reader have some calculus that
helps to arrive at this determinant.
The decision tree is a standard workflow.
Each organization will need to create
their own definition for the blocks
associated with this decision tree.
For example: Is lead-time for component
acceptable? You will have to determine
the availability of each item being
considered. Information on lead-time
usually resides in the Item Master Data
for each component in the CMMS. It
is very important that this information
remain current and examined at least annually.
Another example: Is stocking the item
fiscally sensible? For this block, determine
what your MRO storeroom inventory
level should be. It was suggested
earlier, that a target should be 1% of ERV.
Whatever the value, in this particular
block, the question is, “do we have capacity
on our wagon for this item?”
Finally, when it is determined that an
item will not be stocked, one other consideration
should be addressed. “Is this an
item that should be established as an Order
On Request (OOR) item?” Some items
that do not meet the criteria to stock,
might otherwise be set up as catalogued
items. These are items whose information
on the component is known, and the part
has a part number, but the collective reasoning
is that the item should not be physically
stocked. Caution should be taken to
ensure that only items that appear on an
asset’s BOM are set up as OOR.
Our Stock It, Don’t Stock It Decision
Tree follows. Let’s have this discussion.
32 maintworld 2/2018

The Uptimization Experts.
The Uptimization Experts.
What does
DOWNTIME
mean to you?
mean to you?
marshallinstitute.com
marshallinstitute.com
marshallinstitute.com

INDUSTRIAL INTERNET
34 maintworld 2/2018

INDUSTRIAL INTERNET
How IIoT improves
operations:
Impact of OPC UA
Text: Darek Kominek is product
director at Matrikon, part of
Honeywell Process Solutions
The Industrial Internet of things (IIoT) will change many aspects in manufacturing
as well as the rest of the industries of the world, including how we conduct day-today
life. Managing asset models is one of the parts of the industry that is already
adopting the change the IIoT brings with it.
INITIATIVES for harnessing the power
of data associated with the Industrial
Internet of Things (IIoT), Industrie 4.0
(Europe), and Internet Plus (China)
are expected to transform not only the
manufacturing industry but the global
economy, as well. One estimate, based
on a report by Accenture written earlier
this year, estimated the technology
could add $14.2 trillion to the world
economy over the next 15 years.
Impact on industry will be profound,
but only those who take a holistic view of
its potential will benefit the most. IIoT is
not just a new technology; it is a catalyst
for fundamental change in the way companies
operate and individuals work.
Take, for example, traditional asset
models, where businesses buy equipment
with a warranty insuring against
failure within a particular period, which
is supported by scheduled maintenance.
The ability to share and analyze more
data from deeper in the shop floor, such
as detecting rising lubricant temperature
as a sign of increased friction on
bearings in real time, can facilitate businesses
towards condition-based maintenance,
helping the company avoid costly
unscheduled downtime.
Likewise, IIoT has the potential to
radically decentralize decision-making
within plants, with high levels of information
and context no longer restricted
to the central control room. It argues for
a shift from task-based workers to valuefinding
workers, with technology augmenting
rather than replacing workers’
thinking by simultaneously giving them
deeper insight and broader context into
the plant and process.
The connectivity challenge
Reliable, secure connectivity is central
to these efforts and is the function of the
OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA)
protocol.
A key part of the Industrie 4.0 foundation,
OPC UA runs on most anything
such as: servers; networked sensors;
IIOT IS NOT JUST A NEW TECHNOLOGY; IT IS A CATALYST
FOR FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN THE WAY COMPANIES
OPERATE AND INDIVIDUALS WORK.
mainstream operating systems (OSs)
such as Linux and Microsoft Windows;
real-time operating systems (RTOSs); or
devices without any OS. OPC UA enables
the connectivity and data sharing
between the devices and systems that
provide the deep-shop-floor visibility
required by digital enterprises.
As expected, manufacturers are embedding
OPC UA in all types of devices
ranging from small networked sensors
to controllers, helping accelerate the
IIoT revolution by expanding the data
sharing space. However, the scale of
transformation necessarily suggests that
the adoption of OPC UA (and the move
to an effective IIoT architecture) will
take time, as businesses have large existing
investments in legacy architectures
which, cannot simply be replaced wholesale.
An easy, coordinated migration
path to IIoT technologies such as OPC
UA is a key factor for device vendors and
end users alike.
Users need to be able to tie in existing
infrastructure (often based on classic
OPC) and manage their existing assets
while being able to feed that information
into the IIoT space.
The answer for systems using classic
OPC is the use of OPC UA proxies or UA
wrappers: technologies enabling new
OPC UA enabled client applications to
communicate with classic OPC servers,
and classic OPC clients to communicate
with new OPC UA servers. For example,
a human-machine interface (HMI)
that is still using classic OPC could be
adapted to interface with UA devices.
As a result, operators can continue to
use their current systems, while gaining
the additional insights and connectivity
with UA-enabled devices as they are
added.
Bridging technologies between legacy
OPC and OPC UA systems will facilitate
rather than limit the scale and rate of
change IIoT technologies bring to industry
by helping companies balance the
added value that new technologies bring
while extending return on investment
(ROI) on existing investments. Over
time, traditional systems will steadily be
phased out, but right now the UA Proxy
and UA Wrapper technologies give businesses
valuable time to form their responses
to the IIoT revolution.
2/2018 maintworld 35

