Overall report of work package 2 of WCM IP

Condition Monitoring and maintenance processes

Overall report of work package 2 of WCM IP

Author: Walter van Hulst

Substantive contributions (through interviews):
- Bob Huisman (NedTrain)
- Luc Staub (Bosch Rexroth)
- Geert Henk Wijnants (Stork AMS)
- Paul van Exel (Foundation USPI)
- Sipke Hoekstra and Wienik Mulder (both University of Twente).
Editor: Gerard Blom (Bicore)

Eindhoven, March 2013

File: Overall report WP2 WCM-IP(EN).docx Page 1 of 12.

 Overall report of work package 2 of WCM IP

Foreword

This report serves as an overall summary of the work performed and results achieved or in the
execution of Work Package 2 - 'Condition Monitoring and Maintenance Processes’ in the project
WCM IP.
The work and results are described in detail in the individual reports of the sub-activities of this work
package.

This reporting structure has gradually been developed along the course of the project because the
subject matter of the work package turned out to be broader and more complex than previously has
been estimated. In addition to the reports, for this overall report also use has been made of
interviews with those involved. The overall report and the interim reports are provided to interested
parties both as an overview and as an opportunity to deepen the insight.

The project WCM IP was made possible by financial support from the Ministry of Economic Affairs,
Agriculture and Innovation, the Province of North-Brabant and the province Zeeland.

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Contents
Foreword ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Contents ........................................................................................................................................... 3
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 4
2. Condition Based Maintenance: a reference model ................................................................... 5
3. Condition Based Maintenance: state of affairs ......................................................................... 6
4. Bosch Rexroth: the case Hippo ................................................................................................ 6
5. NedTrain: the case .................................................................................................................... 7
6. Information flows in CBM & options for standardization ........................................................... 9
7. Results .................................................................................................................................... 10
8. Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 11
References ..................................................................................................................................... 12

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1. Introduction
Maintenance has a central place in the life cycle of capital goods. A society without maintenance
literally stops. Facilities, systems and products require maintenance, repair and overhaul
(Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul, or simply as MRO or maintenance) in order to continue to
function properly and profitable.I In capital-intensive industries - such as the process industry, the
aviation industry, the maritime sector, the energy sector and infrastructure sector - the maintenance
of capital goods plays a central role throughout the lifecycle of these goods. This often comprises
years, sometimes even decades. Many companies gradually shift the focus of the purchase of new
capital into the operational phase of their life cycle, including the extension thereof. Company
economically, this phase is very interesting, given the long duration and the contribution to its life
cycle costs. Maintenance activities are associated with this phase, what implies that a sustainable
economic perspective results for the companies that are active here, with regional, national and
international opportunities.

Maintenance plays here a crucial role in two ways:

1. As a precursor for the excellent performance of one’s own operations (operational
excellence);
2. As an opportunity for business development, by maintaining foreign capital goods in the
Netherlands or by exporting knowledge, products and services.

Research questions for WP2 - 'Condition Monitoring and Maintenance Processes'

As part of World Class Maintenance Innovation-project (WCM-IP) work package 2 has focused on
condition monitoring and maintenance processes. Condition monitoring provides up-to-date
information on the technical condition of equipment. It is a subject that has already during a long
time been receiving attention in research and innovation. Indeed, the availability of up-to-date
information on the condition of technical systems and cooperation between the manufacturer, the
maintenance organization and the user offers opportunities in order to reduce the maintenance costs
and increase the availability and reliability of production means.

The focus of previous projects was on measuring the condition development of individual
components.
The insights obtained in this way have contributed to improved preparation of planned maintenance,
no unnecessary maintenance is carried out and malfunctions are prevented. But it affects also the
way in which maintenance is planned and organized and maintenance programmes are being
improved. The same applies to the logistics of the parts supply. In short, the introduction of condition
monitoring results in questioning the maintenance concepts themselves and their management.
Are the new information flows a good addition to the existing working methods, or is it wise to set up
all kinds of processes in a different manner? And how does that relate to the primary production
process?

