Machinery & Equipment MRO June 2014

MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

Strategies for maintaining hydraulic systems Torque monitoring a secret weapon for maintenance Microbes target toxic metals at BC coal mine

Vol. 30, No. 3

JUNE 2014

Tablet technology keeps Ontario gold mine electricians safe Bearing protection improved by advanced sealing solutions

SPECIAL REPORT

INDUSTRIAL LUBRICATION

Why you need maintenance support systems

Understanding ball screw lubrication Do your KPIs include detailed lubrication data?

Nano-ceramic grease extends uptime for bearings

Instant Parts Mail Agreement #40069240

3D printing transforms maintenance and repair

WHAT’S NEW p01 June14 MRO Cover.indd 1

FLUID POWER

HAND & POWER TOOLS

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P R O D U C T

SP TLIGHT

Machinery & Equipment MRO

Bearing material filament for 3D printers speeds up prototype manufacture

Online Reader Inquiry No. 404

Baldor’s Super-E line of electric motors with the Baldor Shaft Grounding Brush is designed with a carbon brush mounted internally to divert shaft currents away from motor bearings, thus increasing the life of the bearings. Using a drive to control the motor is beneficial because it provides speed control on different applications such as fans, pumps and conveyors, allowing users to run their motors at optimum efficiency. However, when motors are con-

trolled by a drive, it can create the potential for common mode voltage, which can cause voltage spikes in the rotor.

These spikes seek the path of least resistance – the motor bearings – and can lead to premature bearing failure. The shaft grounding brush can prevent these voltage spikes from damaging the bearings. Stock ratings ava i l a ble i nc lu de 1 hp through 50 hp in TEFC or ODP foot-mounted designs along with 1/2 hp through 5 hp in TEFC, C-face foot mounted designs.

Baldor Electric Online Reader Inquiry No. 403

App transfers measurement data from test tools to smart phones and the cloud

The Fluke Connect app allows maintenance technicians to wirelessly transmit measurement data from their test tools to

their smart phones for secure storage on the Fluke Cloud.

Everyone on the t e a m w it h a smart phone and the app can see the data. More than 20 Fluke tools connect wirelessly with the app, including digital multimeters, infrared cameras, insulation testers, process meters, and specific voltage, current and temperature models. Technicians can record measurements and infrared images to cloud storage from wherever they are working, without writing anything down.

The app features EquipmentLog history, which allows technicians to assign measurements to specific equipment, creating a cloud-based history of test measurement data for easy access during both troubleshooting and reliability maintenance. The app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

Fluke Electronics Canada

t

Electric motor line features shaft grounding brush for bearing protection

t

Igus has introduced a plastic filament for 3D printers that is enhanced with tribological, or low friction, properties. The material, which the company claims to be 50 times more resistant to wear and abrasion than conventional 3D printer materials, is well suited for creating custom bearings.

Customers can design custom parts or even manufacture prototypes quickly and costeffectively, while still being able to rely on the service life of Igus plastic materials.

This is the first filament for 3D printers specifically developed for motion control applications, according to the company.

The company also offers access to 3D models of its products in STL format, which can easily be downloaded and used directly as input data for 3D printing.

Igus

June 2014

Online Reader Inquiry No. 405

Fast-acting cleaner/degreaser won’t harm environment

A powerful cleaner-degreaser formulated to eliminate the need for multiple cleaning solutions has been introduced by Kafko. Eco-friendly Oil Eater Original quickly disperses grease, oil and grime from machinery, motors, tools, concrete floors and much more. It also can be used in parts cleaning and pressure washing machines. The product is water-based, ultra-concentrated, biodegradable, non-corrosive, non-toxic and non-flammable. Made from a mixture of non-ionic surfactants, emulsifiers, water softeners and other biodegradable ingredients, it contains no acids, abrasive or petroleum solvents, and will not harm the skin. It is available in 1-gal, 5-gal, 30-gal, and 55-gal containers and a 275-gal tote.

Kafko International Online Reader Inquiry No. 402

Portable appliance tester ensures safe operation of electrical equipment

For decades, ABB variable speed drives and Baldor motors have set the standard for quality, reliability and energy savings. Now, industrial customers can buy these products and receive expert support from a single source. Call 479-646-4711 to locate the district office nearest you.

Two trusted names. One local source for sales and support. Only from ABB and Baldor.

• Local Sales & Support • Energy Efficient • Industrial Motors & Drives • Unmatched Customer Service

baldor.com

The PAT450 portable appliance tester from Megger can perform a variety of tests, such as an earth bond continuity test that verifies the integrity of exposed metalwork on grounded (Class I) appliances, an insulation test that checks that equipment conductors are isolated from ground to 500 VDC, and a touch current test that powers the asset at the supply voltage as if it were in use. It also tests extension and power cords. Features include a large, 5.7-in. VGA backlit colour screen with simplified menus for easy, intuitive operation, and selectable pass/fail limits that provide instant indication of a faulty asset. A USB port enables convenient download to a memory stick, and a barcode scanner and thermal transfer barcode label printer can be used with the tester when hooked up to the USB port.

Megger Online Reader Inquiry No. 406

©2013 Baldor Electric Company

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Online Reader Inquiry No. 115

MRO

Obtain free additional information about any of these items by using our online reader reply card at www.mromagazine.com/rsc.

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C O N T E N T S

Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2014

in this issue Special Section

Instant parts / 10

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, will soon transform maintenance and repair.

Industrial Lubrication

Microbes target toxic metals / 12

Biological technology helps remove toxic metals from a new wastewater plant at a coal mine in British Columbia.

Is lubrication data missing from your KPIs? / 21

p2

Tracking KPIs that target lubrication gives maintenance professionals a unique insight.

A secret weapon / 13

Torque monitoring, combined with other condition monitoring methods, allows users to make the necessary corrections to ensure the smoother operation of machinery and avoid unexpected failures.

Sealing solutions / 14

Nano-ceramic grease extends maintenance interval 6x / 21

After switching to nano-ceramic food-grade grease, maintenance intervals on lift truck bearings were extended from seven days to six weeks.

Understanding ball screw lubrication / 22

How advanced isolators provide enhanced bearing protection.

p10

The right oil or grease lubrication for ball screw assemblies reduces unscheduled downtime for repair by ensuring the assemblies deliver their expected service life.

departments Editor’s Notebook / 6 Industry Newswatch / 7 Business Briefs / 8 Mr. O, The Practical Problem Solver / 9 Maintenance 101 / 20 MRO on the Road / 30 Product News Product Spotlight / 2 Focus on Lubrication / 25 Focus on Tools / 26 Focus on Fluid Power / 27 MRO Components / 29

columns Mr. O, the Practical Problem Solver / 9

Bearing breakdown misery resolved quickly.

The importance of support systems / 20

Maintenance 101: Support systems – all the standard operating procedures, policies, training and documentation a person needs to perform a job – are essential for the success of both maintenance and operations at this Ontario food plant.

MRO on the Road / 30

editor’s selections

First MRO Expo launched in Mississauga in April.

p26

Strategies for maintaining hydraulic systems / 16

Here are four key steps to help you obtain the maximum service life, optimum efficiency and top consistency from your hydraulic components.

Tablet power at the worksite / 18

p27

‘Bearing isolators last up to seven times as long as traditional oil seals.’

Patrick Rhodes / 14

p28 p29 Cover Photo ©Josef Kubes/iStock/Thinkstock

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‘Additive manufacturing for parts with complex and difficult-to-achieve geometry is an exciting emerging field.’

Buck France / 10 ‘It was recommended to reduce the amount of oil in the fluid coupling.’

Dr. Edwin Becker / 13

Musselwhite gold mine electricians in northwestern Ontario are safer thanks to information-packed tablet computers.

p16

p25

‘This mobile technology is not only opening up a whole new world for mine electricians, we are moving electricians and safety into the 21st century.

The possibilities now are absolutely endless.’

Mark Jorgensen / 18 ‘Consistency, consistency, consistency! It is the only sure way to improve.’

Peter Phillips / 20

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Online Reader Inquiry No. 117

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E D I T O R’ S

N O T E B O O K

Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2014

Long-range planning

W

e work well in advance here when planning our upcoming issues. We’re already mapping out our 2015 issue themes. And back in April, we began outlining the specific details for our December 2014 issue. Now it’s true that what we plan doesn’t always come to fruition the way we expect, but we’re generally on the mark with the topics and product themes we schedule throughout the year.

All that future planning, however, can’t predict certain synergies that appear among the various articles as we work on the final editing process. We often find unexpected relationships and links between stories that were not origMRO_Mag_Full-Page_Movie-Ad_April_2013.pdf 1 4/4/13 inally planned, ones that have a way of

working out to the reader’s benefit.

That didn’t happen with any significance in this particular edition, but we found the juxtaposition of articles about brand-new technologies and innovations, and older, traditional technologies and methods, to be particularly interesting this time around.

Obviously, our cover feature on how 3D printing will impact maintenance and repair operations is a fascinating look into the future (page 10). It’s a technology that could have a dramatic effect on the solutions available to the problems you face with machinery and equipment breakdowns.

4:08 PM The same goes for our look at mining

technologies (page 12), where we learn how biotechnology will help clean up toxic metals at a BC coal mine, or how an Ontario gold mine is using state-of-theart tablet computers to ensure the on-thejob safety of its electricians (page 18).

Those future-tech stories are balanced with more traditional, practical advice, such as using torque monitoring as a critical tool to avoid machinery failures (page 13), or the application of bearing isolators instead of traditional oil seals to improve bearing life and prevent unexpected operational damage (page 14). And then we get down to nuts and bolts with strategies for maintaining hydraulic systems (page 16).

These are all articles that were planned as long as a year ago, with work beginning on them shortly after. Yes, it’s true that publishing in print can be a slow process. There’s the researching; the writing; the fact checking; the copy editing; the planning and finding of photographs, charts, tables and illustrations;

the proofreading – all mixed in with a lot of worrying that no mistakes slip through.

All those elements also apply to our website, although the process there can be much faster, as some time-consuming publishing steps related to layout and production can be skipped. We can uncover a news story and have it posted on our website within minutes, for example.

