Allied Reliability is pleased to announce that we have been named a recipient of the Thomas M. Drury Award for Achieving a perfect incident record in a high-exposure industry for the second year in a row.  Each year, the Thomas M. Drury award for Contractor Safety is presented at the South Central Joint Mine Safety and Health Conference (MSHA) to contractors that have shown exceptional safety leadership and performance while working within operations.

Allied Team Members from left to right: Cary Weaver- IR Analyst, Chris Ozanich- IR Analyst, Christopher Rohde- Program Manager, Steve Toomey- SME, Leonard Bonderenko- Vibration Analyst

Reliably Safe

As a company that sends Full Time Equivalent, part time and mentor consultants to client sites around the country it is imperative that our employees conduct their duties in the safest way possible not only to uphold the stringent safety expectations of Allied Reliability but so as to never put one of our clients in danger or compromise the safety policies of our clients.  This two- fold level of expectations could be a difficult promise to live up to. But as an company that holds our performance to the highest standards possible we expect our team to go beyond compliance to exceed safety regulations and become an example for all of their on the job colleagues as well as an on-site resource for best safety practices.

Keeping up
In order to make sure Allied Reliability Team members can act as safety benchmarks within their environment we make a point to consistently provide them with important safety tips and reminders.  As a company we share weekly ‘Safety Tool Box Talks’ with our team in the field for them to share with their team.  Each week our field technicians and analysts review a useful single point lesson that can be shared and discussed in a 5-10 minute time frame.  Each tip is centered around safety, whether it be a Tool Box Talk on ladder safety or lacerations, each week we share something new for our team to reflect on.  This type of continuous improvement and learning is what sets Allied Reliability apart from our competition and why we provide Inspired Reliability.

By Stacy Heston, CLS, PMP, CMRP, OMA, Lubrication Subject Matter Expert, Allied Reliability Inc.

Lubrication practices are often overlooked as a potential time and money saver for a plant.  However Cargill Charlotte has found that by optimizing their lubrication task intervals, utilizing specific grease volumes, and implementing an oil analysis program, the overall reliability of their manufacturing process, as well as, the healthy status of their lubricated components has increased.
In 2009, Allied Reliability performed a Reliability Centered Lubrication Current State Analysis at the site to determine the state of the lubrication program.  Through the assignment of a score to different lubrication activity and practices, the site’s lubrication program was benchmarked on several parameters including program documentation, management structure and practices, storage and handling, etc.  By assigning a score, the benchmarking activity becomes more objective and less subjective allowing for a definitive path forward.
When Allied Reliability arrived on site, “the site had run amuck with lubricants everywhere, it was all about the flavor of the month…” where lubrication was concerned, and “no structure existed for the scheduling of lubrication tasks,” says Andy Nolan.  As a result of the Current State Analysis, it was determined that a RCL walk down was needed to bring the site up to speed with industry best practices for lubrication.
Shortly after the Current State Analysis, Allied Reliability began the development of a Reliability Centered Lubrication Program at the site.  The program design began with a full walk down of all lubricated components on site.  During the walk down phase, all data pertinent to the development of lubrication specifications, interval calculations, and lubricant quantity calculations is gathered.  This phase sets the stage for the remaining program design as the accuracy and content of this data is the core to a strong program.
During the walk down, opportunities for optimizing intervals are identified as well as opportunities for optimizing the lubricant list.  Optimization does not always mean an increase in intervals or a decrease in the number of lubricants on site, rather it is the assignment of calculated intervals that are specific to the component and takes into account the specific operating conditions the component is exposed to.  Essentially, the same bearing may be exposed to wash down practices and heavy debris requiring an increased interval, such as 30 days to account for these environmental exposures.  However, the same type of bearing operating at the same speed with limited exposure to moisture and no exposure to debris may have an interval of 360 days.  This deviation in intervals means that the bearing with the more aggressive environment and operating conditions receives the more aggressive treatment.
When the Charlotte site began the implementation phase of their RCL program, the lubricated components were in poor health.  Approximately 60% of the oil lubricated assets were considered to be in the red, or in a state that did not meet industry best practices for contamination control, operating temperature, etc.  Within three months, the percentage decreased to approximately 40%.  By the end of 2010, 100% of all oil lubricated assets had achieved a green status.