PARTNER ARTICLE
New Ways in IGBT Control:
Electrical Plugging – Optical
Transmission
RAINER BUSSMANN,
Senior Product Manager,
Interface Connectors
Fibre Optic / Medical
/ har-link, HARTING
Electronics
JONAS DIEKMANN,
Special Editor, HARTING
Electronics
Industrial drive engineering
with its automated manufacturing
processes would be hardly conceivable
without electric motors. IGBT semiconductor
elements control powerful electrical drives
whose connection is realized by way of polymer
optical fibres for the required isolation. This
solution however, is space-intensive and sensitive.
36 maintworld 2/2018
THE POWER CONSUMPTION of the electric
motors used as a drive technology
can reach several kW or even MW. At
constant speeds, their control technology
is relatively simple. But the motor
speed often needs to be adjustable,
which makes the whole thing more complicated
immediately.
In the higher power classes such as
traction control in trains or ship propulsion
systems, the speed is controlled by
way of IGBT semiconductors. These are
able to switch great loads with very little
driving power. The signals required for
IGBT control are transmitted by means
of polymer optical fibres (POF) because
the isolation and voltage requirements
to be met are very high. Six IGBT driver
boards are currently required per phase
2 to control a three-phase motor. The PO
fibres meanwhile realize interferencefree
and electrically isolated signal
transmission.
Especially where locomotives are
concerned, IGBTs are provided redundantly
so that the controller board can
transfer the function to the redundant
component and ensure the functionality
of the system if an IGBT fails. This
is attended by a doubling of the optical
transmission distances. The connection
between the controller and driver board
meanwhile used to be provided by individual
fibres in the past. The electro-optical
signal conversion takes place in the
transceivers of the circuit board, with
optical contacts establishing the connection
to the fibres. Every optical fibre has
an individual port with the transceiver
in it on the driver board as well as the
controller board. This previous solution
meant that all the sending and receiving
elements took up a lot of space on the
controller board, which made the board
unnecessarily large.
Another disadvantage is the fact that
the various PO-fibres need to be plugged
in at the right places in service calls and
in their installation, as every fibre needs
to be connected to the driver board and
controller board individually. This alignment
needs to be done attentively and
takes some time and care. The sender
and receiver must not be mixed up for
correct operation.
Optical elements developed
for industrial applications
To guarantee the quality of the fibre end
surface, the cables used are prefabricated,
and can also be individually installed
by the user on site.
The customarily used optical elements
were basically developed for
industrial applications with expanded
temperature ranges and increased vibrations,
but only offer the fibres a simple
strain relief. What is also important is
that the optical interface needs to be
consistently protected from soiling. This
even makes protective covers necessary
in an unplugged state.
Post-hoc equipment of the controller
board with optical elements is also impossible
as they are not reflow-capable

PARTNER ARTICLE
at this point in time. So if a transceiver
breaks, one had to disconnect, replace
and reconnect the entire board with all
its contacts in the past, which was in turn
attended by additional costs and labour.
In cooperation with established rail
vehicle manufacturers, HARTING has
developed the solution of a transmission
principle that involves relocating
the controller board’s transceivers to a
pluggable module and thus integrates
the optical interface true to the motto
“electrical plugging and optical transmission”.
For the electrical plugging and system
housing, HARTING relies on solutions
from the DIN 41612 range. The
DIN housing is made from die-cast
zinc and meets the railway market’s
increased requirements for robustness
and EMC. It offers the possibility to run
the cables straight or angled, and thus
integrates an optimal kink-protection
and strain relief for the fibres. In addition,
the circuit board in the DIN
housing is able to accommodate series
resistors and decoupling capacitors as
required for error-free control of the
optical elements and for excluding interferences.
The electrical contacts in
the DIN 41612 range are also resistant
to micro-vibration wear and thus even
tested and were approved for railway
applications.
Data rates of up to 50 Mbit/s
The active-optical POF module enables
the client to connect up to 16 optical
channels at the same time on the smallest
assembly space. Installation and
service can be simplified and abridged as
a consequence. HARTING furthermore
offers its clients customized systems
that are designed and tested in keeping
with their requirements. The integration
of the optical interfaces in a quickly replaceable
plug-in connector additionally
makes servicing the controller boards
used faster, easier and cheaper.
The system furthermore supports
data rates of up to 50 Mbit/s, which
will normally not be required, however,
thanks to the high edge steepness of the
sender elements used. 3.3 and 5 volts are
both available as supply voltages here.
In the first step, the new DIN connections
will only be installed in the
controller boards. The IGBT driver
boards will remain unchanged for now
to enable an easy transition to the new
system. Thanks to this incremental approach,
not all the required components
will need to be adapted immediately. But
the applied principle can be transferred
from the controller board to the IGBT
driver board in future, also enabling the
realization of bi-directional optical plugging
and electric transmission there by
way of a compact D-sub housing. The
result would be the creation of a bilateral
active-optical cable for IGBT control.
This way, a robust and service-friendly
solution from the railway sector can also
be adapted in industrial applications in
the future.
2/2018 maintworld 37

