Award-winning ways to improve - Plant Services

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Award-winning ways to improve

World-class lube automation

Most critical motor failure modes

Five � xes before an air audit

Why Six Sigma?

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Volume 29, Number 2

February 2008

32 COVER STORY

Best practices awardsYour picks of the year’s leading applications

45 LubRiCanTS

A slick success storyNine tips for making your automated lubrication system world-class

48 mOTORS

Reliable torqueKnowing about motor failure modes can help you avoid unnecessary maintenance costs

52 COmpRESSORS

Before you call for helpThese five fixes will let you get the most from an air audit

features

www.PLANTSERVICES.com �

27 aSSET managER

Why Six Sigma?Because three isn’t enough. Maintenance departments can benefit from Six Sigma programs

31 TEChnOLOgY TOOLbOx

Ensuring a calm responseCrisis management benefits from high technology

57 WEb hunTER

Exploiting intellectual capitalUse knowledge management to institute what you’re doing well

74 EnERgY ExpERT

Energy, climate and foodFood processing plants have extra reasons to strategize energy

specialists

7 FROm ThE EDiTOR

Change agentOne plant’s path to proactive maintenance

9 LETTERSArmy Corps is bureaucratic nightmare • We need engineers – male and female

11 ThE pS FiLES

Sharing leads to savingsCooperative model for managing maintenance inventories can reduce costs

13 up anD RunningUltrasound World • Maintenance Evangelist joins council • MIT and ABB create partnership • Facility managers to be made at NIU

21 CRiSiS CORnER

Tune inSkillTV brings crusade against maintenance crisis to new level

23 WhaT WORKSNew plant learns pump tricks • Coated roof keeps cool

61 in ThE TREnChES

The Good Samaritan fallacyAcme demonstrates its animosity for someone who was only trying to help

67 pRODuCT piCKS

72 CLaSSiFiEDS

73 FaST FaCTS

columns and departmentsplantServices.com

PlantServices.comnew!ReliabilitymatteRSblogReliability Expert Daryl Mather offers up his expertise on improving your plant maintenance operations. Want to create a leaner, more efficient organization and reap the benefits? Visit Mather’s new “Reliability Matters” blog at www.plantservices.com/art_of_change and be the first to post your comments on these topics and more: • Changing technology • Changes to the maintenance environment • Careers and the challenges we are facing • Changing the way people think • Implementation

webexcluSive:ReducetuRnoveR,incReaSePRofitSContributing Editor Tom Moriarty explains what it takes to attract and keep qualified workers, and how employee retention rates affect com-panies’ profitability. www.PlantServices.com/articles/2007/247.html

wHitePaPeR:maKingtoday’SPneumaticcylindeRSwoRKeffectivelyThis paper examines the primary environmental variables that affect the function of a seal, including thermal and media changes, times, hardware motion, fluid flow and pressure, as well as assembly processes. www.PlantServices.com/whitepapers/2008/002.html

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February 2008 www.PLANTSERVICES.com �

FROM THE EDITOR

At the recent Ultrasound World conference, the most power-ful presentations were made by

technicians with first-hand experience with the nuances of the technologies and how they interact with real equipment on the plant floor. Of those, the most memorable was by Denver Osthoff.

Denver’s management bought an ultrasonic instrument in 2003 as part of a corpo-rate initiative to imple-ment enhanced PdM technologies. The me-chanics were practiced at and partial to the screwdriver method of bearing evaluation – put the end of a long screwdriver on the housing and the handle up to an ear to listen to a bearing, lever the shaft or bear-ing holder with a big screwdriver or prybar to detect looseness. As a group, they weren’t interested in trying to see how the instrument would supplant their trusty screwdrivers.

But Denver agreed to give it a shot. With practice, he was able to iden-tify the difference between typical and unusual sounds. The first time he encountered an alarming sound, he wasn’t sure it meant anything, but he reported it to his supervisor. “The mechanic working on the bearing was sure it wasn’t failing,” Denver says. “But even though he wasn’t convinced the information was correct, the area supervisor made the call to replace it.”

The old bearing wasn’t obviously bad. “That night, after everyone else was gone, I cut it open and cleaned it up, and sure enough, it was on its way

out,” he said. “It was failing and would have caused unplanned downtime.”

This “right call” built trust in the system, but Denver needed to un-derstand how different loads, speeds, applications, materials, etc. affect the readings, and how to deal with them to make reliable findings. He learned to record and trend “decibel” readings

(if the reading rose 20 decibels, the bearing should get attention), the first step in training that earned him Level 1 certification.

Denver’s presentation included mul-tiple cases in which detecting incipient failures turned potential unplanned downtime events at costs of $70,000 or more apiece into planned repairs at less than $2,000. The plant now has three Level 1 technicians and, he says, “In the past two years we haven’t ex-perienced a catastrophic failure in our plant with the exception of a pump that we knew about before it failed.”

When you talk with consultants and experts about the journey from reactive to proactive maintenance, you tend to hear a lot about executive involvement, top-down commitment, KPIs, culture, change management and other complications.

Denver made it look easy.

Change agentOne plant’s path to proactive maintenance

Denver made it look easy.

PAUL STUDEBAKER, CMRPEDITOR IN [email protected](630) 467-1300 ext. 433

editorial staff

paul studebaker, cmrp editor in [email protected]

russell l. kratowicz, p.e. cmrp executive [email protected]

lisa towers managing [email protected]

michael ermitage senior web [email protected]

dan hebert, p.e., senior technical [email protected]

stephen c. herner group art [email protected]

jennifer dakas art [email protected]

david berger, p.eng. contributing editor

peter garforth contributing editor

sheila kennedy contributing editor

joel leonard contributing editor

r. keith mobley, cmrp contributing editor

ricky smith, cmrp contributing editor

publication services

carmela kappel assistant to the [email protected]

jerry clark v.p., [email protected]

jack jones circulation [email protected]

rita fitzgerald production [email protected]

claudia stachowiak reprints marketing managerFoster Reprints (866) 879-9144 ext. [email protected]

administrative staff

john m. cappelletti president/ceo

julie cappelletti-lange vice president

keith larson v.p., content

rose southard it director

mike brenner, group publisher

[email protected]

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

PS0802_07_Editorial.indd 7 2/7/08 9:18:53 AM

Consu l t i ng Se r v i c es • Compresso r P roduc t s • C lean A i r Tr ea tmen t P roduc t s • Con t ro l P roduc t s

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Army Corps is bureaucratic nightmareI was right with you on your comments until you made the suggestion of the Army Corps of Engineers taking a lead in anything (“Orange alert,” Dec. 2007, p. 7, www.plantservices.com/articles/2007/238.html). � at organization takes years to make even simple decisions. We do not hold bureaucracy accountable for their inaction or their mistakes. Ladd Stephenson, operations manager Vacaville, Calif.

We need engineers – male and femaleAt the risk of sounding like a chauvinist, I want to take is-sue with the report regarding the Engineers’ Week fo-cus on introducing girls/daughters/women to engineering (Jan. 2008 Plant Services e-newsletter, www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2008/003.html). Yes, it is very important to reach that half of the population and get them interested in an engineering career. But step back and look at the bigger picture. We need engineers, period. Male and female.

We don’t have enough engineers to replace the ones who will be retiring, and many industries are feeling the loss al-

ready. A recent Business Week article about the shortage of petroleum engineers is typical of many industries. In main-tenance alone, you regularly run articles from Joel Leon-ard regarding the “Maintenance Crisis” that focuses on the ground fl oor. As a plant engineer approaching 50 years old, I can tell you there are few plant engineers younger than me in the pipeline, and the older ones are leaving the profession at an alarming rate. What happens when that experience disappears and there is no one to fi ll the void? Women now earn more degrees than men in the nation’s colleges. Obvi-ously, women need to be made aware of the opportunities in engineering. At the same time, companies need to provide opportunities for engineers, fl exibility for female engineers to start families, and the same fl exibility for male engineers who want to advance, but not necessarily in a management track. Engineering is no longer about manufacturing. It’s about ideas and solutions to problems, in manufacturing, government, agriculture and more. We need to do some-thing before we lose another generation to Starbucks. Brian Varley, plant engineer Chicago

One Name. A World of Solutions.Whether you are looking for a precision cleaner, degreaser, lubricant, or sealant product, CRC will always provide solutions that

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BACKTALK

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February 2008 www.PLANTSERVICES.com 11

As Americans, we tend to value our individuality, a characteristic that defines us as a people. This is especially true in business: Differentiation from

competitors is a key selling point in most industries, and it can define a company’s culture as well.

But, what if sharing, cooperating and being on the same page with your competitors could save your company big bucks? Would you be willing to standardize the way you run your maintenance operation – namely, how you inven-tory your parts – and work with other compa-nies that have the same interests as yours if it would result in significant savings?

Standard Solutions Group (SSG), Sunds-vall, Sweden (www.ssg.se), has been using a cooperative model for managing maintenance inventories since 1968, and has delivered big results for a group of Swedish pulp, paper and steel companies. With 40 years of experience under their belts, SSG is looking to expand a larger pilot program within the process in-dustry in Europe – and beyond, and is now working in the mining and steel industries.

Jonas Berggren, CEO of SSG, says the group’s work with the aforementioned pulp and paper plants, and the resultant pooling of their maintenance inventories and use of predic-tive maintenance management practices reduces capital tied up in maintenance inventory by as much as 68%.

SSG has maintained a database of its customers’ mainte-nance inventories and keeps track of the availability of more than 550,000 parts. Because these pulp, paper and steel companies are a great distance from many of the suppliers they rely on, there’s a particular benefit in borrowing parts from each others’ inventories rather than facing long periods of downtime should they need a replacement in a jiffy.

In addition to the efficiencies gained from sharing, SSG also has armed itself with predictive maintenance technol-ogy. Two years ago, the group began a pilot program to in-tegrate its shared maintenance inventory database with the predictive maintenance functionality within IFS Applica-tions (www.ifsworld.com/us/).

“The atmosphere in Sweden is unique,” says IFS Global Industry Director Anders Lif. “Pulp and paper is expensive

to export, and the market is far away. This is a great example of an organization that has made it possible to share hard work and investment in areas where you really don’t need to compete.” Technicians access maintenance data through a portal on SSG’s Web site, which allows them to see oth-er mills’ inventory. To eliminate any confusion, they use a spare parts naming standard based on the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC, www.un-spsc.org) so participating companies can mask their nam-

ing standards. Each mill can see which spare parts are in the collective inventory because they use the same naming conventions. “The standard is stronger the more companies ac-cept it,” Lif says.

SSG and IFS are extending their efforts outside the pulp and paper industry. “Steel and mining, for example, don’t have the same cul-ture as the pulp and paper industry,” Berggren says. “It’s a new way of thinking; you have to want to cooperate. But it’s a very good system to

provide benefits to the end customer.” Lif adds, “In Sweden, there are flat organizations and everyone is used to shar-ing. You’re almost naïve when you come out into the rest of the world. Sharing information is just positive for everyone involved, but you have to trust each other. You have to have buy-in from the major companies involved.” The result can be dramatically lower cost without compromising your ser-vice level or security level, Berggren says.

The two-year feasibility study, which began in 2005 and in-cluded three Swedish pulp and paper companies, gleaned an average cost savings of 57% for certain inventory parts, mini-mum cost savings of 49% and a total reduction of 68% in work-ing capital tied up in maintenance inventory. SSG is ramping up to a larger pilot that it began working on this year.

Berggren acknowledges that not every industry will be amenable to this level of cooperation. “In some industries, there could be cultural issues with this type of collabora-tive model,” he says. The benefits are numerous, but are they enough to overcome our tendency as Americans, and indus-try, to want to go it alone?

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

Sharing leads to savingsCooperative model for managing maintenance inventories can help reduce costs

The two-year feasibility study

… gleaned an average

inventory cost savings of 57%.

K E N S C h N E P F

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UP AND RUNNING

It’s complementaryPredictive pros gathered around ultrasoundBy Paul Studebaker, CMRP, Editor in Chief

They call it Ultrasound World IV, but the conference Jan. 27-30 in Clearwater Beach, Fla., put as much emphasis on change management, culture and the

need to use suitable combinations of predictive technologies as it did on the power of sensing and understanding your equipment’s ultra-high-frequency sonic emissions.

The keynote presentation, “Creating Value in Supply Chain Partnerships,” by Tim Goshart, Cargill, discussed the ways companies can interact on a global scale, and how the relationships we build can help us all to succeed, or not.

The tone for the rest of the conference was set by Dan Warren at Dow Corning, whose presentation, “Ultrasound: Engrained in our maintenance culture,” described how his

organization uses ultrasound to catch failing bearings ear-lier, but backs up their findings with vibration, thermal or oil analysis whenever the findings call for major work.

Dow Corning’s proactive maintenance program has not only saved the Midland, Mich., facility millions of dollars ($3 mil-lion in the past two years in energy losses by steam traps alone), it has raised the plant’s profile in the global company’s peck-ing order. “Maintenance cost index [MCI] is used to compare plants and decide where to invest and to place new products,” Warren says. He was not able to name a dollar figure as a mat-ter of company policy, but he says, “The plant has received a very significant amount of capital investment.

“I’ve grown to appreciate the effect we as reliability and maintenance professionals have on the success of our compa-nies,” Warren observed. “These tasks we perform have a much greater impact on our futures than I originally perceived.”

Presentations by Terry Harris, Reliable Process Solu-tions; Mike Howard, Commtest; and Ernesto Gayle, Pan-ama Ports Company, described how they harness predictive technologies as part of the journey from reactive to predic-tive to proactive maintenance.

Ultrasound measurements taken during grease lubrica-tion of rolling-element bearings can both indicate the cor-

rect amount of lubricant (just enough to minimize the sound level) and detect bearing deterioration (by trending before- and after-lubrication sound spectra). In specific examples, minimizing over-lubrication reduced grease consumption as much as 80%. Avoiding over-lubrication prevents seal and shield damage, excessive temperatures, lubricant breakdown and, in the case of motors, destruction of the equipment.

Other applications cited energy savings and improved plant performance by identifying defective steam traps and detecting compressed air leaks. Don and Darrel Adams of Northwestern, Inc. told about paybacks commonly as short as 90 days for fixing steam traps. “If they have not been maintained in the past three to five years, 15% to 30% of traps will have failed,” say the Adams brothers. “The typical failure rate is 5% per year.”

They described a textile plant where fixing traps increased the production rate of a dryer 25% to 60%, depending on the particular product. The dryer was the production bot-tleneck, and trap repairs let the facility avoid investing $275,000 in a second dryer.

Compressed air leak audits are rising in popularity with energy prices. Presentations by Paul Payne and Kevin White-head, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); Daniel Blackford, Allied Reliability; and James Neale, University of Waikato, New Zealand, described proven methodologies for quantita-tive evaluation of compressed air leak rates that allow immedi-ate estimates of annualized energy costs and repair ROIs.

Other sessions showed how ultrasonic emissions measure-ments complement thermography and signature analysis for finding incipient failures in electrical equipment.

Attendees from all four hemispheres saw exhibits by sponsors, including Allied Reliability, Commtest, The In-fraspection Institute, Ludeca, PdMA, SMRP and Stockton Infrared, as well as event organizer UE Systems. They had the opportunity to attend post-conference classes on ultra-sonic analysis or take the CMRP certification exam.

The latter was the subject of a presentation by Rick Bal-dridge, Cargill, titled, “How Cargill has benefited from the CMRP.” In short, reliability has been very good to Cargill, and the company actively seeks certified personnel. “Take the exam,” Baldridge says. You will benefit “whether you pass or not,” he says. “The only losers are those who won’t try.”

Compressed air leak audits are rising in popularity with energy prices.

PS0802_13_18_UpRun.indd 13 2/4/08 4:40:49 PM

UP AND RUNNING

February 2008www.PLANTSERVICES.com14

Joel Leonard, a technical training instructor at the Mpact Learning Center in Greensboro, N.C., and

contributor to Plant Services who has been dubbed the “Maintenance Evangelist” for his efforts to promote

skilled industrial trades, has been named to an advisory committee by the Council on Competitiveness in Washington, D.C.

The Council on Competitiveness is a nonpartisan, nongovernmental or-ganization comprised of corporate ex-ecutives and labor leaders whose goal is to shape public policy. Leonard was named to the council’s “Compete 2.0 Skills Advisory Committee.”

Leonard is a frequent public speak-er on the topic of the maintenance crisis, which refers to the shortage of workers trained in skilled industrial labor. He recently founded SkillTV.net, an Internet-based Web program on the subject.