An additional and increasingly important issue is how the condition of subsystems (parts,
components) is measured and interpreted in cooperation with the suppliers. Because ultimately the
relevant maintenance condition information from all subsystems are to be merged by the maintainer
of the entire system (maintenance integrator) in order to control the processes. In the other
direction, the supplier's interest is to know in which operational context its systems are functioning.
In this manner a distributed network of information acquisition and processing, decision making,
process control and learning-loops is obtained.

So the question is how to make optimal use of the maintenance-related information flows and
processes should best be designed in order to make optimal use of condition monitoring. In this work
package therefore specific attention has been given onto the following questions:
1. How can sensor data be processed into information for determining and controlling
maintenance?
2. How can manufacturers and users of components exchange condition related information?

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3. How can maintenance-related processes and logistics be set up for condition based
maintenance?
4. What is the state of affairs to processing, sharing and using condition-related information
from companies, what are their plans and what improvement advices can be given?
Participating parties
The roles of the participants in the work package was as follows:
– NedTrain: Leader of the work package, is also responsible for the exchange of information.
– University of Twente (UT): Bringing scientific knowledge and data processing.
– Stork: Provides together with NedTrain input for the reference model. Also provides a case.
– Bosch Rexroth, NLDA, KM, USPI, Wärtsilä, Essent, Gasunie: Contributors of cases, also
followers of all the examples and provide feedback for the work package.

2. Condition Based Maintenance: a reference model

The University of Twente (UT) has conducted a literature review in the field of the design and
implementation of condition based maintenance (CBM) or plant maintenance based on condition
monitoring. On the basis of this study a comprehensive reference scheme has been developed that
may be helpful in the design and implementation of CBM (see interim report 'Reference Model
condition based maintenance', with model and background information).

Figure 2.1:Visualization of reference model for Condition Based Maintenance

The scheme consists of five steps: measuring, monitoring, interpreting, forecasting of maintenance
and planning of maintenance. The focus is laid onto the steps 3 and 4, the interpretation of the data
obtained and the derived forecast of the necessary maintenance with the related main questions:
what maintenance, how much, and when?

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3. Condition Based Maintenance: state of affairs

Stork has made an inventory of the state of affairs with regard to the application of condition
monitoring and condition-based maintenance in the industry. For this not only the technology itself
has been considered but also for example how the related decision processes have been
implemented. The applied approach and results of the survey are described in two reports, which
are described briefly below.

The first report contains an inventory of the available standards and concepts for the implementation
of a CBM approach (see interim report "Inventory of condition assessment concepts'). The study
came across a wide range of existing approaches, but notes that only a few methods are consistent
when it comes down to effectiveness and efficiency. As such, the report says: "In the past,
extensive monitoring programs have been implemented, partly based on "squeeze & call" criteria
(“we need to do something”), which in the course of time further developed in a logical manner but
which still lack an overall logical approach". Furthermore, the report states: "Rational approaches to
condition monitoring can be considered as ‘rare’, while rational monitoring as part of a condition
monitoring system driven by safety requirements can be called ‘standard’."

Eventually, the three most relevant concepts have been outlined and compared: [IEC 61508], [the
HERMES monitoring concept] and [the WCM guideline for condition monitoring 1.8]. Partly based
on the literature study and this comparison a first version of a checklist with associated work
instructions has been developed. Basic report, checklist and application notes combine to a
consistent approach in order to be able to deploy the WCM CBM roadmap effectively in practice. All
this is relevant for sectors such as: food, pharma, (petro)chemistry, energy (electricity, gas),
manufacturing, infrastructure (rail, road, water), services (eg management of structures) and
scientific research for assessing the degradation mechanisms of constructions.

The second report contains the results of a survey on the state of affairs and the application of
condition monitoring and CBM in the Dutch industry (see interim report 'Survey of state of the art
with respect to condition monitoring concepts'). In numbers (20) the response to the questionnaires
unfortunately was far behind with respect to expectations. According to the authors, with hindsight
the chosen method of a detailed written survey has been found less suitable in order to collect the
desired information. Due to the pressure of daily working practices the respondents often lack time
for this kind of surveys. This deficiency has been overcome partly during the investigation by
verbally interviewing those respondents that have participated.