LOGISTICS
Figure 2:
Automation
through
virtualization
L4MS -
ALI MUHAMMAD,
Principal Investigator
in Robotics Systems,
VTT Technical
Research Centre of
Finland,
ali.muhammad@vtt.fi
A one-stop shop for SMEs for lean
and agile intra-factory logistics
Smooth material flow is the backbone of any production facility. Logistics for
Manufacturing SMEs (L4MS) is an acceleration program for SMEs to boost the
automation of intra-factory logistics
IN A TYPICAL factory, the transport of
parts and components accounts for
25% of the employees, 55% of all factory
space, and 87% of the production time.
This movement of components, tools,
products, machines and people is an essential
but non-value adding part of the
manufacturing. The estimates show that
this can add up to 50% of the manufacturing
cost of a product.
While efficient material flow can
boost the productivity, flexible material
flow can provide the agility required for
more individualization and customization
of products. To minimize cost and
to maximize agility, large manufacturers
are heavily investing in advance
mobile robots and other ICT solutions
to continuously analyze, optimize and
automate intra-factory logistics. In
fact, today technology can deliver fully
automated and modular equipment for
intra-factory logistics to achieve consistently
both high throughput and high
quality, with a great degree of decisional
autonomy to self-organize the production.
However, SMEs and Mid-Caps
have struggled to benefit from these new
38 maintworld 2/2018
advanced technologies due to the lack
of in-house knowledge, inflexibility of
available solutions, un-availability of low
cost equipment and need of large initial
investment.
The L4MS (Logistics for Manufacturing
SMEs) aims to accelerate the
automation of intra-factory logistics
for SMEs and Mid-Caps. It will deliver
OPIL (Open Platform for Innovations in
Logistics) as an integration platform together
with a 3D simulator to completely
virtualize the automation of intra-factory
logistics. The concept is depicted in
Figure 1 below.
Making it easy
Availability of OPIL+3D simulator will
allow easy entry of the system integrators
into logistics automation value-chain.
Today, only 5-10% of mobile robots are
sold via system integrators or directly
to large manufacturers. In the current
business model, robot manufacturers directly
supply complete logistics solutions
to end-users with their own mobile robots.
They provide their own proprietary
applications, maps, interfaces and fleet
management system with mobile robots
as a package. The process is extremely
heavy and needs to be repeated in each
sale. On average they supply around 20-
30 systems per year depending on the
size of the system. The end user is then
locked-into one vendor and increasing
the system capabilities happens only
through that vendor. This limits competition
and is a significant barrier for
mobile robot manufacturers to reach the
manufacturing SME market where the
number of robots per system is small and
each solution requires customization.
IN A TYPICAL FACTORY,
THE TRANSPORT OF
PARTS AND COMPONENTS
ACCOUNTS FOR 25% OF THE
EMPLOYEES, 55% OF ALL
FACTORY SPACE, AND 87%
OF THE PRODUCTION TIME.

OPIL will be available as a ready integration
platform for mobile robots and
other logistics automation equipment,
allowing the full utilization of system
integrators in the sales and implementation
of logistics systems. There are
thousands of system integrators globally
ranging from large multinationals
to SMEs and start-ups. With thousands
of system integrators and the mobile
robots with less than 1% of the 1 million
global forklift market, robot manufactures
can be flooded with orders and
system integrators can take the role of
developing small logistics systems for
SMEs which fits perfectly in their business
model.
Figure 1: Concept of L4MS
Making it cheap
The industrial robotics has made extensive
use of 3D CAD and other virtualization
tools to reduce the cost and time
for the conceptualizing, commissioning,
planning and programming of robotics
solutions. Virtualization is one of the
nine pillars of Industry 4.0 and the use
of 3D simulations has shown to improve
communication between suppliers and
the end-user making development 60%
faster, avoiding design errors and reducing
the effort by 75%. System integrators
can increase their capacity by 5 times
to create factory layouts and develop an
alternative automation solution before
choosing the final one.
L4MS will bring these advances to
facilitate the adoption of logistics automation
for SMEs, thus removing the
requirement of interrupting the production
process, improving flexibility and
long term productivity. For a logistics
automation project, the mobile robots
represent only one third of the required
investment. Programming and integration
actually represents 70% of the
total cost of the system. This cost arises
from additional technical requirements
around the installation of mobile robots,
such as mapping, map calibration to
match the real factory, adding markers,
navigation planning, route planning, etc.
The OPIL+3D simulator will automate
many of these tasks resulting in a 75%
reduction in the installation cost. This
will represent a significant saving for a
manufacturing SME reducing the ownership
cost and increasing the return on
investment.
During the course of the next 3 years,
Calls will be open at
www.L4MS.eu on:
1st September, 2018
1st September, 2019
Figure 3: L4MS
Acceleration
program for
SMEs and
Mid-Caps
the aim of L4MS is to reduce the installation
cost and time of mobile robots
by a factor of 10. This will enable the
inexpensive deployment of small and
flexible logistics solutions requiring no
infrastructure change, no production
downtime and no in-house expertise,
making the investment in logistics automation
more attractive for SME’s and
Mid-Caps in Europe. The use of mobile
robots will not only automate the logistics
(50% of the production cost) but will
also provide unprecedented flexibility
on the factory floor.
Make it everywhere
To ensure the full geographical coverage,
L4MS provides an integral
pan-European network of Digital
Innovation Hubs (DIHs) connected
to a central marketplace. The L4MS
Marketplace will be a one-stop-shop,
where European Manufacturing SMEs
& Mid-Caps can access Digitalization
services, including technical support,
business mentoring and finance. The
L4MS will conceive 23 cross-border Application
Experiments to demonstrate
highly autonomous, configurable and
hybrid (human-robot) logistics solutions
driven by the business needs of the
manufacturing SMEs and Mid-Caps.
This portfolio of 23 cross-border Application
Experiments by 50 SMEs
selected through 2 competitive Open
Calls, will demonstrate the leveraging of
European Structural Funds and private
investment in established and emerging
DIHs across Europe. The L4MS Marketplace
connected with a network of DIHs
will ensure a ‘working distance’ access
to latest logistics automation technologies,
along with non-technical services
for every Manufacturing SME in Europe
- whichever the sector, wherever the location,
whatever the size.
2/2018 maintworld 39

