NEWS | FEATURES | PRODUCTS | CASE STUDIES August/September 2023 | Issue 476 www.pwemag.co.uk @PWEmagazine1 Digital technologies in maintenance Inside this issue: 30 > Thermal Oxidisers: Efficient odour abatement 36 > Want a safer workplace? Then show the value 40 > Sustainability through supply chain management page 10 @plant-&-works-engineering PWE Plant & Works Engineering Since 1981
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By nurturing cooperation, implementing comprehensive strategies, and embracing innovation, the manufacturing sector could catalyse a more robust and balanced economic landscape. The need for a collaborative approach As we approach the end of summer, our attention inevitably looks to the potential outlook for the remainder of the year. The recent Make UK Regional Manufacturing Outlook report provides an interesting overview that not only sheds light on the sector’s present state but also prompts a nuanced reflection on the challenges and potential opportunities. Its emphasis on the apparent increase in manufacturing jobs across six of the eight English Regions and Wales draws attention to the sector’s potential to generate employment and stimulate economic progress. Particularly noteworthy is the significant jump in manufacturing jobs observed in Yorkshire & Humber. This upswing in employment in these regions underscores the role of manufacturing Editor’s Comment ‘ ’ in bolstering local economies, offering a vantage point beyond geographical significance. The concept of “levelling up” also emerges, acknowledging both progress and disparities. The Report acknowledges the distinct recovery trajectories, with London and the South East leading the charge postpandemic. This disparity underscores the complexity of equalising opportunities across regions, challenging the notion of a level playing field. The manufacturing sector’s contribution to the economy, characterised by high-value and skillintensive jobs, remains a central tenet of the drive toward balanced regional growth. Yet, the report stresses that achieving this necessitates measured, cohesive strategies that align national and regional aspirations. A strategic approach, amalgamating a nationwide industrial vision with localised growth strategies, holds potential for harmonising regional strengths, including infrastructure, innovation, and skill development. The increase in manufacturing jobs as highlighted in the Report serves as a testament to the sector’s resilience, weathering the storms of Brexit, labour challenges, and supply chain complexities. Recent energy price fluctuations, attributed to geopolitical tensions, accentuate the sector’s exposure to global dynamics. Looking forward, uncertainties persist. Escalating inflation and interest rates cast a shadow of uncertainty over economic stability, warranting prudence and adaptability. However, the sector’s resilience to these potential challenges will invariably be an indicative test of its long-term sustainability. Against this backdrop, the Make UK/BDO Regional Manufacturing Outlook report calls on policymakers, business leaders, and communities to forge a collaborative path. By nurturing cooperation, implementing comprehensive strategies, and embracing innovation, the manufacturing sector could catalyse a more robust and balanced economic landscape. August/September 2023 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 03
2023 Partners: Thursday, November 23rd 2023 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Coventry Endorsements: “The AEMT Awards is one of the highlights in the industry calendar, and ABB is delighted to have sponsored the ‘Service Centre of the Year’ Category since 2018. I’d like to thank the organisers and offer my congratulations to all finalists and winners on the night.” Rob Wood ABB, UK “We were delighted to win the Diversity in Engineering category. The AEMT Awards are a fantastic opportunity to network and share best practice within our industry. It’s great to see so many businesses driving innovation and advancement.” Eleanor McIntosh Houghton International The awards are a global celebration of business and professional excellence. They recognise the achievements of both individuals and companies manufacturing, distributing, maintaining and repairing industrial machinery such as electric motors, drives, pumps, fans, gearboxes, generators, transformers, switchgear and ancillary equipment. There are 7 categories to choose from including: Product of the Year, Project of the Year, Supplier of the Year, Service Centre of the Year, Diversity in Engineering, Contribution to Skills & Training and the Rising Star Award. Make sure you enter now to be recognised as a leader in your industry. Online Entry at: www.aemtawards.com Call for nominations now open... Giving special thanks and recognition to the people, companies, projects and services that play a crucial role in ensuring our food production, utilities, manufacturing processes, transportation and other essential services are maintained and secured.
