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 By Alexis
Gajewski,
Digital Editor

JOINT SURVEY REVEALS HOW TECHNOLOGIES ARE BEING USED

How is PdM being implemented Group, at Allied Reliability Group PM program. We are seeing a few
in the average plant today? In a joint (www.alliedreliability.com). “Once, more people begin to treat it as im-
survey conducted by Plant Services it was this electronic trickery and portant, and sometimes even more
and ARC Advisory Group (www.arc- considered less important than the so than the PM program.”
web.com), maintenance and reliability
professionals shared their experiences
and insights into the day-to-day use of WHAT’S ON TAP
PdM on the plant floor.
Many plants are ahead of the curve
and already have some form of predic-
ELECTRIC MOTOR TESTING
PREDICTIVE MODELING

tive maintenance implemented in their

OIL ANALYSIS

facilities. Quite a few are using vibra-

ULTRASONIC

CORROSION

SOFTWARE
VIBRATION

INFRARED
ACOUSTIC

tion analysis and infrared imaging, as

well as oil analysis and electric motor
testing. However, predictive modeling
software and acoustic technology were
not even on the radar for the 90 survey
participants (Figure 1).
“We are seeing a slight pickup n No plans n Within 3 Years n In 2014 budget n Have now
in how PdM is viewed,” says Andy
Figure 1. Quite a few plants are using vibration analysis and infrared imaging, as well as
Page, MS/I-O, SSBB, CMRP, prin- oil analysis and electric motor testing. However, predictive modeling software and acoustic
cipal consultant, Technical Services technology were barely on the radar.

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 PERFORMANCE-CHALLENGED IMPROVED UPTIME

n Not effective REDUCE MAINTENANCE COSTS

n Needs some improvement

n Satisfactory
REDUCE OPERATIONAL COSTS
n Effective

n Very effective
IMPROVE UPTIME

Figure 2. When asked to rate the performance of their PdM program over the past 12 KNOWLEDGE CAPTURE
months, more than half admitted their programs need some improvement.

INCREASE VISIBILITY INTO

PDM EFFORTS One possible explanation for this TROUBLED ASSETS
With any plant program, it’s important performance rating could be the
to take a baseline reading to see how retiring of the Baby Boomers. “The
effective it is and where improvements skills crisis is affecting PdM deci-
can be made. When asked to rate the sions due to the lack of qualified ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH
& SAFETY ISSUES
performance of their PdM program technicians to set up programs and
over the past 12 months, more than analyze the data effectively,” says
half admitted their programs need Shon Isenhour, partner at Eruditio
some improvement (Figure 2). (www.eruditiollc.com). “I believe this REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
Andy Page was not surprised by the can be addressed with more remote
results. “I see a sizable group of PdM monitoring within the facilities.
programs that are just getting the ba- By using wireless and route-based
sics down and have not yet begun to see collection of the data with general ENERGY MANAGEMENT
the optimization possibilities,” he says. maintenance technicians and remote
“For some, PdM is a part-time job, and analysis, we can reduce the need for
thus they aren’t interested in refine- high-skill PdM technicians at each REDUCE RISK
ment and optimization. For others, site and pull together multiple sites’
PdM is a job and not a profession, so data remotely for analysis by a single
refinement and improvement really are well-qualified individual. This also
not in their best interests. By and large, provides a position that meets more OTHER
there are fewer PdM professionals out of the needs of the Generation Y
there than we would like to see.” employee, making it a win-win.”

n Not a factor n Low n Medium n High

Figure 3. When asked which factors were

driving their decisions to deploy predictive
maintenance solutions, survey participants
cited the desire to reduce operational costs
and maintenance costs, but the factor at
the forefront of their minds was the need to
improve uptime.

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 LACK OF SUPPORT PAPER-BASED DATA

INDUSTRIAL-GRADE TABLET

CONSUMER-GRADE TABLET

INDUSTRIAL-GRADE PC
PAPER-BASED SYSTEM

CONSUMER-GRADE PC
NO IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

INDUSTRIAL-GRADE

CONSUMER-GRADE
SMARTPHONE

SMARTPHONE

OTHER
BUDGET CONSTRAINTS

UNDEFINED FINANCIAL
BENEFITS

n No plans n Within 3 Years n In 2014 budget n Have now

LIMITED IT RESOURCES
Figure 5. When asked which data collection methods they were using with their PdM
systems, a surprising number of respondents admitted to using a paper-based system,
with industrial- and consumer-grade PCs rounding out the top three.

LACK OF EXECUTIVE SUPPORT

THE PREDICTIVE FUTURE what they are achieving in terms they

Changing strategies can be difficult to understand.”
LIMITED ENGINEERING
RESOURCES accomplish, especially in a plant where As with any improvement, there are
the culture is dominated by a “this is always obstacles to overcome when
the way we have always done it” men- implementing or improving predictive
tality. The forces driving the change maintenance. While the survey re-
UNDEFINED OPERATIONAL must be strong enough to overcome spondents acknowledged that most of
BENEFIT the inevitable backlash. When asked their programs needed improvements,
which factors were driving their deci- they cited budgetary constraints and
sions to deploy predictive maintenance lack of executive support as two of
solutions, survey participants cited the the greatest hurdles that need to be
LACK OF EAM INTEGRATION desire to reduce operational costs and overcome (Figure 4).
maintenance costs. The factor at the “I see very competent PdM techni-
forefront of plant managers’ minds, cians doing impressive work with the
however, was the need to improve technologies with which they have
POOR PROGRAM EXECUTION
uptime (Figure 3). been equipped, but who are hobbled
“Too many current PdM practitio- by lack of proper communications,
ners aren’t taking the time to continu- poor links with ERP/CMMS, and
OTHER ally justify what they are accomplish- ignored by the information technology
ing in terms of return on investment and operator organizations when they
(ROI) and other PdM-related key ask for help to improve things,” says
performance indicators (KPIs),” says Nicholas. “Most PdM programs have
n Not a factor n Low n Medium n High
Jack R. Nicholas, Jr., P.E., CMRP, CRL, no plans, no KPIs, and little apprecia-
a Navy veteran and an individual tion by superiors in the organization
Figure 4. Respondents cited budgetary with more than 50 years of experience for their achievements. They experi-
constraints and lack of executive support
as two of the greatest hurdles that need
in maintenance and reliability. “Nor ence scorn by co-workers who believe
to be overcome when deploying PdM are they educating their superiors on PdM personnel have easy jobs because
solutions.

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 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES DATA USERS

THIRD PARTIES (MAINTENANCE & REPAIR)

COMPLETELY OUTSOURCED TO
IN-HOUSE MAINTENANCE

IN-HOUSE OPERATIONS

IN-HOUSE RELIABILITY

THIRD PARTY REMOTE

EMBEDDED PdM INTELLIGENCE

OEM SUPPLIER
FROM EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS

ENGINEERS

MONITORING

OTHER
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY TO
FIELD WORKFORCE
(WORK HISTORY, MANUALS, ETC.)

n Quarterly n Monthly n Weekly n Never

CLOUD WEB-BASED PdM
DEPLOYMENT
Figure 7. In-house maintenance, operations, and reliability engineers are reading and
interpreting the information on a nearly weekly basis. PdM statistics are rarely used by
outsourced third parties, OEM suppliers, and third-party remote monitors.

