meeta Newsletter

Q2 2012

Following this year’s AGM a number of functional pillars were identified as being key to the successful running of MEETA. I am glad to

report that this ‘pillar’ concept is getting off to a great start and there is a floury of activity across all of the key areas. In order to keep the

membership up to speed the following is a summary of some of the activities of the recent months:

22nd June a very successful site visit took place of the Diageo St. James Gate brewery facility (see article within newsletter).

• The MEETA section of the Engineers Ireland website got a whole new look (http://www.engineersireland.ie/groups/societies/meeta). This

redesign work is still under development and I would strongly encourage you all to keep an eye on the website.

• Planning for the MEETA annual conference on the 16th November 2012 is now gathering pace and it is hoped to reveal more information

in the near future. An exciting line-up is being planned for this year’s conference - watch the website for details.

• MEETA membership renewals have been issued recently. Obviously membership and the corresponding membership fees are the life

blood of MEETA – so can I please encourage you all to renew (and in some cases rejoin MEETA) your membership as soon as possible

so that the exciting work currently being undertaken by MEETA can continue. All of the pillars have extensive plans set out over the next

2 years but we need the support of all of the membership to achieve these goals.

• On the 19th June the treasurer (and ‘external link’ pillar leader), Mr. Jim Kelly and myself attend the IAM conference in Warwick university.

During the course of the day Jim and myself had separate meetings with officers of the following organisations:

IAM (The Institute of Asset Management);

EFNMS (European Federation of National Maintenance Societies);

GFMAM (Global Forum on Maintenance and Asset Management).

• The purpose of the meetings was to explore relationships with the organisations and to see what benefit may exist for MEETA members.

This will be discussed at the up-coming MEETA general committee meeting and any outcome will be communicated to you all.

Have an enjoyable and safe summer - if we can only get the weather.

Eric Bergin BSc(Hons), IEng. MIET, MIEI, MIAM.

Chairman MEETA

Planning – unlocking the hidden resources in your plant

Drive belt tips

Welding Safely

Planning and Controlling Projects

Equipment reliability

Maintenance of electrical equipment within potentially explosive atmospheres

MEETA National Maintenance Conference 2012

November 16 2012 - Venue Engineers Ireland Clyde Road Dublin

Many companies will tell you that they plan well and their KPI monitoring will confirm this. However when one looks a little closer at what is actually done it becomes obvious that they are very good at scheduling and not planning per se. Many companies mix up planning and scheduling – some even seem to think that they are the same thing. For the record, planning is the preparation (planning) work carried out to ensure all the necessary materials are available, mobile equipment is hired and scaffold if required is erected. Once this work is completed and the equipment is available to be worked on the job forms part of the backlog and can be scheduled as soon as resources are available.

Many companies do not seem to realise the benefits of this important step and move to schedule a job as quickly as possible, resulting in frustration on all sides because the work cannot e completed due to the lack of spares or other unplanned factors. In the existing maintenance environment, it is more important than ever to plan and prepare work properly to ensure maximum efficiency and productivity from personnel.

With this in mind it is important not to underestimate the role of the planner in any job. High quality planning is a must, if available resources are to be optimised. Quality planning required that all parts of the work are analysed and understood. The resources required must be clearly identified, both people and physical such as mobile plant. The labour estimates and durations must be accurate. This is particularly important where a crew must mobilise on a number of occasions to complete a job. Good planning also plays a significant part in the safe execution of work; if all the proper equipment is available people are much less likely to take a shortcut. All this of course is very dependant on the planner receiving a good scope from which to plan the work.

A well planned job at a minimum should:

• Have been visited at least once by the planner • Have all the spare parts requisitioned and delivered close to the job site

BEFORE work begins • Relevant documents, sketches etc. must be available to people working

on the job. • All mobile plant scheduled for the work progression • Any back up resources scheduled as required

It is only when all these are in place that the planner should schedule the work for action by the relevant people.

Planning – unlocking the hidden resources in your plant

In thIs Issue

Safety and health at work is everyone’s concern.

It’s good for you.