August/September 2023 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 05 Editor: Aaron Blutstein t| 01732 370340 e| editorial@dfamedia.co.uk Content Sub Editor: Leslah Garland t| 01732 370340 e| leslah.garland@dfamedia.co.uk Sales Director: Damien Oxlee t| 01732 370342 e| damien.oxlee@dfamedia.co.uk Sales Manager: Andrew Jell t| 01732 370347 e| andrew.jell@dfamedia.co.uk DFA Direct: Ian Atkinson t| 01732 370340 e| ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk Production Manager & Designer: Chris Davis e| chris.davis@dfamedia.co.uk Marketing Executive: Hope Jepson e| hope.jepson@dfamedia.co.uk Operations Manager: Emma Floyd t| 01732 370340 e| emma.floyd@dfamedia.co.uk Reader/Circulation Enquiries: Perception t| +44 (0) 1825 701520 e| cs@perception-sas.com Financial: Finance Department e| accounts@dfamedia.co.uk Managing Director: Ryan Fuller e| ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk Chief Executive Officer: Ian Atkinson e| ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk Published by: DFA Media Group 192 The High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BE t| 01732 370340 e| info@dfamedia.co.uk w| www.pwemag.co.uk Official Supporters: Printer: Warners, UK © Copyright 2023, DFA Manufacturing Media Ltd ISSN 0262-0227 PWE is a controlled circulation magazine, published 11 times a year. Please contact DFA Media with any subscription enquiries. Paid subscriptions are also available on an annual basis at £100.00 (UK) or £170.00 (Overseas) P+P included. The content of this magazine, website and newsletters do not necessarily express the views of the Editor or publishers. The publishers accept no legal responsibility for loss arising from information in this publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or stored in a retrieval system without the written consent of the publishers. COMMENT 3 NEWS 6 A round-up of what’s happening in industry. INSIGHT 10 MAINTENANCE MATTERS - INCORPORATING PROBLEM SOLVER 12 Focus on: Plant & Asset Management/ Preventive & Predictive Maintenance/CMMS Optimal utilsation of assets, low downtime and low maintenance costs ensure the highest possible productivity. This requires an intelligent EAM solution for registering and analysing the data. PROCESS, CONTROLS, & PLANT 20 Focus on: Compressed Air/ Seals, Bearings & Lubrication Cliff Warne, BCAS Executive Director explores the importance of compressed air system design to ensure energy performance is optimised, highlighting the various options available to calculate the annual running cost of an air compressor, while also advising on how best to design an energy-saving system. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 30 Focus on: Boilers, Burners & Controls/ HVAC Etienne Fourie, Technical Sales Manager at Babcock Wanson, explains the use of Thermal Oxidisers in the food industry. HANDLING & SAFETY MATTERS 36 Focus on: Health & Safety Having recently achieved the ISO 45001 certification for Air Products, Rachel Rawlings, talks about why plant operators and engineers are central to the success of occupational health and safety initiatives. SPECIAL FOCUS SUSTAINABILITY & NET ZERO 40 PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY 42 Contents 10 36 12 30 BCAS official media partner
News 6 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk August/September 2023 The British Compressed Air Society (BCAS) has appointed Cliff Warne as Executive Director. Cliff, who joins the Society with a wealth of engineering and commercial experience gained in manufacturing and process roles, will work alongside Vanda Jones, during an initial transition period. Starting his career as an engineering trainee at Mars Confectionary, Cliff is a wellrespected figure in the pump and process market, having worked for over 20 years at AxFlow. This included 15 years in leadership roles as well as engineering and product management roles. It is this proven track record of engineering sales and building strong commercial relationships that Cliff will take into his new role with BCAS. Warne commented: “I have supported customers in a diverse range of industrial sectors, from chemical to oil and gas, food and beverage to nuclear industries and understand the challenges they face. Whether it’s the rising cost of energy, managing raw materials and costs or compliance with legislation, end-customers are looking for the best advice from their suppliers to mitigate for these risks. “This is where BCAS has an important role to play – acting as an independent, trusted source of advice and I very much look forward to working with end-users to help improve the efficiency of their compressed air systems. “Our BCAS members are equally important, and I am keen to build on the excellent achievements of Vanda and the team and to continue to work closely with our distributor, manufacturer and end-use members. This includes our important lobbying work to ensure the best outcomes for end-users as new legislation and regulations are introduced, as well as continuing to develop our training portfolio.” Commenting on Cliff’s appointment, Mark Ranger, BCAS President added: “We are delighted to welcome Cliff to the BCAS team and send him a very warm welcome from all of the BCAS board members. His wealth of experience in the industrial sector, combined with his proven leadership skills will be a great asset to the Society. “Vanda and Cliff will work together during this transition period to continue to deliver best value for our members and to ensure the Society remains a source of independent and trusted advice to compressed air end-users.” British Compressed Air Society appoints Cliff Warne to Board AEMT Awards entry deadline fast approaching Time is running out to prepare and submit nominations for the 2023 AEMT Awards Programme. With the final entry date set as 5pm on Friday 8 September, the AEMT again looks forward to recognising and rewarding business and professional excellence across the electrical and mechanical repair sector. Building on its past successes, the fifth outing of this sector specific awards scheme will culminate in a gala presentation ceremony to be held on the evening of