SMARTPHONES
some of their work is done in air-con- asked which emerging technologies
ditioned spaces in front of computers. they were considering for inclusion in
Also, some of the conditions they their PdM initiatives. Within the next
TABLETS report are not verifiable with the five three years, many respondents plan
senses of repair personnel and they to have analytics software, tablets,
distrust the finds reported because the wireless connectivity to workers in the
asset appears to be working perfectly field, and embedded PdM intelligence
RFID FOR ASSET IDENTIFICATION well when the recommendation is from equipment suppliers (Figure 6).
made to fix something that doesn’t However, it looks like GIS for asset
appear to be broken.” location, RFID for asset identification,
In this age of smartphones and and cloud-based PdM are still out of
GIS FOR ASSET LOCATION bring-your-own-device (BYOD), it’s reach for many plant workers.
easy to imagine an interconnected “I think we are on the edge of a sub-
plant where machines talk to one stantial change in the PdM technolo-
another and diagnose problems on gies,” says Isenhour. “Based on im-
ANALYTICS SOFTWARE their own. But is this type of techno- provements in technology and current
logical communication happening in trends in the industry, I believe that
most plants, or is it still just a dream? we are about to see a consolidation of
When asked which data collection the PdM technologies. Picture an iPad
methods they were using with their that could operate as an infrared cam-
OTHER
PdM systems, a surprising number of era, a vibration analyzer, ultrasonic
respondents admitted to using a pa- analyzer and CMMS reporting device.
per-based system, with industrial- and One box covering three or more tech-
consumer-grade PCs rounding out nologies and combining them to allow
n Have now n In 2014 budget
the top three (Figure 5). Most survey for asset health instead of faults by
n Within three years n No plans
participants had no plans to imple- technology. We are very close. We can
ment smartphone or tablet technology already access our CMMS from many
Figure 6. Within the next three years,
many respondents plan to have analytics
in the near future. handheld devices.” Vendors have cre-
software, tablets, wireless connectivity to Although most respondents seem ated infrared modules that work with
workers in the field, and embedded PdM to be taking a more traditional, less the iPhone, and vibration is available
intelligence from equipment suppliers. technological approach to PdM, we for the iPad, he explains.

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 ASSET ID “More companies want simpler ing the information on a nearly weekly
equipment, especially vibration, so basis. PdM statistics are rarely used by
they can have their own people col- outsourced third parties, OEM suppli-
lect the data with an outside service ers, and third-party remote monitors
AUTOMATION ASSETS
(FIELD DEVICES, CONTROL VALVES) providing the analysis and report- (Figure 7).
ing,” adds Page. “As for the infrared Isenhour was a bit surprised by some
thermography technologies, the less of these statistics. “If 19% of the reli-
expensive IR cameras are a big hit. It ability engineers never use the informa-
CONTROL SYSTEM ASSETS
(DCS, I/O, CONTROLLERS, NETWORKS, ETC.) gets more people scanning, which is a tion provided by the PdM systems, then
good thing.” one-fifth of the reliability engineers are
Technologies are getting less ex- missing a substantial portion of data
pensive in terms of capital investment that should be used to develop and
PRODUCTION ASSETS needed, and getting more capable and refine maintenance and reliability plans
(ROTATING EQUIPMENT, MECHANICAL,
PUMPS, ETC.) user-friendly in terms of both hardware and strategies,” he says. “The PdM pro-
and software, says Nicholas. “Coupled gram is a core function of an in-house
with communications tools, such as reliability engineer in a manufacturing
DISTRIBUTION PIPELINES wireless, tablets, smartphones, cloud environment.”
technology, Internet connectivity, When asked which types of assets
capacity, and speed, it is also becoming were managed by their PdM solutions,
easier to get reports in any desired level survey participants offered varied
ELECTRIC UTILITY GRID
of detail to those who can make the answers. Most respondents admit-
best use of the data on finds.” ted to having production assets, such
as rotating equipment and pumps,
FLEET VEHICLES (CARS, TRUCKS) WHAT’S IN YOUR DATA? electric utility grid, and industrial fa-
Implementing a predictive mainte- cilities monitored by PdM equipment,
nance strategy is great, but you’ll never but many didn’t see the need to use
COMPLEX FLEET achieve success if you aren’t using the PdM on their laboratory instruments
(RAIL, EARTH MOVERS, PLANES) information to take the right steps. or complex fleets. Other assets, such
According to respondents, in-house as automation assets, control systems,
maintenance, operations, and reliabili- distribution pipelines, and fleet ve-
ty engineers are reading and interpret- hicles split the crowd (Figure 8).
INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
(HVAC, LIGHTING, FIRE PROTECTION,
ACCESS & SECURITY SYSTEMS)

SYSTEM INTEGRATION
LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS
RELIABILITY SOLUTIONS

EAM/CMMS SYSTEM

EH&S SOLUTION

OTHER
ERP SYSTEM
HISTORIAN

OTHER

n Using now n In 2014 budget

n Within three years n No PdM plans
n Asset type not installed

Figure 8. Most respondents admitted to

having production assets, such as rotating
equipment and pumps, electric utility grid, n Not applicable n No plans to integrate n Within three years n In 2014 Budget n Have now
and industrial facilities monitored by PdM
equipment, but many didn’t see the need
to use PdM on their laboratory instruments Figure 9. PdM systems can be integrated into higher-level systems. Historians and CMMS/
or complex fleets. EAM software were the preferred systems for many survey participants.