Read “Tune in” on p. 21 to learn more about SkillTV.net and how it can help you fight the maintenance crisis.

More wrench time.

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Maintenance Evangelist joins council

MIT and ABB create partnership

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and ABB, a global leader in pow-

er and automation technology, have formed a partnership on energy re-search to help meet the world’s need for clean electricity and energy effi-ciency. ABB will join MIT’s Energy Initiative (MITEI) and will support research in areas that include nano-fluids, power electronics, intelligent robotics and equipment heat man-agement. As a sustaining member of MITEI, ABB will have a seat on the MITEI governing board, which

PS0802_13_18_UpRun.indd 14 2/4/08 4:40:56 PM

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Facility managers to be made at NIU

Grainger recently contributed $15,000 to Northern Illinois University (NIU), DeKalb, Ill., to assist in the creation of professional development opportu-

nities for facility managers across the Midwest.The program, to be known as the Certified Facility

Manager Exam Review and Seminar Series, is being cre-ated through a partnership between NIU Outreach and the Chicago Chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).

NIU Outreach plans to offer the Certified Facility Manager Exam Review and Seminar Series later this year. The program will be divided into 11 sections that cover all aspects of facility management, plus a review session. Topics to be covered include:

• The business of facilities management • Finance • Real estate • Planning and project management

provides key input on the direction and success of the initiative’s research portfolio.

ABB spends about $1.1 billion per year on research and development. Technology plays a crucial role in meeting energy and environmental challenges. Soaring energy demand has placed a premium on energy efficiency, a key area of ABB’s research and development activity, com-prising about half of its research investment. In addition to supporting the research program, ABB’s five-year, $5 million collaboration will support graduate fellow-ships and MITEI’s energy research “seed fund.” The fund was set up to promote the development of innovative en-ergy technologies and concepts from researchers across the Institute.

MITEI is an Institute-wide initiative designed to help transform the global energy system to meet the chal-lenges of the future. The MIT Energy Initiative includes research, education, campus energy management and outreach activities, an interdisciplinary approach that covers all areas of energy supply and demand, security and environmental impact.

PS0802_13_18_UpRun.indd 16 2/4/08 4:41:03 PM

You could bring in a specialist for your condition monitoring hardware – hand-held or on-line. Another to integrate all the software you’ll need and perhaps train your people to use it. And still one more to develop a decision support system that ties it all together and links to your CMMS.

Or you could bring in SKF and implement the SKF @ptitude Asset Management System, a complete, integrated suite of enabling technologies, engineered to help you achieve overall equipment effectiveness.

Many other companies can provide certain components. SKF offers an unmatched breadth of asset management tools, condition monitoring technologies and reliability, engineering, and consulting services.

For more information, talk to your SKF representative or visit www.skf.com/aptitude.

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• Operations and maintenance • Quality assessment and innovation • Human and environmental factors • Leadership and management • Communication • Technology“This is a one-of-a-kind program that will offer something

for facility managers at all levels, from entry-level professionals seeking to learn more about the functional areas of the busi-ness, to those preparing to sit for the CFM exam,” said Esther Diamond, president of the Chicago Chapter of IFMA.

“We are grateful to Grainger for its support of this pro-gram, and we look forward to working with the Chicago Chapter of IFMA to create a curriculum that will enhance career advancement opportunities and increase the earning potential for professional facility managers,” said Donna Mann, assistant director of non-credit programs for NIU Outreach.

The Grainger donation will be used to help market the pro-gram and to offset the cost of textbooks and course materials for students. The company has invested more than $370,000 in programs like this one during the past two years.

“Grainger is proud to support the men and women who will be the leaders of tomorrow in the field of facility man-agement,” said Rich Warfield, Grainger district branch ser-vices manager. “We know that in today’s workplace there is an ever-increasing need for skilled tradespeople, and we are proud to show our support through this contribution.”

The seminars can be taken individually or as a series to aid in preparation for the CF Management exam. For more information, visit www.cfm.niu.edu or call (815) 732-6249.


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Officials from Northern Illinois University, the Chicago Chapter of the International Facilities Management Association and Grainger gather for the presentation of a $15,000 check from Grainger to help fund a program that will help professional facilities managers earn certification.

PS0802_13_18_UpRun.indd 18 2/4/08 4:41:13 PM

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When you manage a whole building, there’s a lot to worry about: building security, lighting, cooling, HVAC. And all these moving parts need power - especially the data center. So it’s no surprise that the data center is consuming more and more of your building’s utility power, which limits your company’s ability not only to grow IT, but also to supply power to other parts of the building. Is there a way to combat today’s power-hungry data center? Get more effi cient with the APC Effi cient Enterprise™ - yours in two steps for immediate, measurable results.

Step 1: It’s time for a cool change.Why cool an entire room when only certain racks are running hot? The oversized system’s “brute-force” whole-room cooling is ineffi cient by design and a waste, not only of money, but of valuable power and cooling capacity as well. And as you well know, this wasted power and cooling could go to good use in other parts of your building. Simple problem, simple solution: The APC Effi cient Enterprise. In the Effi cient Enterprise model, your cooling moves from general “room level” cooling to specifi c, targeted cooling that’s right in the row. Simply by switching from room to row-oriented cooling, you will, on average, reduce your electrical consumption by up to 31%. Plus, modular in-row cooling gets cool air where it’s needed much more quickly.

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Many of you know that we started a crusade against the maintenance crisis more than five years ago. After banging our heads against their ignorance

and apathy for many years, leaders of business and government systems are finally catching on. We just hope that they’ll get busy to avert more preventable disasters from occurring.

I recently returned from keynoting the Canadian En-gineering Conference, a first for a Southerner. After they got past my North Carolina accent, the audience became really excited about joining the fight against the maintenance crisis. I discovered that most electricians in Canada make about $50 an hour and, despite the high pay, they’re strug-gling to find qualified talent as the bulk of their workers retire and many others are being lured by even higher pay to the oil sands of Alberta. Manufacturers have a challenge on their hands.

The start of a new year is the perfect time to take the crusade against the maintenance crisis to a new and ex-citing level. So I and Putman Media, Inc., publishers of Plant Services and eight other industrial publications, are launching a new, Internet-based TV show called SkillTV (www.SkillTV.net).

How can maintenance professionals be viewed as true professionals? How can the world outside of industry learn about advances in maintenance? How can we get more sup-port? When will we no longer have to fight for the resources we need? How can we fix maintenance? When will support-ing maintenance become common practice?

These are tough questions and not something that any one person can address. However, if enough maintenance pro-fessionals speak up for our profession and spread the news that maintenance can be a profit contributor, we’ll make progress in overcoming the enormous challenges that con-front our community.

On SkillTV, we interview industry experts and govern-ment officials to counterbalance the false, negative images of our function. We provide you with more tools to help you secure more support and resources to fully capture the maintenance profit potential available in your industry.

Interviews now at, or on their way, to SkillTV include:

• Joyce Goia, president of the Herman Group, who exam-ines recruitment, retention, development efforts and other challenges that businesses will face as Boomers retire.

• Derrick Giles, president of Enpulse Energy, who de-scribes the emergence of the green-collar function and im-portance of changing business culture to capture the full profit potential by going green.

• Yvonne Johnson, mayor of Greensboro, N.C., who dis-cusses the roles of businesses, schools and governments in

breaking down traditional stereotypes by de-veloping creative systems that impart more valuable skills and secure more livable wages.

• Tom White, CEO of the Greater Durham, N.C., Chamber of Commerce, who talks about the state’s economic transition from losing more than 200,000 jobs in five years to becoming one of the fastest-growing states in the nation.

• John Cawthron, CEO of TIMCO Avia-tion, who explains the challenges of building a $300 million company into a billion-dollar winner in the next five years.

• Greg Stockton, president of Stockton Infrared Thermo-graphic Services, who explains the power of infrared technolo-gies and the applications available for industry to ensure prod-uct quality, reliability and improving sustainability.

• Russ Read, executive director of National Center for Biotech Workforce, who emphasizes the critical role main-tenance plays in the emerging biotech industry.

• John Ratzenberger, host of the Travel Channel’s “Made in America,” who discusses his transition from playing Clifford Clavin of “Cheers” to becoming host of the Travel Channel’s “Made in America” and leader of town hall sessions.

• Pete Little, president of MPACT Learning Center, who joins me in role-playing a newly appointed CEO and the wise engineer who stands up to a short-sighted decision to cut headcount.

Your feedback about what you like or dislike, and your sug-gestions (or submissions) for SkillTV will be much appreci-ated. Please tune in and give it a try at www.SkillTV.net.

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

Tune inSkillTV brings crusade against maintenance crisis to new level

We are launching an

Internet-based TV show.

CRISIS CORNER

PS0802_21_Crisis.indd 21 2/4/08 4:42:00 PM

Command Performance

© Copyright 2008 ABB.

Royalty commands performance. The rest of us have to accept it however we get it: pre-packaged, when it’s available, cash up front.

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WHAT WORKS

New plant learns pump tricksRushed design left room for process improvement

Ethanol is reaching new heights in popularity as an alternative energy source. Gasoline in most states contains 10% ethanol, and an increasing number

of “dual fuel” vehicles have engines that can accommodate 85% ethanol, which is known as E85. E85 is not yet widely distributed but there are a growing number of fueling sta-tions that carry it, especially in the Midwest. The corn-based ethanol industry started in the Midwest, but it’s now being made throughout the country, with other feedstocks being used in its manufacture.

As the interest in ethanol has grown, more than 100 new plants have been built to increase its production. Many of these plants use a dry milling process to produce between 40 million and 100 million gallons of ethanol per year. These plants have been built on fast timelines, and the design engineers haven’t always optimized the control systems. As a result, new ethanol plants can im-prove production reliability, output and quality by re-viewing and improving their controls.

In one example, a 50 million-gallon-per-year plant in western Nebraska was using a tank and pump system to mix and transfer water and urea. The original system used an off/on switch and a reset button located near the tank and pump. This required the operator to shut off the pump when the mixture was transferred out of the tank. The pump would occasionally be allowed to cavitate and run dry, which resulted in seal failures.

The problem was solved by adding a PumpSmart control-ler from ITT Goulds Pumps (www.pumpsmart.com). The operator begins the process by filling a 350-gallon tank with water and starts the pump, which simply recirculates the water in the tank. The PumpSmart unit incorporates a flow controller that maintains a 100 gpm flow rate. Because the pump takes suction from the bottom of the tank and returns the flow to the top of the tank, a small change in speed

results in a substantial flow change, so by slowing the PID loop, the unit locks into a stable flow rate.

At this point, the operator dumps bags of urea into the tank and lets it mix until it dissolves. The operator then opens the valve to transfer the mixture to a process tank. The controller speeds up the pump to maintain the 100 gpm flow rate as the head increases.

The operator is now able to pump the tank down without running dry because the controller includes torque-based dry-run protection. Instead of running it dry, the controller shuts off the pump when the water and urea mixture has been transferred.

The controller unit is located in a control room. Because it requires a manual reset after shutting down on a dry run alarm, the plant wired a remote reset button at the pump and tank location so the operator can simply hit the button and restart the pump for the next batch.

The unit is located in a control room, away from the tank. Since it must be reset manually after shutting down on a dry run alarm, the plant wired a remote reset button at the pump and tank location.

The pump would occasionally be allowed to cavitate and run dry, which resulted in seal failures.

PS0802_23_24_WhatWrx.indd 23 2/6/08 9:16:53 AM

WHAT WORKS


Coated roof keeps coolMetal roof renewal system stops leaks, reflects rays

Elliott Company (www.elliott-turbo.com) is a sin-gle-source supplier for turbomachinery repairs, handling large steam and gas turbines, as well as

compressors and turbines manufactured by other suppliers. This division of Ebara Group, headquartered in Jeanette, Pa., operates around the globe in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Canada, Latin America, the Far East and Australia, and has seven reconditioning facilities in the United States. Its commitment to customer operations with service personnel on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, makes it constantly aware of the importance of maintenance and reliability.

The 20-year-old roof on the building housing Elliott’s central offices covers 34,000 sq. ft. with galvanized, corru-gated 24-gauge panels, underlain by insulation. Leaks were reported primarily at the seams, a familiar occurrence on metal roofs more than 15 years old. It’s commonly caused by a combination of dried-out seam adhesive, resulting in seams losing their seal, and years of thermally induced movement.

Leaking seams can be addressed without the high costs of tear-off and replacement. After a thorough review of the op-tions available, Elliott chose a highly solar reflective liquid system supplied by Topps Products, Inc. (www.toppsprod-ucts.com). Backed by a 10-year warranty, the Topps system had the highest elongation and tensile strength and lowest water vapor permeability of any of the products considered, and has independent certification for meeting Energy Star requirements.

Elliott Facilities Manager George Yatsko selected Tus-cano Maher Roofing, Inc. (www.tmrroofing.com) to carry out the application, Mike Maher prepared the job plan and Joe Slapinski supervised the application.

The roof had been inspected thoroughly for hidden, as well as obvious, problems before the proposal. The seams and fasteners were reviewed and marked as needed for mechanical repairs, a necessary procedure recommended by Topps, and vent penetrations were evaluated for any needed repairs.

When the Tuscano Maher crew arrived at the facility, the first step was to tighten loose fasteners and make the mechanical repairs. The roof was then thoroughly power-

washed to remove dirt and other loose materials. Seams were sealed using the 100% rubber compound RivetGuard, with a sandwich of liquid rubber repair material and PolyCore, a strong polyester rip-stop-like cloth, at critical areas. Each fastener on the roof was sealed with RivetGuard. The vent penetrations (pictured) were carefully sealed with a com-bination of Polyprene, a highly viscous, all-rubber flashing repair material, and PolyCore.

At this point, the roof was watertight and prepared for the two final protective layers of fully adhered liquid rub-ber Topps Seal Excel protective coating. The highly reflec-tive roof coating system will require less maintenance in the future because the temperature range of the roof surface through heat and cooling cycles is greatly reduced, lowering stress on seams and fasteners.

At Elliott, the fact that the Topps Seal system products meet Energy Star requirements and are backed by CRRC and Title 24 Certification translated into a measureable re-duction in kilowatt usage: While the average temperature in August 2007 was 1.1°F higher than for the same period in 2006, the building’s cooling system used almost 12% fewer kilowatt hours.

Along with stopping leaks, extending roof life and avoiding a large capital investment for roof replacement, the building experienced a 12% year-over-year energy savings for the month of August.

PS0802_23_24_WhatWrx.indd 24 2/6/08 9:17:23 AM

System 14™ is the innovative total silicone roof system that gives you easy installation, worry-free maintenance and years of dependable service. With an exceptionally high R-value, it also provides energy savings – enough to pay for itself over the life of the roof.

System 14 installs quickly with less labor and less disruption of your operations. It can be installed on almost any type of roof and is able to effectively address any rooftop feature. Plus, only System 14 provides options like the Z-Guard Reinforced Walkway System.

By using recycled roofing materials to add desired features to our Roof-to-Roof (R2R™) silicone, System 14 takes tons of materials and prevents them from going into landfills. System 14 silicone is also solvent-free.

Take the worry out of choosing a greener roofing system and give yourself peace of mind with System 14 – exclusively from WDG.

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PS0802_FullAds.indd 26 2/7/08 1:13:25 PM

ASSET MANAGER


Apopular methodology that companies of all sizes and industries are using is Six Sigma. The tech-nique is best known for its ability to reduce product

and service quality problems. Although Six Sigma shares objectives with Lean (improved processes, waste reduction, increased productivity and greater customer satisfaction), the methodology is more data-driven, quantitative and sta-tistically based than Lean. Be assured that maintenance de-partments can benefit from Six Sigma programs.

Statistics reflect realitySix Sigma provides systematic problem-solv-ing using a variety of statistical tools and analysis. The term “six sigma” comes from the statistics measure of deviation from the mean. For normal distributions, 68% of the popula-tion should fall within one standard deviation – one sigma – from the mean. Similarly, 95% and 99.7% fall within two and three sigma, respectively.

Assume a specification calls for a part 1.00 inch in length, with 3 sigma being equal to 0.01 inch. With 3-sigma quality, you’d expect parts to be within spec 99.73% of the time (a defect rate of 2.7 per 1,000 parts). This was the accepted quality benchmark in manufacturing before the emergence of Six Sigma.