Thursday, 23 November, at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Coventry. This venue will also play host to the supporting AEMT Conference taking place throughout the day. The full programme is currently being finalised, but its focus will again be on providing AEMT members with help and guidance on a range of topics of primary interest to the development of their businesses. Staff recruitment, development and retention, the adoption of smart technologies, the commercial value associated with circular economy and sustainability initiatives, and the support networks that can be accessed by those operating in the sector will all be featured. The complement of speakers will share their knowledge and expertise in a series of talks and presentations specifically designed to be of tangible value and relevance to all those companies operating across the engineering service and maintenance arena. The AEMT Awards programme will again acknowledge the skill, effort, and dedication of the people and businesses serving this important industry sector. With sponsorship provided by a host of leading industry names, including ABB, DFA Media Group (publisher of Drives & Controls and Plant & Works Engineering magazines), EMIR Software, TEC Electric Motors, Megger, Sulzer, Menzel, and Preformed Windings, well deserved industry-wide recognition will be given to those businesses which are excelling in their commercial endeavours. Award Categories: The seven categories that make up the 2023 awards programme are: • Product of the Year – sponsored by DFA Media Group • Project of the Year – sponsored by EMIR Software • Service Centre of the Year – sponsored by ABB • Supplier of the Year – sponsored by Megger • Contribution to Skills & Training Award – Sulzer • Rising Star Award – sponsored by TEC Electric Motors • Diversity in Engineering Award – sponsored by Preformed Windings • Lifetime Achievement Award – sponsored by AEMT Entries are being sought for any company, product, application, or individual involved in the supply, installation, service, maintenance and repair of industrial machinery technology such as electric motors, drives, pumps, fans, gearboxes, generators, transformers, switchgear, and ancillary equipment. Individuals can put forward entries for themselves and their own company or nominate others that they believe merit recognition. The online entry process is quite straightforward, and anyone wishing to play their part in highlighting engineering excellence should visit the AEMT Awards website – www.aemtawards.com. It is free of charge to enter the awards, but the promotional value associated with being selected as a finalist is worth many hundreds of pounds. But for those individuals and companies fortunate enough to be announced as one of the seven winners during the presentation ceremony, the promotional benefit is even greater.
News August/September 2023 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 07 Electromechanical repair specialist, Fletcher Moorland, has launched an initiative to support the younger generation entering engineering, design, and manufacturing careers. Under the banner Get Tooled Up, Fletcher Moorland is giving away five sets of quality tools to young apprentices and aspiring engineers every month. Since its launch, the initiative has seen the company give away tools including infrared thermometers, VDE pliers and hex key sets, from Fluke, RS components and Wera, to young engineers from across the UK. Commenting on the initiative, Matt Fletcher, Managing Director at Fletcher Moorland, said: “Tools cost a lot of money; ask any engineer. It’s particularly hard when starting out in an engineering career. You want the best tools to do your job but to get good quality equipment does cost money. “I want to put decent tools in the hands of apprentices and young engineers from the start, and I’m committing to do this.” For young engineers to be in with a chance of winning tools that could help them as they embark on their careers, all they have to do is look out for posts on LinkedIn carrying the #GetTooledUp hashtag and then comment or hit the like button. Each month Fletcher Moorland will randomly draw from the entrants and notify the lucky winners. Anyone who wants to nominate a young person to be entered can also do so by tagging or, if they aren’t on LinkedIn, nominating them on the post featuring the hashtag. Initially, Fletcher Moorland funded the prize tools itself, but for the latest draw, the initiative has drawn support from DIY-repair specialist iFixit, which has donated five of its ProTech tool kits as the prizes for the May draw. “I absolutely love iFixit,” said Matt. “Its mission is ‘To teach everyone to fix everything. Let’s fix the world together,’ which is a great fit for what we are doing. Many young engineers start out by taking things apart to see how they work and see if they can fix them. With its tools and its repair tutorials, iFixit is making this possible.” The following month, global industrial and mechanical tool brand, Beta, is donating the prizes, and Matt believes there is an excellent opportunity for other suppliers to support the initiative: “Brand loyalty is a powerful thing and getting tools into the hands of engineers at the beginning of their careers could see lifelong customers born. Plus, from a marketing point of view, supporting young engineers is a great story to tell.” Any tool supply companies looking to support the initiative are invited to contact Matt Fletcher directly. And any young or inspiring engineers, or their colleagues, friends, and family, to enter, simply look out for the hashtag #GetTooledUp. For further information please visit: www.fletchermoorland.co.uk Young engineers get tooled up M&E Week becomes industrial sector’s biggest event Manufacturing & Engineering Week 2023 has become the biggest industrial sector event in the UK in just its second year, according to statistics released by event organisers The Nineteen Group. Over the course of the live shows on the 7 and 8 June, 10,355 manufacturers, designers, engineers and maintenance professionals attended the event at the NEC which had 342 