t PREVIOUS PAGE 6 NEXT PAGE u

 “Most people tend to associate PdM assigned responsibility for PdM,” he
INVESTMENTS only with motors, pumps, and fans,” says. “They perform brilliantly but in
explains Page. “As we discuss valves, obscurity because they don’t advertise
controllers, and mobile equipment, their achievements. Then they move
the look of confusion comes across on, by promotion or recruitment from
PdM TECHNOLOGIES their faces. You can tell they never elsewhere, and are not replaced quickly.
thought about applying the PdM Their technology goes on the shelf and
concepts to anything but rotating and sometimes doesn’t get used for many
electrical equipment.” months, if ever again. Asset deteriora-
RELIABILITY SOLUTIONS tion sets in slowly and decision makers
LET’S GET INTEGRATED don’t notice the absence of attention
PdM solutions do not need to stand on by PdM specialists until things really
their own. In order to create a greater get bad. By then it’s an uphill battle
EAM/CMMS understanding of the plant and its to recover. Many organizations have
overall maintenance, PdM systems can neither succession plans nor retention
be integrated into higher-level systems. initiatives and are surprised when they
Historians and CMMS/EAM software lose PdM specialists.”
DCS were the preferred systems for many Page is hopeful. “I think I see
survey participants. However, few had people starting to use PdM more for
plans to implement environmental commissioning repairs and instal-
health and safety solutions or ERP sys- lations,” he says. “Prevention is
SAFETY SYSTEMS tems in the next three years (Figure 9). the answer to a large percentage of
“One common problem I see is the machinery problems. Catching those
purchase of PdM equipment without conditions that might cause the prob-
the supporting processes required,” says lems early and getting them fixed
FIELD DEVICES Isenhour. “For example if you are using early is the secret to reliability. The
the PdM tools to identify defects but you further up that P-F curve you can get,
do not have work control and planning the easier this all becomes.”
and scheduling processes in place, then Nicholas sees an increased use
PLANT PROCESS NETWORKS the defect identified with still be ad- of wireless internal data collection
dressed as a high-cost unplanned repair. linked by Internet and cloud comput-
The biggest value the PdM tools can ing for technologies such as vibration
bring is the element of time. This time analysis, motor circuit analysis, and
EH&S SOLUTIONS allows for planned, scheduled, and safe ultrasonic analysis. “Communications
execution of the repair at the lowest total links to smartphones, tablet com-
cost and the lowest total downtime.” puters, and desktops will be com-
monplace within two to three years,”
SUSTAINABILITY & ROI says Nicholas. These technologies are
ENERGY MANAGEMENT Allocating time and resources can being used by less than 20% of survey
be difficult in a bustling plant. We respondents. “Under-appreciated
asked the survey participants to rate and barely employed at present are
the importance of predictive main- wearable sensors that can detect and
OTHER tenance in relation to other invest- transmit data on nearby machines
ments. No surprise, safety systems as an operator makes tours or a PdM
were deemed most important by tech goes into the field with more
respondents. Reliability solutions detailed technology tools in hand for
n Least important n Not very important
and PdM technologies rounded out data collection,” explains Nicholas.
n Somewhat important n Important
the top three (Figure 10). “There is now a closer relationship
n Most important
Nicholas offered one explanation between supervisory control and data
as to why PdM programs sometimes acquisition (SCADA) and PdM tech-
Figure 10. Safety systems were deemed
most important by respondents. Reliability get lost in the shuffle. “Often what nology. This will accelerate as cloud
solutions and PdM technologies rounded happens is that some of the best and computing and advanced analytics
out the top three. brightest maintenance personnel are gain acceptance.”

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PREVIOUS PAGE 8 NEXT PAGE

 IS YOUR PdM PROGRAM AS
GOOD AS IT COULD BE?
SURVEYED READERS TALK FRANKLY ABOUT PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE IN THEIR PLANTS

by Alexis Gajewski, Digital Editor

Predictive maintenance is an ever-

evolving maintenance strategy, with new HOW BIG IS THE MAINTENANCE/RELIABILITY
technologies and integration tools con- STAFF AT YOUR PLANT?
tinually finding their way into the PdM
mix. Plant Services recently conducted
a new survey on this topic, asking read- n 2-4 (24.5%)
ers how they expect their current PdM
practices to change, especially given the n 5-10 (25%)
increasing acceptance and integration of n 11-50 (26.4%)
control systems into the average plant.
(See our November 2014 issue for results n 51-100 (9.4%)
from the first PdM survey.) n More than 100 (7.6%)
Among the most notable new find-
ings: Seven in 10 respondents said n Just me (7.1%)
(the MRO is outsourced)
their plant has some form of PdM
program in place, although their ap-
plication of PdM tools varies con-
siderably. In addition, 40% of those
who said their plant uses predictive our survey responders some baseline ASSET MANAGEMENT AND YOU
maintenance said their PdM program questions. A plurality, 24 percent, Who’s calling the PdM shots at plants?
“needs some improvement.” Perhaps identified their primary role as main- More than half of readers (57%) said
most surprising, 17% of respondents tenance manager; plant engineer and maintenance managers are involved
said their plant doesn’t currently have plant manager, respectively, were the in PdM decisions; 48% said plant
plans to incorporate PdM tools. roles with the next-strongest respons- managers are involved. Only 21% said
“PdM programs work with the right es. Less than 1 percent of readers iden- corporate executives are PdM decision-
leadership, and there are well-estab- tified themselves as IT professionals. makers, possibly suggesting disengage-
lished precedents for success, including Most respondents said their main- ment from what is happening on a daily
compelling ROI, safety, financial, and tenance staff numbers 50 or fewer basis on the plant floor or from the data
operating benefits,” says Burt Hurlock, workers. Around one-quarter (26%) generated through a PdM program.
CEO of Azima DLI (www.azimadli. said their maintenance staff consists of When we asked readers which spe-
com). “These precedents are well- 11–50 people; similar shares reported a cific predictive maintenance technolo-
established and explain long-standing maintenance staff of 5–10 people (25%) gies they have deployed at their plants,
commitments by many Fortune 500 or 2–4 people (24.5%). These rather infrared, oil analysis, and vibration
companies as well as branches of the small maintenance departments could analysis topped the list. This isn’t
armed services to PdM.” be linked to the total number of plants surprising, given the attention these
that our readers’ organizations manage. technologies have received in recent
GETTING TO KNOW YOU Nearly 36% of readers are only manag- years and the high ROIs they offer.
To get a better understanding of our ing one plant, with 29% spreading their Predictive modeling software is on
readers and their PdM needs, we asked resources across two to five plants. readers’ radar; one-fourth of readers

t PREVIOUS PAGE 9 NEXT PAGE u

 plan to implement it at their plants within the next three This does not mean that plant professionals are unin-
years. Acoustic technologies for predictive maintenance terested in an interconnected plant. As plants strive for a
have a long way to go toward widespread adoption: 55% of more-connected environment, integration of higher-level
respondents don’t plan to implement them anytime soon. PdM systems is becoming a growing priority. Historian
Advanced PdM features such as troubleshooting decision systems and EAM/CMMS systems topped the list of higher-
trees and human-machine interface (HMI) with color-coded level PdM solutions that plants are implementing, with many
alerts (readers’ two most widely deployed advanced features) respondents planning to integrate reliability solutions within
can help plants optimize use of the data they collect, aiding the next three years.
them in prioritizing maintenance and repair tasks and tactics.
And looking at emerging technologies, remote monitoring
and analysis and analytics software generated the highest
40% of those whose facilities have
interest among readers. deployed PdM tools said that their
In considering the motivations for implementing PdM PdM programs need improvement.
technologies, top factors for readers included improving up- Only 25% rated their plant’s PdM
time, reducing operational costs, and reducing maintenance
costs. Less-popular as drivers of PdM investments were
program as satisfactory.
knowledge transfer and energy management.
The current implementation of PdM programs in 70% Also, many respondents plan within the next three years
of plants might seem like a high rate of adoption, but not to implement industrial-grade tablets and industrial-grade
everyone agrees with that assessment. “When I began in the smartphones at their plant. But for others, adoption of ad-
field of condition monitoring 30 years ago, it was sometimes vanced data tools looks to continue to lag well behind their
difficult to convince people about the need for condition arrival and proliferation in the marketplace.
monitoring,” says Jason Tranter, managing director of Mo- Who’s reviewing the data, and how often are they doing
bius Institute. “But the concept of condition monitoring was so? In-house maintenance professionals, for the most part,
not new even way back then. Therefore, I still find it a little according to readers, and they’re checking the data on a
surprising that only 70% of those surveyed are using predic- weekly basis. Our survey didn’t find widespread outsourcing
tive maintenance tools today. It is even more surprising that of PdM-related tasks to third-party maintenance and repair
17% have no plans to use predictive maintenance tools.” organizations or third-party remote monitoring services.
While the applications for PdM tools are vast, most plants
GETTING THE RIGHT DATA don’t have the ability or the financial luxury to manage all of
The success of a PdM program depends in large part on their assets with predictive technologies. Our survey found
gathering the right data. Plant Services readers report us- that, broadly, production assets (such as rotating equip-
ing a variety of data-collection methods with their PdM ment and mechanical pumps) were most likely to be covered
systems. Despite the rise of automated information-gath- through a PdM program. Control system assets, including
ering programs, paper-based data-collection systems so far DCS, I/O, controllers and networks, and electrical systems
remain the most prevalent. rounded out the top three. Very few maintenance profes-

