MAINTENANCE LOG
Current and future goals Like many other new procedures, it will take some time to achieve 100% adoption of the new processes. Some of our users have embraced the system to a greater degree than others. Although the benefits of using the reliability information management system are evident, it’s still a change from the way things have been done in the past. Meanwhile, the mill’s reliance on the system is increasing. Our current plans are to implement Tango’s Repair Tracker program for all major equipment that’s repaired. While we now primarily track mechanical assets, we see a huge opportunity to add motors that are sent out weekly to the system. Equipment travel email The reliability software isn’t integrated into our CMMS program at this time, but we plan to use the Mobile Rounds Logging feature of Tango in place of our current PdM inspections in certain areas. We feel that it will be faster and easier for technicians to complete inspections with this feature—because it will automate many of the inspection steps. They can pull up the equipment record using the QR code and the data that’s entered is immediately uploaded once the inspection is completed. Alarm levels on entered data will generate condition entries into the software. Users then have the ability to trend these parameters over time. NAS is also working toward moving from smartphones to tablets for rounds logging inspections and for tracking parts. As a whole, this strategic combination of software and smart technology has eliminated the paper trail and related risks that had previously bogged down the NAS maintenance department and revolutionized its current operations. As North American Stainless continues to find new ways to leverage this investment, we expect our maintenance performance and equipment reliability to continue to improve. MT And, you can track these repairs for recurring issues so that future upgrades can be planned. For example, if a pump from a specific system experienced bearing failures on multiple occasions due to a lack of lubrication, we might want to look into upgrading the bearings, the lubrication or both. The software puts this type of information on our screens in an easy-to-follow format. SEPTEMBER 2013
Don Stewart is a Predictive Maintenance Engineer at North American Stainless (www.northamericanstainless.com) in Ghent, KY. An ISO Category III Certified Vibration Analyst, he’s been with the company since 2002. Email: dwstewart@ northamericanstainless.com. For more info, enter 03 at www.MT-freeinfo.com MT-ONLINE.COM | 45