exhibitors. Senior manufacturing leaders attended the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit and the SME Growth Summit, while also finding time to visit the Google Leaders’ Lounge. As part of the STEM programme more than 450 students attended the exhibition on the final afternoon finding much to inspire them in the Made Smarter Innovation Alley, the Innovation Village and beyond. Haf Cennydd, Portfolio Director for Manufacturing & Engineering Week said: “To have built the biggest UK event for the industrial sector in just two years has surpassed our expectations and clearly demonstrates that bringing together Smart Factory Expo, Design & Engineering Expo and Maintec was a great idea. With industrial events also taking place at the same time and venue run by other event organisers plus the addition of Drives & Controls, Air-Tech and Fluid Power & Systems, there will only be more to see and do in 2024.” Manufacturing & Engineering Week has the support of most of the high-profile organisations, institutions and trade bodies representing the UK’s industrial and manufacturing sector, none more so than Make UK. Stephen Phipson CBE, CEO of MAKE UK and chair of Manufacturing & Engineering Week said of this year’s event: “Manufacturing and Engineering Week has gone from strength to strength from last year to this year and we expect it to grow even further next year. Key challenges were high on the agenda for the second year with skills, supply chain and sustainability discussed in detail. It was great to see the show also offset their carbon emissions once again by planting thousands more trees in the M&E Week Forest.” Maintec in particular has benefited from its inclusion in M&E Week with Chris Hansford of Hansford Sensors commenting: “I have been coming to Maintec for 36 years and this is the busiest one I can remember. The event has had a shot in the arm which is great for our business and the maintenance sector as a whole.” Engineers Without Borders UK, the official charity partner for Manufacturing & Engineering Week, used its presence as an opportunity to launch a global responsibility competency compass to address the sustainability skills gap in engineering. John Kraus, CEO said: “The event has given the whole team a boost. It’s given us a platform for our launch and an opportunity to network directly with people working in industry
News 08 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk August/September 2023 Every year Make UK publishes an analysis of official data which looks at the contribution of manufacturing to each English region and the devolved nations. The analysis looks at metrics such as employment, sectoral composition, output and export destinations of each region’s goods. This year there were two striking factors. Firstly, in 2022 compared to 2021 the number of jobs in manufacturing has grown in six of eight English regions along with Wales and Northern Ireland. This is very unusual given employment levels have been stable, or in slight decline, for some time and counter the long-held narrative of inevitable decline in manufacturing employment. They also show, as is happening in the US, that growing manufacturing jobs and the sector’s share of the economy is a realistic prospect given a supportive policy framework. Yorkshire & Humber saw the biggest growth in manufacturing jobs, adding 46,000 jobs in 2022 compared to 2021, bringing the total number to 316,000, more than one in ten (11%) of the region’s workforce. The South West saw the second highest increase, closely followed by the East of England. The East and West Midlands, together with London and the South East, Wales and Northern Ireland also saw increases in the number of manufacturing jobs. The report also highlights the importance of manufacturing and jobs to so-called ‘red wall’ areas where the sector occupies a substantially higher than average contribution to the regional economy. The average regional share of manufacturing nationally in the UK (2) is just under 10% (9.8%), whereas in Wales the sector accounts for almost a fifth of the economy (17.3%), whilst it is also substantially above the average as a share of the economy in the East Midlands (16.4%), Yorkshire & Humber (15.4%), North East (15%), West Midlands (14.4%) and the North West (14%). The second striking factor was how most English regions and Wales are seeing a downward trend in their share of exports going to the EU, suggesting a possible shift in trade patterns. While the overall share of UK goods exports going to the EU increased in 2022 from 2021 (52% compared to 50%) this was largely boosted by substantial increases in the share of exports going to the EU from both Scotland Northern Ireland. Without these increases it’s likely that the UK’s overall share would also have fallen significantly. There may be a number of factors at play to explain this shift but if the trend continues then there are implications for Government policies to support exporters with a shit in emphasis needed to support companies exploring markets outside the EU. By MAKE UK chief executive, Stephen Phipson MAKE uk - the manufacturers’ organisation monthly news comment PPMA Show set to showcase latest developments in the UK’s processing and packaging industry The processing and packaging machinery exhibition, PPMA, will once again take place at the NEC Birmingham, between 26-28 September. This is a complete production line event with something for everyone involved in processing and packaging machinery, robotics and industrial vision systems. The show will be a representation of this fast-growing industry, featuring food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, household products and toiletries, building materials and supplies, pet care, micro-brewery and distilleries, FMCG, as well as contract packers and more. Visitors will be able to take advantage of the networking opportunities, live demonstrations, source new ideas and solutions, and meet with potential new suppliers and technical experts. Richard Little, the PPMA Show Director commented: “Between the 350+ companies exhibiting there are thousands of years of experience in