WHO MAKES DECISIONS ON ASSET MONITORING TOOLS & CONFIGURATIONS?

50

25

0
Plant Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance Reliability Reliability Controls All
manager manager engineer technician engineer technician engineer others

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 PdM
IN ACTION

sionals said they’re even considering

implementing fleet vehicle or distribu- RATE THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR PdM PROGRAM
tion pipeline predictive maintenance. OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS.

CONTROL SYSTEMS AND ASSETS

So, where are PdM investments going?
n Needs some improvement (40.3%)
Controls-related equipment such as
controllers, networks and software is n Satisfactory (24.8%)
most prevalent among PdM tools, with
n Effective (15.5%)
predictive maintenance technologies
for condition monitoring (including n Very effective (3.9%)
thermography, oil analysis, vibration,
n Not effective (15.5%)
ultrasound and motor testing) ranking
as the next-most-popular investments.
Smart (i.e., self-diagnostic) instru-
menation and specialized control sys-
tems are catching on with readers, as
slightly more than haf of respondents
indicated that they are already using sets, electrical systems, and automation Wringing the most value from a PdM
these technologies to monitor assets. assets. These are the mission-critical program is not a short-term challenge.
Interestingly, the adoption rate for systems and assets against which down- “PdM does require investment and ever
these technologies is projected to slow, time and OpEx costs are measured, and scarcer expertise,” says Azima DLI’s
with readers expecting to make deeper readers clearly are open to using the Hurlock. “It also requires performance
investments over the next three years in latest in smart/control technologies to tracking: knowing unplanned main-
embedded remote monitoring devices maximize asset productivity. tenance and CapEx spending and the
and automated work-order generation, incidence of unplanned downtime. If
including repair history, diagnostics, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE companies don’t track spending and
and procedures and parts information. A plurality of survey respondents said performance, they can’t measure or real-
For all of these technologies, about 30% their plants plan to increase spend- ize the effects of PdM.”
of readers indicated that they have no ing on control systems, production When asked to reveal the obstacles
plans at all to implement them. assets and instrumentation by up to limiting the success of their PdM ini-
When it comes to how readers are 5%. Few readers anticipate seeing an tiatives, budget constraints and unde-
using control systems and connected increase in PdM investments greater fined financial benefits ranked highest.
sensors to monitor plant assets, the than 5%, but of more importance, “It is clear that the financial benefit of
top four applications were no surprise: very few anticipate trimming invest- condition-based maintenance is still
production assets, control system as- ments in their PdM programs. not widely understood,” says Jason

WHICH ARE YOU USING CONTROL SYSTEMS AND CONNECTED SENSORS TO MONITOR?

50

25

0
Automation Control Production Distribution Electrical Fleet HVAC/R Safety Manufacturing Other
assets system assets pipelines systems vehicles system systems/ productivity
assets devices

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 WHICH OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES ARE YOU USING TO MONITOR ASSETS?
Using In 2015 Within 3
No plans
now budget years
Controls equipment (controllers, networks, software) 75.3% 6.7% 6.7% 11.2%

Self-diagnostic (smart) instrumentation and final control elements (drives, valves) 51.4% 5.1% 13.0% 30.5%
Specialized system control systems (combustion controls, steam trap monitors, water/
52.5% 5.1% 10.7% 31.6%
wastewater, cooling systems, compressed air)
Predictive maintenance (PdM) technologies for condition-monitoring (thermography, oil
70.1% 4.5% 8.5% 16.9%
analysis, vibration, ultrasound, motor testing)
Instrumentation (valve analysis, signal processing and alarm management software),
52.5% 4.5% 15.8% 27.1%
automation, data archiving, and reporting software
Automation of work order generation (including repair history, diagnostics, procedure
48.6% 15.3% 18.1% 18.1%
and parts information)

Embedded remote monitoring devices 31.1% 7.9% 21.5% 39.5%

Energy monitoring and control devices (drives, valve actuators) 41.2% 9.6% 16.9% 32.2%

Tranter. “Lack of executive support and budget constraints added that he believes the low share of “satisfactory” rat-
often flow from a lack of understanding or belief in the ings “relates to the fact that most PdM technicians are not
financial benefits of condition-based maintenance. That adequately trained on the technologies, and when they do
situation often exists because there is a lack of agreement on provide recommendations, they are often too technical and
how to quantify the benefits of detecting a failure before it vague.” Most users of PdM tools need “clear, unambiguous,
occurs. This is one reason why benchmarking and tracking actionable information,” he says.
KPIs is so important, along with active communication.”
Timothy Dunton, a director and instructor and developer
Few readers anticipate seeing an
of Reliable Manufacturing at Reliability Solutions Training
(www.reliabilitysolutions.net), says that old-school thinking increase in PdM investments greater
at smaller plants may be stalling more-widespread adoption than 5%, but of more importance,
of PdM tools and practices. “You can get into the game quite very few anticipate trimming
inexpensively with the right approach,” Dunton says. “It
would seem that we have done a poor job of demonstrating
investments in their PdM programs.
the value of lower-cost tools.”
But without adequate resources (whether internal or In addition, Tranter says, if there’s not widespread buy-in
external) to help implement PdM tools, those advocating within an organization into the philosophy of condition-
at smaller plants for adoption of PdM strategies may find based maintenance, then reactive or preventative mainte-
themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place. Azima nance strategies will dominate.
DLI’s Hurlock comments, “What right-minded organization Reliability Solutions Training’s Dunton sees reason for
invests in anything without defining financial and operat- predictive maintenance champions to take heart. Among
ing benefits, and without executive support and the IT and plants that have begun to incorporate PdM tools, “there is
engineering resources required to sustain the program? ... an awakening that (PdM programs) have more to offer,”
If benefits and objectives can’t be defined and resources and he says. That’s one way to look at the large share of survey
support aren’t available, PdM is a waste of time and money.” respondents saying that their plant’s PdM program could
Survey respondents clearly see room for improvement in use improvement, he offers: They recognize that PdM has
their plants’ own PdM programs. Forty percent of those whose potential that’s not yet being realized.
facilities have deployed PdM tools said that their PdM pro- “For that to happen,” he says, “analysts will need more
grams need improvement. Only 25% rated their plant’s PdM time, and for that to happen either the (user) groups will
program as satisfactory. have to grow, or we leverage technology to eliminate the
“It is unfortunate to see that only 4% of people feel more mundane aspects of the process. Lower-cost tech-
that their PdM program is ‘very effective,’ ” says Mobius nology, simpler technology, might enable more people to
Institute’s Tranter, reviewing the survey results. Tranter be involved.”