Technical articles too long to fit into the print magazine can easily find a home as an online-only feature.

You hear many young workers say print is dead, but we don’t think so. There are certain advantages to paper – it doesn’t need batteries and it’s very portable. Of course, we’re covering all bases; the full magazine is available online in digital format too. We hope that keeps everyone happy as we plan the best content – both in print and online – to help you work better.

Bill Roebuck Editor & Associate Publisher

MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND OPERATIONS

JUNE 2014 Volume 30, No. 3 Established 1985 www.mromagazine.com www.twitter.com/mromagazine EDITORIAL Bill Roebuck, Editor & Associate Publisher 416-510-6749 broebuck@mromagazine.com Ellie Robinson, Art Director Contributing Editors Simon Fridlyand, Steve Gahbauer, Carroll McCormick, Peter Phillips, Robert Robertson, Angela Webb BUSINESS Jim Petsis, Publisher 416-510-6842 jpetsis@mromagazine.com Jay Armstrong, Sales Manager 416-510-6803 jarmstrong@mromagazine.com Kimberly Collins, Advertising Production 416-510-6779 Melinda Marasigan, Subscription Enquiries 416-442-5600 x3548 Machinery & Equipment MRO is published six times a year to help improve the effectiveness, productivity and practical knowledge of maintenance professionals in Canada’s manufacturing, utilities and resource industries.

AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE

Editorial & sales office: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9; tel: 416-442-5600, 1-800-268-7742; fax: 416-510-5140.

Subscription rates. Canada: 1 year $58.95, 2 years $94.95. United States: 1 year $85.95. Elsewhere: 1 year $87.95. Single copies $10 (Canada), $16.50 (U.S.), $21.50 (other). Add applicable taxes to all rates.

On occasion, our subscription list is made available to organizations whose products or services may be of interest to our readers. If you would prefer not to receive such information, please contact us via one of the following methods – phone: 1-800-668-2374, e-mail: privacyofficer@businessinformationgroup.ca, fax: 416-442-2191, mail to Privacy Officer-Business Information Group, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9. ©2014. Contents of this publication are copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without written consent of the publisher. The publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of claims in items reported or advertised.

Machinery & Equipment MRO is published by BIG Magazines LP, a div. of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. Bruce Creighton, President, BIG; Alex Papanou, Vice-President, BIG; Tim Dimopoulos, Executive Publisher, BIG. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240. Return postage guaranteed. ISSN 0831-8603 (print). ISSN 1923-3698 (digital). Return undeliverable Canadian addresses and change of address notices to: MRO Circulation Dept., 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9.

MRO, USPS 012-846 is published six times per year by Business Information Group.

US office of publication: 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY 14304-0357.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Niagara Falls, NY. US postmater: Send address changes to Machinery and Equipment MRO, PO Box 1118, Niagara Falls NY 14304.

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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Online Reader Inquiry No. 118

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N E W S W A T C H

June 2014

Machinery & Equipment MRO

6% GROWTH PREDICTED FOR POWER TRANSMISSION INDUSTRY Chicago, IL – According to the Power Transmission Distributors Association, its PTDA Business Index for the first quarter of the year (1Q2014) indicates continued growth in the power transmission/motion control market, but shows tempered expectations for year-end 2014.

The quarterly survey of PTDA’s distributor and manufacturer members continues to point to growth, with the 1Q2014 Business Index at 63.6, up from the 4Q2013 reading of 60.2. However, when asked about their outlook for the entire year, survey participants lowered their expectations from 7% growth to 6% growth, suggesting expectations of weakness later in the year.

The index reading indicates the rate of change compared with the previous period. For example, a reading of 50 indicates no change from the prior period, while readings above 50 indicate growth and below 50 indicate contraction. The

Photo: Bill Roebuck

Left: Brian Negri was elected the president of BSA for 2014-2015.

Right: Bill Stevens received BSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the conference.

ufacturer representative Frank Mascia of Timken said: “BSA is considered one of the first-class associations for Timken, creating solid relationships and business opportunities. The programming of speakers and industry updates keeps us informed on growth trends and offers relevant information for our fast-changing industry and company.”

To view more photographs from the BSA convention, visit http://bit.ly/bsa_14.

Canadian delegates at the 2014 BSA convention made up about 10% of total attendees.

also elected Jim Scardina, Bearing Headquarters Company, Steve Smidler, Kaman Industrial Technologies, and Todd Hamlin, DXP Enterprises Inc., to serve three-year terms on the board. Alfredo Bichara, Baleromex, S.A. de C.V., was elected to fill a two-year board term.

At the conference, BSA surprised William J. (Bill) Stevens, chairman and CEO of Motion Industries, by presenting him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Stevens served as BSA president in 1999 after serving as treasurer, second vicepresident and first vice-president.

To be eligible for BSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, a recipient must have been a member or participating manufacturer of BSA for at least 25 years, have attended BSA events, have been actively involved in the affairs of the association and have demonstrated a leadership role within the industry.

Commenting on the conference, man-

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further the index is above or below 50 suggests a faster or slower rate of change.

PTDA is a global association for the industrial power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distribution channel and represents 168 distribution firms. Its members also include over 200 manufacturers that supply the PT/MC industry.

Members of the Global Forum posed with representatives of the EFNMS.

At this meeting, the associations that had been part of the GFMAM prior to the Helsinki meeting welcomed a new member organization, the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM), the first organization from Southeast Asia to join its ranks.

Working groups of the GFMAM have recently published two important documents: 1) The second edition of Asset Management Landscape, which added significant detail to each of the 39 subjects of asset management that had been introduced in the first document and 2) the Auditor Assessor Specification, a document that recommends a baseline for the asset management knowledge and understanding requirements that an ISO 55001 assessor or auditor should have.

GFMAM members will be recommending to asset owners that they apply this specification for internal assessors and require any external auditors to provide demonstrable evidence of this knowledge and understanding. Both documents are available at www.gfmam.org.

The group working towards the development of a Maintenance Framework was also active. The Maintenance Framework will supplement details of the maintenance-related subject areas of the Asset Management Landscape. This will enable alignment of existing subject matter and certifications for those member organizations that have products and services specifically related to maintenance.

There was also a new project launched, called the Asset Management Maturity project. This project aims to align the different approaches for assessing asset management maturity that are being developed in different parts of the world.

One of the early tasks was to agree what was meant by asset management maturity and the following was agreed as a statement to start from: • Organizational asset management maturity is the ability to demonstrate that capability across the 39 subjects (as defined by the Asset Management Landscape) is fit for purpose for its stakeholder’s goals and outcomes • A mature organization ensures there

are cycles of improvement that enable it to respond to changes in both the internal and external environments • Asset management maturity includes the assessment of outputs/results.

The group said that guidelines for assessing asset management maturity will continue to be developed over the next year.

LATEST TECHNOLOGY SEEN AT MONTREAL TRADE SHOW Montreal – The Montreal Manufacturing Technology Show (MMTS) 2014, held May 12-14 at Place Bonaventure in Montreal, unveiled some of industry’s most state-of-the-art equipment designed to help manufacturers compete on a global scale.

The technologies, many being introduced to the Quebec market for the first time, covered machine tools, tooling, metalworking, automation, additive manufacturing, design and physical asset management.

“Quebec manufacturers increasingly have to do more with less,” said Julie Pike, event manager. “This event gives them a sneak peek into the future of manufacturing that’s available now, and the knowledge and tools on how best to incorporate new advancements into their own operations.”

The event attracted more than 4,500 visitors to see over 150 exhibits of industrial products.

In addition to the trade show, MMTS offered educational and technical sessions and a range of networking events, including Quebec Job Shops Night, which offered small and medium-sized business owners and employees after-hours access to the exhibit floor.

MMTS 2014 was produced in partnership with The Canadian Machine Tool Distributors Association (CMTDA), The Canadian Tooling and Machining Association (CTMA) and Manufacturiers et exporateurs du Québec (MEQ), and supported in partnership with Business Information Group (publisher of Machinery & Equipment MRO), STIQ and MCI. To view more photographs from MMTS, visit http://bit.ly/MMTS2014.

MRO Photo: Media Bar

Photos: Bill Roebuck

By Bill Roebuck Scottsdale, AZ – The 2014 convention of the Bearing Specialists Association (BSA), which took place May 3-6 in Scottsdale, AZ, attracted the association’s second highest attendance since 2007, with a total of 65 distributors representing 31 companies and 98 manufacturers representing 43 companies. About 10% of companies and delegates in attendance were from Canada.

BSA members elected Brian Negri, Jamaica Bearings Co. Inc., as president for 2014-2015, starting July 1. The association’s board of directors for 2014-2015 includes: Jack Simpson, Applied Industrial Technologies, chairman; Tim Breen, Motion Industries, vice-president; and John Ruth, BDI, treasurer. The members

Photo courtesy PEMAC

BSA sees attendance rise at annual convention

PEMAC ATTENDS GLOBAL FORUM ON MAINTENANCE Helsinki, Finland – The Global Forum on Maintenance and Asset Management (GFMAM) held its ninth face-to-face meeting May 3-9, 2014, in conjunction with the European Federation of National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS), in Helsinki, Finland. The six-day meeting also was attended by Plant Engineering & Maintenance Association of Canada (PEMAC) president Rob Lash and executive director Cindy Snedden. Their report from the meeting follows:

MMTS drew more than 4,500 visitors to see over 150 exhibits of industrial products.

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N E W S W A T C H June 2014

Business Briefs

News and views about companies, people, product lines and more • Steve Deck is now the senior vicepresident of Wajax Industrial Components, following the departure of Adrian Trotman. Prior to his appointment, Deck spent the past seven years in senior positions at a mining drilling products and services company. He also has 21 years of experience in industrial distribution in Canada.

• J/E Bearing and Machine Ltd. is celebrating its 30th year in business.

Located in Tillsonburg, ON, J/E was founded in 1983 as a small machining shop serving a variety of local industries and farmers. Today, under the guidance of Chuck Hendricks and Joe Volkaert, the company has grown into a fully equipped custom machine shop

providing both services and products to a variety of industries across North America. The company also is a distributor of bearing and power transmission products and provides reliability services, including mechanical equipment repair and rebuilding.