However, some companies felt that a 3-sigma standard wasn’t good enough. Motorola, for example, observed that a process could drift by about 1.5 sigma over time. In the example above, this would cause the process mean to range from 0.995 to 1.005, which might represent a significant shift for some customers.

Thus, keeping the data points within an acceptable range required a counterbalancing tightening of tolerance. For a 1.5-sigma drift in the mean (half of 3 sigma), the sigma lev-el tolerance would need to be half, or plus/minus 6 sigma.

The acceptable Six Sigma tolerance level is 3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO), that is to say at least 99.9996599% of data points should fall within plus or minus 6 sigma from the mean. Although this really represents 4.5 sigma in a normal distribution in which the mean doesn’t

drift, it’s considered Six Sigma because of the expected 1.5-sigma process shift.

Some experts argue that the 1.5-sigma process shift is more empirical than theoretical. In fact, any process mean that changes as much as 1.5 sigma should be considered sta-tistically out of control, unpredictable and, therefore, at risk of producing defects, regardless of the customer’s specifica-tion limits. The good news is that with modern technology such as condition-based monitoring and control software,

trends can be tracked for detection and cor-rection of any significant process drift.

Even with countless variations on the theme, there are really two fundamental Six Sigma methodologies: DMAIC and DMADV. Both strive to achieve predictable, defect-free performance, and are similar to Deming’s “Plan-Do-Check-Act” approach. Although the two frameworks have similari-ties, there are significant differences.

DMAICThis version – define, measure, analyze, im-prove and control – is applied to existing substandard business processes. Define estab-

lishes goals for improvement in line with customer demands and overall business strategy. This might be hierarchical, such as improved return on capital employed (ROCE) at the overall business strategy level, increased asset performance at the Operations and Maintenance departmental level, and reduced defects at the improvement project level.

Measure refers to tracking data related to the process us-ing reliable metrics relevant to the goals established in the first step. Analyze involves using statistical tools and root cause analyses to identify ways to minimize the gap between current metrics and the desired goal. Improve means opti-mizing processes based on analysis, using project manage-ment and change-management techniques to ensure effec-tiveness. Control refers to process monitoring and control to correct variances before defects appear. It requires adjusting policies and procedures, budgets, compensation and incen-tives, information systems, organizational structure and so on to ensure results sustainability.

Why Six Sigma?Because three isn’t enough

Even with countless

variations on the theme, there

are really two fundamental

Six Sigma methodologies.

PS0802_27_28_AssetMan.indd 27 2/4/08 4:42:23 PM

ASSET MANAGER


DMADVThis version – define, measure, analyze, design and verify – applies to designing products or processes, or to an ex-isting process that requires more than an incremental im-provement. Define determines the design goals in light of customer demands and deliverables.

Measure helps determine product, service and process characteristics, as defined by the internal or external cus-tomer. It uses actionable and quantifiable business specifica-tions such as design failure mode effects analysis (DFMEA) as part of a reliability-centered maintenance program. It’s a risk assessment.

Analyze is how you determine the design options that best meet customer needs while minimizing risk. Design brings out the optimal design alternative and provides de-sign details. In some cases, simulation software provides an invaluable tool for fine-tuning designs.

Verify is how you validate that the design delivers on quantifiable customer needs. Start with a pilot implemen-tation. Use project-management and change-management techniques for increased stakeholder buy-in.

Six Sigma and RCMSome assets don’t experience enough failures to warrant sta-tistical analysis. Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) provides an excellent substitute for traditional Six Sigma tools during the measure and analyze steps. RCM identifies what a system is supposed to do, how it might fail and the effect of a failure.

Optimizing asset performance and reliability comes from understanding how to better manage the failure modes through more effective maintenance policies. These policies include some combination of failure-based, condition-based and use-based maintenance. Other key variables to consider are frequency and nature of inspections, and whether to perform a major or minor maintenance procedure at various degradation stages in the asset’s life.

Six Sigma and CBMCondition-based maintenance (CBM) is an excellent tool for monitoring during the final step of both DMAIC and DMADV methodologies. CBM can trend data to ensure that a process remains in control, either through manual in-spections or via online, real-time automation. For example, if vibration readings trend outside specification tolerances, taking action can avert a potentially catastrophic failure. RCM and root cause failure analysis (RCFA) can determine the appropriate frequency and nature of data collected.

Role of the CMMSCBM, RCM and RCFA are sophisticated measurement and analysis tools available on the most advanced CMMS pack-ages. However, even basic CMMS packages can be useful for collecting and analyzing Six Sigma data.

For example, if the Six Sigma team wants to reduce scrap and rework, as well as improve process and machine capac-ity, the CMMS can track relevant metrics such as asset per-formance and reliability. In turn, problem, cause and action codes can be analyzed to determine maintenance-related factors affecting scrap levels, rework and process/machine capacity. The CMMS can then identify root causes for mini-mizing negative effects on asset performance and reliability, thereby meeting the goals of the Six Sigma project. Finally, the CMMS can be used to monitor the process during the control or verify steps of DMAIC or DMADV.

(Editor’s note: The Plant Services CMMS/EAM Software Review, posted at www.PlantServices.com/cmms_review, provides a side-by-side comparison of more than a dozen popular software packages.)

E-mail Contributing Editor David Berger, P.Eng., partner, Western Management Consultants, at [email protected].

PS0802_27_28_AssetMan.indd 28 2/4/08 4:42:31 PM

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Industrial emergencies have human and environmen-tal consequences, not to mention business upsets. But, technology can help with hazmat releases, fires, explo-

sions, natural disasters, terrorism and other emergencies.Risk assessment and planning: The best defense is a good

offense. Assess what can go wrong and plan a response to minimize the consequences. Use the U.S. EPA’s Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) software to plan for and respond to chemical emergencies, while ensuring compliance with the chemical inventory re-porting requirements of the Emergency Plan-ning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

CAMEO’s database has more than 6,000 chemicals, synonyms and trade names, and information about chemical management and critical response. Its MARPLOT module plots the geographic area that can be con-taminated. Its ALOHA atmospheric model predicts a dispersion cloud and the hazard to vulnerable locations. A reactivity worksheet forecasts any hazards if chemicals mix.

CAMEO Chemicals is an online, abbreviated version of CAMEO that includes the searchable chemical database, critical response data sheets and reactivity prediction tool.

Emergency responder systems: The Wireless Informa-tion System for Emergency Responders (WISER), from the U.S. National Laboratory of Medicine, has information about 400 hazardous substances and includes identification support, physical and chemical properties, health data and advice about containment and suppression. The information is readily accessible through an intelligent synopsis engine.

WISER v. 3.0 includes radioisotope data and reference materials. It provides a searchable electronic version of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG). Accessible through laptops and personal digital assistants, emergency responders gain instant access to the information needed for response to hazmat incidents. ERG helps responders identify hazmat classifications, de-termine the best response, and protect themselves and the

public immediately after an incident. Every crisis planner and manager should have access to information like this.

Community notifications: When a crisis occurs, com-munication with responders, the community and employees can be a life-or-death matter. Honeywell’s Instant Alert Plus for Industrial Facilities is a two-way notification system. Within 15 minutes, the Web-based service sends 100,000 30-second secure, customized, instant messages via phone, e-mail and pager. It can initiate a conference call for re-sponders and company officials. Employees and neighbor-

hoods can request help using a simple menu of options. Activated via phone or Internet mes-sage, a distributed, redundant network sends the information. It integrates with business continuity systems and GIS systems.

Local governments are implementing warning systems. Contra Costa County, Ca-lif., implemented a Honeywell system after a computer glitch caused a half-hour delay in notifying those at risk of toxic fumes released during a refinery fire.

Crisis-management systems: ESS Crisis, an emergency-management system from Environmental Support Solu-tions, addresses mitigation, preparedness, response and re-covery. It provides information, resources and processes for planning, training, exercises and real-time mobilization. It tracks personnel training and certifications, availability and deployment durations. It provides geographic information about what lies in its path of the emergency with Microsoft’s Virtual Earth, ESRI’s ArcInfo and other GIS and GPS systems. It generates automatic messages and tracks crisis communications and tasks. The system manages briefings, audits, damage assessments and recovery efforts. ESS Crisis meets the requirements of the National Incident Manage-ment System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS).

E-mail Contributing Editor Sheila Kennedy, managing director of Additive Communications, at [email protected].

Ensuring a calm responseCrisis management benefits from a dose of high technology

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PS0802_31_TechTool.indd 31 2/4/08 4:42:46 PM


W hat is a Best Practice? We’re partial to the Society of Maintenance and Reliability Professionals (SMRP) definition: “A Best Practice is a pro-cess, technique or innovative use of resources that has a proven record

of success in providing significant improvement in cost, schedule, quality, perfor-mance, safety, environment or other measurable factors that impact the health of an organization.”

SMRP committee members and contributors are doing the industrial mainte-nance and asset management profession a great service by defining terminology, building consensus standards and collecting a body of knowledge that includes Best Practices. The SMRP’s formal process of soliciting proposals, submitting them to its membership for comment, refining and agreeing upon the results, and making them available to all, is invaluable.

But defining Best Practices only gets you part of the way. To implement them, most companies and individuals need concrete examples that demonstrate how to introduce them, show the potential payoffs in both qualitative and quantitative terms, and provide inspiration for those who must overcome cultural inertia and make effective changes.

That’s why we offer the Plant Services Best Practices Awards. All that’s need-ed to enter is a story about an application that fits the SMRP definition. Entries may be submitted by plant personnel, vendors, engineering firms, consultants or anyone who is familiar with the application and has permission to make it public knowledge.

Entries submitted by Sept. 1, 2007 were included in this year’s selection. We edited them as necessary for clarity, divided them into four categories, and posted them behind registration pages in a secluded region of www.PlantServices.com.

We wrote summaries of every proposed Best Practice and its results (leaving out any product or company names), and in December we e-mailed the summaries to registered Plant Services readers, inviting them to vote by registering and accessing the full stories. Registration is used only to ensure the integrity of the voting pro-cess – information is not shared with others or used for any other purpose.

The winners presented here were determined by tallying the number of qualified readers who had accessed each entry. On the following pages you’ll find comprehensive excerpts of this year’s winning stories, as well as brief de-scriptions of the runners-up. The full stories can be conveniently accessed at www.PlantServices.com/bestpractices.

We think you’ll find valuable advice and useful examples among both the win-ners and the runners-up, and hope you’ll find inspiration to enter your favorite technique, tool or technology for the 2009 Best Practices Awards. If you have a story about an application you think qualifies as a Best Practice, you can find entry information at www.PlantServices.com/bestpractices.

We want to thank those of you who responded to our e-mailed ballot, not only for helping to select the winners, but also for being interested in improving their operations, and thus all our lives, by learning from the application stories.

We also thank all who entered for being willing to share the results of your fine work with your peers, and for taking the time and making the effort to write it up. We encourage everyone to enter the 2009 Plant Services Best Practices Awards.

PS0802_32_42_CvrStry.indd 32 2/7/08 11:23:03 AM

urr Industries, North American, in Plymouth, Mich., is a global supplier of painting systems and air pollution control equipment for the automotive,

aerospace and other markets. Gordon Harbison, a certified energy manager, is leader of Durr’s project development team. His job is to reduce energy consumption and the cost of operations for Durr’s customers. So management says, “If you can do it for them, then do it for us.”

In spring 2005, Harbison decommissioned the gas-fired boiler at Durr’s 240,000-sq.-ft. facility. The 20-year-old boiler had a capacity of 10,350 lbs/hr and was in good working order. However, it was inefficient, and rising en-ergy and maintenance costs made it expensive to operate. The boiler heated a manufacturing area using fan coil and unit heaters distributed around the plant. The office had hydronic heating coils, hydronic baseboard radiation, a hy-dronic snow melting system and a combination of air han-dlers, both hydronic and indirect gas-fired.

The 180,000-sq.-ft. production area, with 25-ft. ceilings, was a challenge because of its uneven roofline, mixture of high-bay and low-bay areas, hanging lights, many windows and hard-to-heat dock area. They considered an infrared heating system, but Durr soon realized it would be too ex-pensive, difficult to install and wouldn’t solve a negative air pressure problem.

Roof-mounted Blow-Thru industrial space heaters from Cambridge Engineering became the obvious choice. This direct gas-fired heating equipment operates at 100% com-bustion efficiency because there are no flue or heat ex-changer losses. The equivalent AFUE rating, or thermal efficiency, is 92%.

The old steam system would overheat the 60,000-sq.-ft. office space in the afternoon, which affected worker pro-ductivity. Performance Engineering Group, a Michigan-based company, provided the new heating equipment. Alan Deal, the company’s president, says, “The challenge for upgrading the office heating system was finding a new location for the gas-fired hydronic boilers, and figuring

out a way to vent them.” The solution was to install three Raypak boilers outdoors. Two 1,800,000 BTU-per-hour boilers were put on the roof and one 500,000 BTU-per-hour boiler was located on grade level. The boilers have an 87% combustion efficiency, which is the highest available for this application. A minimum inlet water temperature of 120°F allowed for greater energy savings. The system also was part of a separate snow-melt application that required the use of glycol.

The facility was occupied when the new heating systems were installed, but no temporary heating was required. Dave Williams from Kropf Service Co., the local contrac-tor Durr hired to service its HVAC equipment, says, “The new heating system improved ventilation for the plant, solved the negative air pressure problem and provided more even temperatures with increased comfort levels.” Produc-tivity in the office and plant improved because of more ef-fective temperature control.

Before the conversion, Durr averaged 4.48 MCF/HDD consumption for the steam boiler system. After the conver-sion, it was reduced by 23% to 3.44 MCF/HDD. Harbison says, “The energy savings and reduced maintenance costs en-abled us to meet our payback goal for the conversion.” From an environmental standpoint, this decreased carbon dioxide emissions by 393 tons, the same effect as planting more than 1,180 trees each year or taking 72 cars off the road.Cambridge Engineering (www.cambridge-eng.com)


Closed-transition transfer switch safely supports peak-shaving programA utility’s program to shave peak loads by offering discounts to customers willing to operate standby generators during periods of peak demand languished due to power interruptions caused by manual open-transfer switches. A new closed-transition transfer switch design safely and automatically transfers load to local gen-erators without interruption, revitalizing the program and saving energy costs for both the utility and its customers.Cummins Power Generation (www.cumminspower.com)

Identify excess energy consumption with data loggers A metal products manufacturer paired up with a consulting engi-neering firm to perform runtime monitoring on its air compres-

sors to understand usage patterns on a 24/7 basis and identify reduction opportunities. Two weeks of data was collected with data loggers, offloaded to a PC and analyzed using the datalog-ger software. Unusually high compressor runtimes were corre-lated with excessive usage. Correcting the excessive usage “will save the client a substantial amount of money.”Onset Computer Corporation (www.onsetcomp.com)

Save energy by recovering heat from drain waterHot water from thermally-intensive processes can be drained through a heat exchanger that pre-heats incoming cold water. About 40% of the heat can be recovered, which allows owners to reduce energy costs, in-crease capacity and/or downsize water heating equipment.RenewABILITY (www.renewability.com)

Reduce space heating energy consumption

EnErgy

Durr Industries decommissioned a 20-year-old gas-fired boiler and installed roof-mounted Blow-Thru industrial space heaters from Cambridge Engineering, a move that reduced consumption by 23% to 3.44 MCF/HDD.


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Reduce maintenance and consumable costs with high-capacity filter elementsCommodity air filters offer lower initial cost but require more frequent replacement. High-capacity filters are still in service after four years, resulting in lower part and maintenance costs.Donaldson Torit (www.donaldson.com)

Save space and cost with integrated switchboardsA pre-wired, integrated switchboard (ISB) is used instead of install-ing and wiring separate transformers, power and lighting panels and lighting contactors. The freestanding ISB is more compact, uses less conduit and cable, and saves hours of assembly and installation time.General Electric (www.ge.com)

Monitor fly ash levels reliably and accurately using microwave switchesAccurate bin level measurements inside the flyash hoppers under an electrostatic precipitator are compromised by flyash properties such as repose angle, temperature, dielectric con-stant, material buildup and space limitations. A non-contact, span-measuring, microwave-based switch system has proven to

safely and reliably measure flyash by detecting material in the path of the energy beam. The maximum range of the switches is more than 300 feet. Sensitivity adjustments are used for higher-dielectric materials (paper bales, plastic film) or very small ranges (less than 3 feet). Hawk Measurement Systems (www.hawklevel.com)

Lower pump life cycle costs with dynamic sealsTraditional packings and mechanical seals require clean liquids, typ-ically water, for lubrication. The cost of a seal water system can be as high as $20,000, plus energy and water consumption. A dynamic seal contains the pumped liquid by centrifugal force and pump suc-tion-side pressure. It consumes some power, but its life cycle costs can be significantly lower.ITT Goulds Pumps (www.gouldspumps.com)

Replace mercury level switches to eliminate potential contaminationA utility power plant replaced feedwater level switches with mer-cury-free switches. Dealing with spilled mercury is a difficult task, and won’t be necessary with the new switches.System Components Corp., Clark-Reliance (www.clarkreliance.com)

cientif ic Protein Laboratories (SPL) operates a 96,578-sq.-ft., FDA-audited manufacturing facil-ity in Waunakee, Wis., to produce Heparin and pan-

creatic enzyme products. In 2006, the company added 4,800 sq. ft. to a six-year-old metal building originally erected in 2000. The first floor provides office space, and the second is used for warehouse storage. Rooftop safety was a concern be-cause of a need to access rooftop equipment for maintenance. SPL wanted a railing system that could be installed without penetrating a standing-seam metal roof.