The depth of the questions and the additional oral input obtained gives the information gathered,
despite the small number of respondents, yet valuable insights. At first sight there are no notable
differences between the various industrial sectors and many companies today have ten or more
years of experience with various types of condition monitoring. In most cases the applications are
related to bearings and wall thicknesses, with an emphasis on determining the current condition
(supervisory role) and less on future performance (predictive role). A majority of the respondents
expresses the hope for developments in condition monitoring and condition-based maintenance to to
a higher level, for which knowledge sharing is attributed an important role in case of thirty percent of
the respondents.

4. Bosch Rexroth: the case Hippo

The hippopotamus is the nickname for a large floating harbor crane (lemniscate crane ') of 50 tons -
one of the largest of its kind in the world - for the handling of bulk goods such as coal in the port of
Amsterdam. The crane was built in the 90s by the former company Figee in Haarlem for OBA
(formerly ‘Overslag bedrijf Amsterdam’, now called ‘Bulk Terminal Amsterdam’) and was
commissioned in late 1999. However Figee soon after that ran into financial difficulties and went
bankrupt. As a result of this situation Bosch Rexroth, who had provided the hydraulics for the
moving parts, obtained the task to run directly the maintenance of the Hippopotamus for OBA.

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Figure 2: Port Crane 'Hippo'

Luc Staub, currently Senior Manager Service
Sales ME, Area Manager NW Europe, Middle East
and Africa, was from the beginning involved in the
project. He explains: “Bosch Rexroth had already
launched a program mid 90s for condition based
maintenance (CBM) and then proposed to Figee to
incorporate CBM in the design. In the end barely
anything has been implemented by Figee because
‘the customer (OBA) did not ask for it’. In those
years, specifications were given by the customer,
after which the price was important. Our proposals
were cost increasing and were therefore not
included in the package".

"Maintenance was seen primarily as a cost at that

time. Only in the last decade slowly awareness of
the importance of strategic choices regarding
maintenance has evolved. Costs of downtime and
issues such as security and environmental
sustainability have contributed to that. The
Hippopotamus was at the time of the bankruptcy of
Figee still at the stage of child-deseases and
performed partly due to that with an occupancy
rate of only 60 to 70 percent. Costly, because one
day stoppage of such crane costs 35,000 euros.
We then still added necessary items in order to
support our CBM program With success, because we were able to quickly increase the uptime
towards 95 percent.”

As part of the WCM-IP project, the existing maintenance strategy and methodology were compared
with the WCM WCM IP checklist and guideline which has been developed (see section reporting
'Case study condition-based maintenance'). In the words of Luc Staub: “As stated Bosch Rexroth
has its own program for CBM development. This requires among other things, the so-called TAO-
matrix- (CBM_matrix). If we compare our method with the new checklist and WCM guideline I note
that we have implemented already around 80 percent. For about 20 percent the checklist has helped
us to add certain aspects or to safeguard specific processes. That may not seem much, but for us
this was a substantial improvement."
The case Hippopotamus Bosch Rexroth has been explained in detail in a workshop and has been
discussed with participants (see interim report 'Cost Effective use of an asset with World Class
monitoring').

5. NedTrain: the case

NedTrain carried out a study into the use of the so-called “OperA+ method” for the maintenance of
trains.

Currently the servicing of trains will be based on mileage or a certain time period. The question of
whether a maintenance job needs to be performed, results from the inspections executed during the
stay at the maintenance depot. To compensate for the uncertainty about the performance of
individual jobs, the volume of the supply of trains at a depot storage exceeds the average depot-
capacity and clearance is built into the maintenance planning. In other words, you want to achieve
the best possible occupancy of the maintenance depot and therefore trains sometimes are in
pending state for maintenance. You simply cannot predict which maintenance should or should not
be done (that is decided for by the inspection task). Moreover, it is difficult to anticipate in those
cases where random potential failure is decisive. Basically the maintenance system designed in
such a manner that it is ensured that each train gets its turn at some time. Sudden and unforeseen
defects disrupt that system.