• Thompson Pump and Manufacturing Co. Inc. held its 24th annual Pumpology School April 23-25, 2014, at its corporate facilities in Port Orange, FL. The company hosted 42 attendees from 15 US states, Canada and Peru.

The three-day workshop included training sessions for sales and service-oriented professionals on pumping fundamentals; dewatering and bypass applications; selecting the correct pumping equip-

The Pumpology School offered hands-on training.

Photo: Thomson Pump and Manufacturing

Machinery & Equipment MRO

ment; designing, installing and maintaining pumping systems; troubleshooting; pump maintenance; and more.

• Applied Industrial Technologies, Cleveland, OH, has acquired Reliance Industrial Products of Nisku, AB – a supplier to the upstream oil and gas industry. Nisku is located near Edmonton.

Reliance was founded in 1993 as a specialty hose and fitting supplier to serve

Photo: Wolseley Canada.

Superior cleaning of industrial contaminants

the unique needs of the oilfield drilling industry. The business has expanded to offer a full range of products and services, including design and manufacturing; hydraulic and mechanical repair; and oilfield, hydraulic and safety products.

• With the acquisition of the business of manufacturer Taizhou Fuju Rubber Belt Manufacture Co. Ltd., ContiTech AG, Hanover, Germany, is continuing the expansion of its drive belt business in China. To date, the Chinese company, founded in 1993, has predominantly manufactured drive belts for the automotive replacement business and for industry in general. In the future, ContiTech will make use of a 33,000-square metre production complex just completed at the start of the year. From spring 2014 on, ContiTech will be manufacturing mainly V-belts and V-ribbed belts for the automotive OEM market, the automotive aftermarket and industry in general in Sanmen. The new plant is just 50 km away from the ContiTech plant in Ninghai, where belts for the automotive sector and for industry in general are manufactured.

• Employees of Wolseley Canada, a distributor based in Burlington, ON, laced up their skates in May and hit the ice for the 7th Annual Wolseley Hockey Tournament in Etobicoke, ON, with all event proceeds going to Special Olympics (SO).

Over $4,500 was raised for SO Ontario.

The company thanked its honourary SO athlete, Alex, who dropped the ceremonial puck before the final game and handed

Participating in the ceremonial puck drop before the final game are Wolseley employees along with Special Olympian Alex and his mother.

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Online Reader Inquiry No. 119

VIDEO DEMO

out trophies to the winning team. Wolseley Canada is a national sponsor and an active member in supporting Special Olympics chapters across the country. For more information on Special Olympics Canada, visit www.specialolympics.ca.

• Graymills is celebrating its 75th anniversary. In 1939, ‘Gray-Mills’ was established in Chicago, IL, as a metalworking pump company supplying pumps to the war effort. Soon after the war, the company saw opportunity in the parts washing industry. In the 1960s, Graymills expanded from its machine tool, general manufacturing and industrial cleaning base into the printing industry. It is now a global company.

• The Timken Company, Canton, OH, has awarded scholarships to 38 children of Timken employees at 26 locations in eight countries around the world, including a Canadian student, Sabrina Stalker, the daughter of Shawn Stalker, a CAD technologist at the Timken facility in Saskatoon, SK. • Suncor Energy, Calgary, AB, has completed planned maintenance on one of the two oil sands upgraders (U2) at its oil sands operations near Fort McMurray, AB. About 1,200 employees and contractors were involved in the work, which took about six weeks.

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N E W S W A T C H

June 2014

Machinery & Equipment MRO Photo: Wolseley Canada.

• Chris Swartz has been aporganization in standards depointed vice-president of supply velopment, testing and certifichain at Wolseley Canada. He cation services, is offering a is responsible for the growth and unique service in Europe that optimization of all supply chainprovides on-site and one-time related functions for the company. verification of up to 500 units • Siemens Canada Ltd., of equipment. The service was Oakville, ON, and Western developed specifically to adCopper & Gold have agreed to dress the needs of European begin negotiations for a plan to companies that want to marChris Swartz. develop a concept for integrated ket electrical equipment to the electrical mining equipment North American market and from Siemens for the Casino Mining Projeither have single- or low-quantity volect. The Casino property is located in umes of products or prototypes, or have west central Yukon, 380 km northwest of developed specialized made-to-order the territorial capital of Whitehorse. The products for which no specific certificaSiemens offer would include all the election requirements exist. The service is trical mining equipment related to the called either ‘Field Evaluation’ for US project, including the power plant; mill market entry or the ‘Special Inspection’ drives; high-, medium- and low-voltage program for Canada.

• ABB, a power and automation technolswitchgear; transformers; motors and ogy group based in Zurich, Switzerland, drives; mechanical drives; and related has signed an agreement to divest its automation and instrumentation.

Thomas & Betts’ heating, ventilation • Dayco Products LLC, Tulsa, OK, and air conditioning (HVAC) business for has been named a finalist in both the US$260 million to Nortek Inc., ProviAutomotive & Transport Equipment dence, RI. The sale is expected to close in and Utilities & Services categories in the second quarter of 2014, subject to reguthe 2014 American Business Awards. latory clearance. ABB is divesting this Dayco designs, manufactures and disbusiness because of limited synergies with tributes a broad range of belts, tensionABB’s core portfolio. ABB will continue to ers, hose, pulleys and hydraulics equipsupply its high-efficiency electrical motors ment for the automotive, trucking, conand drives as well as its low-voltage prodstruction, agricultural, ATV, snowmouct range to the HVAC industry. bile and industrial markets. Dayco was • GE Industrial Solutions, Toronto, nominated in the Automotive & Transplans to strengthen its partnerships with port category for its website, daycoprodauthorized channel partners across Canaucts.com, and in the Utilities & Services da to better serve industrial customers. category for its VIN Scanning smartThis new arrangement enables authorized phone app. The awards will be presented GE Channel Partners to serve the indusin mid-June and mid-September. trial market directly with GE’s electrical • Toronto-based CSA Group, a global

distribution products. Industrial customers will now have a simpler way to access industrial products with one-stop product coordination and local branch support for all their project needs. In addition, GE appointed two new sales agencies for its elec-

trical distribution products: Specialized Power Solutions will focus on the industrial market in British Columbia and Alberta, and Gentech System Solutions Inc. will provide sales coverage for Ontario and Alberta.

MRO

Mr.0 The Practical Problem Solver

Bearing breakdown misery resolved quickly Problem: “One of my main accounts called me in a panic because they were in a breakdown situation on an OEM spec bearing and delivery from the OEM was three months.”

Solution: “After measuring and inspecting the bearing, I realized that the only difference between the OEM bearing and a standard bearing was the high-temp grease.

“To solve the problem, we flushed and cleaned a standard bearing, then packed it with high-temp grease. We were able to supply the customer with a replacement the same day.”

These comments are from Diane Mendosa, CBS, BDI-Canada, Mississauga, ON, who used her expertise as a Certified Bearing Specialist to come up with this quick solution. The Bearing Specialists Association Certified Bearing Specialist (CBS) program is about developing the expertise to help customers and end users make the best bearing decisions. To request a brochure about the CBS program and the steps to becoming certified, send an e-mail to maryh@cmservices.com.

Do you have a solution for a maintenance problem? Send it in and if it’s published, we’ll send you a Mr. O Problem Solver T-shirt.

Include your name, company, address, and telephone number or e-mail address. Provide complete details and, if possible, include a sketch to help explain your tip.

Send your tips to Mr. O, c/o broebuck@mromagazine.com, or by post to: Machinery & Equipment MRO, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9.

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INSTANT PARTS

F U T U R E T E C H June 2014

Machinery & Equipment MRO

Top: Made in Space and NASA will launch the first 3D printer to space in 2014. From left: Mike Chen, chief strategy officer and Jason Dunn, chief technology officer with Made in Space.

Above left: In its 3D printing test program for retail in-store customers, The UPS Store will install six Stratasys uPrint SE Plus 3D Printers. Above right: 3D printers layer thin slices of plastic, metal or ceramic to produce almost anything similar to that made using conventional manufacturing.

“Most MRO storerooms maintain parts that have been identified as critical to equipment assets. Many of these parts are for older equipment however, and replacement parts aren’t available from suppliers.

Replacing some of these parts will become less of a challenge if they can be duplicated using 3D printing technology.”

According to Wilson, 3D printing will offer the following advantages to

The future of 3D printing According to Stamford, CT-based consulting firm Gartner Inc., worldwide shipments of 3D printers are expected to grow 75% in 2014 – followed by a near doubling of unit shipments in 2015.

Also by next year, Gartner fully expects that seven of the 50 largest multinational retailers will sell 3D printers through their physical and online stores.

“Most businesses are realizing the ways in which they can cost-effectively use 3D printing.

This includes prototyping and product development to fixtures and moulds used to manufacture or assemble an item to drive finished goods,” says Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner.

“Organization managers have heard the hype. They want to know when the business will have a 3D printer.”

You can expect 3D printing technology will keep changing how manufacturers and retailers view their overall operations, including maintenance. This is due to 3D printing’s current success rate with product design modelling. For example, Adidas 3D prints a range of prototype sports footwear. Black & Decker also creates sample household products for evaluation.

The UPS Store is testing 3D printing services; it started with its location in San Diego, CA. The UPS Store expects to produce engineering parts, functional prototypes and more for instore customers. And to prepare for building on-demand parts in space, Mountain View, CAbased Made in Space has partnered with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to launch the first 3D printer into space this August.

“The ability to 3D print parts and tools on-demand greatly increases the reliability and safety of space missions, while also dropping the cost by orders of magnitude. Imagine an astronaut needing to make a life-or-death repair on the International Space Station,” says Made in Space CEO Aaron Kemmer. “Rather than hoping the necessary parts and tools are on the station already, what if the parts could be 3D-printed when they are needed?”

In collaboration with Minneapolis, MN-based RedEye On Demand, KOR EcoLogic in Winnipeg, MB, is building the first road-ready, fuel-efficient car with 3D printing technology. The two-passenger vehicle, known as URBEE 2, is targeted to hit the road in 2015.