packaging, processing and automation machinery. Visitors are encouraged to bring their problems and requirements to the show. There will be people in the show who know what to do and there will be plenty of machines to look at actually doing it.” The best and brightest businesses of this industry will be eager to demonstrate to visitors how they can improve their businesses with the latest and greatest technologies. Some of the companies exhibiting include Advanced Conveyor Group, BrilloPak, Clearview Imaging, Excel Packing Machinery, IDEM SAFETY Switches, Lafert Electric Motors, Mil-Tek UK Recycling & Waste Solutions, Premier Labellers, and Westrock Packaging Machinery & Automation. This is a rapidly growing industry with immense potential with exciting new products and technologies are being developed all the time; an industry that is constantly innovating and evolving. For more information: https://www.ppmashow.co.uk/visit and their representative bodies. Our ambitions and those of Nineteen Group align in that we wish to ensure that responsible engineering principles are being embedded at every level and that decisions made balance the needs of all people with the limits of our planet.” Peter Jones, CEO of Nineteen Group commented on the success of the event: “We gave our team the licence to disrupt the accepted norms of what an industrial sector trade show looked like, felt like and achieved and they have over-performed by every measure. From the Nexa3D guitar players’ competition to the festival-like stilt walkers and branding to the sheer sense of excitement generated on the exhibition floor it’s been superb, and it will only get better next year as we add Drives & Controls, Air-Tech and Fluid Power & Systems into the mix.” Dates for the live events for M&E Week in 2024 have been confirmed as 5-6 June for Smart Factory Expo, Design & Engineering Expo and Maintec (2 days, Hall 4) and 4-6 June for Drives & Controls, Air-Tech and Fluid Power & Systems (3 Days, Hall 5). For more information visit: www.mandeweek.co.uk
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10 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk August/September 2023 Insight Talking Industry Review Many companies are still not making the most of the opportunity to provide insight into machines by monitoring critical components that are subject to wear and tear. Richard Jeffers got proceedings underway by explaining that one of his favourite topics is the digitisation of maintenance. Maintenance is the process of keeping plants and equipment in good working condition, so that efficiency is retained and/or the life of that asset is increased. Maintenance, he argued is not actually that complicated. But it is really hard work to get it right every day consistently. The first generation was very much reactive, time-based maintenance. There was really no underpinning understanding of reliability theory of why components failed. And then in the 50s, 60s and early 70s. we moved into the second generation of maintenance. Driven by civil aerospace, there was an emerging understanding of reliability theory and a growth of preventive maintenance. This led to an increased asset reliability, lower cost of ownership and - particularly important in the civil aerospace - a reduction in aeroplanes falling out of the sky! Then followed the third generation of maintenance: a real understanding of Talking Industry Digital technologies in maintenance The latest Talking Industry (TI) panel discussion discussed how digital technologies can be used in maintenance activities. What can you learn from machines using digital techniques, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI)? TI Chair, Andy Pye reports. Panelists John Erkoyuncu, Professor of Digital Engineering and Head of the Centre for Digital Engineering and Manufacturing at Cranfield University Richard Jeffers, Founder & Managing Director, RS Industria Dave Roddis, Senior Advisor - Digital Transformation, The MTC
Talking Industry Review Insight August/September 2023 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 11 Talking Points - the true cost of downtime It’s often thought that you need to plaster your machine with sensors to get any useful information out of it, but it is often not as complicated as that: much essential data can all be accessed via a simple PLC. To help maintenance teams work cost-effectively, it is important to have a view of an entire plant helping maintenance teams work easily and cost-effectively. Richard Jeffers cited some work with the IMechE based on 700 returns from engineers within the UK. And we asked about the average cost of downtime and the amount of unplanned downtime that’s experienced so and that came back with the average unplanned downtime was 20 hours a week. And the average cost of downtime was £5000/hr. So that’s £100,000/week or £5 million/yr. If you are operating at a margin of 10% return on sales, you’ve got to make £50 million worth of incremental sales to recover the lost impact of that downtime. To read the IMechE/RS ‘Industry in Motion’ survey please visit: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/content/m/industry-in-motion reliability theory and how and why components fail, which led to the growing use of condition-based and predictive maintenance. Now, Maintenance 4.0 is the fourth generation of maintenance, the digitalisation of this process. I asked why, if the basic theory goes back to 1968, why has it taken so long to put into practice? What do we need to do to get these techniques more widely adopted? Richard Jeffers answered that the falling cost of technology makes it easier to deploy in lower criticality environments. What we see now is technology that was traditionally only available in in the aerospace industry or high value fleet operations, now being able to be moved into broader manufacturing environments. What really underpins the whole world of condition monitoring is that understanding of how components fail. Only 10 to 25% of components fail for time-related use - the other 75 to 90% fail for random reasons. And so condition monitoring and predictive maintenance is all about