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t PREVIOUS PAGE 13 NEXT PAGE u

 Build the right PdM program for your plant

Transitioning from reactive or run-to-failure main-

tenance modes to a more-efficient predictive maintenance
(PdM) strategy necessitates often hard-fought battles for
strategic investments. Fortunately, lower condition monitor-
ing technology costs and affordable implementation alterna-
tives are taking the edge off of this debate and encouraging
more rapid and widespread adoption.
PdM is a proven, proactive approach to preventing
machine failures and improving equipment reliability
while minimizing productivity losses and costs that stem
from unnecessary or unplanned maintenance. Successfully
implementing a PdM program requires balancing budgets,
goals, and existing resources against business priorities and
technical requirements.
When 11 industry professionals were asked for their ad-
vice on navigating this course, one recurring theme came
up: “It depends.” The counsel offered by these reliability
consultants, educators, service providers, and technology
vendors provides a starting point for identifying where to
focus PdM dollars, who should perform PdM tasks, how to SET YOUR PdM PRIORITIES
best use data, and which trends are boosting PdM success.
Consider the following when determining PdM priorities:
WHICH ASSETS BENEFIT THE MOST? 1. W
 hat are the most costly shutdowns that could happen?
On the question of asset prioritization, there was no dis- 2. W
 hat equipment would most likely cause this type of
agreement: The consensus is to focus PdM efforts on vital shutdown?
assets that pose the greatest risk of failure. 3. W
 hat are the most likely points of failure for these types
of equipment?

Figure 1. Some
Defect initiated Potential failure technologies
Ultrasound emitted
provide earlier
Vibration detectable warnings than
others.
CONDITION

Particles detectable

Bearing becomes hot

Bearing makes sound

Source: Mobius Institute

Bearing becomes loose

Risk Cost Planning Time Functional failure

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F A
MONTH

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 Source: Azima DLI

Source: Fluke
Figure 2. Regular, periodic vibration testing and analysis has been Figure 3. Thermography provides great detail in reasonably short
shown to be the most broadly applicable PdM technology. time periods without necessitating physical contact with equipment.

“Criticality of the assets to the production output and worst actors – the most expensive to maintain and least reli-
safety of the facility should play a big part in the initial PdM able – because if you don’t get early successes, the program
application,” suggests Shon Isenhour, a partner at Eruditio will lose favor when the novelty wears off,” advises Timo-
(www.EruditioLLC.com). thy Dunton, director, instructor, and developer of Reliable
“A criticality analysis ranks the assets based on the risk Manufacturing at Reliability Solutions Training (www.
they present to your company in the areas of safety, health, reliabilitysolutions.net).
environment, business impact, quality, and other factors,” “Apply PdM to the top 20 percent of the critical equip-
explains Bill Barto, director of the reliability solutions ment list first, and after the health of those assets improves,
group at Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) (www.lce.com). “For tackle the next 20 percent, and so on until more than 85
example, I would target a pump whose failure causes an percent of your assets are covered,” suggests Andy Page,
immediate process disruption (high business impact) over a principal consultant for the technical services group at Al-
pump that has a backup on standby (low business impact).” lied Reliability Group (www.alliedreliabilitygroup.com).
Jason Tranter, founder of Mobius Institute (www.mobi-
usinstitute.com), takes that concept further. “Without an MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR BUDGET
understanding of the failures modes, including an appre- PdM funding commitments may initially be difficult to
ciation of the P-F interval (the time from first symptom to win, so choose an approach that delivers substantive wins in
functional failure), it is not possible to determine which order to justify continuing investments.
PdM technology can detect the fault or how frequently tests “Businesses tend to make emotional decisions regarding
must be performed,” says Tranter. how to manage PdM,” says Reliability Solutions’ Dunton.
“We look for low-hanging fruit as well as the top 40 list of “If they have a failure that they blame on a lack of vibra-

t PREVIOUS PAGE 15 NEXT PAGE u

 tion analysis, they might start doing
vibration analysis on everything. But
if there is a limited budget, it is more
important to do PdM correctly, which
requires good decisions.”
“Let asset criticality and your
predominant failure modes be your
guide,” recommends Eruditio’s
Isenhour. “Map the technologies to
your failure modes, and then deter-
mine which technologies will identify
the largest number of critical failure
modes and provide the greatest value

Source: UE Systems
as compared to their acquisition and
training costs.”
He encourages leveraging existing
investments. “If you already have vi-
bration analysis technologies available
at your site, you would target critical
rotating assets. If you already have
ultrasonic equipment, you might focus
on compressed air leaks and ultrasonic
lubrication,” explains Isenhour. Figure 4. Ultrasound can offer one of the fastest ROIs of any PdM technology.
“I would start with the PdM tech-
nology that everyone already pos-
sesses: their human senses,” says LCE’s the organization raphy services. “Vibration analysis
Barto. “Begin with simple visual and “Infrared thermography covers enables earlier detection and diagnoses
audible indicators of how well your all asset types, is relatively easy to problems, although it requires direct
equipment is running, and resist the learn, is much cheaper than vibration contact with equipment. Motor testing
temptation to run out and buy other analysis, and it’s very easy for people is one of the most common forms of
equipment before getting used to the to accept the information coming reactive testing, but it can be incorpo-
idea of basic condition monitoring. from the camera as the truth,” says rated into a more proactive program.”
“A good example is a client that Page. “The same can be said for pas- “Regular, periodic vibration test-
had many air conditioning filters that sive ultrasound, but it is not the case ing and analysis has been shown to
were replaced after a certain number for vibration analysis.” be the most broadly applicable PdM
of days. I recommended a device that “No single technology is better technology,” suggests Joe Van Dyke,
used the differential pressure across than the other,” remarks Tyler Evans, VP of operations at Azima DLI (www.
the filter to ‘whistle’ when it became business unit manager of vibration azimadli.com).
dirty. Now, they listen for the whistle and alignment products at Fluke “Ultrasound can offer one of the
and replace the filter only when it is Corp. (www.fluke.com). “A plant with fastest ROIs of any of the PdM tech-
sufficiently dirty,” explains Barto. lots of motors may want to focus on nologies,” says Doug Waetjen, VP
vibration and thermography. One of global operations at UE Systems
HOW SHOULD TECHNOLOGY with many gearboxes and drive shafts (www.uesystems.com). “It can be used
CHOICES BE MADE? might benefit more from oil analysis on such a diverse number of assets
New technology investments should and thermography. A plant with a lot and failure modes for compressed
be based on three criteria, according of automation and electrical control air leaks, electrical inspection of
to Allied Reliability Group’s Page: systems may lean toward thermogra- energized assets, bearing testing and
1. Effectiveness of the PdM technology phy and power quality tools.” trending, and condition-based lubrica-
across all asset types “Thermography offers great amounts tion. Ultrasound also has one of the
2. E ase of implementation (e.g., for of detail in reasonably short periods of shortest learning curves.”
learning the hardware, software, time without physical contact with the One successful approach noted by
and technique) equipment,” explains Michael Stuart, Waetjen is to use ultrasound to conduct
3. Degree of reception from those in Fluke’s senior manager of thermog- an audit of your compressed air system,