TECHNOLOGY
Cobots place Nordic
countries in the global top five
The Nordic countries
have up to three times
as many industrial robots
as the world average.
Sweden, Denmark
and Finland are ranked
5, 6 and 15 on the list of
countries with the most
automated production.
New robotics technology
optimizes businesses
operations, maintenance
and production.
Text: Malene Grouleff
40 maintworld 2/2018
ONE OF THE REASONS why the Nordic
countries are now a world leader in
robotics is the emergence of cobots, collaborating
robots. Before the invention
of cobots, robots were not user-friendly
or cheap enough for the Nordic region’s
small and medium-sized companies.
Flexible cobots allow more Nordic companies
to automate numerous tasks,
from assembly to polishing and painting
to testing. One of the latest examples is
wind turbine wings, where a ‘climbing’
robot with a cobot arm soon will replace
technicians who now have to dangle in
the air while replacing and cleaning the
wings.
The robot mammoth age
When the automobile industry first
implemented robots in their production,
to be a profitable investment,
they used huge industrial robots for
large-scale production with singular,
repetitive movements. The robots were
so heavy, they had to be lifted in with
a crane, mounted, fenced off and only
programmed to one specific task. The
big industrial robots are still used but are
generally too costly and inflexible in a
modern production facility with product
variations and low volumes, in other
words, a ‘high-mix/low-volume production.’
Cobots’ triumphant march
In recent decades, robotics has taken
some giant technological leaps, creating
a new generation of robots; small, and far
more flexible and user-friendly cobots.
Cobots are more versatile and, perhaps
more importantly, more affordable. The
evolved robots now offer flexible produc-

TECHNOLOGY
tion environments where robots and
people can safely work together. Cobots
can easily change between 20 different
tasks as needed. This not only improves
productivity and competitiveness in
countries with high labor costs like the
Nordic countries, but also creates opportunities
for producing customized
products in a resource efficient and
environmentally-friendly way.
What do we get out of robots?
Robots help employees become more
productive and efficient, leading to
better job security. They allow us to
eliminate dangerous, burdensome tasks,
where people work mechanically like
machines. At the same time, companies
can improve competitiveness and keep
production in the country, decrease
delivery time, increase quality and
precision in products, as well as document
and refine production by using
collected data. In addition, robots allow
for responding to large fluctuations in
production without additional overtimeexpenses.
Robots give employees more interesting
tasks, a healthier and safer workenvironment
with less physical labor and
better work hours, because robots can
catch up on automated work orders at
night.
China buys every third robot
In Asia, robots are even more important
in competing in the market. In China,
they automate to an extremely high degree.
About every third of the 300,000
industrial robots installed globally in
2016 was delivered to China, according
to International Federation of Robotics.
In order to maintain and strengthen
competitiveness in the global market,
industries in the Nordic region must be
at least as good at utilizing these technologies.
In turn, the Nordic region can
reclaim tasks and production that were
previously outsourced to countries with
low wages. Robots cost the same no
matter where in the world they are implemented.
Therefore, the automation
wave enables you to produce locally and
ensure a short delivery time and high
quality.
The author of the article, Malene Grouleff,
CEO, Grouleff Communications, heads the
Nordic region’s only PR agency specialized
in robots. Grouleff is seen here with the
robot, Norma Pepper, ‘employed’ by the
library Dokk1, which was voted as the best
in the world in 2016.
Robots many faces
Today, robots are available in many different
versions, including:
• Large industrial robots: the big
classic robots are becoming increasingly
more sophisticated with accessories
such as ‘touch and sight senses,’
new types of sensors and camera
solutions. They help the robots
master tasks that previously required
human agility, such as grinding and
painting. This saves employees from
being exposed to dust, noise and vapors.
Robotics sensor manufacturer
OptoForce develops this type of robot,
among others.
• Cobots – collaborating robots:
cobots are small robots that can be
trained to work side by side with
humans as a flexible tool for handling
tasks. Since the first cobot was
invented by the Danish company,
Universal Robots in 2008, nearly
25,000 have been delivered globally.
In the wake of this invention, there is
a lot of innovation in cobot accessories,
such as the flexible robot hands
from On Robot. With such a solution,
you can automate monotonous work
such as packing. (See case study.)
• Transport robots: Self-driving cars,
trains and busses. Also in this category
are small self-driving robots,
including one from Mobile Industrial
Robots, which brings clean bedding
from the assembly line to be packed
and distributed in hospitals. The
use of mobile robots is expected to
explode globally over the next few
years.
• Servicing robots such as robotic
vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers,
or for instance the robots from Intelligent
Marking, which draw chalk
stripes in sports arenas.
• Packing and warehouse robots:
when finished products have to be
packed and retrieved from a warehouse,
robots can carry out those
tasks with high precision and speed.
In the Nordic region, innovation
within this field can be seen by EffiMat
Storage Technology, EGATEC,
Tentoma and Nordbo Systems.
• Software robots and digital assistants:
support, among other things,
customer service, meeting bookings,
product support, administrative
processes thanks to speech recognition,
artificial intelligence, machine
learning, etc. For instance, Automation
Lab makes advanced decisionsupport
systems. The robot, X.ai can
arrange meetings.
• Care robots: handicap aids such as
exoskeletons, intelligent prostheses
or the therapeutic robot, Paro the
seal.
• Agriculture and food production:
a lot of exciting development is
happening within vertical farming,
a high-tech cultivation technique
without soil using natural light in
high-rise buildings.
The plant nursery Rosborg use cobots for
a task that employees prefer not to do
- packing some of the 28 million pots of
fresh mint, dill, estragon and basil.
• Hospital robots are implemented
in surgery, medicine packing, blood
sample sorting and much more, for
instance as seen at Gentofte Hospital.
• Disaster relief robots: used in case
of accidents, natural disasters, etc.
• Humanoid robots: human-like
robots
• Military robots
2/2018 maintworld 41