And believe it nor not, but there’s already talk of 4D printing (the fourth dimension is transformation over time, as in a printed pipe that could sense the need to expand or contract). Yes, it should be one heck of an interesting ride for folks in maintenance and reliability. RR

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iStockphoto.com/bluehill75

o reduce inventory, production and machine downtime costs, maintena nce orga nizations should get up to speed with the latest developments in 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing technology. In the near future, 3D printing could very well be a new way of quickly sourcing MRO replacement parts for repairing equipment.

3D printing has been around for a while, but the technology continues to gain rapid popularity. It’s a process of making a three-dimensional solid object of almost any shape from a digital model.

3D printers layer thin slices of plastic, metal or ceramic to produce almost anything that’s similar to that made using conventional manufacturing.

Wally Wilson, SME, CMRP, CPIM and senior reliability consultant, materials management with Charleston, SC-based Life Cycle Engineering, says maintenance can expect to benefit from 3D printing. According to Wilson, achieving lower MRO inventory levels and the ability to obtain needed repair parts will lead the way.

“The concept of 3D printing has traction in manufacturing. The opportunity to reduce the MRO inventory investment and its carrying costs will drive adoption of 3D printing in maintenance,” says Wilson. “Using the technology to produce hard-to-find or parts no longer in production is a close second motivator.”

Photo: Made in Space

BY ROBERT ROBERTSON

Photo: Business Wire

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3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, will soon transform maintenance and repair.

maintenance departments: • Prototype parts can be developed to facilitate modification of equipment, which allows the engineering team to change the design of parts.

• Essential or insurance spare parts can be created as required. This reduces the need for managing these physical MRO inventory items.

• Risk to production involving parts with excessive delivery times can be reduced. Examples would be overseas suppliers or suppliers with limited reliability for their parts.

“Having blueprint data with accurate dimensions would enable maintenance technicians to produce needed parts with a 3D printer. Maintenance departments, however, should first outsource 3D printing to a supplier that can produce their parts,” advises Wilson “After the application is proven successful, it would then be easier to justify the MRO purchase of an in-house 3D printer.

“When computers, mobile phones and other technology were first introduced, they seemed too futuristic to ever become the standard. The same could be said of 3D printing. While maintenance storerooms will be a late adapter of 3D printing, the technology will evolve and costs will come down. As a result, the acceptance of 3D printing as a source of MRO spare parts will become more favourable.”

Fort Smith, AR-based Baldor Electric Company, an electric motor builder and member of the ABB Group, has a history with 3D printing. Baldor currently uses a Stratasys Dimension SST 1200es 3D printer with Soluble Support Technology (SST). It applies modelling material that’s durable enough to perform virtually the same as regular production parts. With 3D printing, Baldor improves model design performance, as well as reduces build time,

along with retooling and material costs.

Buck France, 3D team leader in the Baldor engineering department, is a proponent of 3D printing technology. He says 3D printing plays an instrumental role in Baldor model designs. Before entering the tooling stage, the form, fit and function of part designs can be verified and fine-tuned. And instead of making changes after the actual tooling has been completed, thousands of dollars can be saved with early identification of required updates.

“In-house 3D printing has been a valuable resource in our design process. Today, we can verify design modifications more quickly and complete designs with little or no delays at a fraction of the cost,” says France. “We have used our 3D printer for a range of parts on prototype motors – all the way from major components, such as endplates and frames, down to very small parts for single-phase switches.

“3D parts can be printed with a solid interior for strength and durability, such as aluminum/cast iron prototype parts from temporary moulds. 3D prototype prints can also be made using a honeycomb interior. We can achieve quicker build times and lower material costs.

This leads to faster design times from engineering to the manufacturing floor.

Additive manufacturing for parts with complex and difficult-to-achieve geometry is an exciting emerging field.”

France believes the day isn’t far off when maintenance organizations will possibly use 3D printing to create “instant” parts for MRO repairs. “3D printing is suited for broken parts, costly parts, hardto-find parts, or parts that just aren’t produced anymore,” he says. “As the technology advances and different materials are introduced, MRO replacement parts could be printed with additive manufacturing.

This would reduce downtime and the cost MRO to order replacement parts.”

Robert Robertson is a Mississauga, ONbased freelance writer and contributing editor to MRO Magazine.

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O I L / G A S / M I N I N G

M R O

Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2014

Microbes target toxic metals Biological technology helps remove toxic metals from new wastewater plant at British Columbia coal mine.

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nglo American, one of the world’s largest mining companies, has installed new technology to remove nitrate and selenium from the wastewater discharge at its Peace River Coal Trend Mine in Tumbler Ridge, BC, located about 700 km northeast of Vancouver.

The coal mine, operating since 2006, is an open cut operation using trucks and shovels. It produces up to 1.5 million tonnes of hard coking coal per year from reserves of 15 million tons of coal.

New regulations prompted Anglo American, which is based in Brisbane, Australia, to build a new wastewater treatment plant to remove nitrate and selenium in the wastewater. Currently under

construction, the new facility is turnkey, providing a flexible solution for heavy metal removal.

The mine selected GE’s Advanced Biological Metals Removal Process (ABMet) technology to remove nitrate and selenium from the wastewater. The project will represent the first installation of ABMet in Canada. By using this technology, Anglo American will meet British Columbia’s stringent standards for selenium and nutrient discharge limits.

ABMet is a patented biological water treatment system that uses naturally occurring microbes to reduce the amounts of selenium and other metals that can escape in discharge waters from coal mines and power plants. The ABMet

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ABMet is a biological water treatment system that uses naturally occurring microbes to reduce the amounts of selenium and other metals from discharge waters.

process from GE Power and Water, Trevose, PA, involves running wastewater through a biologically active filter, which is seeded with naturally occurring microbes that target selenium and other potentially toxic metals. While selenium is typically difficult to remove from wastewater, ABMet enables the metal to be captured and removed from the wastewater stream.

“Before selecting GE’s ABMet technology for our new wastewater treatment plant, we commissioned a pilot study and competitive tender with multiple vendors.

Ultimately, GE presented a turnkey water treatment solution, allowing us to achieve compliance with nitrate and selenium discharge limits,” said Brendan Crisp, specialist project engineer at Anglo American’s Peace River operations. “It also will be used as a demonstration plant to assess performance and develop the criteria for additional wastewater treatment plants at our operations.”

The new wastewater treatment plant has been designed to treat 24 l/s (380 gpm) of flow and to meet nitrate and selenium effluent targets. The targets will reduce nitrates from 85 mg/l to 3 mg/l and selenium from 130 µg/l to 5 µg/l. The system is designed to achieve these limits at water temperatures of 4.4°C (39.9°F) and warmer without the need for any post-treatment.

“We are committed to creating solutions for mine water discharge applications where the removal of key contaminants, such as selenium, nitrate, sulphate and heavy metals, is necessary to meet environmental regulations. Our ABMet technology is ideal for tough-totreat water and is a perfect fit for Anglo American’s Peace River coal mine,” said Yuvbir Singh, general manager, engineered systems, water and process technologies, for GE Power & Water.

GE worked in cooperation with Lockerbie Stanley Inc. (AECON) of Edmonton, and Stantec Inc., which has offices across Canada and the US, for construction and engineering on the project.

The wastewater treatment plant is expected to enter commercial operation in the summer of 2014.

ABMet is a way to remove elevated levels of selenium, nitrate and metals found in wastewater streams in many industrial, mining and utility applications, such as at coal-fired power plants. The simple, low-energy system can achieve up to 99% removal of selenium and can discharge treated effluent containing five parts-perbillion or less of selenium, depending on the wastewater makeup.

MRO

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C O N D I T I O N

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M O N I T O R I N G

June 2014

A Secret Weapon

Machinery & Equipment MRO

BY DR. EDWIN BECKER AND JOSE DUQUE Fig. 1

Torque monitoring, combined with other condition and process monitoring methods, allows users to make the necessary corrections to ensure the smoother operation of machinery and avoid unexpected failures.

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orque monitoring is an everincreasing technology trend, present in industries such as cement, marine and power. It provides users with a deeper understanding of the operational demands of their machines when it is difficult to diagnose a problem through standard vibration analysis. This way, users can make the necessary corrections to ensure smoother operation of machinery and avoid unexpected failures.

Machines are tools that are specially designed to perform specific tasks. In order to do that, they convert energy into work. Let us look at a bucket elevator, for example. The energy flows through each of the components of the machine train, from the motor through the gearbox to the bucket elevator. The motor turns electrical energy into mechanical energy, the shaft of the motor and the input shaft of the gearbox are linked together through a coupling, and the output shaft of the gearbox is connected to the bucket elevator’s driving shaft. Like any ordinary chain, a machine train is only as strong as its weakest link.

Depending on the operational demands of the bucket elevator, which we can see as the load, the amount of power delivered by the motor will vary. The actual force making every shaft rotate is called torque, and it is directly proportional to the power.

This means that when we want to maintain a certain operating speed on our process, and the load increases, the motor must deliver more power, and that is

What is condition monitoring?

Condition monitoring is one of the key aspects of predictive and proactive maintenance strategies. By analogy to a doctor and his patient, the maintenance specialist is in charge of monitoring the health of his machines.

However, instead of measuring blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, etc., the maintenance specialist measures vibration, torque, oil quality and temperature, among others. By doing this, he is able to quickly detect changes in the machine’s condition and to take the necessary steps in order to get ahead of any potential failure, keeping the machine and the production running smoothly.

The benefits of a properly implemented condition monitoring program are numerous: fewer unplanned shutdowns, lower maintenance costs, fewer spare parts needed in stock, increased produc-

Fig. 2

Figure 2: Broken teeth on the gearbox of a bucket elevator. Figure 3a: Strain gauge on the shaft. Figure 3b: Mounting place on the shaft.

achieved by increasing the torque.

Taking a closer look at the machine elements involved into this transmission chain – such as all the gear teeth of the gearbox, the coupling and the different shafts – we can find a great number of parts that can break, if they are not able to resist the torsion due to the applied torque.

Breakage in any of these elements can be attributed to any number of reasons, ranging from design flaws, bad material quality, wrong selection of the machine components, incorrect operation of the machine, or extreme operating conditions that were not catered for in the machine’s original design, just to name a few.