It’s good for business. www.healthy-workplaces.eu

MessAGe FROM the ChAIRMAn

meeta Newsletter Q2 2012

Drive belt tips Inspection Observing signs of unusual belt wear or damage will help troubleshoot possible drive problems. Mark or note a point on the belt, or on one of the belts in a multiple V-belt drive. Wearing gloves, work around the belt(s), checking for cracks, frayed spots, cuts, or unusual wear patterns. Check the belt for exposure to excessive heat. Excessive heat can come from a hot environment or from belt slip that generates heat. Rubber belts that are running hot, or running in a hot environment will harden and develop cracks from the bottom of the belt upwards Alignment Belt alignment or pulley alignment is an important maintenance task. When carried out correctly, it can prevent breakdowns and save considerable expenditure. There are various types of belt misalignment. In thee real world, a combination of misalignment issues will usually be occurring at the same time. For this reason it is important that an alignment diagnosis is thorough and that all scenarios are considered

Results of Belt Misalignment

Experience shows the following can happen when alignment is not at the correct standard: • Increased wear on pulleys and belts and bearings • Increased energy consumption, wasting money • Increased vibrations • Increased noise • Shortened bearing life • Belt failures Unless the alignment is corrected, a new belt will not last any longer than the one it replaces.

Visit us at http://www.engineersireland.ie/community/societies/meeta/

ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS Electric current flowing through any conductor causes localized Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF). Welding current creates EMF fields around welding cables and welding machines • EMF fields may interfere with some pacemakers, and welders having a

pacemaker should consult their Doctor before welding. • All welders should use the following procedures in order to minimize

exposure to EMF fields from the welding circuit: • Route the electrode and work cables close together • Never coil the electrode lead around your body • Connect the work cable to the work piece as close as possible to the area

being welded.

ELECTRIC SHOCK can kill. • The electrode and work (or ground) circuits are electrically “live” when the

welder is on. • Do not touch these “live” parts with your bare skin or wet clothing. Wear dry,

hole-free gloves to insulate hands. • Insulate yourself from work and ground using dry insulation. • In semiautomatic or automatic wire welding, the electrode, electrode reel,

welding head, nozzle or semiautomatic welding gun are also electrically “live”.

• Always be sure the “earth” cable makes a good electrical connection with the metal being welded. The connection should be as close as possible to the area being welded.

• Maintain the electrode holder, work clamp, welding cable and welding machine in good, safe operating condition.

• Replace damaged cables • Never dip the electrode in water for cooling.

FUMES AND GASES can be dangerous. • Welding may produce fumes and gases hazardous to health. Avoid

breathing these fumes and gases. When welding, keep your head out of the fume. Use enough ventilation and/or exhaust at the arc to keep fumes and gases away from the breathing zone.

• When welding with electrodes which require special ventilation always refer to instructions on container or MSDS.

• Where steel has been painted or plated ensure you know what the coating is as many produce highly toxic fumes.

• Do not weld in locations near flammable gasses. • Shielding gases used for arc welding can displace air and cause injury or

death. Always use enough ventilation, especially in confined areas, to ensure breathing air is safe.

• Read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions for the consumables to be used, including the material safety data sheet (MSDS)

WeldInG sAFely From Lincoln Welding Handbook

Predictive Analytics Workshop: Tuesday 11th September 2012 Conference: Wednesday 12th – Thursday 13th September 2012 The Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London, UK

25% discount available for meeta Members

http://www.informaglobalevents.com/event/predictive-asset-management-event

meeta Newsletter Q2 2012

A very successful site visit was enjoyed by all who attended the Maintenance day hosted by Diageo at the St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin. The company is currently in the middle of a major construction project so we are extremely grateful for all who took the time to out to meet with us and demonstrate how they carry out the business of Maintenance in their plant. We were made to feel at home by our contact Robbie Linehan and his team. After a short presentation by Colin O’Brien, head of Operations, St. James's Gate and BBA at Diageo, during which he outlined the history of the plant, it was off out into the operating environment to see firsthand how business was carried out. Then it was back to the conference room for some learning on the effort and approach that they are putting into getting the new plant “right first time”. This was very interesting and demonstrates their forward thinking.

We were then treated to an excellent lunch in the Guinness Storehouse, well worth a visit in itself.

To Robbie and his team, we extend our thanks for facilitating the visit, and also our thanks to those who took the time to attend. We look forward to seeing everybody at the next event.

The National Maintenance and Asset Management

Project Awards 2011 PMI Software Ltd is once again proud to sponsor the National Maintenance and Asset Management Awards. The aim of this prestigious awards scheme is to highlight and reward the ingenuity shown in providing value to their companies by those in maintenance and asset management. The awards agenda is an annual programme to recognise and honour Irish organisations and individuals that excel in performing the maintenance and asset management process to enable operational excellence. The objectives are to:

• Increase the awareness of maintenance as a competitive edge in cost, quality, service and equipment performance.

• Identify industry leaders, along with potential or future leaders, and highlight “best” practice in maintenance management.

