The benefits of proactive maintenance naturally come from optimized asset reliability and performance. However, potential bottlenecks can still obstruct progress. Proactive maintenance has traditionally been filled with various predictive maintenance (PdM) programs that generally gather comprehensive intelligence on machinery conditions for analysis, trigger timely remedial action, extend maintenance intervals, and reduce unscheduled downtime.

Unfortunately, the bottlenecks to the ultimate success of any PdM program for proactive maintenance can include high initial capital costs to get systems up-and-running; the need for complex staff training on proper data collection and analysis; significant time, labor, and associated costs to handle these tasks; and an expected flood of time-sensitive data that present problems in overload and misinterpretation.

In years past, the cost associated with this type of in-house programs has caused management to think twice before undertaking implementation of such programs with the demand for cost-efficiencies and profitability. This is no longer the case. With the advancement of IIOT and industry trends continuously seeking to maximize productivity, reduced operating cost, and increased profits, gives rise to one of the more effective PdM services, remote asset monitoring and reporting, which can deliver rewards in asset performance and availability through the advancement of IIOT solutions and an integrated partnership with outsourced experts.

Today’s technologies that provide a wide array of lower cost solutions that include multi parameter and axis sensors, wireless connectivity, network and cloud-based data hosting, customer specific dashboards, mobile applications, and automated data collection makes monitoring of asset conditions and process parameters easier and more economical than ever before. This combined with Industry professionals that have years of experience in Reliability and PdM disciplines from various industries make it much easier to take on and often eliminates the cost of large capital projects and the (ROI) Return on Investment is recognized almost immediately.

Today’s remote PdM services enables clients to free up internal resources required for implementation and day to day PdM program management. Doing this allows maintenance and production personnel that traditionally run these programs to focus more proactively on precision maintenance and process optimization opportunities.

Kicking off such services generally include on-site consultation with Industry Specialists to identify the client needs and best in class solutions that assist in meeting the desired business objectives. This would include understanding the client current situation, optimization goals, asset failures, lost production, environmental and safety requirements, etc. This information will lend to the appropriate parameters for monitoring, sensors, gateways, cellular or network connections, PLC Integrations, etc. Other specifics would include data collection frequencies, results reporting frequencies and formats.

Once the appropriate technology and services are identified, the technology can then be installed and commissioned by the PdM services provider, the data collected is then published, reviewed, and analyzed by remote PdM specialists who will report back with a comprehensive report identifying equipment faults and recommended corrective actions. The goal here is to detect developing asset faults before they become problems leading to failures, avoiding unscheduled downtime, and unanticipated costs.

Nearly all assets and related process parameters are ideal candidates for remote PdM service offering. With the correct technology, common machinery faults that can be monitored and detected include these conditions:

• Bearings – Faults can be detected with a bearing’s outer ring, inner ring, rollers, balls, and cages, which further suggest potential faults elsewhere in each asset.
• Lubrication –Monitoring can be detected under or over lubrication within bearings and prompts a more effective lubrication program.
• Shafts – Shafts can be monitored to detect imbalance, alignment, bending, rub, excessive thrust, and looseness.
• Foundations – Asset foundations and bases can be monitored for looseness caused by loose or failed hardware, failed grouting, base-plate straightness, and housing soft- foot conditions.
• Vane/Blade Pass –Pump impeller and Fan blade pass can be monitored for conditions such as wear, blade/vane failure, looseness to shaft fits, plus contamination and obstructions due to foreign debris within the process.
• Pump Impeller Clearance –Proper settings are key for optimum pump performance and represent a good indicator of pump impeller and wear ring conditions.
• Cavitation and Flow Turbulence –Diagnosed cavitation and flow turbulence problems can impact pump performance and overall pump health over time.
• Temperatures – Temperatures monitored may include those of bearings, lubrication, sump, housings, and other process parameters.
• Belts/Pulleys – Wear, pulley, belt alignment and proper tensioning.
• Gears – Gear wear, damage, mesh, and misalignment.
• Process Parameters –Shaft speed, head pressure, discharge pressure, differential pressure, vacuum, suction, flow, reservoir levels, valve positions, and product consistency can provide additional information on asset reliability and process performance.

The advancement of IIOT and PdM services has made it advantageous for clients with multi-site locations with similar assets and processes to share knowledge, reliability, and process related data so optimization opportunities can be identified and addressed companywide driving Best in Class standards. This is also true for facilities of all sizes, where lack of staff or expertise supports the economies of scale realized with an PdM monitoring service provider. Examples include water supply and similar utilities with numerous small installations at various sites. Pumping stations frequently operate unattended, and within an individual installation it may be difficult to gain access to pumps.

The same applies to many mining and oil and gas operations that have assets spread out over large areas or region’s that must or could benefit from 24/7 PdM monitoring services. Strides have been made in with IIoT, and for PdM monitoring in general, for a wide range of industries where critical assets are a fact of life, such as power generation, food and beverage, pulp and paper, hydrocarbon processing, and offshore platforms. Often-cited benefits include 24/7 capability to monitor equipment and data for analysis around-the-clock.

The real-world drivers for cost effective PdM technologies and services include the ability to network across multiple sites; advances in services and reporting via the Internet; robust analysis software and its ability to accept data received from multiple locations and different equipment over different protocols; and the ever-louder call for outsourced services and expertise.

Management and maintenance staffs understand that many decisions impact the performance, reliability, economy, and service life of their assets. With all the evolving remote PdM service developments, the decision for proactive maintenance can best be made in concert with experienced professionals who understand that.