t PREVIOUS PAGE 16 NEXT PAGE u

 document the hard-dollar savings from the audit, and use the
savings to fund more in-depth analysis of your assets, such as
RCM Blitz and failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA).
“Each condition monitoring technology is able to detect
certain types of faults, whether it’s bearing failure, electrical
hot spots, or lubricant contamination, and some technolo-
gies provide earlier warnings than others,” explains Mobius
Institute’s Tranter. “For example, vibration analysis and oil
analysis should be performed on gearboxes, but don’t rely on
thermography for an early warning.”
Personnel training is an important consideration, too. “Some
condition monitoring technologies can be deployed relatively
quickly with minimal expense and training. Other technolo-

Source: Mobius Institute

gies require a significant investment, not only in equipment
hardware, but in training before people can start becoming
proficient,” remarks Dave Leach, condition monitoring and
vibration specialist at LUDECA Inc. (www.ludeca.com).

INTERNAL OR OUTSOURCED RESOURCES? Figure 6. If everyone within an organization focuses on condition

The personnel and partners involved in PdM can make or improvement or defect elimination, the PdM program will be a
success.
break the program, so be sure to weigh all your options
when delegating the tasks.
“If the plant culture is one of ‘we take care of things The decision often comes down to finances. “A careful
ourselves,’ then internal resources are the best. If the culture comparison of the costs involved with in-house resources
is one of ‘we find the experts and trust them to do it for us,’ (procurement, calibration, storage, training, certification,
then outsourcing is the best,” says Allied Reliability Group’s etc.) and outsourced resources is necessary for each of the
Page. “There is no technological advantage that outweighs different technologies,” says LCE’s Barto. “In my experience,
the cultural advantage of matching your solution to your ultrasound and thermography are fairly intuitive; training
environment.” can usually be done with the equipment supplier, and results
can be gathered almost immediately. Vibration, tribology, and
motor testing ... typically demand much more training.”
Reliability Solutions’ Dunton suggests looking internally
first. “My personal opinion is to always leverage inside help.
For a few thousand dollars you can start a vibration pro-
gram with no bells and whistles, which means even a small
plant can do it themselves,” explains Dunton. “If you choose
outside help, use it to get started but have an exit plan to take
over the program internally.”
“A hybrid model with both internal and external resources
has proven to be very effective,” suggests Eruditio’s Isenhour.
“The key is to aggregate all the PdM data on all assets from
the external and internal sources into one place, so that the
site can truly understand its asset health and risks of failure.”
Whether the work is performed internally or outsourced,
maintaining the right knowledge set is essential. “The avail-
Source: LUDECA, Inc.

ability of expertise is the single factor that determines the

success and sustainability of a PdM program,” adds Ken
Piety, VP of technology at Azima DLI.

ANALYZE, COMMUNICATE, AND ACT

Figure 5. The internet and cloud-based PdM solutions are
becoming valuable tools to deliver not only asset health Collecting and analyzing the data is only the first step. PdM
information, but process information as well. is at its best when it drives meaningful action.
“The most important use of PdM data is the creation of

t PREVIOUS PAGE 17 NEXT PAGE u

 follow-up work,” says LCE’s Barto. distinguish normal conditions from “Everyone is carrying a smartphone
“Guess how many failures will be special variations,” says Fluke’s Evans. or tablet, and wireless networks are
avoided if you utilize all known forms “Make the data accessible and view- now more stable and pervasive. You
of PdM technology and check for able, not hidden on a spreadsheet can easily communicate what you’re
failures constantly, but never take any or someone’s hard drive. Put it on a seeing, ask what others think, and
actions based on the findings: zero.” network or cloud and make it available send data or dashboards for input,”
“We are becoming a nation of data to many. Visual dashboards are great adds Fluke’s Stuart.
collectors; we are no longer think- for helping all stakeholders quickly
ing like analysts,” remarks Reliability understand a condition.”
Solutions’ Dunton. “PdM tools need to LUDECA’s Leach agrees with the “If you don’t get early
be used in a proactive way to trouble- importance of intuitive communica- successes, the program
shoot the root of the problem in order tions. “The real trick is to deliver the
to actually improve the machine – not asset health information to the right
will lose favor when the
just fix it when it’s failing.” people at the right time, in a manner novelty wears off.”
Proactive use of data also ensures that can be easily understood by – Timothy Dunton, Reliability Solutions
early diagnoses. “Detecting faults with everyone concerned,” says Leach.
very little time to failure is almost “Adopting a failure severity ranking
the same as doing nothing – it is still system goes a long way because it’s Eruditio’s Isenhour believes the
reactive maintenance, which is danger- easier for everyone to understand.” most exciting emerging trend involves
ous and expensive,” cautions Mobius Effective data reporting ensures combining data from all PdM technolo-
Institute’s Tranter. lasting executive support. “Report- gies and existing process instrumenta-
“If the tools are used properly and ing and documenting the results of tion into one master database. “Once
the data is interpreted correctly, your any PdM inspection is paramount to captured together, using algorithms
PdM program will provide time to getting and maintaining support of a that look at interrelationships, we can
plan and schedule the repairs at the program,” says UE Systems’ Waetjen. see and better understand the causes of
lowest total cost, including downtime Azima DLI’s Piety agrees. “To- defects much earlier,” he says.
costs,” says Eruditio’s Isenhour. “Train day’s PdM program must involve LCE’s Barto offers: “Imagine what
your PdM technicians effectively and and inform stakeholders in different could happen if a piece of equipment
keep their skills fresh or you will be departments and at different locations in either a remote or hard-to-reach
left with a program that provides a so they can be aware of what is known location alerts someone that its motor
false sense of security due to poor and what actions are being taken or is running slower than expected and
interpretation of the data.” not,” says Piety. the fluid being pumped is not enough
“Consistent readings must be com- to meet production targets?”
pared to appropriate standards or base- YOUR RETURN ON PDM INVESTMENT “The Internet and cloud-based
lines and trended,” adds Azima DLI’s New options in technology, processes, PdM solutions are becoming valuable
Van Dyke. “Failure to do so can lead and analytics are accelerating returns tools to deliver not only asset health
to false alarms or false negatives that on PdM investments. information but process information
undermine a program’s credibility.” “Above all else, lower cost instru- as well,” remarks LUDECA’s Leach.
“Biweekly, weekly, or at least mentation has really changed the “The data can be accessed from almost
monthly intervals are needed to industry,” says Reliability Solutions’ anywhere and configured so that only
Dunton. “You can get an IR camera those with the proper access can see or
now for $1,000 that five years ago manipulate the information.”
cost $50,000. PdM used to involve an While the new opportunities and
elite few, but with the lower costs, the trends are hard to ignore, commu-
PdM programs are dynamic.
floodgates are open.” nicating the value of PdM plantwide
Reevaluate your approach if:
The tools are smarter and are simple is an enduring theme. As Mobius
• Your analyst leaves or retires
enough for anyone to use, and the Institute’s Tranter explains, “If every-
• You need to expand your program
technology is being applied more one within an organization focuses
• Your program funding is cut
often. “In a recent class of mechanics, on condition improvement or defect
• You need new measurement/
we sent 15 guys to go look for air leaks, elimination, then without a doubt,
analysis tools
and within 15 minutes they found maintenance and operational costs
• Your corporation wants consistency
$7,500 worth with an easy-to-use will be reduced and plant availability
at all sites
ultrasound gun,” explains Dunton. will be improved.”