Eileen D. Spahn, associate project manager for SPL, contacted Kee Industrial Products, Inc. of Buffalo, N.Y., to inquire about its KeeGuard rooftop safety railing system. Comprised of galvanized pipe rails, upright assemblies and structural pipe fittings, typical KeeGuard systems are counterbalanced to allow installation without penetrating the roof. They meet OSHA Standards 29 CRF 1910.23 and 1926.500, which require the presence of a barrier within 6 feet of roof edges. Counterbalanced weights, however, wouldn’t work on SPL’s standing seam roof.

Pavel Tretyakov, fall protection manager for Kee Indus-trial Products, says the best solution was to apply a fasten-ing system designed specifically for metal roofs. Base plates are clamped to the roof seams and uprights, and 4-in. toe boards then connect to the plates.

Bachmann Construction, a design-build contractor from Madison, Wis., installed the KeeGuard system on the building expansion to form a walkway 21 ft. from the roof ’s edge and a 16-ft. by 20-ft. area around an HVAC unit in the middle of the roof. Lengths of 11/2-in. schedule 40 pipe rails were cut to length and connected with Kee Klamp slip-on, steel pipe fittings.

Although the customized KeeGuard system didn’t pene-trate the roof, further modifications were required. Endres Manufacturing Co., Waunakee, Wis., designed and con-structed a ladder with a birdcage-style barrier to provide safe access to the roof from the side of the building. “But this left too wide a gap between the two returns, ladder and cage, and the location of the handrails,” Spahn says. Bach-mann Construction designed and built two D-returns, using Kee fittings, to bridge the gap at the ladder and to eliminate a potential safety hazard.

Railing system durability and ease of installation was why SPL selected KeeGuard, Spahn says. Only a hex wrench is needed to connect the non-penetrating mount-ing plates to the rails. This can save as much as 50% of the installation costs compared to welded railings.Keeguard (www.keeguard.com)


EQUIPMENT

Scientific Protein Laboratories used the KeeGuard non-penetrating railing system and complementary ladder and cage when expanding its facilities to preserve roof integrity and provide optimal safety for its maintenance workers.

Safety is increased by a non-penetrating rooftop railing system


© 2007 Donaldson Company, Inc., Minneapolis, MN U.S.A.

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Increase quality production by identifying underperform-ing process control assetsUsing real-time data directly from existing control systems, software focuses attention on underperforming components of the control system. By exceeding expected production targets and discovering hidden process performance opportunities, a A cracker operation is on track for a full return on investment within six months of start-up.Expertune (www.expertune.com)

Reduce downtime by coordinating maintenance activities with reliability softwareA steel company was able to bring together a wide range of equip-ment condition data, including maintenance inspections, operator rounds and online information, using reliability software. The more complete picture of equipment health and performance, online in real time, allows automatic tracking and alarming on asset condi-

tion, triggering online or e-mail alerts and driving corrective work orders into the CMMS. Significant improvements in asset perfor-mance include an 88% reduction in downtime at the company’s rod mill and a 30% increase in meltshop throughput.Ivara (www.ivara.com)

Improve refinery reliability with alarm rationalizationYears of configuring alarms at multiple levels without rationalization led to more than 5,000 tags configured with alarms, each having as many as six or more alarms. Managing alarms was becoming increas-ingly time-consuming and problematic for the process control team. Instead of embedding alarm management in a new DCS, the plant implemented a separate system to manage alarms for both new and existing DCSs. The plant performance level went from stable/reactive to robust in four months, with 261 tags rationalized.Matrikon (www.matrikon.com)

urrent signature analysis (CSA) detects broken rotor bars by analyzing the sidebands around line frequency. Demodulated current spectrum analysis

(DCSA) enhances the ability to detect broken bars, espe-cially on 2-pole motors. The polarization index (PI), a met-ric for insulation testing, is the ratio of measured resistance at 10 minutes divided by the measurement at 1 minute. Plotting the resistance measurement at 5-second intervals produces a polarization index profile (PIP), which can be used for additional analysis of the insulation system that can’t be obtained from the standard PI. Power quality is a measure of the quality of the motor’s voltage and current. Analyzing the harmonics, voltage and current unbalance, over- or under-voltage, and over-current conditions reveals what might be causing nuisance trips, voltage swells or sags, and other power system problems.

Routine EMAX testing of a 3,500-hp, 2-pole, 4,160-volt, 3,590-rpm AC induction motor revealed a 0.74 dB peak level of the pole pass sideband, which exceeded the alarm setpoint of 0.3 dB. This suggested rotor bar prob-lems, but vibration analysis indicated a healthy motor. The decision was to monitor the motor and trend the test results.

The motor was retested periodically and the peak level of the pole pass sideband rose from 0.18 dB at 3,591 rpm to 2.59 dB at 3,592 rpm. This exponential increase is indica-tive of at least one broken rotor bar. Also, load variation increased from 0.855% to 2.345%, when it should be con-stant from test to test under normal operating aconditions. The CSA showed an increase in sideband activity, which indicated broken rotor bars.

A rotor influence check (RIC) indicated a rotor anomaly. Disassembly revealed 22 of 51 rotor bars were broken or cracked. The root cause was bad brazing between the bars and end rings from a repair performed years earlier. The

cost to repair the motor now was $90,000. Had it run to failure, the cost would have been $370,000.

A PIP test on another motor showed a low PI value and short rise-time to a relatively low value overall, when in-sulation resistance should be at least 100 megohms and PI greater than 2.0. This is indicative of damp insulation. Af-ter the cables and components were dried, a PIP indicated healthy insulation. Contaminated insulation exhibits sig-nificant spiking in the profile.

A third motor had voltage harmonics greater than 5% and full load amps (FLA) of 107%. A 480-volt, 2,500-KVA transformer was feeding eight motors and five DC drives. This suggested the DC drives were degrading the power quality. With no load, current harmonics (THD) were <2%, voltage harmonics were <1%, full load current 105% of rated current, and the system voltage was 475 volts. When loaded, current harmonics (THD) > 5%, volt-age harmonics >7%, full load current of 108% of rated cur-rent, and a system voltage drop of 21 volts.

The report was filed away. Then, the plant installed a microprocessor-based lock system for the loading dock. It worked fine most of the time, but periodically the locks opened and closed spontaneously. The system was under warranty so the controller manufacturer replaced several cards and two complete controllers. The plant then real-ized the controller feed came from the motor control center feeding the motors and drives. That earlier report suggested using line filters on one of the new controllers. The problem for the dock lock controller disappeared. The lessons are that broken rotor bars can be detected using online and offline testing, a modification to the polarization index test helps analyze the health of insulation, and that you can use power quality to analyze a power system and correct harmonics that motor drives introduce.PDMA (www.pdma.com)

RELIABILITY/PREDICTIVE

Prevent catastrophic motor failures with current signature analysis


F .PLANTSERVICES.40

&L Fiber Services was experiencing high produc-tion costs due to lost productivity caused by exces-sive machine downtime. Factors that contributed

to the majority of the diffi culties were:• Nearly 100% reactive maintenance• Lack of preventive and proactive maintenance• Untracked maintenance• No activity history• Unaddressed repetitive machine failures• Maintenance wasn’t a core competencyAdvanced Technology Services (ATS) went to work to

implement a sustainable solution to help J&L Fiber Ser-vices achieve its business goals of delivering focused, reli-able manufacturing solutions to customers. � ey took the following steps:

• Monitored preventive and proactive procedures through work-order management to reduce reactive job orders

• Performed root cause analysis on machines experienc-ing repetitive failures, reducing repair time and improving manufacturing costs

MANAGEMENT

Cut production costs with preventive and proactive maintenance

Advanced Technology Services (ATS) implemented a sustainable solution to help J&L Fiber Services achieve its business goals of delivering focused, reliable manufacturing solutions to customers. ATS helped J&L Fiber record its lowest machine downtime on record.

PS0802_32_42_CvrStry.indd 40 2/7/08 2:20:38 PM


Save time and cost by in-situ machining of large seal surfacesDuring a scheduled maintenance outage, a power plant found that the steam generator man-way opening seals in a Class 1 pressure bound-ary area needed repair. The hemispherical head’s material properties proved extremely difficult to work with and the man-way was located in a tight space. A portable boring machine was adapted so it could be set up quickly, operate within the port’s extremely tight spaces, and perform a precise dry cut through the challenging material. The entire machining job was completed within a 24-hour time allotment.Climax Portable Machine Tools (www.cpmt.com)

Minimize machine tool downtime with outsourced repairs of way coversCNC machine tools may be taken out of production by worn, dirty, bent or corroded way covers, or covers damaged by lift trucks, fall-

ing parts or flying parts that weren’t properly secured in the ma-chine tool. Way covers are shipped to an outside repair shop where they are analyzed for damage, quoted, repaired and shipped back to the company, usually the same day.Hennig (www.ame.com)

Crew size for 24/7 operation minimized by CMMSA 47 million gallon-per-year ethanol plant uses computerized main-tenance, work order tracking, scheduling and inventory manage-ment to allow it to run 24/7 with very little downtime. Software tells the six-person in-house maintenance crew when and how to complete scheduled maintenance tasks, complete with safety pro-cedures. Conscientious maintenance and production teams result in never having a total shutdown due to equipment failure.Mapcon (www.mapcon.com)

• Implemented and reviewed preventive maintenance procedures

• Provided continuous improvement solutions through Six Sigma implementation

• Drove data- and fact-based maintenance solutionsUsing teamwork, ATS and J & L Fiber Services imple-

mented and have maintained programs that have proved successful. They have:

• Raised overall machine availability to 99.7%• Reduced scrap by 38%• Implemented a continuous improvement environment

• Documented the lowest machine downtime hours on record

• Achieved and maintained 100% PM complianceMike Hoffmann, director of operations, J&L Fiber

Services, says, “ATS has improved key machine uptime at J&L and enabled us to focus on improving efficiency and throughput. ATS has also been able to repair many hard-to-find components that would have had key equipment down for prolonged periods of time.”Advanced Technology Services (www.advancedtech.com)

MANAGEMENT


Asset OptimizationRedefined

We gauge our performance by our customers’ confidence in our products. Our overall approach to asset integration is what sets Baldor•Dodge•Reliance and Motion Industries apart from all others. Our joint capabilities allow us to design, manufacture, distribute and support dedicated system solutions for the power generation industry—from rugged and efficient drives and motors to reliable power transmission products. Together we deliver the difference through:

• Diversity of Options • Our extensive product line provides unlimited system configurations to optimize reliability and cost.

• Improved Uptime • Baldor•Reliance NEMA high-efficiency motors are recognized as market leaders in energy efficiency. From ¾ Hp to 500 Hp, our motors will fit most of your current system applications.

• Rapid Delivery • Over five hundred sales offices/warehouses throughout North America allow you to operate with confidence.

Call your local Motion Industries representative at 1-800-526-9328 to find out how Baldor•Dodge•Reliance products can redefine your assets. Baldor•Dodge•Reliance: American ingenuity— engineered for reliability.


Lubriplate Lubricants CompanyFor your local distributor go to: www.lubriplate.com/locator/index.asp1-800-733-4755

Lubriplate.com®

Multiple Application Capability• Consolidates and Simplifies Your Lubricant Inventory.• For Air Compressors, Hydraulic Systems, Gear Reducers, Bearings, Chains and General Lubrication.• Reduces the need to carry large quantities of application specific lubricants.

Improved Energy Efficiency• High Performance 100% Synthetic PAO-Based Formula.• Provides Improved Lubricity, Reduces Friction, Saves Energy.• Protects Machinery, Improves Performance.

Extended Fluid Change Intervals• Extra Long Life, Provides More than 4 Times the Oxidation Stability over semi-synthetics.• Helps Reduce Waste Oil Disposal Problems.• Provides Cost Effective Benefits.

SustainabilityIt Begins with LubriplateSyn Lube Series ExtendedLife Synthetic Lubricants.

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Lubriplate2-08PS.pmd 1/2/08, 2:12 PM1PS0802_FullAds.indd 44 2/6/08 9:25:59 AM

F .PLANTSERVICES. 45

lopay Plastics in Augusta, Ky., never heard of auto-mated lubrication until six years ago, when machine reliability became more of a focus for our plant. Un-planned downtime reports from our CMMS told us

that staying competitive meant that machine reliability must improve. Like most plants, we operate with limited main-tenance staffi ng. � erefore, adding more bodies to handle preventive maintenance procedures simply isn’t realistic.

One area of great focus here is lubrication. We consider lubrication to be the backbone of all maintenance systems. We wanted to know how to serve the plant’s lubrication de-mands most eff ectively and effi ciently. Manual lubrication consumes labor hours and, in most cases, the machine being lubed must be idle for safe access to the lube points.

But, inserting grease into bearings when a machine is idle isn’t considered to be a best practice. Our own break-down analyses and the reports from the consultants who we brought in to review some bearings both made it obvious to us that our failures were caused by insuffi cient lube, wrong lube, contamination, over-lubrication and insuffi cient train-ing for the technicians doing the manual lubing. In the plastic fi lm-extrusion business, avoiding drag on bearings is crucial because drag aff ects the fragile plastic web as it threads through the many idler rolls on the equipment that carries the fi lm.

Possible solution� ese were some of the factors that led us to a closer exami-nation of the world of automatic lubrication. � e big advan-tages we see in automatic lubrication are the labor savings and the assurance that bearings unambiguously get lubed at

1. Wire electronic lubricators into the machine’s PLC. Electronic units have their own timers and will initiate lubrication even if the machine isn’t running, which leads to over-lubrication. Wired into the PLC, the unit’s time clock will only advance during actual machine operation.

2. Mount electronic lubricators on vibration pads to protect them and prolong their useful life (Figure 1).

3. Mount electronic units and battery-oper-ated units in an enclo-sure (Figure 2). They’re sensitive to water. Pre-vent any possibility of water getting on them.

4. Use tubing that has the highest pressure rat-ing you can � nd. Some lubricators can develop 3,000 psi. Regular tub-ing can burst, especially when purging the lines during commissioning. Also, use tubing with the highest tempera-ture rating you can � nd if the lubricators are to be installed around heat sources or near hot mate-rial that might drip and melt the lines.

(Continued on p. 46.)

TIPS FOR BETTER AUTOLUBING

Figure 1. Note the vibration pads on these units that lubricate 36 water pump bearings.

Figure 2. A battery-operated unit lubricates six critical bearings. Quick disconnects are used on these grease-� lled tubes subjected to only 300 psi. The unit is enclosed in a Plexiglas box to eliminate contact with water.

PS0802_45_46_Lube.indd 45 2/6/08 9:18:01 AM

the right time with the right lube in the right amount with no contamination.

There’s no advantage to Clopay having personnel assigned full-time to walk a route with an oil can. Manual lubrica-tion isn’t as effective as automatic lubrication for at least two reasons. In our plant, one can’t get to the many areas that need lubrication safely while the machine is in production. With manual lubrication, the chances are much greater for getting contamination into a bearing.

We don’t believe that manually lubricating an idle ma-chine will distribute the lube uniformly, whereas automated lubrication on an operating machine consumes less grease and distributes it more uniformly over the bearing surfaces. We considered what happens to a lubrication program when one of our lube routes is neglected because the technician assigned to it is on vacation or not available for some reason. Autolubers are always on the job. I’d think every plant out there can benefit from using autolubers on critical bearings.