• Share successful maintenance strategies and the benefits derived from implementation.

• Understand the need for managing change and the stages of development to achieve maintenance excellence.

Any maintenance or asset management project involving any of the following features: planning, designing, specifying, installing, modifying, operating, managing and maintenance of plant facilities, systems and equipment is eligible.

Benefits of participating:

• Maintenance process assessment. Applicants find that completing the application facilitates an internal audit of strengths and opportunities for improvement in maintenance and equipment reliability.

• Competitive awareness. Applicants find that entering the award programme increases awareness of their maintenance process and reflects favourably on their commitment to utilise maintenance as a competitive advantage for their business.

• Goal setting. Applying for the award helps companies establish priorities and competitive performance goals because the application is based on standards of maintenance excellence.

• Feedback for continuous improvement, By applying for the award, companies are provided valuable comparisons to support their continuous improvement effort.

• Increased cooperation. Applying for the awards builds a sense of company teamwork and emphasises the value of interfunctional cooperation.

Site Visit to Diageo Ireland June 22nd 2012

Maintenance Health and Safety Award and Safety Award Call for nominations

MEETA, the Irish Maintenance and Asset Management Society with the support of the Health and Safety Authority invite nominations for the National Maintenance and Safety Award. This award scheme will recognise companies or organisations that have made outstanding and innovative contributions to promoting an integrated management approach to safe maintenance.

Maintenance can be defined as working on something to keep it in a working and safe state and preserving it from failure or decline. The “something” could be a workplace, work equipment or means of transport (e.g. trucks). Two main types of maintenance can be distinguished as follows: • Preventive/proactive maintenance; carried out to keep something

functional. This type of maintenance is usually planned and scheduled.

• Corrective/reactive maintenance; repairing something to get it working again. This is an unscheduled, unplanned task, usually associated with more hazards and higher risk levels.

The award aims to demonstrate, by example, the benefits of following good safety and health practices.

meeta Newsletter Q2 2012

PlAnnInG And COntROllInG PROjeCts

Jim Kelly - who has recently published a book on Planning and Controlling of Projects - writes on how good preparation in the early stages of a project leads to a successful conclusion. As the saying goes “fail to prepare – then – prepare to fail”

Project management is the process by which projects are undertaken and completed as effectively as possible. Project management consists of all the necessary steps to take a project from the initial selection stage through to close-out. Unfortunately there are a lot of projects that are never managed correctly and they tend to be completed through shear endeavour, rather than any logical process. How many of us even use the simple process in figure 1, to manage our projects?

More than likely, we will only use the yellow processes to manage our projects and put minimal effort into the blue boxes. In a lot of projects, once the basic outline of the project is defined, minimal planning takes place. The project team then start to do the activities to complete the project. As planning has been given so little attention, controlling the project is difficult and close-out can lead to disagreements over what was delivered versus what was expected. We all love to be doing something, in the front line, getting stuck in, flying by the seat of our pants! Too often we find project teams embroiled in the do process, with very little background work or preparation done.

Planning and controlling should be where the bulk of project management activity takes place. In well run projects planning and control are two inseparable areas that account for the bulk of project management activities.

Sound planning not only defines what, when and how things are to be done, but also sets parameters and measuring techniques that allow accurate controlling of projects.

“Unless a project plan is controlled tightly and not let come off the rails; it will be of little use. Controlling a project plan is as important as putting the plan together in the first place.”

The main elements that you will need to successfully plan and control your projects are outlined in a simple step by step process, detailed in a new book “Planning and Controlling Projects” by Jim Kelly http://shop.enspectechnology.com/planning-and-controlling-projects-25-p.asp

It has been the author’s experience that a lot of small to medium sized projects are accomplished without using any formal project management process.

“Planning and Controlling Projects” seeks to take the mystery out of preparing for projects, by

Figure 1

meeta Newsletter Q2 2012

presenting an easy to follow 10 step planning process and a 6 step controlling process, as shown in Figure 2.

If you manage projects of any size, with either one person or one hundred people on your project team, you should use some form of planning and controlling, to ensure you deliver what your project requirements.

The processes can be applied to any project, whether you are introducing a new piece of software, building a house, changing your business processes or upgrading a piece of equipment. The books distinctive features include:

• Easy to follow explanation of planning and controlling theory.

• Examples of how theory can be applied to real life situations.

• Colour diagrams, tables and charts.