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 get
smart:
SMART INSTRUMENTS
& DEVICE DIAGNOSTICS
Optimize your predictive maintenance program to improve
operations, reduce maintenance, and cut costs

BY AMIT AJMERI YOKOGAWA CORP. OF AMERICA

One of the factors separating process plants that operate reasonably well from those
that achieve excellence is how they use information. Best-performing plants achieve
their status by reducing production outages through proactive maintenance. This in-
creases revenue generation and lowers maintenance costs to drive profitability higher.
Some companies enjoy this state of affairs as a way of life, while others ask,
“How do they do it?” A key difference is the ability to use instrument diagnostic
information effectively, but how is such a concept put into practice?
Plant personnel have dashboards showing how various units within a plant are
performing; they can see how a reactor, a heat exchanger, a boiler or some other
major piece of equipment is performing at any time. For each of those units to
perform optimally, control loops supporting them must perform as designed, and
that depends on instruments operating reliably to provide accurate data.
Smart instruments – including transmitters, sensors, and actuators – are capa-
ble of monitoring their own performance, and they can tell you a great deal about
what’s going on with a process well beyond the specific variable they measure or
the function they control. Just as the control system depends on these smart in-
struments, so, too, can your production and maintenance teams depend on them.
Some smart instruments are able to detect deterioration in a key component or rec-
ognize sensor drift. Others look at the process and might spot changes. For example, a
differential pressure sensor can measure process noise and determine the normal level
(Figure 1). If the noise level begins to fall or if differences emerge between high and
low readings, there may be a problem with impulse line plugging. Such plugging can
mask the true pressure differential and result in an unreliable reading. Today’s smart
instrument can send a warning when it begins to notice such changes.

WORKING UP THE PERFORMANCE CHAIN

Operational excellence depends on many things, but one critical element is
hardware performance (Figure 2). This begins at Level 1, the lowest level with
individual field devices. No matter how sophisticated the control system, a flow
loop will never work properly if the flowmeter is not reliable or if the control valve
is not acting properly. Conversely, the right kinds of process instrumentation and
final control elements working together ensure tight control.

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 Liquid or gas flow

Orifice
Blockage at Blockage at
No Blockage Pipeline
High Side Low Side

DP (Differential
Pressure)

PH (Static
Pressure H Side)

PL (Static
Pressure L Side)

3-valve manifold
CHANGES IN PROCESS NOISE CAN INDICATE PLUGGED IMPULSE LINES
Figure 1. By monitoring process noise, a pressure sensor can determine
whether impulse lines are plugging. Differences between the high side and
low side suggest one of the lines is becoming obstructed.
DP Transmitter

Level 2 comprises all the small groups of individual from smart instruments can help you identify root causes so
loops working together to provide basic functions. Those they can be fixed. Level 1 device diagnostics provide visibility
functions work properly when all the individual loops are into assets so you can see the problem clearly.
performing per design. With enough information from Once the bottleneck in an asset has been removed, the
smart instruments, plants can establish performance levels asset can perform with a higher level of reliability and ef-
for those groups of loops and subunits. ficiency, which will improve the whole plant. Once one bad-
Level 3 is the operational level. These are the asset actor problem is solved, the next step is to attack the next
diagnostics that operators and plant managers watch on asset that comes to the top of the list. One by one, problems
the main dashboards; among them are heat exchangers, can be identified and eliminated by using a well-thought-out
reactors, mixers, and the like. These assets are dumb in and strategy of analysis based on diagnostic information.
of themselves, so the only way to determine how they’re Having accurate performance information and eliminat-
performing is to go back down the chain and see what’s hap- ing bad actors is certainly valuable, but it provides only part
pening at Level 1. Smart instruments are the eyes and legs of the picture. Most companies find even greater payoff from
of this process, and information they provide is the basis for using diagnostics as the basis for a comprehensive predictive
everything higher up the chain. maintenance program.
You can’t do unit diagnostics without loop diagnostics, Most maintenance programs begin as reactive: Run
and you can’t do loop diagnostics without device diagnos- equipment until it fails and then fix it. This simple approach
tics. Operational effectiveness always finds its way back to isn’t optimal, but countless companies use it, as many assets
individual field instruments, sensors, and actuators. can be run to failure without serious consequences. A big
drawback of this approach when applied across an entire fa-
SOLVING PAIN POINTS cility is that it causes outages and production interruptions.
Most plants have trouble areas that continually cause prob- At a slightly higher level of sophistication is scheduled
lems. These bad actors cause an inordinately large number of maintenance. This is generally an improvement over a purely
outages and soak up more than their share of maintenance reactive strategy, but it is still an expensive method because a
dollars. Those two factors taken together rob the plant of out- device scheduled to be replaced may be functioning just fine
put and profitability. Going through maintenance orders and and does not need replacement. Some studies suggest that 12
reports typically makes them easy to spot and categorize. percent of maintenance costs are wasted because maintenance
Once these trouble spots are identified, the next step is de- is unneeded, with a given function performed simply because
termining the root cause of the problem. Does the same pump it’s scheduled.
drive motor burnout again and again? Does the same valve If reactive and scheduled approaches are the basis for
stick open? Is the energy efficiency of one heat exchanger far your maintenance program, you will have a difficult time
worse than that of others like it? The information available reaching operational excellence. But there is another way:

t PREVIOUS PAGE 21 NEXT PAGE u

 predictive maintenance based on con- WHY DEVICE DIAGNOSTICS
dition monitoring. When you know ARE IMPORTANT
in advance that something is going Figure 2. Each operational

4
layer of a plant depends on
to happen, you can take action before
information from the one
nce
failure. below it. Supporting the maintena
Optimumoperation
What has to happen to make such a pyramid is the diagnostic &
capability an everyday experience? An data available from

3
effective maintenance program based smart instruments.