TradeoffsAs with anything, there’s a cost associated with purchasing and installing automated lubrication systems. You only have to calculate the cost of failed bearings, machine downtime, late product deliveries to customers and safety issues in-volved in replacing bearings ruined by improper lubrication to see that automated lubrication costs pennies compared to the expenses of replacing bearings, gearboxes, customers, production time and wasted product.

At our facilities, the bottom line for our automated lu-brication systems has been increased uptime, fewer gearbox purchases, fewer bearing purchases and the disappearance of many other lube-related failures.

Special considerationsDon’t let the term automated lubrication overwhelm you. The automatic systems we selected are reliable and user-friendly, but like any piece of equipment in your facility, they need technicians who are trained to troubleshoot them should they misbehave. Our plant developed standard oper-ating practices for each type of autoluber, delineated routes showing where the autoluber is located, and published charts that show the type and amount of lubricant, as well as how to handle discarded lubricant. Finally, as one does for any piece of functioning equipment, we maintain a supply of spare units and component parts.

Scotty Lippert is the planned maintenance technician and machin-ery lubrication specialist at Clopay Plastic Products Co., Augusta, Ky. Contact him at [email protected] and (606) 756-2131, ext. 2309.


LubricationReliability

Autolube systems – “Centralized lubrication systems are a ‘must’”Lube simplification – “Rethinking lubrication management”Fundamentals – “Back-to-basics lubrication”Lube management – “Lubrication consolidation”Autolube systems – “Taking care of lubrication needs … automatically”Lube blockage – “Keeping the skids greased”Lube system case history – “You can have a world-class lubrica-tion team”Lube behavior – “On wear and friction”

For more, search www.PlantServices.com using the keywords bearing, grease and oil.

More resources at www.PlantServices.com/thismonth

5. Use only transparent tubing, to see the flow.

6. Always use compression fittings instead of fast-discon-nect fittings, especially on oil-filled lubricators that can achieve 3,000 psi (Figure 3). Leaks are more likely with oil systems. Usually, you can use fast-disconnect fittings on low-er-pressure grease units, such single-point lubricators and some battery-powered autolu-bers (Figure 4 and Figure 5).

7. Install check valves on both ends of tubing used on oil-filled autolubers (Figure 6).

8. Always read the operat-ing manual for an autoluber. You’ll learn the maximum tub-ing length that still allows suffi-cient bearing lubrication. You’ll learn whether there are certain greases and oils your device can’t handle.

9. Perform daily preventive maintenance checks on your autolubers.

Tips for beTTer auTolubing

Figure 3. An oil-filled autoluber serving 18 bearings.

Figure 4. Single-point units on water pumps.

Figure 5. These oil-filled, single-point units can be filled in-house with the lubricant of choice, can be turned on and off, and have a three-sided sight glass.

Figure 6. These are tubes filled with oil from an autoluber. Where there is human traffic and tubing needs to be run, cut a trench in the floor, install conduit and run tubing through it to prevent a trip hazard.

We consider lubrication to be the backbone of all

maintenance systems.

PS0802_45_46_Lube.indd 46 2/6/08 9:18:39 AM

Quality.

Bringing the Best Together

Producing only the highest Quality products has

shaped our company for more than 100 years.

Our strategy is “to produce the highest quality,

most energy efficient products available and sell

them to value-minded customers.”

Quality is perceived differently from one

customer to the next. Quality is measured

in many ways, including the “quality of the

information provided, the products supplied, the

service offered and more.”

Now we have brought three great companies

together who share the same understanding

of Quality. Providing consistent Quality, as

perceived by our customers, is fundamental

to our way of doing business.

www.baldor.com

©2007 Baldor Electric Company


Electric motors, the most common machines in any manufacturing plant, are reliable, efficient and can drive almost any kind of load. Treat them correct-

ly and they’ll reward you with long life. To maximize the chances of reaching that long life, put an effective preventive and predictive maintenance program in place that’s based on probable motor failure modes. Often, failure modes and ef-fects analysis (FMEA) or reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) can serve that purpose because both technologies require intimate knowledge of how things can break down.

Let’s take a closer look at electric motor failure to examine the stresses on the motor, the most common failure modes and some of the causes of those failure modes. Then, let’s look at some ways to either mitigate the failure or to detect an incipient failure.

Motor lifeThey can last a long time, but motor death usually has noth-ing to do with aging. Many questions arise before you can decide when that life is over: How do you define the end of motor life? Does bearing failure constitute the end of life? Does having to rewind the stator define it? How about hav-ing to scrap the motor because it’s beyond repair? Or, is it more sensible to replace it so you can capture the energy savings that higher-efficiency motors provide?

You can use standardized tables to help predict motor life (Table 1). Factors that affect motor life include:

• Motor design• Materials of construction• PM/PdM effectiveness

• Insulation class• Bearing type and quality• Enclosure type• Quality of construction• Operating environment• Load characteristicsThe motor is part of a system that includes power supply,

mounting, coupling and driven equipment. The environ-ment includes ambient temperature, airborne contamination (moisture, corrosive fumes), ambient shock and vibration, etc. It’s a combination of stresses acting on the bearings, sta-tor, rotor, shaft and frame that causes most motor failures.

Motor stressTable 2 shows the major stresses acting on the five primary motor components. A number of failure mechanisms can cause the same component to fail with a common mode and failure pattern. For example, improper voltage, overloading,

Table 1. Motor life by size

HP Range Average life (yrs) Life range (yrs)

<1 12.9 10 – 15

1 – 5 17.1 13 – 19

5.1 – 20 19.4 16 – 20

21 – 50 21.8 18 – 26

51 – 125 28.5 24 – 33

>125 29.3 25 – 38

Source: Energy-Efficient Electric Motor Selection and Application, John C. Andreas (Marcel Decker, Inc., New York, 1982)


PS0802_48_50_Motors.indd 48 2/4/08 4:43:03 PM


blocked ventilation, excessive cycling and heat all can pro-duce the same type of winding failure. Many motor failure studies tell us that the bearings are the most common cause of failure. Next is electrical failure, followed by mechanical failure (see sidebar, “Three Representative Studies”).

Bearing modesBearing failures have many causes that can be tied to in-stallation, cleanliness, lubrication or load. The first bearing installation reliability rule is proper selection. Type, load rating, quality grade and shielding are some of the factors.

Bearing installation problems often are a question of workmanship. Proper tools, proper procedures and a clean work environment mitigate bearing failures.

Inattention to cleanliness is a major cause of bearing fail-ure. Contamination enters the bearing in a number of ways. A dirty installation environment is a prime contributor. Contamination also enters through poor practices such as not cleaning the grease fitting when applying grease.

Lubrication ranks with contamination as a contributor to bearing failure. Factors to monitor include using the correct grease or oil, possible lubricant mixing that causes incom-patibility problems, and extended lubrication intervals. Too much grease also can be a problem. Not allowing the bear-ing to relieve the excess grease through the drain plug is one

of the more common bad practices.Factors that contribute to excess bearing loading are

wrong coupling type or installation; dynamic overloading (balance, misalignment); belt, sheave or insert wear; belt misalignment; incorrect belt tension; static loading; poor workmanship and defective bearing housings.

Some common measures you can institute to mitigate bearing failures include visual inspection; vibration moni-toring, including bearing-specific techniques (shock pulse, ultrasound and others); precision shaft alignment; belt alignment and tensioning; lubrication programs that follow best practices and proper tools; and environment and train-ing for technicians.

Because bearing failure is the most common problem for electric motors, eliminating bearing problems can prevent 25% to 80% of motor failures.

Electrical modesExcessive heat in the winding breaks down the insulation, which leads to failure. A commonly accepted guideline is that every 10°C increase in operating temperature corre-sponds to a 50% loss in motor life. Leading standardization organizations conclude that insulation failure represented 30% of failures and, of these, 60% were caused by overheat-ing (see “Overheating Electric Motors: One Root Cause of

Table 2. Motor components and stresses

Type of stress Bearings Stator Rotor Shaft Frame

Thermal X X X X X

Electric/dielectric X X X

Mechanical X X X X X

Dynamic X X X X X

Residual X X X

Electromagnetic X X X X

Environmental X X X X X

Source: “Explaining Motor Failure,” Austin Bonnett and Chuck Yung, EASA.

Table 3. Duty cycle limits

2-pole 4-pole 6-pole

HP A C A C A C

1 15 75 30 38 34 33

5 8.1 83 16.3 42 18.4 37

10 6.2 92 12.5 46 14.2 41

15 5.4 100 10.7 46 12.1 44

20 4.8 100 9.6 55 10.9 48

50 3.4 145 6.8 72 7.7 64

75 2.9 180 5.8 90 6.6 79

100 2.6 220 5.2 110 5.9 97

200 2 600 4 300 4.8 268

250 1.8 1,000 3.7 500 4.2 440

Key: A = maximum number of starts per hour, C = minimum rest or off time in seconds between starts

PS0802_48_50_Motors.indd 49 2/4/08 4:43:09 PM


Insulation Failure,” Ernesto J. Wiedenbrug, Baker Instru-ment Co., www.bakerinst.com/BakerWeb/PDF_Files/Overheating_Electric_Motors.pdf). It’s important to focus on eliminating potential sources of overheating, including:

• High ambient temperature• High altitude• Dirt buildup on cooling fins• Mechanical overload• Poor power conditioning• Excessive effective service factor• Frequent stops and starts• Environmental mattersIncreasing the motor horsepower in the face of recurrent

failures might make the problem worse, according to Wie-denbrug. If the problem is start/stop cycling, be aware that a larger motor has more stringent duty cycle limits than a smaller motor (Table 3). Other causes of insulation break-down include attack by dust, moisture, chemical agents and contaminated windings.

Heat and other causes such as vibration or mechanical shock might induce electrical problems, including:

• Shorts between conductors or coils• Insulation-to-ground faults• Air gap faults, including eccentric rotors• Rotor faults, casting voids and broken rotor bars• Overloading

• Improper matching of motor to load (inertia matching)• Loose connections• Vibration/mechanical loosenessThe power supply also has the potential to cause motor

failure. Some common problems include:• Overvoltage or undervoltage• Voltage unbalance• VFD waveforms• Voltage surgesIdentify and eliminate electrical problems using visual

inspections, an effective cleaning program, vibration moni-toring, motor current analysis, current signature analysis, power-quality monitoring and thermography.

Mechanical modesYour motors are more likely to suffer from bearing or electrical failure than mechanical failure. But don’t leave the mechanical modes out of your analysis. Primary mechanical motor prob-lems include bad mechanical fits, mechanical unbalance, me-chanical breakage, mechanical resonance and rotor deflection.

The motor shaft also can exhibit problems that should be included in your root cause analysis. These include bad or worn shafts, shaft deformation, mechanical vibration, wrong coupling type, shaft misalignment and overhung loads.

The motor frame isn’t immune. Look for frame warp-age, broken mounts, base plate distortion, missing or dete-riorated grouting, foundation deterioration, and inadequate foundation size and design.

Measures you can take to ensure these problems are un-covered and eliminated include visual inspections, vibration monitoring, precision shaft alignment, belt alignment and tensioning, and proper installation.

Performing an FMEA or an RCM analysis is time-con-suming, but to ensure you get the maximum benefit from the time spent, you must be thorough. This list of possible failures should only be a starting point. As you do your anal-ysis, use this list as a springboard for brainstorming unique modes that might affect your system.

James W. Taylor is director of operations at Machinery Manage-ment Solutions, Inc., Clarks Hill, Ind. Contact him at [email protected] and (765) 366-4285.

Wilson and Smith – “Electric Motor Reliability Model”, Shaker Research Corp. RADCNTR-77-40HBased on an analysis of 3,000 fractional horsepower motor failure histories, Wilson and Smith found:

• Bearing failures – 80.85%• Electrical failures – 16.55%• Mechanical failures – 2.60%These motors had grease packed, single- and double-shielded

rolling element bearings of quality grade 3 and 5. The insulation was NEMA classes F and H, corresponding to IEEE class 150ºF and 180ºF.

Reliability Analysis Center (RAC) – Reliability Toolkit, System Reliability Center, Rome, N.Y.A sampling of failure mode information revealed the following causes:

• Bearing failure – 28%• Winding failure – 31%• Fail to run after start – 23%• Fail to start – 18%

IEEE Petro-Chemical Paper PCIC-94-01This document shows the following failure distribution:

• Bearing – 51%• Stator winding – 16% (might have been voltage, water, over-

load, etc.)• External – 16% (environment, voltage, load – likely to recur)• Rotor bar – 5%• Shaft/coupling – 2%• Unknown – 10% (no RCFA performed)

RELIABILITYMotors

Motor repair (part 1) – “Analyzing premature winding failures – part 1”Motor repair (part 2) – “Analyzing premature winding failures – part 2” Rewind service centers – “Tracking down excellence”RCA – “Going around in circles”Shaft currents – “Bearings and electricity don’t mix”

For more, search www.PlantServices.com using the keywords bearing, insulation and rotor.

Three representative studies


PS0802_48_50_Motors.indd 50 2/4/08 4:43:15 PM

Our broad selection continues to grow with complete inventories in 29 North American branch locations.

Offering a broad product range, sets the standard with customer service second to none. Add to it, fast delivery from stock, same day / next day rebores and alterations, fast turnaround times on Made-to-Orders and you can see why we set the benchmark in the industrial marketplace.

We Stand as a

www.martinsprock"Where dependability is a tradition...and exceptional service is nothing new!"


F .PLANTSERVICES.52

A number of manufacturer’s reps, independent au-ditors and energy services companies off er com-pressed air auditing services that provide valuable

benefi ts to compressed air system operators. Generally, you might purchase audit services for one of two reasons.

First, a specifi c problem in your compressed air system that needs attention. It might be low pressure somewhere in the plant, moisture in the lines or inadequate overall capaci-ty. � e second reason is a desire to reduce operating costs. In either case, you should take a number of easy, low-cost ac-tions before the audit begins. � ese actions might mitigate the problem and preclude the need for costly outside help.

If you want to reduce compressed air costs, performing these fi ve tasks will allow auditors to perform a higher-level system analysis. As air auditors, we fi nd that all too often, we

spend our time and our client’s money solving problems that only get the air system to a minimum level of operational effi ciency. We can’t work on really getting a system working at optimum effi ciency until these issues are addressed.

What follows is advice from auditors. Attention to these fi ve points can signifi cantly improve the quality of our au-diting or let you avoid calling us in altogether.

1. Focus on � lters� ese are a critical but often overlooked component of a compressed air system. Frequently, they’re not replaced at appropriate intervals. When fi lters are clogged, the pressure drop across them skyrockets as the fi lter element reaches the end of its service life. Filters generally operate with a pres-sure drop between 1 psid and 5 psid. However, as they reach the end of their service life, the pressure drop can exceed 15

psid. � is plays havoc with your system and severely limits the air pressure available for air users. Don’t let the pressure problem you’re having on the plant fl oor come from dirty fi lters in the compressor room.

Change fi lters once a year at a minimum. In many facili-ties, fi lters must be changed more frequently. To ensure you have the opportunity to change fi lters before the pressure drop across them skyrockets, install diff erential pressure gauges on the fi lters if you don’t already have them. � ese gauges are available as add-ons to nearly every fi lter.

Frequently, plant personnel deal with low-pressure prob-lems by increasing the compressor’s output pressure. Re-member, for every 2 psig increase in output pressure, energy consumption increases by 1%. � e pressure problem might be “solved,” but the underlying issues remain.

2. Locate leaksEvery compressed air system has leaks. Often, a prime reason for calling in an auditor is to perform a leak survey. However, even if the survey is part of the audit, make an eff ort to repair leaks because auditors don’t get an accurate picture of how the system operates if it has large leaks.

Leaks aff ect pressure and fl ow in the entire system. Dur-ing a recent audit, the owner complained of pressure prob-lems at a large group of critical air users. Upon investiga-tion, we found a ¼ -inch leak on a fi lter/regulator/lubricator (FRL) servicing the group of equipment. Simply fi xing one hole solved the pressure problems and increased the pressure available to the other air users.

Pay special attention to quick-disconnects and other hose fi ttings, the most common place for leaks. Fortunately, they’re also the easiest leaks to repair, often requiring no more than tightening a hose clamp or replacing a quick-dis-connect. Inspect and repair connections and quick-discon-nects before any air audit.