identifying and measuring a leading indicator of that random failure in a cost-effective and reliable way. David Roddis emphasised that an obvious factor is education. Business leaders really need to start to understand the benefits of the digital age. If you are not bringing and using digital tools, you will start to fall behind your competition. John Erkoyuncu concurred that skills development is key, looking at this in a strategic way from leadership to mid-management level to those may be coming into the organisations. How do we develop the ability to make decisions from a “digital 4.0 perspective”? Something that we need to focus on is the continuous transformation of businesses, going beyond the ad hoc introduction of technologies, and developing a culture where you are embracing new technologies coming into the organisation. I asked Erkoyuncu how, in training young engineers, he keeps up to date with fast-moving technological developments. How does he keep students up to date? And conversely, how can you influence the culture in a in senior managerial environments? Erkoyuncu replied that Cranfield is a wholly postgraduate University, very much focused on working closely with industry. As an example, there is an MSc course called digital and technology solutions, which was developed with over two thousand companies that actually shared the kinds of skills requirements that they have. * Talking Industry is sponsored by the Drives & Controls Exhibition, the #1 event for automation, power transmission & motion control. Taking place 4-6 June 2024, at the NEC, Birmingham. In association with Manufacturing & Engineering Week 2024. Drive The Future. www.drives-expo.com Reliability theory and the digital mindset Pye: “One of the perhaps unwarranted criticisms of academia in fast moving technology areas is how they keep up with developments in technology. And then you have the issue of standards lagging behind. These difficulties are in the background, impeding the implementation of something as new as industry 4.0.” Erkoyuncu: “It is hugely challenging. And I think the key thing here is that we continue to communicate, to ensure that we are not stuck in what’s available today. We need to solve today’s challenges, but we also need to be a step ahead.” Roddis: “Although we are talking about maintenance, when you are capturing data, you want to think about how to use that data throughout the business, not maintenance of the machinery, but utilisation as well. We call this the ‘digital mindset’”. Jeffers: “For me, there is still an over-reliance on time-based maintenance in most factories that I visit, with people not understanding the failure modes that are impacting the assets, therefore using maintenance approaches that are actually going to induce early life failure rather than, you know, predict a random failure event. I agree completely with the points that John and David made around education around digital, but I think you’ve got to underpin that with education around reliability theory as well, because otherwise, you risk digitising something you don’t understand!” The conversation continued.... listen to the on-demand version of this Talking Industry episode to hear more the panelists’ comments, together with answers to the attendees’ questions.
Those who work efficiently and with the greatest possible costeffectiveness gain advantages on the market - whether in mechanical engineering and the automotive industry, in the chemical and food industries, or in logistics. Optimal utilisation of machines with as little downtime as possible is the key to success - combined with strict cost control. What sounds plausible in theory is complex in practice. In the recently released Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) Trend Report 2022 by IFS Ultimo, companies name uptime (33.73%), efficiency (30.47%) and cost control (19.53%) as the most important KPIs for asset managers across all sectors. At the same time, the vast majority of survey participants (82.17%) were unable to quantify how much downtime costs their company per hour. Additionally, 60.45% of the asset managers surveyed had experienced unplanned downtime in the past year. What was the cost of this downtime - and what measure would have prevented or reduced this downtime, and at what cost? Those who know these figures make them transparently available in the company and use them as a basis for maintenance and repair decisions, saving on costs and thus increasing their productivity and profitability. Know and minimise the costs of downtime The aim is therefore to keep machinery and equipment in optimum condition and thus production up and running. This also ensures timely delivery to the customer, on which follow-up orders and market image Maintenance Matters Focus on: Plant & Asset Management 12 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk August/September 2023 How EAM software helps reduce costs Optimal utilsation of assets, low downtime and low maintenance costs ensure the highest possible productivity. This requires an intelligent EAM solution for registering and analysing the data. may depend. Good reasons to treat the topic with high priority. Properly maintained machines and equipment save costs through maximum service life without unexpected failures, through a long service life of the individual components and through high energy efficiency. At the same time, they ensure consistent, high product quality and little waste. Service life and maintenance costs in balance Working economically also means knowing the costs of the necessary maintenance and upkeep and putting them in a reasonable relation to productivity increases and costs for downtime. Maintenance costs include time, labour and costs for personnel, as well as for spare parts and materials and their procurement. In addition, when deciding on a measure, consideration should be given to whether a small additional expense can significantly extend the expected service life of the equipment and whether the benefit is justified at all. Apart from efficiency of maintenance and repair work, the provision of labour and spare parts must also be considered from an economic point of view. If you know all these costs, you can identify cost drivers or inefficient measures and make informed decisions that can reduce costs sustainably. Which is less expensive - Predictive maintenance Vs repairs? Once there is clarity about the concrete costs, plant operators can weigh up which cost benefits can be exploited through predictive maintenance,