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tivity and uptime, and an extended machinery lifetime.

How to measure torque Strain gauges connected as a Wheatstone bridge and protected against humidity and contamination are applied to the twisting shaft (Figure 1). As the gauges are deformed due to the stresses generated on the shaft, its electrical resistance changes proportionally. A voltage signal is forced to pass through the strain gauges in order to measure this electrical resistance. The signal is amplified, transmitted via a rotating antenna, and then picked up by a stationary receiving antenna. Lastly, it flows to an evaluation unit where it is rectified and measured, just as any other process parameter signal.

Figure 1: Typical components needed for measuring torque.

Knowing how much the surface of the shaft has elastically deformed, the dimensions of the shaft, and its modulus of rigidity (a physical property of the shaft’s material), it is possible to determine the torque to which the shaft was subjected.

Example: Torque measurement on a bucket elevator The Service and Diagnostic Centre of Prüftechnik Condition Monitoring performed torque measurements on a bucket elevator in a cement factory. This service was ordered by the customer because of damage and breaking of some Fig. 3a gear teeth inside the gearbox (Figure 2).

The customer had reported that the gearbox had been functioning for several years without problems. However, in the past two years, there were two separate damage incidents only seven months apart.

The strain gauges and the necessary equipment were installed on the output shaft of the gearbox (Figures Fig. 3b 3a and 3b). Alongside the torque measurement components, accelerometers were also mounted at key measurement points. In order to correlate the torque and the vibration readings, Vibguard, a multi‑channel condition monitoring system developed by Prüftechnik, was used to allow the synchronous measurement of all signals.

The machine was monitored while on standard production overnight, on the next day in idle state (no load) and during startup.

Initial static torque readings showed slight vibrations during normal operation, however they are not uncommon in such type of machines, and they do not surpass the nominal torque of the output shaft of the gearbox.

The next step was to measure the load during the startup of the machine. Since this process is short in time and highly variable, the dynamic torque must be measured, which is the AC component of the signal. In order to do this, a high-reso-

lution signal was recorded. In this example, although the highest peak is just above the 29.400 N.m nominal torque, a negative torque appears, which is undesirable in any gearbox, and reflects an unusual behaviour of the fluid coupling.

Lastly, dynamic torque was also measured while on full-load operation. Analyzing the time signal, oscillations could be clearly identified, but with additional superimposed higher amplitude shocks, which are separated roughly 45 seconds from each other. From the original signal, an FFT analysis was made in order to find the frequencies of the torsional vibrations.

In the frequency spectrum, a dominant peak was seen at 3.5 Hz, which is the passing frequency of the buckets.

It was recommended to the customer to reduce the amount of oil in the fluid coupling, or reduce the tension in the bucket belt, in order to eliminate the negative torques. In the long term, buckets should be reduced in weight, or the gearbox should be replaced for a stronger one.

Conclusion When it comes to protecting your assets, combining torque measurements with condition and process monitoring offers a unique advantage. By closely analyzing torque, you can directly assess the operational requirements of a machine, and detect incorrect operation and even design flaws.

Measuring torque can be performed as a service, carried out temporarily with a portable data collector, or installed permanently, whereby the torque signal will be continuously analyzed by an online condition monitoring system.

No matter the age of the machine, torque measurement can be implemented at any time. For production-critical machines, it is recommended that an online vibration and torque monitoring system be implemented.

In most cases, the repair costs of an unexpected machine breakdown and the total value of the production loss can easily outweigh the initial investment for the implementation of such a system.

MRO Dr. Edwin Becker is the head of the Service and Diagnostic Centre and Jose Duque is an area sales manager for Prüftechnik Condition Monitoring GmbH. For more information from Pruftechnik Inc., Laval, QC, visit www.pruftechnik.ca.

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B E A R I N G S

&

D R I V E S

Machinery & Equipment MRO

Sealing Solutions

June 2014 Photos: Garlock Sealing Technologies

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How advanced isolators provide enhanced bearing protection.

BY PATRICK RHODES

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o perform properly and last, bearings must be protected from loss of lubrication and external contamination. Yet traditional contact oil seals can severely damage equipment. This conundrum can be solved by using non-contact isolators that protect both the bearings and the equipment in which they are installed.

Oil seals continue to be used, even though it typically takes at least two and sometimes three such seals to deliver the same level of performance as a single bearing isolator.

Bearing isolators originally featured metal components with simple pathways for dynamic sealing and O-rings for static sealing of the shaft and bore housing. Since then, they have evolved into highly engineered devices with close tolerances and complex pathways with sharp changes in direction.

Among the conditions leading to bearing failure are equipment washdown, inadequate labyrinth excluder ring (LER) seals and chemical attack. These can be prevented with standard bearing isolators.

Although size and temperature are

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Left: Bearing isolators look like these.

Above: Cutaway view shows inside structure of a typical bearing isolator.

commonly assumed to be enough information for an effective sealing solution, the application itself, media, pressure, speed and any special features required, also must be known. Application data sheets should be completed and submitted to application and product engineers for review to ensure all relevant information has been provided.

Bearing isolator construction Industry standards further narrow the choice of viable bearing isolators. For example, the American Petroleum Institute specifies non-sparking materials for bearing isolators to be used in the petroleum, heavy-duty chemical and gas industries.

This requirement has been adopted by other industries as well, making bronze the material of choice for bearing isolators. If metal construction is not required, PTFE mixtures can be used to make chemicalresistant bearing isolators suitable for use in pharmaceutical and other applications.

Standard bearing isolators are typically fitted with O-rings, which if improperly specified will be the first component to fail under chemical attack and extreme temperatures. Depending on the application, PTFE-encapsulated FKM, AFLAS or silicone can be specified, instead of the standard brown FKM O-rings.

Bearing isolators last up to seven times as long as traditional oil seals, providing both lubricant retention and exclusion of contaminants. In addition, they can now provide electrical sealing as well. The torque and horsepower of electric induction motors controlled by pulse-width-modulation (PMW) variable-frequency drives (VFDs) can be adjusted to run at 40% lower rpm for significant power savings.

Uncontrolled induction motors operate on a three-phase, sine wave power scheme, in which the frequency, phase and amplitude of the input power add up to zero for a balanced circuit. When VFDs are used, power is supplied in controlled pulses called square-wave or six-step voltage.

These pulses create capacitive-coupled, common-mode voltage (CMV) on the shaft, which follows the path of least resistance to ground, usually through the bearings.

The oil film does not provide sufficient insulation to prevent this excess, unbalanced voltage from arcing from the inner to the outer races of the bearing. This arcing acts as tack welding, and electric discharge machining (EDM) pitting results in fluting damage and eventual failure of the bearing. This damage produces a high-pitched noise as the bearing elements roll over the fluted races.

Shaft grounding To eliminate this damage, conductive brushes have been added to traditional bearing isolators to prevent voltage from passing through the bearings. Providing a path of even less resistance than the

bearings, this allows the excess voltage to travel safely to ground.

Any CMV from the shaft is dissipated by the brushes, preventing EDM from occurring. Additional dynamic sealing can be provided on the non-drive end of a motor by installing a traditional bearing isolator.

For large, high-power motors, insulated bearings are recommended to force stray voltage through the conductive brushes.

Bearings also must be protected from the ingress of external contamination. Industries such as mining, power generation and primary metal production subject equipment to harsh conditions. In these environments, bearing isolators last up to three years, compared with just three to six months for a typical contact lip seal.

Filters for external contamination For particularly dirty applications such as coal pulverizers and mine cars, air filters are being integrated into bearing isolators. Consisting of closed-cell foam, these filters prevent contamination from entering the seal pathways. The durable foam is inserted into a groove in the isolator, directing contamination to a drain port.

Split oil seals have long been used to eliminate the need to dismantle equipment for installation. Bearing isolators also are available in split designs with some restrictions, which include non-metallic, flooded and hybrid isolators that cannot be split due to their material of construction or application requirements.

Flooded applications Applications where the lubrication level is above the drain port preclude the use of traditional bearing isolators, where lubricant will travel through the labyrinth pathways and leak.

They also will leak if used with unvented forced lubrication systems, which create pressure differentials in the pathways. The pathways do not retain pressure, either positive or negative, so these pressure differentials will cause lubricant to leak through the labyrinth as it would under flooded conditions.

This problem has been solved with the development of a hybrid seal with capabilities beyond those of traditional isolators.

These seals for flooded applications can be fully submerged, retaining as much pressure as most general-purpose oil seals.

The diversity of industrial sealing applications call for matching them with bearing isolators on an individual basis, collecting and taking into account all relevant data. This requires due diligence, but the reward is an optimal solution for protecting the bearings and extending the service life of plant machinery and MRO equipment.

Patrick Rhodes is an applications engineer with Garlock Sealing Technologies, Palmyra, NY.

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Photos: Garlock Sealing Technologies

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F L U I D

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2014

Fig. 1

Strategies for maintaining hydraulic systems

Fig. 2

Here are four key steps to help you obtain the maximum service life, optimum efficiency and top consistency from your hydraulic components.

Fig. 1: Specialized training is important for hydraulics technology.

BY LOUIS VALLY

H

ydraulic systems are used in many industries and perform an integral role in many processes. They are just one of many technologies that users need to contend with in maintaining their plants and equipment.

Apart from the user’s own technology base, hydraulic systems require special expertise in order to provide them with effective care, which can be a mammoth task.

For hydraulic systems, there are a few basic items which, if done, will provide a significant improvement in performance and reliability. These items happen to be the same items that most successful manufacturing organizations regard as prime importance in their maintenance philosophy.

The first and most important item is to take correct care of the hydraulic medium. To appreciate this fully, it is important to realize that most hydraulic components are designed to operate with a hydrostatic bearing between moving parts. This is the method employed to provide a low-friction bearing between surfaces with high relative speeds and long displacements, and to simultaneously seal these areas between high-pressure differentials. For example, the slippers of a swash plate pump could typically have 300 bar pressure differential

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across the sealing face, run at speeds in excess of 10 m/s, and cover a distance greater than 800 km in a 24-hour day.