CUSTOMER SERVICE
Why Your
Service Techs
Are Deciding
Your Future
Text: Dave Hart, Senior Vice
President of Global Customer
Success at ServiceMax from
GE Digital
Understanding customers,
their history, their
products and their
current needs is the
realm of the field
service engineer
The late Steve Jobs once said:
“Get closer than ever to your
customers.So close that you tell
them what they need well before
they realise it themselves.”
THERE WAS A TIME when the idea of
investing in customer experience was an
act of bravery. In fact customer service
futurist Blake Morgan recently said as
much on Forbes. That’s odd. The idea
seems dated now. Customer experience
and subsequently customer satisfaction
should be at the heart of all businesses.
You don’t need to be brave you need to
be smart.
Perhaps the problem for most businesses
is that they don’t know how to
get close to customers? While they have
sales teams and customer support teams
and marketing teams, who really gets
close and truly understands the customer?
Who can get close enough without an
ulterior motive? Who can be trusted?
What businesses have to consider
is the changing culture of business.
KPMG Nunwood calls it the “expectation
economy” and although this sounds
a bit, well, consultancy speak, there are
elements of truth to it.
- Despite multi-billions of investment
in 2017, only a small number of UK firms
succeed in making customer experience
a source of value, says the report.
- The good news is that top-ranking
firms are achieving sustained improvements
in CX that flow to their bottom
line.
This fits with the idea that higher
quality customer experience will be
recognised as a primary driver of B2B
investment strategies and decision making
in 2018. As we have already said – you
don’t need to be brave, you need to be
smart and there is no greater justification
than revenue.
Then there is competition. Given the
saturation of cutting-edge technology
across industries and markets, combined
with the accessibility of cheap products
made overseas, companies will struggle
to maintain competitive differentiation.
Higher quality customer experience will
become a critical avenue of this differentiation,
taking a page from B2C company
handbooks which value elegance, ease of
use, and customer experience above all
else in order to retain customer loyalty.
Think Disney and Apple here.
So who has most in common with
the likes of Mickey Mouse and Pluto?
Field service technicians. Bet that was
not your first thought, was it? But think
about it. B2B companies have found
their customers interact more with the
service arm of their organisation than
both the sales department or marketing
42 maintworld 2/2018

CUSTOMER SERVICE
CX LEADERS ARE
REAPPRAISING
ORGANISATIONAL
STRUCTURES TO GET
CLOSER TO THE CUSTOMER –
AND SERVICE TECHS ARE
RIGHT IN THE SWEET SPOT.
department. Understanding customers,
their history, their products and their
current needs is the realm of the field
service engineer. The engineer now has
access to mobile technology and cloudbased
tools that can upgrade customers
immediately. It is about offering an informed
product sale based on customer
intelligence.
Fixing customer products on site
quickly and easily is one thing, but
improving their products and services,
saving them money and making their
working lives easier is what leads to
happy customers. Bill Gates once said:
“your most unhappy customers are
your greatest source of learning.” To a
certain extent he is right, but surely you
can also learn a lot from happy customers
and what you are doing right as a
business?
If you can unlock the door to happiness
you can differentiate and invest
resources intelligently and not based on
old traditional thinking. As businesses
look to their Net Promoter Score (NPS)
in the coming year, perhaps they would
be wise to think of Mickey and how
service engineers are not just mice on a
wheel but valuable resources that could
ultimately make the difference for businesses
in fast changing, tech-driven
economies.
THE #1 CONDITION MONITORING CONFERENCE
IS RETURNING TO GOLD COAST
AUGUST 6 - 9, 2018
2018 INTERNATIONAL MACHINE VIBRATION ANALYSIS & CONDITION MONITORING CONFERENCE
Vibration
Thermography
Oil Analysis
Wear Particle
Motor Testing
Ultrasound
Lubrication
Alignment
Balancing
The International Machine Vibration Analysis and Condition Monitoring (IMVAC)
Conference provides practical learning in the important aspects of industrial
vibration analysis, complementary condition monitoring technologies, and the
reliability improvement fields of precision alignment, balancing, and lubrication
designed for vibration analysts and condition monitoring professionals.
We hope to see you in Gold Coast! Visit our website to learn more about IMVAC.
www.imvacconference.com