Components were easily converted from a red state to a green state through the implementation of oil analysis, off line filtration, and monthly inspections.  Oil analysis aids in the identification of in use lubricants that required filtration to clean up solid contaminates, needed refreshing due to changes in additive levels and lubricant properties, or need complete replacement.
Previous to the implementation phase, the site utilized a time based oil change methods, had a multitude of lubricants with no specific requirements for each component, utilized screen breathers, and had no structure for the inclusion of filtration.  Lubricants were stored in drums and in areas that did not provide a clean, temperature controlled atmosphere.  The overall program lacked structure with regards to regrease intervals and amounts, as well as, oil analysis and oil change intervals.
The implementation phase of the RCL Program Design included recommendations for component modification with items such as desiccant breathers, quick connect couplings, level gauges, and sample valves.  These modifications provide multiple benefits for the lubrication program as well as the plant operating structure as a whole.  Level gauges and sample valves allow lube technicians to perform level checks and sample collection tasks with the machine running.  Without these modifications, the machine and possibly the product line would need to be down for the completion of these tasks.  It also saves time from a labor perspective.  A dipstick level indicator involves several steps to determine the level and exposes the lubricant to the possibility of contamination, where as a visual level gauge is nothing more than a quick peek then walk on to the next component.
The Charlotte site followed some very basic steps to manage the program implementation starting with the incorporation of desiccant breathers and other types.  After some experimentation with different types of breathers, there was an eventual shift to the use of trap and hybrid breathers based on the components size and location within the plant.  Of all the modifications, breathers are the least evasive to install, and limits the amount of debris able to enter the sump down to 3µ in size.
The second step included the conversion of mineral based oils to synthetic based oils in the smaller sump components.  Using the current practice of 6 or 12 month oil drains, each sump was converted during the next scheduled oil drain task.  At that time, new intervals of 12 or 18 month were implemented for each sump.  This step applies only to sumps that are too small for oil sampling.
The third step was the implementation of oil sampling practices on sumps within the 4 to 22 gallon range.  This implementation allowed for the extension of oil drains through the monitoring of the lubricant health.  Unlike the second step, these components were not immediately converted to a synthetic oil.  Rather the current lubricant was monitored and cared for until such time the oil analysis results showed a break down in the lubricant properties.  Once the lubricant properties began to degrade, an oil change with conversion to a synthetic occurred.  This maximized the life of the lubricant that was in service before change over without harm to the component.
*During lubricant drains, additional modifications were implemented while the sumps were empty such as the installation of level gauges, quick connects, and sample valves.
Once the oil lubricated components had been addressed, the fourth step was implemented.  The fourth step was the mass implementation of the grease lubrication routes that were developed based on the walk down phase.  These routes were provided in an electronic format which is downloadable to a pda, or other handheld device.  The routes were grouped together based on location within the plant, lubricant required, and interval.  The interval and re-grease volumes are calculated using gathered data to ensure the right amount of lubricant is delivered at the right time.
At the onset of the RCL design, this location had 1 overworked lubrication technician.  Now, they have 1 lubrication technician who is able to complete all required tasks within a timely manner because a solid program structure has been implemented to address all aspects of lubrication.  Task intervals have been optimized to ensure over and under lubrication is not an issue, and oil drain intervals have been extended.  Additionally, lubrication related failures have decreased allowing focus to shift from putting out fires to maintaining the current state.
“We now have a set program that anyone can follow with component state data being collected regularly to ensure appropriate actions are taken to avoid lubricant and component failure.  We have structure and focus.”

By: Reggie Fett, Motor Circuit Analyst

Synopsis

Summary of Action

Supporting Data

Conclusion

GPAllied Subject Matter Experts Chris Colson and Doug Plucknette dive into how equipment reliability delivers low-cost, energy-efficient assets at plants around the world.  As published in the July edition of Uptime Magazine.  Read it for yourself here:

Clean, Green & Reliable

Every year Reliabilityweb publishes an eBook on top tips, opinions and viewpoints from industry thought leaders and subject matter experts from around the world.  Doug Plucknette, RCM discipline leader for GPAllied was featured in this 2011 edition with a topic he is very passionate about:  safety as a result of a good reliabililty program.  Read it for yourself here:

Things to Do and Think About 2011- Confidence

Ricky Smith, Principal Advisor at GPAllied shares the basics on failure modes driven maintenance strategy through this installment of his monthly training topics.  This training is designed for a maintenance manager or reliability manager to train their staff in known best practices.  Read it for yourself here:

Failure Modes Driven Strategy: Monthly Training Topics- Journey to World Class

Daniel DeWald, subject matter expert in Materials Management explores preventitive maintenance in the storeroom and provides tips on how you can avoid spares going into storage functional and coming out broken.  Read it for yourself here:

You PM Your Equipment, Why Not Your Spares?