3. Fix the FRLsFRLs are a critical part of every compressed air system. � ey protect and lubricate end-use equipment while mini-

When fi lters are clogged, the pressure drop across them

skyrockets as the fi lter element reaches the end of its service life. Before you

call for help

PS0802_52_54_Compressors.indd 52 2/4/08 4:43:36 PM


mizing the air used. However, FRLs often are in poor operating condition and should be repaired or replaced. First, check the bowls on the fi lters. If any are cracked or leaking, replace them immediately. If any are full of condensate, drain them and put a system in place that drains them as needed. If the manual drains on any bowls are cracked open or wide open, close them and inform op-erators that they shouldn’t be left open. Also, ensure that connections on the FRLs are sound and not leaky.

Second, make sure the pressure gauge is readable and functioning. Air auditors see too many regulators with the housings broken off and gauges that are fi lled with conden-sate, reading zero pressure, not responding when the regula-tor position is changed, and corroded. Replace any regulator that doesn’t display downstream pressure accurately.

Once your regulators are functional, make sure they’re set to deliver an air pressure that matches the end-use specifi ca-tions. Frequently, regulators are set much higher than they need to be. � ey might have been set that way initially or, more likely, operators decided they weren’t getting enough air pressure and cranked up the regulator.

Common machine operator thinking is, “If I can make 20 widgets a minute with 30 psig, I can make 40 widgets with 60 psig, right?” Alternatively, pressure might have been low one day and operators cranked up the regulator without re-membering to reset it. One lesson we’ve learned is that regu-lator settings drift up, but never come back down.

How do you check that regulators are working properly? Whenever we perform an audit, we connect a digital pres-sure gauge equipped with a quick-disconnect fi tting to veri-fy air pressure on every piece of equipment. Delivering more pressure than end users need increases air consumption.

An air cylinder specifi ed for 30 psig will use 70% more air at 60 psig, 230% more at 90 psig and 300% more at 120 psig. All air-powered equipment works this way – the more pressure delivered, the greater the air used. Auditors call this phenomenon artifi cial demand.

Furthermore, delivering more pressure than needed can be a safety hazard, especially for hand tools. If you fi nd that

By Andrew Sheaffer


machine operators are constantly changing settings, consid-er tamper-resistant regulators. They’re widely available and discourage unauthorized pressure changes.

4. Unauthorized modificationsPlant personnel often regard compressed air as a free and infinitely available utility. This can lead to some inge-nious uses for air. Our personal favorite unauthorized use is as a personal cooling device. Tape down the trigger

and hang a blowgun so it points toward your station and you’ll be cool all day. Maybe drill a couple of holes in a pipe and mount it so it blows on you. In a metal cast-ing facility, we found a copper pipe having seven 1/8-in. holes being used to cool a workstation. This cost the plant more than $10,000 a year in energy and reduced system

pressure to the point that every air user on the system was adversely affected. Another favorite unauthorized air use is for cleaning floors. Sweeping is much easier with 100-psig air than it is with a broom.

These unauthorized air uses affect a system like a large leak, reducing pressure and flow available to other users. Are there enterprising machine operators on your plant floor?

5. Train the drainsMoisture in compressed air can destroy system components. What should you do if you find moisture in your air? Before you call an auditor, even before you call your dryer service company – make sure that the drains in your system are working. Although this sounds obvious, wherever we hear complaints about condensate, we find inoperable drains.

One client spent in excess of $10,000 on an audit with the express target of eliminating the source of moisture in the air lines. After discussions about replacing air dryers and conducting a comprehensive audit, we traced the problem to a failed automatic drain on a refrigerated dryer. Testing and repairing this drain would have avoided the entire audit.

Electronic drains are easily checked by pressing the ubiquitous “Test” button found on virtually every electric drain, whether they are zero-loss drains or timer drains.


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Plant personnel often regard compressed air as a free and infinitely available utility.

This can lead to some very ingenious uses for air.


F .PLANTSERVICES.56

Other mechanical drains typically have a manual by-pass. If you open the bypass and a signifi cant amount of condensate comes out, the drain needs to be repaired or recalibrated. Remember, manufacturers recommend that mechanical drains be taken apart and cleaned monthly to prevent clogging.

Some facilities consider the maintenance that electronic or mechanical drains need to be excessive and, therefore, elect to install manual drain valves, fully intending to open these drains periodically. � en, they fail to do so. It’s not uncommon for auditors to open a manual drain valve on

the bottom of a coalescing fi lter or air receiver only to have gallons of nasty-looking condensate and oil drain from the equipment. If you have condensate drains at any of these locations, ensure they function properly by checking the air/lubricant separators, receivers, dryers, coalescing fi lters and distribution low points

So, you still want an air audit?Getting one is pretty simple, but make sure to complete the above checklist of fi ve air system maintenance items before you call anyone. Chances are good that your system will perform signifi cantly better. You might even eliminate the immediate need to pay for an outside air audit. If you still want to improve performance and reduce the air system op-erating cost, go ahead and make the call. As independent auditors, we seek to develop cost-saving recommendations that reduce air system operating cost by 25% to 50% while improving system performance. So clearly, air audits are a sound investment. Just complete the checklist before we ar-rive and make us really work for our fee.

Andrew Shea� er is a research engineer for the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Contact him at sheaf [email protected] and (312) 413-3615.

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Successful competition in a messy, volatile global mar-ketplace isn’t particularly easy, even for the best, lean-est, meanest manufacturing plants. It takes an entire

company, not just corporate management, to demonstrate any semblance of improvement. It’s the aggregation of all those little things that people do each day, the fine tweaks they make in operating procedures that make a meaningful difference, either for the good or for the bad. In this sense, employees really are a company’s most important asset, as long as they are effective at communicating and diligent about succeeding in the marketplace. Sometimes it really is what you know that counts.

Putting employee knowledge to good use right now might be a smart way to generate perceptible value in the marketplace. This is particularly true because, as you’ve no doubt heard, the Baby Boomers are starting to bail out in large numbers. Knowledge management might even be a key to developing your own set of best practices that will

endure when Boomers go on to things that are more fun than working for a living. If you go this route, you’ll need to capture what employees know, document it and share it with other stakeholders, both within and without the build-ing. So, take a few minutes to come with me for another dip into the digital morass we call the Web in search of prac-tical, zero-cost, noncommercial, registration-free resources you might find useful for cleaning up that messy, volatile global marketplace. Remember, we search the Web so you don’t have to.

Glossary“Gotcha” bills itself as a guide to knowledge management. A group of graduate students at the UC Berkeley’s School of Information Management and Systems designed the site for both newbies and power users who want to explore the

topic. The site has a glossary of terms related to knowledge management, but there’s not much beyond that. I couldn’t get the search function to work and many of the links are terminally dead. That’s not much of a surprise, considering that the site probably was a class project and doesn’t appear to have been updated since 1999, when the school turned the students loose to find work in the real world. Anyway, you can go to http://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/courses/is213/s99/Projects/P9/web_site if you want to learn the jargon that can make you sound like an old hand at this knowledge-management business.

Join the clubThe raison d’etre of the Birmingham, England-based OR Society is a discipline called operational research (OR). In fact, the organization claims to be one of the largest such groups in the world, and has some 3,000 members in 53 countries. Operational research refers to the application of various analytical methods to common activities for the purpose of making better decisions about those activities. For example, an airline can use OR to find the optimum al-location of ticket types – the rigidly constricted loss-leader that gets the publicity, the mid-range that carries the finan-cial load, and the high-priced version that can be purchased on short notice – that maximizes profits. Because knowl-edge management is an important part of the OR scene, the Society has much to say about it on its Web site.

But, accessing the relevant material requires a cumber-some, multistep process. Begin by heading over to www.orsoc.org.uk and find the drop-down menu hidden under “OR & its applications.” Slide down to “OR topics” then, in sequence as pages load, “Introduction,” “Sections cur-rently available,” “Knowledge management,” “Knowledge management, a review” and “Section map.” There is much scholarly material to be had if you make the effort.

Hardware knowledge“The Importance of Knowledge Management to the Asset-Management Process,” by Hodkiewicz, Coetzee, Dwight and Sharp, was published in Oil and Gas Processing Re-view during 2006 and addresses the idea of knowledge management as it would be applied to managing assets

Exploiting intellectual capitalUse knowledge management to institutionalize what you’re doing well

Putting employee knowledge to good use right now might be a smart way to generate

perceived value in the marketplace.

PS0802_57_60_WebHunter.indd 57 2/4/08 4:44:17 PM

in the plant. The authors point out that because captur-ing and sharing asset-centric information is a challenge, knowledge management can be useful. They identify the four basic steps in applying knowledge management to hardware and discuss some common difficulties that can arise. These include a mismatch between the avail-able data and what’s needed for effective decision-mak-ing, motivation and skills retention. This Web resource can be found by going to www.touchbriefings.com, where you should click on “PDF Files 10” at the bottom of the page. Then, use CTL-F to search for “Hodkiewicz.” Finally, click on the article title.

On the assembly lineThe pace at which discrete manufacturing must operate if it’s to be competitive might be bearable in the long run if procedures, tools, materials, designs and personnel re-mained static. But, if you get that line cranking along and then start changing the inputs, you’ve got a potential train wreck on your hands. On the other hand, the judicious use of knowledge-management software can smooth things out. So argue Kasvi, Nieminen, Pulkkis and Vartiainen from the Laboratory of Work Psychology and Leadership at Helsinki University of Technology.

In an online article, they explain the reasons why some attempts to introduce knowledge-management software might fail. On the positive side, they also reveal the three things they believe are needed for a successful introduction. They believe the primary goal you should have is some sort of organizational learning. As examples, they offer three case studies of applying knowledge management in the in-dustrial arena. Take a moment to read them by moving on to www.knowledge.hut.fi/projects/itss, where you’ll scroll down and click on “Our abstracts,” then on “Knowledge Management on the Shop-Floor.”

Knowledge for green“Environmental Knowledge Management” is an article by Iddo Wernick, a senior research associate at the World Re-sources Institute in Washington, D.C. The piece appeared in the Journal of Industrial Ecology in early 2002. Before we go on, understand that industrial ecology is a concept of a decidedly green hue that views an industrial system as a par-ticular example of an ecosystem, except that it’s based on capital rather than on natural life and inert resources.

Wernick proposes we combine industrial ecology with knowledge management to form a construct called en-vironmental knowledge management for the purpose of improving a plant’s environmental performance. Plants that use activity-based costing or metric-based manage-


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ment might already have a head start on minimizing the cost of gathering necessary information for green purpos-es. Wernick points out, though, that software alone isn’t suffi cient. � e secret is participation, data maintenance and management support. Anyway, you can read this article at www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1162/108819802763471735. It’s a long URL, but, unfortunately, I was unable to fi nd an easier path.

No islands allowedYou can’t go it alone. Real life is a complex proposition. Ev-erything and everyone has the potential to interact with every other entity that calls Earth its home. � ese interactions form a vast and complex network, the understanding and docu-mentation of which can be most confusing. Gene Bellinger, from Manchester, England, advocates the concept of systems thinking as a path to enlightenment about network interac-tions. Based on the content of his Web site, he evidently put a lot of time into thinking about systems.

His goal, you see, is to understand systems by simplify-ing, mapping and modeling the complexity in the relation-ships and interactions that form them. I mention this only because Bellinger off ers an approach to business philosophy and concludes that knowledge management qualifi es as part of the mix. Take a gander at the material at www.systems-thinking.org/index.htm, the home of Mental Model Mus-ings. Don’t be put off by the diagrams fi lled with words and curved arrows that show how entities infl uence each other. You’ll fi nd several articles about knowledge management listed under “Business and Organizations.” If you read care-fully, the arrows will make sense.

From the Fourth EstateDon’t walk blindly into a knowledge-management initiative without having at least a little knowledge about the lay of the land before you. Success will depend on more than sim-ply having a super-duper database that everyone can access. � ere’s always a political aspect to any such big idea that someone tries to get a company to adopt across the board. You can get a fl avor of the ways you can address the chal-lenges in “ABC: An Introduction to Knowledge Manage-ment (KM),” an article by Meridith Levinson, a staff er for


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CIO magazine. She defines knowledge management and explains the sort of material that could be considered as in-tellectual assets. The article offers definitions of explicit and tacit knowledge, and includes some ideas on transferring the tacit type. She lists the five benefits a company can expect from having a successful knowledge-management system in place. She goes on to offer advice on getting that all-impor-tant buy-in when you’re trying to push through such touchy-feely initiatives, and follows up with tips for demonstrating the return on your knowledge-management effort. Unfortu-nately, many of the links to the supplementary articles don’t appear to be live. Nevertheless, there’s a case to be made for knowing about www.cio.com/article/40343 so your mouse can explore ideas from an award-winning journalist.

Devil’s advocateNot everyone blithely hops on the knowledge-management bandwagon. T.D. Wilson, Professor Emeritus at Univer-sity of Sheffield, England, and publisher of Information Research, a scholarly journal dedicated to research across information-related disciplines, is skeptical of the idea. His article, “The nonsense of knowledge management,” argues that failing to acknowledge the difference between the terms knowledge and information is a fatal mistake. Wilson then offers a scheme by which you can easily discern the dis-tinction between the two. With that complete, he reports on his search of scholarly literature and critiques the relevant content in each of the journals he found. Next, he shifts to the major business consultancies and shows how they deal with the differentiation. Finally, he explores how business schools handle the issue. If you don’t have time to read this article, all 11,000 words of it, skip down to his conclusions near the end, where he summarizes his thoughts on this idea of knowledge management. Wilson’s food for thought can be found at http://informationr.net/ir/8-1/paper144.html

Without commentwww.jistem.fea.usp.br/index.php/jistem/article/view/3/1

E-mail Executive Editor Russ Kratowicz, P.E., CMRP, at [email protected].


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In the early 1960s, Acme began manufacturing high-tech gizmos for the U.S. military. Anne Goragote found employment at the plant 14 years ago and began

a career in a variety of hourly wage positions in different departments. Her competence earned her a spot as a techni-cian on a special team upgrading the plant’s automation and wireless communication system.

In performance appraisals, her current supervisor, Pete Terbilt, wrote that Anne was an important part of the team and helped them get through certain critical stages in the implementation. In an effort to motivate, Pete suggested to Anne that being in on the project’s ground floor could open up some career advancement. Specifically, Pete dangled the carrot of a salaried position or a pay raise if Anne could maintain her productivity for the rest of the project.

In a completely unrelated situation, Nola Contendrie, an employee in another department, was campaigning for a position on the executive board of the union representing Acme’s hourly workers. During the campaign, sexually dis-paraging flyers about Nola appeared in the plant and locker rooms. Nola complained until Acme investigated.

The investigators spread out through the plant and in a conversation with Anne learned that she had seen a female employee leave flyers in the lunchroom and in one of the restrooms. Anne also said that she’d be glad to testify to this fact, if things went that far. Just to be safe, she reserved a few of her remaining vacation days for this purpose.

Ultimately, Nola sued Acme, the union and its president claiming she’d been subjected to a hostile work environ-ment. During her deposition, Nola stated that the only wit-ness who saw someone distributing flyers was Anne, who she hadn’t met and who had no vested interest in the suit. This tidbit flew through the management grapevine.

Early in the shift the next day, an enraged Pete stormed down a factory aisle to Anne’s workstation, summarily re-moved her from the project team and sent her back to the assembly line. A few months later, Anne received a memo from Acme’s HR department telling her that she was no longer needed to teach the evening skills training courses for other Acme employees, a part-time job that she relied on for a bit of extra income.

Then, in direct contradiction to Pete’s promises, Acme

formally declined to promote Anne to the next higher pay grade although the increase was long overdue. To top it off, Anne was informed that she and employees with less senior-ity were eligible for promotion only if they received more training and worked the night shift.

Anne needed a break from this madness. A vacation was in order, but she’d heard nothing about being called to tes-tify. When she tracked down Nola to determine when and if she’d be deposed, Anne was surprised to learn that she was Nola’s only witness and that the suit had already settled.

Suddenly seeing a connection between a willingness to tes-tify and the treatment she’d been receiving, Anne went to Cal Varey, Acme’s HR director, about her suspicions. Cal told her there’s nothing to be done and she might as well look for an-other job. The hazing probably wasn’t going to stop.

Ever the optimist, Anne completed the extra training but was still denied the promotion. Then, Acme denied a spe-cific request from the leader of the automation upgrade to have Anne join the team on a visit a key supplier. Acme also denied her a salaried position that could insulate her from the layoffs expected from the improved automation project.