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Partly because of condition monitoring, more and more information is available about the condition in
which a train finds itself. In the future, the maintenance model of trains therefore is evolving towards
a situation in which each train 'makes an appointment' with a maintenance depot when appropriate.
In the words of Bob Huisman (NedTrain): “Compare it to a person who feels something is wrong or
experiences something odd and thus wants to go to the doctor.’ OperA+, a so-called ‘agent-based
method’ has been developed for complex systems with multiple actors and levels which supports
such a dynamic organization structure.”

The study NedTrain has executed is described in a scientific paper which was presented in
December 2012 at an international IEEE / WIC / ACM Conference on Intelligent Agent Technology
(IAT) in Macau, China (see section reporting 'Agent-based multi-organizational interaction design: a
case study of the Dutch railway system’). The figure below shows the visualization of the future rail
design, which is explained in that interim report.

Figure 5.1: Operational model of the future rail design (visualization).

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6. Information flows in CBM & options for standardization

The partnership USPI Foundation coordinates knowledge regarding engineering information for the
process industry. On the basis of the Hippo-case of Bosch Rexroth, supplemented with cases at
Essent, Gasunie and NedTrain, under the direction of USPI a study of information flows in relation
with condition monitoring has been conducted. The results of this study have been reported in the
interim report ‘Information streams in condition-based maintenance and options for Standardisation’.
The report clearly brings together the information flows that have been identified by means of a
process model which is in line with the WCM guideline.

Figure 6.1: Condition based maintenance process model based on manual data acquisition.

Figure 6.2: Condition based maintenance process model based on automated data acquisition.

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For each of the information-steams a list of requirements has been stated. Based on this process
model a first version of a data model for condition monitoring has been established. As a second
step, the process model has been compared with the cases submitted by industry. Then as a third
step some options for standardization have been discussed. Standards for FMECA and lists of
standards for failure modes, failure causes and failure effects already exist. The study concludes
that it is useful to investigate further integration of these standards. Such an integrated standard can
help businesses when defining default selection lists for the maintenance management system
(MMS) with failure modes, failure causes and maintenance actions, including information which
contains a logical relationship with these information sources. Possibly such a new standard can
also be expanded with information on detection methods in order to assist companies in the
selection process of condition monitoring techniques.

The study briefly outlined above has been described in detail as far as its approach and its outcomes
in the interim report "Information streams in condition-based maintenance and options for
Standardisation. The parties involved in the research and Foundation USPI indicate to consider
follow-up to be very valuable.

7. Results
Results sought
The project plan describes for work package 2 the following approach and phases:
1. Determining an approach for translating measurement data into useful service information,
as well as for a scientific exploration on the matter.
2. Developing a concept for sharing information between manufacturers of components and
process industries that use them.
3. The preparation of a reference model for all maintenance-related processes and information
transfer between them on behalf of condition based maintenance.
4. The inventory of the state of the industry as well as best practices and lessons to be learned
therefrom for the participating parties.
5. Commitment of the approach and results in the form of guidelines, as part of the Manual
MRO Optimization, the overall final deliverable of the WCM-IP project.
.
In addition, the project plan describes the desired results for condition based monitoring as follows:
1. Approach to translation of measurement data to maintenance information.
2. Concept for information sharing between manufacturers and users.
3. Reference model for CBM.
4. State of use within industry.
5. The results are recorded and included in the WCM IP Manual MRO Optimization.
Results achieved
The objectives of the work package are almost fully realized:
– For the development and testing of an approach for the translation of measurement data to
maintenance, the driving transshipment crane in the Amsterdam port supplied by Bosch
Rexroth acted as the main case. The design issue concerned a monitoring system which
monitors and guards the condition of the hydraulic system. Design, construction and testing
are realized.
– A concept for information sharing between producers and users is developed on the basis of
a study led by Foundation USPI on information flows associated with CBM from the
perspective of engineering data.
– By University of Twente, through a literature study in combination with the knowledge and
experience of stakeholders, a schematic reference model for CBM has been developed,
which enables companies to identify the relevant aspects when designing a system for
condition monitoring.
– Stork conducted an inventory of existing standards and concepts for CBM. Using the results
the state of affairs in the field of CBM within the industry has been surveyed.