• Real life case studies. • Logical process of how to

plan a project and how to use your plan to control your project.

meeta Newsletter Q2 2012

Maintenance of electrical

equipment within potentially explosive

atmospheres

Electrical installations in hazardous areas have features specifically designed to make them suitable for use in such atmospheres. Statutory Instrument SI 258 of 2003 stipulates that it is the operator’s responsibility to maintain the integrity of those special features. The operator must ensure that electrical equipment is:

• installed and operated correctly; • monitored regularly; • maintained with due regard to

safety.

Devastating effects when things go wrong

Routine maintenance is required on most equipment for it to continue operating reliably for its lifetime. For electrical equipment to operate reliably  and  safely 

in  hazardous  areas  and  to  avoid  the  ignition  of  flammable  atmospheres, the electrical and mechanical protection systems must be maintained in good condition.

The Electro-Technical Council of Ireland Limited (ETCI) publication ET105:2011 (National Rules for Potentially Explosive Atmospheres) specifies the requirements for electrical installations in potentially explosive atmospheres. This 3rd edition has been in place since 3rd January 2012. Part 17 of the Rules covers the electrical maintenance requirements for equipment in use within potentially explosive atmospheres.

Electrical equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres need to be inspected and maintained on a regular scheduled basis, the periods of which will depend on statutory requirements, the general environment, the amount of use the equipment is subjected to, and the manufacturers

recommendations but shall be at least once in any three year period.

Qualification of personnel

Maintenance of electrical installations and systems shall be carried out only by competent persons who are fully acquainted with the hazards of potentially explosive atmospheres; they shall also be responsible for testing to ensure that the requirements of all rules and regulations are adhered to. Component personnel should be provided with sufficient training to enable familiarity with the installation, which they attend. This training should include any plant, apparatus, operational or environmental conditions that relate to their understanding of the needs of the explosion protection of apparatus.

Coordination of duties

Where independent persons, or teams are engaged in maintenance, or inspection activities, (simultaneously and in proximity to one another), they may inadvertently place each other at risk. Safe working practices within a team do not exclude the possibility that other persons in the vicinity may be endangered. The only guarantee against mutual jeopardy is the coordination of all personnel involved.

“Routine maintenance is required on most equipment for it to continue operating reliably for its lifetime”

meeta Newsletter Q2 2012

Remedial work

When conducting alterations or remedial work to electrical equipment within potentially explosive atmospheres the utmost care must be taken to maintain the integrity of the type of protection provided for the equipment. Any replacement parts used must comply with the manufacturer’s documentation. No modification or removal of any component of certified equipment shall be made without the approval given in writing of the certifying authority, unless it can be verified that such changes do not invalidate the certification of the installed equipment. All modifications to equipment need to be documented and the modified equipment shall be suitably labelled. During maintenance care shall be taken during dismantling to ensure that the parts that provide the integrity of the enclosure are not damaged, if it is not intended to replace them. On reassembling the manufacturer’s recommendations for sealing shall be followed.

Environmental conditions

Electrical equipment can be adversely affected by the environmental conditions in which it is used. Some of the key elements to consider are corrosion, ambient temperature, ultraviolet radiation, and ingress of moisture, accumulation of dust or sand, mechanical effects, vibration and chemical attack. There is a need to verify that the electrical equipment used is designed to withstand all environmental conditions likely to be encountered. Care shall be taken to ensure that the weather protection of the equipment is maintained. Damaged gaskets shall be replaced in line with manufacturer’s recommendations. Anti-condensation devices, such as breathing, draining or heating elements, shall be checked to ensure correct operation. Care shall be taken to avoid the generation of static electricity, particularly during maintenance and cleaning.

“Electrical equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres needs to be inspected and maintained on a regular scheduled basis”

Maintenance work in potentially explosive atmospheres Any maintenance work shall be restricted to the following:

• disconnection of, and removal or replacement of, items of electrical equipment and cabling;

• adjustment of any controls that

is necessary for calibration of the electrical equipment or system;

• removal and replacement of any plug-in components or assemblies;

• use of any test instrument specified in relevant documentation. Where test instruments are not specified in relevant documentation, only those instruments that do not effect the intrinsic safety of the circuit under test may be used;

• maintenance as per the requirements specified by manufacturers.