The termination steamroller caught Anne. Unlike the oth-ers, Acme didn’t refer her to a nearby Acme subsidiary for fu-ture employment even though it was known that the subsidiary was interviewing and hiring employees with less experience. An angry Anne filed a charge of discrimination with the state’s human rights commission and the U.S. Equal Employment

The Good Samaritan fallacyAcme demonstrates its animosity for someone who was only trying to help

IN THE TRENCHESThe scenario presented here is based on a true story;

only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

PS0802_61_65_Trenches.indd 61 2/7/08 2:01:53 PM

Opportunity Commission (EEOC).Then she took charge of her own

life, got an interview with the subsid-iary and was offered a job. But the of-fer was withdrawn. When Anne asked

why, she learned that they called Pete for a reference check. That was the last straw, and Anne filed suit against Acme, alleging discrimination.

How could this situation have been

avoided? Should hourly employees really expect to achieve exempt status? Does it ever make sense to try to help out with another employee’s problems? Should one expect to be able to take a supervisor at his word? Can the HR department and Acme be held liable for not doing more to stop the harassment and unfair treat-ment? Should Anne have gotten the promise of a promotion in writing?

A corporate consultant says:Acme needs core values that mean something. I kept thinking, what kind of an organization – in this day and age – would drag its feet in investigat-ing an event as serious as distribution of derogatory sexually explicit materi-als? Acme’s culture is defined by what’s allowed to happen and what isn’t.

Acme allows inappropriate conduct but not an atmosphere of integrity and trust. Nola is justified in bringing a suit for a hostile work environment. Further evidence of an ailing corpo-rate culture is the weak, inappropriate response to Anne about looking for another job because the hazing would continue. It’s likely that the state and federal EEOC will sting Acme.

Of course, hourly employees dem-onstrating good performance and an inclination to professional growth should be able to move into exempt positions. Anne appears to have done a great job for 14 or more years; she earned positions on important project teams. In the face of obstacles, she forged ahead and met or exceeded the requirements for promotion.

Our actions have consequences. Where core values and culture are solid and upstanding, the question of whether to support another person’s problem is easy; the answer is yes. When the culture can’t be trusted, I still believe it’s best to strive to do the right thing. In such a situation, it would be best to protect yourself by discussing the matter with trusted su-

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pervisors or managers and, if the issue is serious enough, perhaps a labor at-torney. After all, it might be your live-lihood we’re talking about. Be aware of the legal and corporate implications and, by all means, document any ac-tions and conversations that are ma-terial to the issue. A detailed set of notes has significantly more weight than “he-said, she-said” recollections. Be educated and protect yourself by documenting issues as they arise.

A supervisor should provide oppor-tunities and encourage professional growth for team members. It involves

trust and communication; Peter’s sug-gestions sound more like coaching than a formal statement of conditions for a promotion or salary increase. Peter probably had the best of inten-tions when he first discussed the issue, however, it’s possible he overstepped his authority. Or perhaps he was part of the corporate lack of core values, an errand boy, or an enabler. Anne should be aware of Peter’s authority with regard to promotions because she has been there for a number of years. Her enthusiasm should be tempered by Peter’s authority and the probable coaching nature of the discussion. By the same token, specific performance qualifications were discussed and Anne completed them in the face of increasingly difficult circumstances.

The HR department and Acme are accountable for the harassment and unfair treatment. The liability started when Peter stormed in to the work area to remove Anne from the project without explanation.

Beyond that, Acme blocked Anne’s part-time training gig and further participation on the project team. One suggestion for Anne, and every-one else, would be to become familiar

with regulatory and corporate policy on these issues. This means you should receive training – ask for it or research it independently – on what your rights are with regard to union rules, harass-

When the organizational culture can’t be trusted, I still

believe it’s best to strive to do the right thing.


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ment reporting and available options. It’s probably best that Anne leaves Acme and signs on with a company that has better core values.

Generally, if the discussion is indeed about terms for pro-motion, then it should be in writing. If the nature of the con-versation were about coaching, then I wouldn’t necessarily expect the advice to be written down. Having a written offer would make any potential grievance or legal suit more solid.

Realistically, I have doubts that Acme would have stood by the offer of promotion whether it was written down or not. The central issue is the integrity of Acme and its management team.

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

An academician says:Employees shouldn’t take workplace promises too seriously. New employees often are told, “You’ll be able to move up quickly here,” or, “You have the potential to make six figures in a no time,” or, “You’re in line for promotion.” Most of this is smoke with a touch of truth in it somewhere.

The people who make these “promises” usually don’t have the authority to deliver on them. Moreover, the promises are contingent on too many other factors, such as the economy, company sales, the employee’s performance and who else is in line for the job, to name a few. A company always can find an excuse for not delivering on its promises.

However, violating company rules is a different matter. If a company states that one must have certain qualifications for promotion, but then promotes someone lacking those qualifications (over those who have them), then that’s a ba-sis for legal action. Changing the rules for promotion in an attempt to avoid promoting those who are qualified under the old rules also presents a legal problem.

It isn’t clear how much Acme is skirting its own rules, in contrast to blowing a little smoke at Anne to keep her moti-vated. My take is that there’s a consistent pattern here, both of broken promises and rules violations - which occurred after Anne’s willingness to testify in Nola’s complaint - to justify (successful) legal action on her part.

As I’ve mentioned many times before in this column, the track record regarding whistle-blowers, and those who ap-pear to be supportive of actions against the company, is poor. People who aren’t perceived to be 100% on the company’s side usually receive negative treatment, and often are separated from the company. So, does being a Good Samaritan pay? Only if it supports the company’s policy and actions.

I think Acme was being petty and stupid in Anne’s case.


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She’s obviously a good employee and an asset to the company. That’s the type of person you want. Acme’s time could be better spent getting rid of some of their turkeys. She didn’t do anything wrong or detrimental to the company, so forget it and move on.

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

An attorney says:Anne should prevail in her discrimi-nation claim against the company. Acme engaged in a persistent scheme to retaliate against her for participat-ing in an investigation concerning Nola’s complaint. Just as the law pro-tects from retaliation employees who make harassment complaints, it also protects employees who cooperate in an investigation of a complaint.

It’s not clear whether Anne knew the identity of the employee who left the flyers in the plant, but if she did, Acme should have followed up and disciplined or discharged the person as part of its duty to provide a work-place free from unlawful harassment. Acme dropped the ball in terms of in-vestigating and eradicating it. Penal-izing Anne didn’t solve the problem; it merely swept it under the rug.

Our entire justice system depends on the willingness of individuals to become involved in someone else’s problems. Without this willingness, we’d never have witnesses to testify at trials, other than the parties to the litigation. Anne acted in a responsible manner by telling the company inves-tigators what she observed. By reserv-ing vacation time in the event she was asked to testify, Anne went above and beyond the call of duty.

Many hourly non-exempt employ-ees are promoted to exempt salaried status. An hourly employee shouldn’t “expect” to be promoted to an exempt

position, but farsighted employers pro-mote from within whenever feasible, and that includes promoting lower-level employees to exempt positions. Many executives have worked their

way up from the hourly ranks. Julie Badel, partnerEpstein Becker & Green, P.C.(312) [email protected]


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The Millhog high-speed, handheld pneumatic beveler features an automatic pilot-locating system that eliminates setup time and can perform end preps in a few seconds. The pilot auto-matically seats in the tube ID, and a cutterhead with field-re-placeable carbide blade in-serts and multiple cutting edges performs 371/2° end preps. It can bevel a single tube in three seconds and can be supplied with an optional track-mount sys-tem for rapidly end-prep-ping full panel sections. The tool provides torque-free operation, without cutting oils, and are made for repetitive end preps.ESCO Tool(800) 343-6926www.escotool.com

AdjustAble-sPeed dc contRols And seRvo motoRs PRovide bRushless ReliAbilityA new series of brushless, adjustable-speed controls and ser-vo motors provides the benefits of brushless technology for adjustable-speed applications, including less maintenance, quieter operation, and more efficient and higher torques in smaller packages. Brushless technology can be used for con-veyors, mixers, door openers, material handling, packaging and other general-purpose industrial applications that use adjustable speed. The BMC-Series has models available from ¼ hp through 3 hp. The brushless DC motors, BSM25 and BSM33, are available with NEMA mountings from ¼ hp through 3 hp at 1,800 rpm.Baldor Electric Co. (479) 646-4711www.baldor.com

ICE & SNOW MELTNon-Tracking, Won’t Hurt Rugs

Good ‘Till 40 Below

GERMICIDAL DISINFECTANTFor Use On All Areas, Equipment and Animals

DEGREASER AND EQUIPMENT WASHFor All Tractors, Trucks and All Equipment

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For Best Prices, Call Paul Williams

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b&w ad 1/11/08 11:39 AM Page 1

PS0802_67_69_Products.indd 67 2/7/08 1:07:46 PM

February 2008www.PLANTSERVICES.com

Sweeper-Scrubber eliminateS complexity

The M30 eliminates the complexity of traditional sweeper-scrubbers (two ma-chines bolted together) by combining a scrubber and a sweeper into a single system, called FloorSmart, with a high-capacity, high-dump hopper and dry dust control, allowing the M30 to de-liver cleaning results at a lower total cost of ownership. Designed for large-scale applications, the M30 is an easy-to-use, simple-to-maintain integrated scrub-ber-sweeper with fewer moving parts, resulting in more uptime, less down-time and the maximum in long-life

productivity. It offers FloorSmart, an in-tegrated scrubbing and sweeping system that features two main brushes, as well as a high-capacity, high-dump hopper with dry dust control. The system allows technicians to dry sweep or wet scrub, or to do both simultaneously using the same two brushes. MaxPro² hydraulic technology provides consistent power to the brush drive motors to deliver clean-ing results. The Dura-Track parabolic squeegee is designed with high-tensile-strength steel to maintain its original structure without bending under pres-sure, and is connected with a SmartRe-lease, a breakaway system that protects against damage to the squeegee frame and floor if the squeegee breaks away.Tennant Co.(800) 553-8033www.Tennantco.com

Division of NuStar, Inc. • www.PowerPusher.com • 800-800-9274

One person can move up to 150,000 lbs. with PowerPusher.®

Material handling solutions from PowerPusher reduce risks and improve safety by allowing one person to move the heaviest wheeled loads with total control. Available in four models from 5,000 to 150,000 lb. capacities with a host of optional hitches, tow bars and push plates, PowerPusher is the compact, cost-effective material handling alternative to expensive forklifts and other ride-on equipment.

Free in-plant trial: www.trypowerpusher.com

Move heavy loads without

the pain.

If it rolls... we can move it.PowerPusher ®

IPPPPPPP

™

PPU-101 Move Heavy Ad_Plant Services.indd 1 1/9/08 9:34:21

Mad

e in

the

USA

Our repeat customers are few and far between.And frankly, we’re pretty happy about that.

We’ve got a long list of satisfied customers. But as happy as they are, it will be a long time before we

hear from them again. It’s because they’re using HammerTek’s Smart Elbow® in their conveying system. Other

elbows wear out fast and need to be replaced often. We’ve seen it with pretty much anything transported

through conveying systems. But the Smart Elbow® relies on

deflection — not impact — eliminating the impact-related

problems with virtually every other conveying elbow.

Take advantage of our free trial* and see for yourself why the Smart Elbow® is built to endure.

P.O. Box 416, Landisville, PA 17538 • 888-82-ELBOW • 717-898-7665 • Fax 717-898-9279w w w . h a m m e r t e k . c o m / i m p o • e m a i l : e l b o w s @ h a m m e r t e k . c o m

*please call for complete details.

68


ThermomeTers offer broad infrared TemperaTure measuremenT funcTionaliTy

Fluke 566 and 568 thermometers feature broad infrared (IR) tem-perature measurement functionality, an on-screen menu system and

a dot-matrix display, so users can take complex measurements quick-ly, easily and from greater distances. Both handheld thermometers combine contact and noncontact temperature measurement capability

in one tool. They provide a broad temperature measurement range from -40°C to 800°C/-40°F to 1472°F (Fluke 568) or -40°C to 650°C/-40°F to 1202°F (Fluke 566) at 1% measurement accuracy. With a user inter-

face designed for intuitive operation that is available in six languages, users can ac-cess advanced features such as adjustable emissivity, alarms and data logging with a few pushes of a button via a soft-key menu displayed on the dot-matrix LCD screen. The display has two levels of backlight to facilitate viewing even in low-light condi-tions. Both models include a K-type thermocouple bead probe and are compatible with all standard miniconnector type-K thermocouples. MIN, MAX, AVG and DIF temperature values are captured, and audible and visual alarms can be set to instantly alert users of measurements outside of set limits. The Fluke 568 features a distance-to-spot ratio of 50:1 and the Fluke 566 has a distance-to-spot ratio of 30:1, enabling users to measure smaller objects from further away; and the adjustable emissivity feature with built-in materials table or numerical setting allows users to measure surfaces more accurately and to compensate for shiny surfaces. The Fluke 568 can capture and store 99 data points, which can be viewed on the thermometer or downloaded to a computer via USB connection for analysis and trending, using the included FlukeView Forms software. Fluke(888) 308-5277www.fluke.com

rail guides enable precise linear posiTioning

Profile rail guides provide precise positioning, smooth operation, high load-carrying capacity, high stiffness and unlimited stroke to satisfy linear motion system demands in medical, factory automation, assembly, electronics manufactur-ing and other applications. The expanded product line includes sizes featuring various slide configurations (normal, wide, long) and lengths to meet applica-tion requirements. Carriage designs can accom-modate particular load and stiffness demands (long carriages promote higher load-carrying capacity and wide carriages promote higher mo-ment stiffness). Guides with specific preload can be supplied. Profile rail guides are designed with four precision-ground raceways and a slide unit with four ball circulation paths. SKF(800) 541-3624www.skfusa.com/profilerailguides

February 2008 www.PLANTSERVICES.com© 2008 TURCK, Inc.

Call us with your next application:1-800-544-7769email: [email protected]

www.turck.com

• Pressure & Flow• LDT• Inductive & Capacitive• Level & Analog

• Junctions• Cordsets & Receptables• 450+ Cable Options

• All Major Networks• Remote I/O• Network Cables

TU-1149-0208-17_Plant Services.indd 1 1/28/08 4:15:49 PM


Versatile ratchet WrenchesDesigned for tightening nuts and bolts on flanges, couplings and saddles in rough applications, Lowell wrenches feature a bolt-thru feature that permits tightening nuts on long, threaded shafts. Dedicated wrenches, as well as sets, are available. Handle lengths range from 10 inches to 60 inches, and

sockets come in standard hex and square sizes. Includes reversing control in head. Call (800) 456-9355 or visit www.lowellcorp.com.Lowell

Get rid of Birds!Bird-X, Inc., bird control “X-Perts” since 1964, offers the world’s most complete line of affordable prod-ucts – an effective solution for ANY bird problem. No more droppings, mess, diseases or money wasted on expensive clean-ups. Non-lethal, non-harmful and environmentally

safe, it doesn’t harm birds. Guaranteed solutions! FREE consultation. Call (800) 662-5021. Bird-X, Inc.

oil eater® introdUces a neW line ofaBsorBent Pads

Oil Eater® Absorbent Pads, new from Oil Eater®, are designed to provide a safer and cleaner workplace. This family of products includes Oil Only Pads and Rolls, Universal Pads and Rolls, Industrial Rugs, Absorbent Socks, and Drum Top Pads. Call (800) 528-0334 for a free sample. Visit our Web site at www.oileater.com.Kafko


Mro MARKETPLACE

skills-BUildinG cataloGBuild the skills that build your future with American Tech’s new 2008 catalog. Featured areas include building and electrical trades, maintenance, welding, HVAC and other related areas. Many new and updated editions are included to help keep your skills current, including electrical design and applications, commercial and industrial wiring, industrial

mechanics, and electrical principles and practices. For more infor-mation, call (800) 323-3471 or visit www.go2atp.com.American Technical Publishing

stainless steel PicklinG GelEasy to use and store, Wonder Gel safely cleans the toughest slag, weld scale, black oxides and discoloration from stainless steel surfaces eco-nomically, without damaging sound metal surfaces. It restores the protec-tive chromium oxide layer to resist

new corrosion, and leaves a silvery finish. Call (877) 899-5315 or visit www.derustit.com.Bradford Derustit Corp.