MAINTWORLD EVENT
IOT Brings Maintenance
Rewards to Exmar Ship
Management
Text: BEMAS - Belgian Maintenance Association
Using the Internet of Things (IOT) in machinery maintenance will yield significant cost
and efficiency benefits for Exmar Ship Management (ESM), says Danielle Lammens,
the company’s maintenance manager.
ESM is a Belgian provider of ships for
the operation, transportation and transformation
of gas, with fleets of ships in
liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG), along with a
number of other vessels. It plans to use
IOT to enable early maintenance work
on machinery. According to Danielle
Lammens, it will be used in monitoring
the equipment for “machinery data” using
vibration measurement, ultrasound
measurement, infrared cameras and
other systems to determine when exactly
any repairs need to be carried out.
This approach brings several major
advantages. Most importantly, it means
that ESM will only need to dismantle a
piece of equipment for repairs when absolutely
necessary. Ship-based machinery
must currently be dismantled after
a certain time period. However, by using
IOT techniques, ESM can determine if
the item actually needs to be fixed; if not,
there is no need to dismantle it.
– This would allow us to postpone
the overhaul if there is no risk and if approved
by the appropriate classification
society, says Lammens.
This brings major cost advantages,
according to Lammens. For example, it
costs about $150,000 for each overhaul of
a high-pressure send-out pump, even if
the equipment does not need to be fixed.
If this could be done once every 60,000
running hours, rather than once every
20,000 running hours, ‘you can save a lot
of money’.
Additionally, dismantling a piece of
equipment can increase the risk of failures
with the machinery.
– The biggest problems are often after
dismantling, not before it. The aim is to
only open things when it is necessary, she
said.
Finally, gathering machinery data will
allow ESM to better plan and schedule its
activities, improving the safety of workers
and the quality of the work.
– If you wait for a failure or a breakdown
then it’s completely different.
ESM’s major focus is currently its LPG
Maintworld offers you a free welcome gift. Use
discount code EM40MAINTP when registering for the
Euromaintenance 4.0 conference*.
(*first select the Euromaintenance 4.0 welcome gift as optional item and use the discount
code in the final step of the registration to receive it free of charge).
44 maintworld 2/2018

Petrol Blauw :
pantone 315 100%
pantone 315 55%
Groen :
pantone 376 100%
pantone 376 85%
MAINTWORLD EVENT
fleet. It plans to implement vibration
monitoring on one of its LPG vessels in
June, with the aim to gradually expand
this across the remainder of the fleet of
more than 30 vessels. The company has
already installed vibration modelling
and other measuring techniques on its
LNG fleet, though there is a different
maintenance strategy for these vessels,
with varying priorities around cost and
so on.
The company is currently concentrating
on machinery data: vibration monitoring
and other parameters that can be
measured on the machinery itself. However,
it also aims to increase its focus on
operational data: information on areas
such as flow pressure and temperature.
The goal is to eventually combine
the machinery and operational data to
create a more predictive maintenance
model, Lammens notes.
– While ESM uses the data it already
collects to provide a limited form of
predictive maintenance, it still needs to
be optimised, she said. This will only be
possible when the two types of data are
combined and may take a few years.
Danielle Lammens will speak at Euromaintenance 4.0,
where she will present on ESM’s journey to failure-mode
driven maintenance using IOT. Euromaintenance 4.0 will
take place in Antwerp, Belgium from
September 24-27.
THE COMBINATION OF IOT AND PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS offers unseen possibilities
for maintenance and asset reliability. More diverse and affordable solutions to monitor
the condition of equipment enter the market and make asset condition data accessible
through 'the cloud'. Gartner Inc. anticipates that globally 8.4 billion connected things
will be in use by the end of this year, an increase of 31 percent compared to 2016. The
forecasts go up to 20 billion in 2020 and 70 billion in 2025. About 60% of these are
industry-related!
The Euromaintenance 4.0 conference offers a unique opportunity to learn how new
4.0 technologies and fundamentals in maintenance and asset management reinforce
each other in order to achieve higher equipment reliability and cost performance in
asset intensive industries. Euromaintenance hosts 23 workshops, various company visits
and 104 presentations in 7 parallel tracks with 50+ cases presented by asset owners.
Participants will gain profound insights on how companies apply maintenance
4.0 already today. 60+ exhibitors showcase technological innovations in maintenance
and reliability 4.0 that currently available on the market. The international Euromaintenance
4.0 conference and exhibition takes place from September 24 to 27, 2018 in
Antwerp, the industrial heart of Belgium. More info at www.euromaintenance.org.
Co-produced by
An initiative of
Supported by
September 24 –27, 2018 | Antwerp, Belgium
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FOREST INDRUSTRY
Text: Nina Garlo-Melkas
Digitalisation
is Transforming
the Finnish Forest Industry
Digitalisation is transforming the Finnish forest industry, providing unique
solutions that make forests more intelligent. Data can be collected from forests
using innovative methods, and modern data can be used to optimise
forest use and management. Virtual forests are also emerging.
FINLAND IS THE MOST forested country
in Europe: forests cover more than 75
per cent of the country’s area. As a result
of sustainable forest use and management
over the decades, the amount of
wood that grows every year exceeds
clearly the amount used.
Digitalisation and the improved use
of forest asset data are bringing both
considerable savings and efficiency improvement
to the forest industry. When
we know the wood raw material and we
management. They help us to utilise our
wonderful forest reserves even more
effectively, says Jarmo Hämäläinen,
Research Director, at Metsäteho.
According to Hämäläinen, technologies
are being used in northern forests
in data collection and wood supply that
cannot be found elsewhere.
- Data on its own is not enough: it has
to be processed into a form that serves
its recipients – be they forest owners,
wood buyers, forest machine operators
both in costs and for the environment,
adds Hämäläinen.
According to Hämäläinen, it has been
estimated that the forest industry could
save over EUR 100 million per year in
the coming years when it is possible to
utilise all the data from forests. These
savings make up almost ten per cent of
the EUR 1.2 billion annual cost of harvesting
and transporting trees. The potential
benefits of the digital leap in our
forests mean considerable cost savings.
DIGITALISATION AND GROUNDBREAKING DATA ARE TAKING
THE FOREST INDUSTRY SWIFTLY TOWARDS THE BIOECONO-
MY AND A FOSSIL-FREE FUTURE
can identify the upgrade value of different
felling sites as well as the terrain and
road features of forests, we can plan the
stages of wood supply more efficiently.
Precision-guided wood supply improves
the productivity of the forest
industry. When we know what kind of
trees there are in each location using e.g.
remote sensing, we can plan in advance
which raw material it is worthwhile producing
from which tree trunk.
- We can take great development
leaps with the new technology and data
or wood supply planners. In the forest
industry, systems are continuously being
developed to make maximal use of data
so that better decisions can be made.
The point clouds from laser scanning
alone do not make us any wiser. It’s only
when they have been processed into
systems supporting decisions that they
produce benefits, says Hämäläinen.
- With technology, we can direct
wood supply work more precisely, and
work phases and visits to the forest can
be reduced. It always means savings,
Finland as a forerunner
Digitalisation of the Finnish forest industry
involves expertise, technologies
and solutions that are unique in the
world. In the future, forest management
will increasingly be independent of time
and place. More than half of the country’s
forests are owned today by private
individuals, and forest owners will soon
be able to visit their forests in their living
room, using a virtual reality headset.
Metsä Group – a Finnish forest industry
company owned by 104,000 forest
owners – is a Finnish industry player
that is actively developing new technologies
for forest owners.
- I believe that in the future every tree
growing in Finland will be modelled, and
we will know the exact location, length,
diameter, species and other key data,
46 maintworld 2/2018