Focus on: Plant & Asset Management Maintenance Matters August/September 2023 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 13 TECHNICAL TRAINING SOLUTIONS Providing Electrical, Instrumentation & Mechanical Practical Skills Training for Industry since 1980 LEARNING BY DOING technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk tech.training@zen.co.uk 01634 731 470 which then predicts the best time for the precautionary replacement of equipment parts and thus makes maintenance plannable and minimizes downtimes. The big boom for Industry-4.0-solutions, networked equipment and digital twins is proof that there is great potential here for increasing efficiency and effectiveness. The IFS Ultimo trend report mentioned at the beginning of this article also shows that companies are clearly willing to invest in technologies that have a positive impact on cost control and uptime of their assets. 48.15% - almost half of the companies - identify investments in IT and IoT solutions as the top solution for this. Not only can companies decide between proactive maintenance and repair when they know the cost of each item and the impact on the life of their assets, but with comprehensive data, it is also possible to decide who will ideally implement measures: an on-site technician, who admittedly also costs money on the one hand and may have to be trained, or a specialist, who in case of doubt will only be on site with some lead time and thus possibly extend the downtime. In order to achieve maximum efficiency, it is essential to find optimum solutions here - right through to the implementation of measures by the user under the guidance of a service technician. Sustainable cost control made easy So, it turns out that identifying costs, controlling them and managing the corresponding expenses is the key to achieving the highest possible production efficiency and profitability. Once this information is available, the challenge is to ensure seamless documentation and communication within a company. Only then will asset managers know what it actually costs to maintain their assets, what the cost of downtime is compared to, and what impact the change in maintenance method has on availability and productivity. For this purpose, it is necessary to systematically collect and analyse the data and prepare it and make it accessible to the stakeholders involved in the company - from the user to the maintenance manager to controlling and management. Digital twins bring equipment online The IFS Ultimo EAM system enables the digital management of machines and equipment throughout their entire lifecycle and includes the planning, optimisation, execution and documentation of maintenance activities. The cloud-based IFS Ultimo EAM platform collects the relevant data centrally so that it is available in one place, even if a company has multiple sites and production facilities. Everyone involved in the processes accesses the same data - whether on PC, tablet or smartphone. Beyond retrieving equipment data, it is possible to use virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) to create digital twins of a machine on the network and share current views from on-site with a remote working expert. These technologies are seamlessly integrated into the IFS Ultimo EAM system and open up new possibilities for collaboration and maintenance management for companies. This also saves time and costs for maintenance. IFS Ultimo can, according to the company, also integrate other corporate data - for Health, Safety and Environment Management, for example - and link to other software solutions such as business intelligence tools. This creates an extensive ‘big data’ platform for datadriven business decisions.
Predictive maintenance, where data analysis is used to detect potential defects before a mechanical failure occurs, is the way forward. Here, we take a deep dive on how it works - and how it can be of benefit to the marine industry. The overall aim of predictive maintenance is to pinpoint potential faults in machinery at the earliest opportunity, with the goal of removing the need for more complex maintenance, repairs and even replacement. Monitoring tactics allow potential failures to be spotted, and the part repaired or replaced before a full breakdown occurs. Predictive maintenance is more effective and efficient when used to monitor machinery or equipment that is more prone to breakdown. For example, Maintenance Matters Focus on: Preventive/Predictive Maintenance 14 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk August/September 2023 Marine equipment: How predictive maintenance can detect defects before mechanical failures Reducing downtime owing to machine faults and breakdowns is important for all industries, but with marine equipment typically being in a remote location, how do we react when problems occur? Steve Ellis Managing Director at FPE Seals explains further. older machinery or machinery that is critical to the output of the company. Reduces downtime Downtime in any industry is costly to the bottom line while there is a wait for repairs to be completed or a replacement to arrive, not to mention any further time required for installation and training on the new machinery. The importance of reducing downtime is particularly prevalent in the marine industry due to the locations machinery is located in. Remote locations in the marine industry can often make repairs time-consuming and costly. By having predictive maintenance in place, engineers can plan and replace anything effectively, rather than be forced to react at the last minute when something goes wrong. With travel from engineers often over large distances involving air travel, downtime can be lengthy and be very costly to the business. Remote condition monitoring reduces travel and time costs Using predictive maintenance will enable the scheduling of corrective maintenance when it is easier for it to take place. Having a way of predicting a failure on board a ship ensures that repairs or replacement parts can be installed before the vessel reaches open water - where it would be significantly more difficult. This saves time, money and impacts on the health and safety of the workforce on board, as they are not entering operations with a