TIaO NS ostics
on condition monitoring has to have
three elements: OsPsetEpRerfAorm nce diagn
ency
A men t effici
• Field devices must be “smart,” mean- for equip

2
ing they have diagnostic functional-

LoOntrOolPloop & valve diagnostics

ities and a way to communicate the
information, typically via HART or a
C operation
fieldbus network for stable

1
• The main process control platform

DEldVdIigCitaEl devicmeendtia&gcononsttrolics (failu

must be able to convey the informa- lt)
re & fau
tion from the devices to a central
point via the field wiring Fie measure
for precise
• Integrated device and asset manage-
ment software must be installed and
used to gather and interpret diagnos-
tic data automatically instrument can now be called up any- (PAMS) needs to be set up with a data-
In all likelihood, you already have time from the control room or main- base of every smart instrument in the
the first two conditions in place, at least tenance shop. Plus, the asset manage- plant, or at least the most critical ones
in terms of most of the field devices ment system is able to perform checks at the outset. It should have all the
and the control platform. Unless you’re automatically as often as required by information about each smart instru-
still running your plant with pneu- simply programming the check inter- ment related to model, manufacturer’s
matic devices or first-generation analog val. The second scenario of checking data, range, alarms, etc. Fortunately,
instruments, the bulk of your field a device that appears to be malfunc- much of this data resides in the smart
instruments and actuators are smart tioning can also be done without a instrument and thus can be automati-
devices, using HART 5 or better, as this visit to the plant. Moreover, if there is cally gathered by the PAMS.
has been standard equipment since the a malfunction, the asset management Using all this data, the PAMS
early 1990s. Similarly, control platforms program probably already knows and integrates predictive asset intelligence
for process plants have been provided has reported the failure; it may even across the entire plant including
with the ability to interface to smart have done so in advance. device diagnostics, process interface
instruments for decades. The result: You can eliminate more diagnostics, loop and equipment diag-
So what’s needed to implement than half the trips your technicians nostics, and performance diagnostics.
true predictive maintenance is inte- make into the field, and you can pre- The PAMS gathers all this information
grated device and asset management dict failures before they occur. and sends it to the correct depart-
software, the final piece of the puzzle. ments and individuals.
Many plants have such systems in WORKING WITH AN ASSET One key function performed by the
place but aren’t utilizing them to their MANAGEMENT PLATFORM PAMS is to present a consistent graphi-
fullest extent, and even plants without The amount of diagnostic information cal interface for all the different kinds
such systems can generally install one available from a smart instrument can of smart instruments. The nature of
and interface it to the main control be overwhelming, so an asset man- diagnostic information available from
platform without undue difficulty. agement platform is needed to sort a given smart instrument and the way
When all three elements of a device through this data and create action- it is displayed varies from supplier to
diagnostic program are in place, able information. Given that a typical supplier, and even within a single com-
frequent routine device checks in the differential pressure sensor can easily pany’s product line. The PAMS takes all
field are no longer necessary. Any- monitor more than 100 internal func- this raw information and puts it into a
thing a technician can get using a tions, it’s easy to drown in data. user-friendly format, making it easier
handheld communicator at the smart A plant asset management system to access, compare and analyze.

t PREVIOUS PAGE 22 NEXT PAGE u

 For example, when the PAMS warns the main-
the evolution of smart diagnostics tenance department that a flowmeter is beginning
to clog, technicians will realize something is wrong
with the process responsible for releasing solid matter

T
he electronics built into smart instruments have be- into the flow. They can then intuit that the flowmeter
come more sophisticated over the past few decades. should be backflushed at the earliest opportunity,
Suppliers added self-monitoring capabilities to warn allowing the problem to be addressed in a way that
if something was happening with a smart instrument that minimizes disruption.
could impair its ability to deliver a reliable reading. While When maintenance operations are performed only
highly valuable, those functions were purely reactive and where they are needed, unnecessary work is reduced
could respond only after something had already happened. or even eliminated. In day-to-day operation using a
predictive maintenance program, the PAMS provides
Over time, those capabili- processing to take raw data the central evaluation and scheduling functions.
ties became more sophis- from the transducer (strain It takes diagnostic data from smart instruments
ticated and were able to gage, capacitive, magnetic, and combines it with heuristic diagnostics from
predict when a problem such etc.) and convert it to a plant personnel. The PAMS includes a mechanism
as impending component linearized signal within a to evaluate human-provided information as well as
failure or sensor drift was suitable range. Many smart electronic data, as smart operators can often detect
developing. Other diagnostic instruments required a problems better than any software platform.
functions allowed a smart secondary measurement The PAMS takes all the information and processes
instrument to moni- to correct the first, such it, perhaps drawing conclusions from multiple events
tor and record the as a temperature read- that might not be problems individually, but when
amount of force ing to compensate output taken together could signal trouble. It then sends
necessary to close from a strain gage. information to the right people and departments,
a valve or the As these smart instru- with each type of information getting to the people
amount of time ments became more so- responsible for acting on it, which drives the following
spent in any phisticated, suppliers added improvements:
given posi- internal monitoring functions • Operators can change some element of the process
tion. Soon it to alert operators of voltage if a smart instrument is exhibiting a problem and it
became clear problems, failed compo- can’t be fixed until the next shutdown
that these nents, excessive temperature • Maintenance scheduling can identify high priority
functions also excursions, and so forth. tasks
could offer in- Maintenance technicians • A purchase order can be issued for a valve seat
sights into the trying to solve a problem because a valve is beginning to lose its seal and will
process itself could use this information need to be rebuilt within the next two weeks
beyond the basic to verify that an instrument All of these elements combine to create an op-
process variable. or actuator was function- timized predictive maintenance program where a
The develop- ing properly or to trace process can run with maximum availability and
ment of communication the source of a problem. stability. Interruptions are minimized, as are overall
protocols such as HART, At first, these monitor- maintenance costs. Stores of replacement parts can
EtherNet/IP, Foundation ing functions were strictly be reduced as the number of repairs goes down and
Fieldbus and Profibus PA reactive, but with growing as they can be done with greater predictability. Such
provided a mechanism for sophistication made pos- an optimized predictive maintenance program is a
smart instruments to send sible through less-expensive critical step to operational excellence, and it all begins
information to the con- electronics, it became a with smart instruments and device diagnostics.
trol or asset management simple matter to add new
system, avoiding the need capabilities, including some Amit Ajmeri is an asset management solutions consultant
to visit a device in the field predictive in nature. Now, at Yokogawa Corp. of America. Prior to joining Yokogawa, he
to read and gather data. these advanced functions spent 12 years with Emerson Process
With the development of have become standard Management promoting Foundation
smart instruments, suppli- across virtually all smart Fieldbus technology and interoper-
ers added electronic signal instrument suppliers. ability. Contact him at amit.ajmeri@
us.yokogawa.com.

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