FOREST INDRUSTRY
says Juha Jumppanen, SVP, Member
Services, Metsä Group.
- We have developed a virtual forest
demo with our partners, and the goal is
for us to be able to cost-efficiently create
a virtual twin based on any forest.
Metsä Group has also tested drones
with cameras – with good results.
- Drones will help us obtain significantly
more accurate and varied information
from forests than is possible now.
For example, damage caused by beetles
can be detected before it’s visible to the
human eye, says Jumppanen.
- These modern methods will bring
forest use and management into a new
era. They will enable us to reduce the
cost of forest planning and obtain more
detailed information about forests.
Towards a fossil-free world
Digitalisation and groundbreaking data
are taking the forest industry swiftly towards
the bioeconomy and a fossil-free
future. Fighting climate change is key, in
addition to the circular economy, where
renewable natural resources are used in
a manner that enables them to stay in
circulation for as long as possible.
The forest industry plays an extremely
important role in the circular
economy, as wood-based products are a
sustainable alternative to products made
from fossil-based, non-renewable natural
resources.
- The world’s population is estimated
to increase by more than a billion people
over the next ten years, and there’s an
increasing need for materials. The need
for textile fibres will grow, for example,
but we are facing the ecological limits
of cotton production. New wood-based
fibres that are less burdensome on the
environment are also needed to replace
oil-based synthetic fibres, says Riikka
Joukio, SVP, Sustainability and Corporate
Affairs, Metsä Group.
New and renewable products made
from wood-based raw materials are being
developed actively. In the future,
almost anything can be made from wood
fibre – even clothing.
Under the patronage of
H. E. Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa
Minister of Oil
Kingdom of Bahrain
2018
5 th MIDDLE EAST MAINTENANCE &
RELIABILITY CONFERENCE
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ASSET MANAGEMENT
Supported by:
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ASSET MANAGEMENT
ANALYSIS OF THE
ROOT-CAUSE EFFECT;
simple but effective.
The most applied asset management methodologies by
Infrastructure Managing Companies are usually those that
have the deepest impact into the profit & loss account.
JAVIER SERRA
PARAJES,
IMPROVEMENT
COORDINATOR
ON TECHNICAL
SERVICES, ENAGAS
TECHNIQUES SUCH AS critical nature
analysis or RCM that lead both to an
almost immediate costs reduction, used
to be the first selected when reliability
strategies had to be implemented. Nevertheless,
analysis of troubles and failures
carried out in main-impact equipment,
could point to more significant longterm
savings effects. Such analyses are
more applied when incidents involve
safety problems. Unfortunately when
failures hit equipment availability,
analysis reaches lower standards: e.g. - no
working team, no procedure and essentially
based on technicians’ experience.
Therefore, establishing tools as
root-cause effect analysis in the asset
management operating strategy are critical
aspects for getting an integral asset
management model running to its right
development.
Methodology of the
root-cause effect analysis
Techniques applied to the root-cause
effect analysis are tools that allow, by
means of logic procedures and systematic
causes, the identification of the
background or the root of troubles and
failures leading therefore to improve
equipment reliability and productive
procedures. The identified causes that
48 maintworld 2/2018
are in the origin of failures or troubles
are actually logical causes and are related
to the failure effects. These sources
of failure are obtained using a deductive
procedure that identifies the specific
relationship cause-effect that points the
system, the equipment or the part that
cause a particular failure.
There is a bibliography about different
techniques dealing with such questions,
making recommendations about
the method to follow, step by step, and
which points can be made in order to get
effective solutions. A large scope of technical
tools can be applied and their selection
depends on the kind of trouble, data
available and knowledge of technicians
as: Root-cause effect analysis, fault-tree,
gates and events analysis, causal factors
analysis, etc.
Regarding RCEA (Root-Cause Effect
Analysis), the identification of common
causes can be gathered together into
Fig. 1. Diagram E-P-S
(according ISO 14224).
levels that are logical and intuitive when
monitoring them, what simplifies their
subsequent spreading.
• Physical root cause:
Where all situations or signs of physical
origin that could directly affect
the equipment operative continuity
are identified. i.e.: the failure mechanism
of the element.
• Human root cause:
Where the mistakes made due to “human
factors” may affect directly or
indirectly a failure to occur.
• Latent root cause:
Where all kind of problems which,
even having never happened before,
have a possibility to occur are identified.
Essentially they derive from
troubles in the company organization
that led to the appearance of
human root causes, placed mainly in
deficiencies: training, information,
resources adaptation, etc.