Focus on: Preventive/Predictive Maintenance Maintenance Matters August/September 2023 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 15 potentially faulty machine or piece of equipment. Replacing valves, cylinders, or integral parts such as hydraulic cylinder parts needs to be conducted as efficiently as possible. More efficient way of working Generally, predictive maintenance enables a more efficient way of working. Avoiding lastminute changes because of breakdowns is just a better way for an organisation to operate. Of course, not everything is predictable - the nature of the marine industry means that extreme, unforeseen weather can occur and cause problems that were literally impossible to predict or make contingency plans for. Despite this, the ability to foresee problems and solve them before they become a huge issue is one that certainly improves business efficiency. In conclusion As with any industry, being able to predict when things may go wrong of breakdown can only be a positive thing. The remoteness of some of the equipment, the difficulty of access to some locations and the expense of last-minute reactive maintenance are all important things to note. When you add to this the significance of reduced downtime and even the impact on the health and safety of employees, we see how predictive maintenance can benefit the marine industry. Sources 3 Benefits of Predictive Maintenance In The Marine Industry (sensonics.co.uk) Predictive Maintenance for Marine Vessels (marinedigital.com) For further information please visit: www.fpeseals.com • ADHESIVES, SEALANTS & SPRAYS • CLEANING & HYGIENE • FLOOD PREVENTION • HOSES & FITTINGS • SPILL KITS & CONTAINMENT • TOOLS • WHEELIE BINS • AND MUCH, MUCH MORE “You don’t know what I got” Industry Superstore Ltd Units 8 & 9, Lexden Lodge Industrial Estate, Jarvis Brook, Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 2NQ. +44 (0) 1892 66 44 99 …ask Steve, he can help you with that!
The pursuit of complete control and efficient asset maintenance remains a major challenge for many industries. However, Wienerberger has found a solution to this predicament through the support of the Agility CMMS solution from SSG Insight. In this editorial, we delve into Wienerberger’s journey with Agility, highlighting the transformative power of this technology in driving effective maintenance management. Ali Ben Henda, the Continuous Improvement Manager at Wienerberger, eloquently encapsulated the significance of Agility: “If I had to describe using Agility in a nutshell, for me, it is pivotal that all our data is in one place and that we have visibility of the reports...” This singular feature has proven to be a gameMaintenance Matters Focus on: CMMS 16 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk August/September 2023 Achieving control & effective asset maintenance The ability to have a clear view of all assets and maintenance to drive effective management and control is still a huge challenge. PWE takes a look at how Wienerberger has achieved this with the support of the Agility CMMS solution from SSG Insight. changer for the company, providing them with a unified platform to manage their assets and generate actionable reports. SSG Insight, a prominent player in the CMMS realm, has always been committed to supporting its customers in achieving control over assets and maintenance to enable effective maintenance management. Its Agility solution has evolved over the years to cater to the evolving demands and technological advancements of its extensive client base, ranging from SMEs to massive global enterprises. Wienerberger, a long-term user of Agility, has harnessed the power of this CMMS to achieve unprecedented control over its assets. By leveraging targeted maintenance practices, the company has gained better control over its maintenance team’s activities and time management. Additionally, the comprehensive reporting capabilities offered by Agility have vastly improved decision-making processes. Back in 2016, Wienerberger’s team faced the ever-increasing challenge of how to manage its maintenance and assets more effectively. Ben Henda, explained: “Before Agility, we had no clear picture of what was happening across our 14 sites, and we didn’t have a ‘one source of truth’ when it came to managing assets. Maintenance was delivered on a case-by-case basis and not collated across our 14 manufacturing operations. Agility was particularly attractive to us as it standardized the way we were doing things, allowing us to make data-driven decisions on our maintenance team’s timetable.” With the introduction of Agility, Wienerberger experienced significant improvements. The solution standardised maintenance practices, empowering them to make informed decisions based on data-driven insights and enhancing productivity across all 14 manufacturing operations. The success of Agility at Wienerberger is evident from the statistics: 7500 assets listed, 4055 PPMs (Preventative Planned Maintenance), and over 320 user accounts, 70% of which have embraced Agility Mobile. Ali Ben Henda continued to explain: “Once we introduced Agility, we were able to start gathering our data in a more consistent and cohesive way and we were able to better manage our asset maintenance timetable. “Agility is designed for many different businesses across lots of different sectors however, it is not rigid, and the company didn’t need to change lots of its processes to fit Agility, Agility was and is flexible enough to meet with our specific requirements. “I can see everything from the Work Order List to the Equipment Structure, to Job Analysis
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