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Another approach to recording of results

As already briefly indicated in the preface, the ambition of the work package to capture the approach
and the results for the various activities into one report, has not been fully realized.

For this the next reasons can be given:

1. Condition Monitoring and CBM cover a broad and complex field. Also the work package was
broadly defined. The different activities have brought on themselves very useful results, but
together covered a wide spectrum.
2. In the work package were many and various stakeholders. This has been experienced by
them as very valuable and instructive because of the exchange of knowledge and
experiences from different perspectives and industries. On the other hand there were
divergent interests and expectations, which had to be managed.
3. Day to day work has had its toll during the project for the parties. By intervening
emergencies and/or reorganizations, the project activities have been put under pressure
more than once, but they have eventually been implemented according to plan.

The points mentioned above during the project led for the parties to a different way of reporting of
the approach and results than originally planned. One overall report would lead to proportionately
much time and energy in terms of careful integration of the approach and results. Instead, therefore,
there has been chosen for sub-reports in which the approach and results of the sub-activities are
captured, combined with an overall report for the overview and referrals for interested readers.

Experience gained with collaboration and knowledge sharing

The cooperation has been experience by the participants as pleasant and very useful. The main
elements were: look into each other’s kitchens, learn from each other, develop together knowledge
and innovation and together build a network of professionals in the field of maintenance. The
cooperation with research institutes and the interaction between theory and practice have been
described as very positive.

The participants experience without exception the usefulness and potential for continued
cooperation in any form. As concrete improvement points the next items are mentioned:
- Smaller, more manageable projects with clear scope on concrete results.
- With smaller project teams and clear roles and tasks (energizers, doers, followers).
- Flexible in approach in terms of size and time.
- Clearer distinction between practical tools and quick wins (by exchanging knowledge) and in
applied research for the long term (development of knowledge).
- Needs, involvements, interests, aspirations and expectations between the parties but also
between people should be alignment better and managed more strongly, preferably already
in the earliest possible stage.

8. Conclusions
– The work package has largely met the expectations and some useful (part) studies and
reports and some practically applicable tools were delivered. Also an impetus for further
development has been given, such as standardization in the field of information flows.
– The Dutch industry has the essential experience with CBM, but also feels the need to
strengthen knowledge and applications and to further standardize.
– In addition to the practical results of the work package, also the sharing and development of
knowledge and forming a network has been experienced as very positive.
– There is support for further cooperation and networking.
– For new projects one should take into account the lessons learned as described above
under 'Experience gained ...'.

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References
In this overall report of Work Package 2 - 'Condition Monitoring and maintenance processes" in the
chapters reference is made to some reports of each business segment, that are summarized here.

Chapter 1:
– Project World Class Maintenance Innovation, WCM IP consortium
– Final report World Class Maintenance Innovation, WCM IP consortium

Chapter 2:
– Interim report 'Reference Model condition based maintenance ", University of Twente

Chapter 3:
– Interim report "Inventory of condition assessment concepts," Stork
– Interim report 'Survey of state of the art with respect to condition monitoring concepts, "Stork

Chapter 4:
– Interim report 'Case study condition-based maintenance', Bosch Rexroth
– Interim report 'Cost Effective use of an asset with World Class monitoring, "Stork & Bosch
Rexroth

Chapter 5:
– Interim report 'Agent-based multi-organizational interaction design: a case study of the
Dutch railway system', NedTrain

Chapter 6:
– Interim report "Information streams in condition-based maintenance and options for
Standardisation, Cure Foundation & USPI

The project WCM IP was made possible by financial support from the Ministry of Economic Affairs,
Agriculture and Innovation, the Province of Noord-Brabant and the Province Zeeland.

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