AfterBefore

dissolVe liMe and scaleRydlyme is specifically designed to dissolve the toughest water scale, lime, mud and deposits from virtually any piece of water-based equipment. Rydlyme is a safe, effective alternative to harsh chemical cleaning and labor-intensive mechanical cleaning. This product is 100% biodegradable and can be disposed of down plant sewer systems. Call

(630) 820-8888 or visit www.rydlyme.com.Apex Engineering

inforMation aBoUt BearinG isolatorsWritten by David C. Orlowski, well known for his knowledge of bearings, bearing protec-tion and tribology, An Introduction to Bearing Isolators, is a valuable source of information and useful tool to anyone involved in the management, maintenance, repair and opera-tions (MRO) of motors, machine tool spindles,

turbines, fans, gear boxes, paper machine rolls, pumps and other types of rotating equipment used in industrial/process plants. Call (800) 447-0524 or visit www.inpro-seal.com.Inpro/Seal

Inpro/Seal® Company309.787.4971 • 800.447.0524

AN INTRODUCTIONTO BEARING ISOLATORSA short lesson in bearing isolation

electric heaters, controls & sensorsTempco’s 864-page 35th Anniversary catalog offers electric heaters, tempera-ture sensors, TEC Temperature controls, turnkey process heating systems and related accessory Items. New products include PPR-1800 video graphic data re-corders. Select from stock items or have Tempco custom design and manufacture for your application.

Tempco Electric Heater Corporation

PS0802_70_72_Lits.indd 70 2/7/08 11:33:24 AM

MiniMize Your ChanCes of DowntiMe Robinson Industries’ Preventive Service Program is a scheduled maintenance plan de-signed to identify potential problems with your air-moving equipment before they happen, reducing the likelihood of emergency repairs and downtime. For more information, please call for a brochure at (724) 452-6121. Robinson Industries

what’s new in the worlD of autoMa-tion? oMeGaMation™

Omega Engineering transforms the world of automation with its New OMEGAMATIONTM

line of automation products. The new hard-bound, 1,056-page, full-color Omegamation Complete Automation Handbook and Ency-clopedia is now available. It offers detailed information, technical reference and specifica-tions on thousands of products. Go to www.

omegamation.com to see our product line.Omega Engineering

reelCraft introDuCes hiGh-strenGth, CoMpaCt Dual peDestal reel

A breakthrough in dual-pedestal base de-sign, Reelcraft Industries offers the stability of a dual-pedestal reel in a superbly engi-neered and extremely compact, yet strong design. Reelcraft’s new DP7000 Series is the only reel in its class that features a two-piece, non-welded, interlocking base that

won’t vibrate apart, making it ideal for vehicle-mounted applica-tions. Call (800) 444-3134 or visit www.reelcraft.com for more info.Reelcraft Industries

CoMpressors reDuCe CostsThe Sullair S-energy™ compressors significantly reduce operating and energy costs over the entire compressor life cycle. Before we designed these compressors, we reviewed every aspect of product develop-ment with the customer and the mainte-nance staff in mind. The result is Sullair reli-ability in the most compact, most robust, most maintenance-friendly and quietest

compressor package available on the market. www.sullair.comSullair


Mro MARKETPLACE

floor-CleaninG MaChines CataloG A new brochure from Advance and American-Lincoln, “Industrial sweepers and scrubbers – Tough products for any size job,” is a useful guide for selecting in-dustrial floor-cleaning equipment by ap-plication. Floor machines are organized

by debris capacity and suitability for confined or large, open areas. Product specifications and full-color photos are provided. Call (800) 989-2235 or visit www.advance-us.com/industrial.Nilfisk

CoMpaCt CaBinet CoolerNoren Products manufactures air-to-air and air-to-water heat exchangers for cooling electrical panels and enclosures without letting contami-nants inside. They prevent failures/downtime caused by overheating electronics and are easy as a fan to install. The NEMA 12 Noren Compact Cabinet Coolers and Nema 4/4x, stainless steel are available, as well as UL/cUL, CSA and CE. The

units are low-maintenance and freon free. Call (650) 322-9500 or (866) 936-6736, or visit www.norenproducts.com.Noren Products

usB hart MoDeMGot HART? Then you need Viator HART PC modems. They offer PC connectivity via the USB port; are fully HART-compliant for reliable communication; can be used for configuration, troubleshooting and data acquisition; support all HART-enabled devices; are easy to use, rugged and reli-able; and offer RS232 and EEx ia models.

MACTek Corp., (440) 423-0955, www.mactekcorp.com.MACTek Corp.

SM

®

Lubricated Rotary Screw Air Compressors

� Reliable

� Quiet

� Energy Efficient

� Small Footprint

� Easy to Maintain

Constant Speed and Variable Speed Drives18-75 kW � 25-100 Horsepower

S-energy™

Data-loGGinG Vaisala huMiDitY trans-Mitter hMt330

Vaisala HUMICAP® Humidity/Tem-perature Transmitter HMT330 offers several new features includ-ing a data-logging option, the new generation Vaisala HUMI-CAP® 180 R sensor and a USB con-nection cable for computers. In

addition, the HMT330 has a new display with a white background light for easier reading. Visit www.vaisala.com/HMT330.Vaisala Inc.

PS0802_70_72_Lits.indd 71 2/7/08 11:33:34 AM


MRO MARKETPLACEINDUSTRIAL ROOF RESTORATIONS

Metal roof replacement is disrup-tive, costly and often completely unnecessary. The “End leaks. End rust. End worries.” booklet explains the Topps restoration and mainte-nance system that is non-invasive, economical, adds years to the life of your existing roof, and typically

saves one-half to two-thirds the cost of unneeded replacement. Call (800) 867-7177 or visit www.toppsproducts.com.Topps Products

CLASSIFIEDS

● NiMH battery life up to 10 hours

● Pulse Width Modulation for sharp images at high speed

● Up to 120,000 fpm/rpm● Push button x2 and ÷2● 359° Digital phase shift by 1° ● Store up to 19 flash rates in memory● Rugged aluminum housing

866-527-4666www.hoto-instruments.com

The brightest,fully featured

LED strobe

LED

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ELIMINATEValve Cavitation

• Eliminate valve cavitation byplacing one or more diffusersdownstream of the valve.

• Noise and pipe vibration willalso be eliminated or reduced.

• Valve’s first costs and maintenance burden will also be reduced.

725 Parkview Cir, Elk Grove Vlg, IL 60007

Phone 847-439-2303 [email protected] www.cuservices.net

CUad.indd 1 1/30/07 10:51:26 AM

Products and Services

NEw PROMOTIONAL LITERATUREGet the word out via ad lits in Plant Ser-vices. Book your 2007 schedule now! Bo-nus: Your ad lit also will be included in the digital edition of the magazine with a free hyperlink back to your Web site. It’s a great way to promote your catalogs, brochures and spec sheets in print and online. Contact: Michael Connaughton (630) 467-1300 ext. [email protected]

PERFORMANCE | RELIABILIT Y | EFFICIENCY | ASSE T MANAGEMENT

WWW.PLANTSERVICES.COM

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

Don’t risk lives, reliability and profi ts just to save a buck

Dare to compare air compressors

Flooring safety: no skidding matter

How to ruin fan bearings

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PS0801_01_Cover.indd 1 2/7/08 10:51:39 AM

PS0802_70_72_Lits.indd 72 2/7/08 11:33:51 AM

ABB 22

AitkenProducts 42

AmericanPowerConversion 19

AppliedIndustrialTechnologies 35

Baker Instrument 65

BaldorMotorsandDrives 47

BijurLubricatingCorp.Lubesite 64

CarrierRentalSystems 56

Clayton 29

ColumbusMcKinnon 20

CRCIndustries 9

CygnusExpositions 55

Dell BC

DonaldsonCompany,Inc.Torit 15

DonaldsonCompany,Inc.Ultrafilter 37

Fluke IFC

Goodway Technologies 64

HammerTek 68

HannayReels 16

HitachiAmericaLimited 41

IFS North America 26

KaeserCompressors 8

KafkoInternational 59

Legris 54

Lubriplate Lubricants 44

MacroAir Technologies 30

MaintenanceChemicalSupply 67

MartinSprocket&Gear 51

MotionIndustries 43

PdMA 40

PowerPusher 68

QuincyCompressors IBC

RedLion 10

ReelCraft Industries 60

ReliabilityBrands 62

Rexnord 58

RobinsonIndustries 39

Sherwin Williams 12

SKFReliabilitySystems 17

SmartwareGroup 14

SpartanChemical 58

SPX Dehydration and Process Filtration 18

StanleyWorks 6

Sullair 3

Sulmac 60

Topps Products 28

TurbomachineryLaboratory 66

Turck 4,69

Vaisala 63

WDG 25

MIKE brEnnEr Group puBLISHErArkansas, Northern California, Minnesota, oregon, Washington Phone:(630)467-1300,ext.487Fax:(630)467-1120e-mail: [email protected]

JErrY bUrnS DISTrICT MANAGErConnecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West VirginiaPhone:(630)467-1300,ext.427Fax:(630)467-1120e-mail: [email protected]

MIKE balzano DISTrICT MANAGErAlabama, Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, utah ,Wisconsin, Wyoming, ontario/Canada Phone:(630)467-1300,ext.425Fax:(630)467-1120e-mail: [email protected]

SCoTT WalTErS DISTrICT MANAGErIndiana, ohio, pennsylvania, TennesseePhone:(630)467-1300,ext.805Fax:(630)467-1120e-mail: [email protected]

MICHaEl ConnaUGHTon ACCouNT EXECuTIVEAlberta/Canada, British Columbia/Canada, New Brunswick/Canada, Quebec/Canada, postcards, Literature reviews Phone:(630)467-1300,ext.804Fax:(630)467-1120e-mail: [email protected]

PollY DICKSonINSIDE SALES MANAGErClassifieds, product SpotlightPhone:(630)467-1300,ext.396Fax:(630)364-4175e-mail: [email protected]

FaITH DalTonINSIDE SALES MANAGErDigital SalesPhone:(630)467-1300,ext.485Fax:(630)467-1120e-mail: [email protected]

SUbSCrIPTIon InForMaTIon (888)644-1803or(847)559-7360

rEPrInTSfoster reprints, (866)879-9144www.fostereprints.com

PUTMan MEDIa, InC.555W.PierceRd.,Ste.301,Itasca,IL60143Phone:(630)467-1300Fax:(630)467-1120

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800-662-5021

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Guaranteed to get rid of birds.THE BIRD CONTROL “X-PERTS” SINCE 1964

GEN 4.437 x 3 4/C 11/20/05 1:22 PM Page 1


FAST FACTSADVERTISER PAGE ADVERTISER PAGEPLANT SERVICESSALES oFFICES

CLASSIFIEDSProducts and Services

FLOOR PROBLEMS?• Easy to apply by in-house maintenance staff

• 1 hour set and cure • Performance Guaranteed!!

www.kwikbond.com1-800-820-0680

KwikBond_Ad.pdf 12/5/07 11:58:45 AM

PS0802_73_AdIndex.indd 73 2/7/08 1:09:18 PM

Irecently had the privilege to be a session speaker at the annual meeting of the Northwest Food Processors Association in Portland, Ore. I was struck by the se-

riousness with which the industry’s senior management is considering the risks and opportunities around energy. The willingness to have an open and serious discussion about the future effects of energy and climate change was both impressive and timely.

This industry faces potentially game-changing influences around costs, the demands of their final con-sumers and the demands of food retailers. The U.S. food industry has evolved for decades on a diet of cheap, freely available energy.

This is inevitably reflected in the industry’s operations. The various energy-related aspects of food processing and packaging, food prep-aration, sterilization and refrigeration tend to be viewed separately with a relatively low level of integration. Elsewhere in the world, where energy prices have traditionally been higher, there’s a higher degree of energy integration, including extensive heat re-covery from process to process.

This low-cost world has changed abruptly as energy costs have more than doubled. With energy prices forecast to con-tinue to rise, energy productivity can no longer be viewed as an optional task for operations. It must increasingly be seen as a strategic driver that might even dictate the location of a plant or the processes used in the future.

At a minimum, energy cost is increasingly tracked and understood by a wider group of management than ever be-fore, and global competitors with more energy-efficient op-erations have become more serious threats.

Cost is being exacerbated by well-meaning biofuel poli-cies aimed at reducing dependence in imported oil and the carbon footprint of vehicles. Whatever the pros and cons of this approach, it’s diverting land used for food production into fuel production and pushing up the price of crops, the basic raw material for the processing industry. Given this, can an executive in the food industry remain agnostic when it comes to the topic of biofuels?

Fertilizers also are rising in price as natural gas, a crucial component in their manufacture, is in demand by electric

utilities. Most of this electricity is used in homes and build-ings that could easily reduce their electricity demand if they were more efficient. Thus, by a strange series of links, subop-timal building codes are driving up the cost of food.

When it comes to climate change, food is a multidimen-sional contributor to manmade greenhouse gas emissions. Changes in land use and burning fuels for agriculture, as well as importing food from around the world and trans-porting the processed food to market, produce vast amounts

of additional greenhouse gases. This hasn’t escaped the attention of some major food re-tailers and their environmentally conscious consumers. Some are planning to introduce “carbon-footprint” labeling requirements for their products. What food-processing execu-tive can ignore potential Tesco, PepsiCo or Wal-Mart demands for traceable carbon la-beling on their products?

A large part of the processed food and drink industry relies on packaging that has significant en-ergy-related aspects. The most obvious is glass, which is be-coming more costly to produce as gas and electricity prices increase. The high energy content also is associated with a significant level of embedded greenhouse gas, which must be reflected in any carbon-labeling requirement. Can food processing executives afford not to understand the energy and climate effects of the packaging choices they make for their products?

Lastly, there is the effect of changing weather patterns on the cost and viability of farming, which affects the predictability of the cost and quality of raw materials for the food processor. Every climate change model shows a high probability of significant changes in crop patterns in the coming decades. If these risks exist, can a food execu-tive afford not to have some business scenarios to adapt to these changes?

Customers, shareholders and the wider public will increas-ingly expect management to quantify energy and climate risks, and clearly articulate their plans to manage them.

Peter Garforth is principal of Garforth International LLC, Toledo, Ohio. He can be reached at [email protected].

energy eXPerT

Energy, climate and foodFood processing plants have extra reasons to strategize energy


Cost is being exacerbated by well-meaning

biofuel policies.

PS0802_74_EnergyExpert.indd 74 2/7/08 10:18:08 AM

Dizzy Dean— Hall of Fame pitcher, folk hero, colorful broadcaster. While no modest man, his natural talent and hard-working spirit gave him brag-ging rights. With four consecutive strikeout titles for the St. Louis Cardi-nals, the confident MVP is still the stuff of legends 70 years later.

The QR-25 is also an MVP with 70 years as an industry leader. Known for its reliability, the QR-25 strikes out the competition. And it’s got the brass to back it up. Bring on the heat. The QR-25 — it’s a winner!

For more information, visitwww.quincycompressor.com/backitup

© 2007 Quincy Compressor an EnPro Industries companyDizzy DeanTM by CMG Worldwidewww.DizzyDean.com


J. Siebert, M. Westman, M. Piro, D. Grimes,M. Kohler, C. Joyce, M. Rostron, C Guzy Kuhn, A. Bandeko

DDB CHICAGO INC.DPCCB P86147Blades Revised Ad

“Slash Energy Consumption”Ad # P86147PLDELL – Brand

Page magazine, B: 8.125 in x 10.75 in, T: 7.875 in x 10.5 in, S: 7 in x 10 in, 4/C Bleed

Publications: Plant Services 2/1/08 issue; materials due 1/21/08Pre-Press: DDB

the Studio

ClientDELL

File NameP86147_P86147PL.indd

FolderP86147_DPCCB_Blades_Rev

Printout @ 100%

OS X.4: InDesign CS3

Keyline SizeB 8.125 in x 10.75 inT 7.875 in x 10.5 inL 7 in x 10 in

Digital ArtistA. Bandeko

Date1-16-2008 3:06 PM

Revision # None

LeadCGK

Routing Signatures

Creative Director:

Art Director:

Copywriter:

Acct. Exec.:

Print Producer:

Print Project Mgr.:

OK to Release

Client:

Acct. Service:

NotesDell BrandBlades Revised AdPrePress ResizePage-Brand

Colors Cyan, Magenta,

Yellow, Black

Slug Font: Myriad ProFontsGotham (Ultra, Book, Bold; Type 1)

LinksGrnBkgd_SptLts_Alt_A.psd (CMYK; 495 ppi, 399 ppi), wave_white100_20opacity.ai, ekg_white100_28opacity.ai, fl atlogo_CMYK_Final_Black.psd (CMYK; 1555 ppi)

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