By design, these hydrostatic bearings allow oil to flow from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side. In hydraulic terms, this is referred to as internal leakage. This leakage is an integral part of the component design, allowing heat transfer away from the critical areas and retaining the oil film.

Unfortunately, these bearings are also a source of energy consumption and therefore close attention is given to their design in order to reach the optimum balance between efficiency, reliability and functionality. This results in very close tolerances between the moving parts and hence the condition of the oil plays a decisive role in the efficient and reliable operation of the hydraulic components. Typical tolerances found can be as low as 1.5 microns.

Maintainers of hydraulic systems can only influence the conditions under which the components operate by ensuring the characteristics of the system oil are kept at an optimum level. This is normally monitored using specialist laboratories to analyze oil samples at regular intervals.

Although these laboratories provide generic information and can assist in inter-

Fig. 2: A maintenance indicator on top of the housing of this Line Filter indicates when the filter needs to be changed, lowering maintenance costs and increasing operational safety.

Fig. 3

Fig. 3: The A15VSO from Bosch Rexroth operates up to 3 dB(A) quieter than previously available high-pressure axial-piston pumps.

pretations for specific applications, it is imporFig. 4: The Hägglunds CBM hydraulic motor from Bosch Rexroth packs 50% more torque into a unit that tant for users to review is smaller and up to 50% lighter than its predecessor. the lab report in relation That gives it the world’s highest torque-to weight ratio. to their systems and assess if the conditions noted in the report are acceptable.

Knowledgeable hydraulic vendors are should be determined and corrected as in the position to assist and assess in setsoon as possible. ting target levels for the oil condition and Ensuring the oil is kept in optimum offer advice or recommendations on accondition is of utmost importance and tions required to improve it. will ensure the maximum life from hyThe most important facets of the oil draulic components. Monitoring and are contamination levels, water content maintaining the oil can be a low-cost and viscosity index. It is important to reitem resulting in benefits that far outview the actual values as well as the weigh the required cost involved. change in these values. The actual values should be in accordance with the sysCauses of hydraulic tem manufacturer’s recommendations. component failures In a well-maintained system, there In our repair facility, we very rarely see should be very little or no change in components in which the hydraulic porthese values. Any dramatic change is tion of the component is worn. Almost all an indication of something detrimental components are being repaired as a rehappening in the system that may not sult of contact seal wear, the result of opbe visible yet. The cause of the change eration with inferior oil or of having been

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June 2014

subjected to abnormal conditions.

Also interesting is that those components coming in for preventive maintenance have little evidence of operating with contaminated oil, whilst oil contamination is present in most cases where the item is brought in for lack of performance.­­ After dealing with the condition of the hydraulic oil, a second area of importance in reducing hydraulic system failures is to assess the technical competencies required to support the product range deployed in the plant and ensure that the users, combined with the logistic support provided by vendors, possess all the skill sets required.

Some hydraulic components are already complex and the trend is for them to become more complex. Hydraulic components can no longer be regarded as pure mechanical mechanisms, as they employ critical design features that need to be maintained. Many hydraulic components today may even include embedded electronics and sensors.

Their accuracy, energy consumption, response time, repeatability, etc., require careful compliance and adjustment to ensure their performance characteristics are achieved. It is, therefore, as a third area of importance, critical for users to have access to a vendor connected to the technology from where these components originate.

Knowledgeable vendors understand the product features and what aspects are important in the user’s specific process. These vendors play an important role in the effective maintenance of the plant and fill gaps in the user’s armour.

This is not only required to ensure competence with current technology, but also to ensure one remains connected to the manufacturer in order to realize the full benefit as these components become more complex.

The common guideline here is to establish access to the manufacturer of the brand of equipment used in the plant. This access can be direct with the manufacturer or via an officially appointed agent.

For critical components, the supporting vendor, if indirect contact is made, should be validated. Users should not rely on a vendor’s claim to being an agent. Today, most equipment and spare parts are freely available and any provider with initiative can appear to be connected to the technical support base. In many cases, the source of this secondary support is not legitimate and may be based on opportunistic sales without offering a committed technical support base. Although these vendors may provide a suitable level of support when all is going well, they will not be able to provide support when technical difficulties appear.

A fourth area related to hydraulic system maintenance is to ensure the components are repaired in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications. Apart from the mechanical nature of the product, there are close tolerances required in the repair process that need to be adhered to or set in order to ensure effective operation. Ignoring these requirements will render the operation less effective and efficient, and repairs will not last long before failure sets in again.

To ensure one does not fall prey to inferior repairs, it is important to assess vendors for their ability to repair a product. This may sound fundamental, but there are many vendors out there professing to be experts who have no or little connection to the technology base from where the products originate.

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

They are therefore not aware of the finer detail required to ensure products are brought back to standard during the repair process.

For the important items, this assessment should include concrete verification of formal agreements with the companies represented, and could even include checking the manufacturer for confirmation and for their assessment of the level of support provided by the vendor.

One particular area of concern throughout support organizations are companies presenting themselves as central purchase houses. In many cases, these purchase houses undertake repair work themselves, rather than having it done by authorized repair houses.

Although these houses provide what appears to be inexpensive repair work, they disconnect the user from the technology base and in many cases are not connected to the technology base themselves. They are therefore not technically competent to

detect trends, advise users regarding process improvements, or alert the manufacturer to areas of product improvement.

By the time the manufacturer gets involved, problems are normally well developed, considerable costs have been incurred, and no history exists to solve the problem effectively.

sistency. The key points are: 1) Keep the hydraulic medium in a good condition and attend to the most significant element of effective maintenance of hydraulic systems.

2) Ensure access to all skill sets required to support the technologies employed in the plant.

3) Use qualified vendors to complement individual skill sets and provide access to technology Fig. 4 pools, and involve them in all maintenance activities.

Summary 4) Ensure that during repair, compoThere are many aspects of hydraulic sysnents are brought back to original design tems that require attention, but the steps specifications.

MRO discussed here are offered as a basic approach that will assist in reaching the Louis Vally is the general manager, hymaximum service life from your compodraulic service, at Bosch Rexroth Cananents with optimum efficiency and conda, Burlington, ON.

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O I L / G A S / M I N I N G

M R O June 2014 Photo: ESA

Machinery & Equipment MRO

Tablet

POWER at the Worksite

Musselwhite gold mine electricians in northwestern Ontario are safer, thanks to information-packed tablet computers.

BY CARROLL MCCORMICK

p10-19 MRO June2014 Features.indd 18

Photo: Goldcorp

I

magine this maintenance scenario: Using a tablet computer, an electrician photographs a Quick Response code, or QR code, pasted on an electrical cabinet. Within seconds, the tablet locates a raft of detailed information specific to this piece of equipment that the electrician is about to work on. It is all there at his fingertips: unique hazards, arc flash concerns, instructions for how the electrician must prepare himself and the worksite for servicing it, diagrams, manuals and more.

Before touching the equipment, he reads an electronic document on the tablet called a Safe Work Package (SWP), which has been custom-written for this piece of equipment in a question and answer format. He reads about the personal protection equipment (PPE) he needs for this job and checks off boxes in the SWP that show that he understands what he is to do. This Q&A session takes him through other details, such as working distance, fault current, upstream overcurrent devices such as breakers, and when the latest analysis of the equipment was performed.

Once he has worked through the SWP, he signs off and closes the document.

Thoroughly briefed and prepared, he may now begin to work. The next time he enters a WiFi hot spot providing wireless access to the Internet, the tablet will send the completed SWP to a supervisor for review and then it will be forwarded to an archive containing all of the other completed SWPs submitted by the company’s electricians.

There’s more. As the electrician works, he can use his tablet to access photographs, electrical diagrams and whatever else other electricians and electrical planners might have filed and linked to the QR code that has been placed on the equipment.

By scanning the QR code with the tablet, linked documents can be viewed.

The entire Ontario Electrical Safety Code and other safe work documents are at the electrician’s fingertips on the tablet. If he wishes, he can take more photos with the tablet to add to the equipment’s dossier, such as nameplate dates, damage or the condition of a workroom.

Top: Scanning the QR code on electrical equipment calls up safe work packages and reams of related information for electricians.

Above: This electrical team used the tablet app when they changed out a 115,000-volt circuit breaker in 2012.

He can also key in notes of his own.

The information that this electrician is able to access, without taking a single step toward a supervisor’s office, is unparalleled in the history of his trade.

This technology is being used right now at the Musselwhite gold mine in northwestern Ontario. The mine is a property of Vancouver-based Goldcorp Inc. On-the-spot access to information Not only is the technology helping the mine’s 55 electricians to do their dangerous jobs more safely, it is also improving efficiency by giving them on-the-spot access to documentation that used to be locked away in a distant office.

“The great feature of this mobile application is that it puts the information in the hands of the workers when and where they need it,” says Howard Boland, site electrical coordinator, Musselwhite Mine. “They don’t have to go to the manager’s office to get a copy of the code, or go to a computer to see a drawing. As our electricians work through the SWP, they are required to acknowledge that they understand what is required for the task.

If they don’t [understand something], they can access additional information.”

The tablets are the workplace-end of a web-based application called e-workSAFE, developed by Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). Its genesis lies

in an effort begun in 2004 by the ESA to develop the framework for an Electrical Safety Plan (ESP) based on the United States’ NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. The aim of the ESP was to help organizations meet the requirements of what would become the CSA Z462 standard, the first edition of which was written in 2008.

Mark Jorgensen, a work safety specialist with ESA, worked on that first ESP framework. The goal, using funding from a group of mining companies, to be repaid with a commensurate waiver of ESA user fees, was to develop an online tool. The plan was good, but the idea for the tool was ahead of its time, as in that period

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O I L / G A S / M I N I N G

M R O

Machinery & Equipment MRO Photo: Goldcorp

June 2014

19

The sky is the limit for future applications of the tablet app the Electrical Safety Authority developed and which electricians at the Musselwhite gold mine are using. Raymond Parent, the branch manager for Wajax Industrial Components in Thunder Bay, ON, sees how a version of it could someday help his staff at the mine.

“Since the mine has been operating, we’ve been involved with replacement parts, upgrades, parts substitutions and on-site service companies.