ASSET MANAGEMENT
Key aspects of practical
applications
One of the main troubles in methodology
applications in industrial environments
is usually the trend of the
technical staff to face the solution of the
problems under an intuitive way, based
on experience and technical knowledge.
Nevertheless, applying methodology
not only drives us to establish a defined
process and therefore getting it known
all over the company organization, but
makes possible too documenting the
problem so it can be traceable and the
information comparable and useful
to similar cases. This is the reason for
emphasizing in methodologies application.
If the amount of analyses mean
an excessive workload, it will be better
to decrease the quantity of analyses
instead of keeping all of them but with
a poor quality. The target should be to
guarantee the sustainable improvement
of a management model, instead of the
urgent solving on a trouble.
The key aspects for a correct application
are:
Definition of the problem
In the definition of the problem all information
needed to begin the analysis has
to be specified. In this kind of research
however, it is common to interlace
Fig. 2.
Cause Effect
Logical Tree.
hypothesis with suppositions, going
sometimes too far away from the original
problem. Therefore in this definition
very specific answers to three very specific
questions are also needed: What?
When? Where?
Working crew
All professional profiles that can aid the
analysis have to be completed (including
Maintenance & Operation), with a
special leading role given to the methodology
expert, who leads and documents
the analysis work.
Studying system and process
In order to get a complete previous
analysis basis, a good acknowledge and a
detailed display of the system to be analyzed
is required and its implication in
the regular Plant process understood. To
be as specific as possible and to obtain a
definition that fulfils an understandable
standard, apply process diagrams based
in current standards. Standard ISO
14224 suggests determinate diagrams, as
do OREDA, for instance, with diagrams
of common application.
Drawing up the logical tree
A Logical tree has to be as complete and
illustrative as possible. It has to show a
visual summary of the analysis carried
A LOGICAL TREE HAS TO BE AS COMPLETE AND
ILLUSTRATIVE AS POSSIBLE.
out, following the methodology:
• Definition and priority of the
failure forms.
• Definition and validation of the
hypothesis: particularly rejecting the
weak ones.
• Definition and validation of root
causes. Then establish the root
causes of each one of the validated
hypothesis.
The complexity lays not so far in the
consideration of hypotheses, but in the
different validation of them. Sometimes
it could take weeks or even months, due
the need for the study of operation parameters,
equipment, laboratory tests …
Corrective actions
One of the main weaknesses of this
kind of methodology results when an
expected answer is obtained and the
remaining hypotheses are automatically
refused. Any way it is important to keep
going until closing all raised hypotheses
to ensure the reliability of the results. On
the other hand, the proposed corrective
actions have to be periodically checked
to get rid of the risk of repeating the analyzed
trouble.
CONCLUSIONS:
The application of trouble analysis
methodologies is a simple and very effective
procedure, carried out in a rigorous
and procedural way. The key aspects
are:
• To limit and restrict such research to
the events worthy of the needed investment
in time and resources.
• To be strict in the fulfilment of the
methodology, so bear in mind that
the research itself and getting answers
is just as important as obtaining
the information and records that
will treasure the technical knowhow.
• To integrate all these procedures and
methodologies into the Company
processes in a logical and well-organized
way, obtaining enough guarantees
so these “working procedures”
can be applied in other situations,
filed and kept in the proper medium,
and so avoiding that they are considered
as a “fashion idea” or “pilot
study” as happens sometimes to certain
established technicians.
This article was published in the technical
magazine MANTENIMIENTO, issued
on January-February 2018, nº 311
50 maintworld 2/2018

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