meeta Newsletter Q2 2012

MEETA Annual Student Awards 2012 MEETA, the Irish Maintenance and Asset Management Society, in association with ESS Ltd., would like to invite final year

students to submit their maintenance projects for the MEETA

Student Project Award 2012 The MEETA Annual Student Project Award 2012 will be awarded to applicants who have completed a project as part of their final year of course. There are two categories for entrants: • Student on an Honours Degree/Masters Degree programme • Students on an Ordinary Degree or Technical Programmes and students on Apprenticeship Programmes The project must be in maintenance, reliability or asset management related area. The assessment criteria will reflect this. Each applicant will be expected to submit 2 copies of a 2-page summary of their project including their results/conclusions by Friday 24th August 2012, and be available to present their project to a panel in early September 2012. The entrants will be short listed and contacted by Engineers Ireland. Award The Winning applicant of each category will receive a prize and may be offered the opportunity to present their project at the National Maintenance and Asset Management conference on 16th November 2012. Submissions Submissions to be marked for the attention of Aidan O’Flaherty, CPD Training and to arrive at Engineers Ireland no later than 24th August 2012.

Equipment reliability To many, the subjects of reliability and maintainability are vague terms that have something to do with probabilities and predictions. Many managers in particular either do not understand the two disciplines, or consider them to be nitty-gritty details of design to which they need not give much attention. Often reliability and maintainability are set aside for the sake of cost or schedule. Although such tradeoffs may be necessary, they should be made only after fully understanding the effect on safety, production success, availability, and operating and support costs. Unfortunately, they are often made without a full understanding and appreciation of the consequences. Maintenance people no longer maintain the status quo. To ensure the business survives they must strive to ensure the assets' capacity by constantly optimising equipment availability. People work hard to make sure that machines produce quality product to a defined schedule. Improving the reliability

Improving the reliability and availability of equipment is increasingly more important. It is becoming necessary to increase uptime while simultaneously reducing downtime. To achieve this step change, considerable importance must be placed on the quality of maintenance that, for the growing complexity of devices, requires very specific skills, which are frequently multidisciplinary.

To cope with all these issues, requires a management led strategy that is applicable to the business needs, well communicated, efficient and effective. For any strategy to be effective at this level it will need the support of a Maintenance Management System (MMS). A well designed Maintenance Management System that well understood by all levels of the organisation can improve maintenance activities from various points of view: it allows remote support such as control, diagnosis, performance monitoring and data collection and analysis. By applying this knowledge through the technology, the effort required to maintain the assets is reduced. Many benefits can be derived from the ability to diagnose problems when they occur and from the capacity to optimise the preventive maintenance, based on machine performance monitoring. One of the greatest advantages of well designed systems in maintenance is the ability to get the correct information to the “person on the job” quickly and efficiently. To compete in the ever changing world economy people who carry out the work must be well trained, empowered to make decisions, and have access to the best possible information quickly, regardless of where they work in the organisation. Correct Specifications

Deficiencies in the integrity of equipment data and difficulties in accessing this data are costing asset-intensive companies millions of Euro a year in equipment downtime and business inefficiencies. Waste in the work management processes appears in the form of people searching for parts and materials, wasted effort due to missing, inaccurate or out-of-date equipment data, incorrect specifications leading to procurement errors; and an inability to easily access data from a reliable source.

The result can be expensive to these organisations. Consider the event of a slurry pump that was taken out of service, fully overhauled and placed in inventory as spare. A few months later, the pump was reinstalled and capacity was down by nearly 25 percent. What happened? The maintenance staff did not have access to the current version of the equipment specification showing that the impeller had been modified. The pump returned to stock had an impeller fitted that was too small for the current service. This type of scenario is not uncommon. Industries using machines require them to run reliably, with high availability and high utilization all of their working life. High equipment reliability requires quality manufacture and precision maintenance, coupled with correct operating practices. Downtime is greatly reduced if the equipment design is suitable for the service and it is operated accurately. If under normal operation, equipment performance is not as designed, then something is amiss. The challenge is to identify the process failures that cause defects and prevent equipment from delivering design performance, and then act to rectify the situation. By engaging the entire production organisation in improving reliability, it is possible to achieve substantial results with less inherent risk and in a shorter time frame than the traditional approaches to reliability improvement.

Keeping the momentum going takes hard work and a clear management vision. Keep pushing out the boundary and never be satisfied with the status-quo. Yesterdays performance, is not good enough today, and today’s performance will not be good enough tomorrow.

The key to achieving this world class performance is engaging the entire organization in eliminating the defects in the system. Once the programme has begun it is essential to publicise anything that helps demonstrate the potential value of improved reliability. Promote reliability at every opportunity. Encourage the organisation to make the necessary changes, creates a common vision of the “right ideas”. Reliability is the route to a “safe reliable job”, something that is desired by all.