With the safety environment in the industry, no worker can do work without an authorized scope of work – not only electrical, but mechanical work too. I can see that coming very soon, where the tablet will be available to every service technician in every industry.

“For example, a lot of times the mine will bring in people like us to do service work on a hydraulic unit. I regard hydraulic units to be just as dangerous as electrical equipment. It would be good if our service technicians were given a tablet and could scan a QR code and read about all the lockout points and safe work procedures. This would be a good sign-off procedure in the future.”

there was no web-based technology that could efficiently hold the tens of thousands of documents required for a big mine.

“We developed an architecture or skeleton of what an ESP should be. But it was heavy and produced several pieces of paper for every task. The concept was ripe, but the technology was wrong. I came back to the project two years ago and we looked at available technologies, discovered tablets and thought, ‘this could work’. We discovered QR codes and developed a process,” Jorgensen says.

As a result, there was no longer any need to print paper for each task. Forms could all be carried in a portable tablet and

Photo: ESA

Distributor sees benefit of tablet use for maintenance

Top: The Musselwhite gold mine is located in northwestern Ontario.

Above: A tablet app is improving safety for electricians at the Musselwhite mine.

completed by using a touch-screen. The first e-workSAFE program went live with the Musselwhite mine in the fall of 2012.

Arc flash dangers The ESP contains everything a mine needs to help it comply with CSA Z462, but it doesn’t tell the electrician how to safely work on specific pieces of equipment, or in particular, how to avoid explosive arc flashes. These specific instructions are contained in the SWPs, which include an arc flash study for each piece of equipment.

An arc flash occurs when current, instead of moving through equipment,

takes a shortcut through the air. Lightening is an example of an arc flash. When an arc flash happens at a piece of electrical equipment, the result can be like a bomb going off. The force and extreme heat can cause severe burns and death.

The ESP is intended to prevent arc flash hazards from happening.

“Arc flashes are what cause the burns and kill people [or] put people in burn units. The whole idea of the ESP is to ensure that the workers have the proper equipment available to them, and conduct the work in such a way that the effects of an arc flash are mitigated,” Boland says.

There are about 2,500 pieces of equip-

ment with QR codes on them in the Musselwhite mine. Each piece of equipment involves five to 10 tasks, which translates into somewhere between 12,500 and 25,000 SWPs. “We had SWPs before, but we were unsuccessful in implementing them because of the volume of paperwork involved. We made several attempts to implement SWPs, but we were unsuccessful. We just didn’t know how to do it,” Boland says.

The ESP and all those SWPs reside on servers at the ESA. ESA can update any documentation for which it has responsibility, and this in turn updates the information accessible on the tablets. If Musselwhite installs a new piece of equipment, it places a QR code on it and writes an ESP for it. This is then uploaded onto the ESA server under the mine’s account and then the information on the tablets is updated.

If regulatory authorities need to see any signed-off SWPs, they are immediately accessible. This saves time, Boland says. “Think of the time it would take for a front-line supervisor to handle, manage and make accessible paper documents to regulatory authorities.”

“This mobile technology is not only opening up a whole new world for mine electricians, we are moving electricians and safety into the 21st century,” Jorgensen delares. “This is already being applied in petrochemical, automotive and forest industries, and institutional (municipal) settings. The possibilities now are absolutely endless.”

MRO Montreal-based Carroll McCormick is MRO Magazine’s senior contributing editor.

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2014

Support systems – all the standard operating procedures, policies, training and documentation a person needs to perform a job – are essential for the success of both maintenance and operations.

SUPPORT SYSTEMS

BY PETER PHILLIPS

T

his month’s column continues an ongoing report about our experiences, assessment and recommendations to improve maintenance and operations at an Ontario food processing plant.

If you have been following this column, you know that we have been assisting this plant with its work activities and processes. We are pretty much doing everything from soup to nuts, as they say.

We are revamping procedures, checklists, communications, maintenance activities and other areas. We just completed our most recent visit to the plant and once again saw lots of opportunities to help the plant advance its overall efficiency.

I’m going to stray off topic for a moment to talk about a recent assessment we did at a manufacturing plant in Calgary. It bears a close resemblance to our job here at the food factory.

Calgary is one of the hot spots in Canada when it comes to expansion of the

Alberta economy. Jobs are plentiful and wages are excellent. This plant, like many others in Alberta, experiences a high turnover of staff because of the many available job opportunities. Skilled tradespeople and engineers can literally leave their job in the morning and have another high-paying job by day’s end.

As we know, these turnovers cause lots of problems. Finding replacement staff and getting them trained in their new position takes time and causes ripples in production and maintenance activities. The longer it takes to train people in their new roles and responsibilities, the longer takes to get their productivity to the expected output.

As we were assisting this Calgary company with its maintenance activities, we realized it had very few support systems in place. Support systems are all the standard operating procedures (SOPs), policies, training and documentation employees need to perform their

Online Reader Inquiry No. 127

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jobs. With the proper systems in place, a new person should be able to review and study the roles and responsibilities of the new job and learn how to perform the necessary duties. These systems help new employees ramp up their ability to do their job functions much faster.

So this leads me back to the food factory in Ontario. The more we assess and do our research on the plant, the more evident it becomes that it needs detailed support systems as well – not just for new employees but for everyone.

Another example I will give to emphasize the importance of support systems is another project we are working on in the Maritime Provinces. The staff of a federally owned company contacted us and they simply said to me, “Peter, we are broken.” After about a week of assessment of its work activities, we determined that it needed some help. Looking at what it did on a daily basis, it was clear it had very few support systems in place. The ones it

© roibu/iStock/Thinkstock

The importance of

did have were vague and were performed differently from person to person.

Indeed, systems for every key position must be developed in such a way that people know and understand the job. Every person doing that job must be able to duplicate the roles and responsibilities as documented in the system. This means having personnel in same work position who are performing their duties in the exact same way. Consistency, consistency, consistency! It is the only sure way to improve.

At the food plant, we are examining every production, quality, maintenance and sanitation position. We must help the plant to develop support systems so people understand their jobs and know what is expected of them so they can succeed every day when they come to work. If they succeed, so will the company, as it will improve and produce more goods at a lower cost.

The road to develop support systems is not a short one. We estimate it will take as long as two years to design and build the support systems this plant needs and to complete the training with personnel. However, this is a road the company is willing to take because it knows the benefits it will bring.

It has been our experience that people want to know what to do when they come to work. They want to know what their job responsibilities entail. They want to come to work in the most organized, stress-free environment possible.

That means we will need to develop their skills, knowledge and attitudes so they can do their jobs successfully. We call this program SKA: S – teach them the skills to do their jobs; K – give them the knowledge to handle the situations they face every day; and A – help them to develop positive and caring attitudes.

People want to have the control and the responsibility to do a good job. Giving them the support systems and tools they need will allow them to perform their jobs to the highest degree of success.

If you look at your organization and see one thing after another going wrong, if you see the same things happening over and over, if you see problems in every department where people are frustrated with their jobs, then you might say, “Yes, we are broken as well.”

That means you need to take the time to develop your internal support systems so you can send your people and your company down the road to success.

Back to the food factory, here is the homework we assigned to various staff, which is to be completed before our next visit. The production lead supervisor was asked to complete a crew leader checklist, complete the roles/responsibilities list for baking; redesign the supervisor shift sheet; and design an end-of-shift production meeting checklist. The plant manager needed to revamp the introduction to the plant for new employees and instruct staff not to make line changes without the knowledge of the production supervisors.

The production manager is to complete a matrix for production changeovers and streamline the morning meeting to 20 minutes by covering only the past 24 hours of activity. The maintenance planner was asked to develop a line start-up maintenance checklist, while the quality and sanitation department has the task of reviewing current sanitation procedures and checklists.

We’ll bring you up to date on their progress in the next column.

MRO Peter Phillips of Trailwalk Holdings, a Nova Scotia-based CMMS consulting and training company, can be reached at 902-7983601 or by e-mail at peter@trailwalk.ca.

14-06-03 8:25 AM

Industrial Lubrication

June 2014

Lubrication, Tribology and Hydraulics

@Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock

©iStockphoto/Thinkstock

©Hemera/Thinkstock

Is lubrication data missing from your KPIs?

BY KIRK J WILLIAMS

Few maintenance organizations are taking advantage of lubrication KPIs.

I

n industrial operations the world over, lubrication remains a vexing challenge.

Indeed, when machine bearings fail, there’s a better than 70% chance that faulty or insufficient lubrication practices are ultimately to blame. Lubrication-specific key performance indicators (KPIs) can go a long way to addressing this costly problem.

Tracking KPIs that target lubrication gives maintenance professionals a unique insight that they can harness to reduce the frequency of machine failures. In addition, lubricationbased KPIs can help organizations increase equipment uptime and productivity, enhance the availability, performance and lifespan of expensive assets, improve maintenance efficiency and reduce costs.

Examples of KPIs devoted to lubrication include those associated with the overall effectiveness of lubrication practices, such a lube tasks completed, tasks due, tasks past due (backlogs) and so forth. Lube-task KPIs give maintenance staffs a highly accurate 360-degree view of the state of lubrication in their facilities.

Consumption is another area of focus common in lubrication KPIs. They help reliability engineers and maintenance technicians to rapidly identify and resolve equipment problems not easily found by other means.

For all of their considerable benefits, few maintenance organizations today are taking advantage of lubrication KPIs like these. A main reason for this is that the tools most operations depend on to manage their lubrication programs, such as a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), predictive maintenance (PdM) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, are not

Nano-ceramic grease extends maintenance interval 6x

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Dayton Progress

A

new high-per formance nanoceramic grease has proven to significantly extend the service life of bearings operating in washdown conditions. The grease is being used on lift truck wheel bearings for frozen food processing and handling facilities.

Previously, maintenance personnel had been greasing wheel bearings weekly but still experienced significant failures within seven days. After switching to Daylube nano-ceramic food-grade grease, maintenance intervals were extended to six weeks with virtually no failures.

The elimination of failures and extending of the service intervals decreased labour input and increased profit margins.

This high-performance grease maintains its original viscosity and adhesion even after daily pressure washing. The grease is ideal for extreme environments – including hot and cold, dusty and dirty, or wet and humid conditions. Industries that can benefit from it include food processing, mining and aggregates, and manufacturing.

