Condition Monitoring/Predictive Maintenance

Although maps may be a thing of the past for most of us, getting lost isn’t. A majority of us have a GPS to help us navigate and avoid getting lost in our personal lives, but, what about at work? Start thinking about utilizing your Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) or Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) as your work related GPS. Now you need to ensure your “maps and coordinates” are up-to-date with the…

Maintenance tasks initiated as a result of the observed or measured condition of an asset or system, before or after functional failure, to correct the problem.  Corrective maintenance (CM) can be planned or unplanned. Synonymous with corrective work. Tip excerpted from The Professional’s Guide To Maintenance And Reliability

Because inventory requires a significant financial investment and that investment involves significant ongoing costs, it is also important to measure the financial performance.  Tracking the value of inventory is important for cash management purposes.  However, an additional financial measure that often gets overlooked is stock turn ratio. The stock turn is calculated by dividing the annual usage of the inventory (in dollars) by the value of inventory held (also in dollars).

That is the question—one of the key decisions impacting performance and profitability in the power industry is whether or not to make a capital investment to upgrade your infrastructure or continue to maintain your existing physical plant. The inputs to this decision are the current state of your assets and their expected deterioration, as well as the current state of customer demand and expected future demand. A fact-based model can be created to assess the…

The emergent understanding of asset management across all industry sectors has triggered a subsequent need for a standardised approach. The Institute of Asset Management (IAM) in collaboration with the British Standards Institute (BSI) and other industry groups first developed PAS 55 - Part1: Specification for the optimized management of physical assets in 2004. This was developed in response to industry demand for a standard for asset management and was recently revised in 2008 following international collaboration from industry and asset management associate groups.

UK-based EA Technology Analytical Limited is launching two new international service brands at TechCon Asia Pacific 2010, in Sydney, Australia, on May 18-19 (details of this power industry conference at www.tjh2b.com).

Honeywell (NYSE:HON) today announced it has signed an agreement valued at approximately $142 million USD (approximately $145 million CAD) to acquire Matrikon Inc. (TSX:MTK), a company specializing in software that helps industrial manufacturers operate their plants safely, reliably and efficiently. The acquisition will strengthen Honeywell’s position in the high-growth oil and gas and power value chains and increase its global footprint in key regions. The transaction is subject to approval by Matrikon’s shareowners.

Vesta Partners, LLC, (Vesta) a professional services firm specializing in services that support the SAP Enterprise Asset Management solution, has finalized its agreement to become a Certified Solution Implementer for Syclo’s SMART Mobile Suite, a comprehensive set of prebuilt, preintegrated products that mobilize asset maintenance, operator rounds, time/attendance tracking and materials management.  Recognized as industry experts, Vesta will leverage its expertise with SAP Enterprise Asset Management to deliver mobile solutions and capabilities for customers using Syclo’s industry-leading mobile applications in support of SAP solutions.

SpectraQuest introduces a full featured Wind Turbine Simulator (WTS) for education in wind turbine technology from power generation to operation. The device provides an ideal platform for teaching the fundamental principles of wind energy conversion to electricity, energy storage, control system, instrumentation, operation, and maintenance of a wind turbine. The innovative design allows for the WTS to be used with and without the presence of wind such as in laboratory settings. This integrated package includes a hands-on experimentation device, curriculum, sensors and data acquisition and software along with a full set of instrumentation to expedite learning. The system consists of three independently actuated blades with ability to control the pitch, a 360 degree turning yaw control mechanism, a nacelle, a turbine hub, a vertical tower, and complete control system.

Azima DLI, the leader and premier provider of predictive machine condition monitoring and analysis services, today announced Deborah A. Shelpman has joined the company as a strategic account manager. In this role, Shelpman will be responsible for driving Azima DLI’s direct sales strategies for the mid-Atlantic region. Shelpman brings more than 15 years of global sales and business development experience working with Fortune 1000 accounts across the manufacturing, pharmaceutical and process industries.