Nano-ceramic particles act as sub-microscop-

After switching to nano-ceramic food-grade grease, maintenance intervals on lift truck bearings were extended from seven days to six weeks.

capable of providing the detailed source data that lubrication KPIs often require.

To be truly meaningful, many lubrication KPIs require information generated at the level of the individual lube point. For example, in order to give an accurate picture of lube tasks in a given facility, the KPI must contain verifiable data about how often every lube point has been serviced, by whom, with which lubricant, in which amount, whether any lube points have been missed and other vital details.

The same level of lube-point information is required to create relevant KPIs about consumption and a host of other KPI topics.

This granularity is found in only a handful of lubrication management systems (LMS). It’s not available in comprehensive maintenance catch-all solutions such as CMMS, PdM and ERP systems, which instead are able to provide lubrication information only at the work order, PM or spreadsheet level. Gleaning lube-point data from them for inclusion in KPIs is impractical at best and impossible in most cases.

For organizations looking to reduce the frequency of equipment failure and step up their lubrication efforts, KPIs that provide insight into lubrication practices can be a very powerful tool. When assessing lubrication management solutions, an important question to ask is whether it provides computerized data at the point of lubrication.

It’s also helpful to seek out solutions that allow you to perform KPI analysis on such topics as lube consumption, failure trends, workloads and task history.

IL Kirk J. Williams is a reliability technician with Albemarle Corporation, Orangeburg, SC. For more information, visit www.albemarle.com.

ic ball bearings to provide continuous lubrication to steel surfaces, allowing the lubricant to last up to 10 times longer than other greases.

With a much lower coefficient of friction at all temperatures than traditional PTFE greases, this chemically inert grease is also environmentally friendly. It is NSF-H1 Food Grade Certified. It suits a wide range of industrial applications, such as the protection of bearings, bushings, cables, cams, chains, conveyors, gears, lifters, machine parts, robotics, slides and wear plates.

Daylube operates in temperature ranges from -40°F to 800°F and the nano-ceramic particles remain intact to 2500°F. It has survived the ASTME 4-ball weld test with no weld and minimal damage to all ball bearings. Other greases, in comparison, produced a soft weld after two seconds and complete failure or major damage to all bearings.

The grease has high load-bearing properties, a low dielectric constant, does not contain metal or silicone and is resistant to steam, acids and most chemical products.

“A six-time increase in service intervals, such as achieved here, is common,” said Brian Marsh, a manager at Dayton Progress.

In addition to nano-ceramic grease, Dayton Progress Canada, Woodbridge, ON, offers a standard line of precision punches, pilots, die buttons and retainers, as well as other custom tooling. Its products are sold through independent distributors. For details, visit www.daytonprogress.ca. IL

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L U B R I C A T I O N

Machinery & Equipment MRO

June 2014

Understanding ball screw lubrication The right oil or grease lubrication for ball screw assemblies reduces unscheduled downtime for repair by ensuring the assemblies deliver their expected service life

Above: Typical ball screw lubricants.

Left: Typical ball screw assemblies.

BY JEFF JOHNSON

B

all screws – mechanical devices that convert rotational motion to linear motion with a minimal amount of friction – are used in an array of industrial applications and particularly in machine tools. However, they must be lubricated to operate properly to achieve their rated life.

Lubricants maintain the low friction advantage of ball screw assemblies by minimizing the rolling resistance between balls and grooves, and the sliding friction between adjacent balls.

A properly selected lubricant minimizes friction, reduces torque, increases a screw’s efficiency and extends its life.

A ball screw assembly must be thoroughly cleaned to remove all contaminants before lubrication and re-lubrication. Contamination is a leading cause of premature failure of ball screws. Proper lubrication helps keep most contaminants out, greatly reducing the damage they can cause. Rust-preventive oil used for shipping and storage of the components should be wiped clean before application of the final lubrication.

Lubricants are often taken for granted, but the right choice for each application ensures a ball screw performs properly for its calculated life. Both oil and grease provide corrosion protection, but lubricant choice depends on evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of each in the given application.

Oil lubrication Operating temperature, load and speed determine the oil viscosity and application rate needed for each installation. If the oil is too viscous or if you use too much, heat may be generated. If the oil viscosity is too low or you use too little, parts may not be coated adequately; friction and wear may result. The selection of the oil lubrication will directly influence the temperature rise of the ball screw and the life of the assembly.

Ball nut operating temperature should be about 20°C, but this is seldom the case in real operation. Usually, a ball nut stabilizes a few degrees above the screw shaft operating temperature. If you can’t measure the nut temperature, assume it to be 30°C for your initial selection of oil viscosity.

You can apply oil at a controlled flow rate directly to the point of need, and it will clean out moisture and other contaminants as it runs through the ball nut. It can also provide cooling.

However, disadvantages of this method include: • The possibility of excess oil contaminating the process, such as mixing with the cutting fluid in machining applications.

• The cost of the pump, filtering and metering system to apply the oil properly.

Table 1: NLGI grades compared to the consistency of common household products.

NLGI Grade

Worked penetration after 60 Strokes at 25 °C (0.1 mm)

Appearance

Consistency food analog

000

445-475

fluid

cooking oil

00

400-430

fluid

applesauce

0

355-385

very soft

brown mustard

1

310-340

soft

tomato paste

2

265-295

moderately soft

peanut butter

3

220-250

semi-fluid

vegetable shortening

4

175-205

semi-hard

frozen yogurt

5

130-160

hard

smooth pate

6

85-115

very hard

cheddar cheese spread

Grease lubrication Grease is less expensive than oil to apply, requires less frequent application and it does not contaminate process fluids. However, it also has some disadvantages: • Grease is hard to keep inside the ball nut and has a tendency to build up at the ends of ball nut travel, where it accumulates chips and abrasive particles.

• It must be replenished regularly and any excess removed, leaving only a thin film of lubrication on the screw shaft at all times.

• Incompatibility of old grease with re-lubrication grease can create a problem. Be sure to check compatibility.

Greases can be applied directly to the screw threads near the root of the ball track or pumped into the ball nut if lube holes are provided.

Synthetic greases offer many performance advantages over mineral-based lubricants.

They function over wider temperature ranges, offer greater stability and retain the viscosity needed to provide an adequate film thickness through a specified range of operating temperatures, speeds and loads.

Special additives can improve the grease’s ability to resist contaminants, reduce wear in the presence of load and vibration, reduce friction, decrease noise and increase load capacity.

Do not use greases with graphite or molybdenum disulfide as these provide too low friction, which promotes ball skid and interferes with the rolling process of the ball bearings.

Specialty greases are also available that include but are not limited to vacuum grade, food grade, clean room and extreme temperature types. Match the grease to the application environment and then make a selection based on performance requirements.

Precision ground ball screws, with precise motion and smooth, quiet operation,

can take advantage of filtration technology. Additional filtration of grease and oil results in cleaner lubricants, improved homogeneity of the thickening agent and removal of virtually all particulate matter.

Greases consist of mineral or synthetic oil, additives, and a thickening agent such as lithium, bentonite, aluminum, and barium complexes. NLGI (National Lubricating Grease Institute) Grade is a widely used classification for lubricating greases. Greases are classified in one of nine grades based on their consistency. NLGI Grade alone is not sufficient for specifying grease for a particular application but is a useful qualitative measure.

NLGI Grades 000 to 1 are used in applications requiring low viscous friction. Grades 0, 1 and 2 are used in highly loaded gearing.

Grades 1 through 4 are often used in rolling contact bearings, where Grade 2 is the most common. Lower numbers are softer and flow better, while higher numbers are firmer, tend to stay in place, and are a good choice when leakage is a concern. Table 1 compares the most common NLGI grades with household products that have similar consistencies.

As a rule of thumb, replenish grease at least every 600-800 hours. However, because conditions vary so widely, you should confirm this interval by inspection and readjust if needed.

For extreme conditions, consult a lubrication expert or ball screw manufacturer.

All ball screw assemblies should be run smoothly throughout the entire stroke. If the torque is not uniform over the entire stroke, you should: • Visually inspect the screw shaft for accumulations of foreign contaminants.

• Using cleaning fluid or solvent, remove dirt from the ball grooves. Be sure to flush the ball nut assembly thoroughly.

• Cycle the ball nut along the screw shaft several times. Wipe with a dry, lint-free cloth and lubricate immediately.

Ball screws should never be run without lubrication. The right oil or grease lubrication for ball screw assemblies reduces unscheduled downtime for repair by ensuring that the assemblies deliver their expected service life.

Jeff Johnson is a product engineer with Thomson Industries Inc. For more information, visit www. thomsonlinear.com.

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14-06-03 8:26 AM

Advanced Science.

Advanced Grease Lubrication.

At Petro-Canada we designed our line of PRECISION™ greases to deliver 3-in-1 Protection. With PRECISION greases you get longer life, less water washout and better surface protection. Petro-Canada grease crafters combine our ultra-pure base oils together with other selected oils and specific performance additives. Then we process them using the advanced science of our distinctive two stage manufacturing process.

The results speak for themselves: less wear on equipment and improved productivity for your operation.

Put the Advanced Science of PRECISION to work in your plant.

Contact 1-866-335-3369 or lubricants.petro-canada.ca

Petro-Canada is a Suncor Energy business

Trademark of Suncor Energy Inc. Used under licence.

TM

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2014-05-09 10:09 AM 14-06-03 8:26 AM

T:11” S:10”

The world of synthetic lubricants just took three giant leaps forward.

Challenging times and changing technology call for forward-thinking solutions. That’s why we’ve taken our proven Mobil SHC™ synthetic lubricants — the standard-setting oils and greases for more than 40 years — into the future, unleashing the next generation of productivity with three new advances. Each delivering overall balanced performance with substantial energy-efficiency benefits.

Mobil SHC™ 600 Series — The enhanced formulation improves viscosity and low-temperature properties as it delivers outstanding performance across a wide range of circulating and gear applications.

Mobil SHC™ Gear — This high-performance gear oil was reengineered to deliver optimum equipment oil life in gearboxes, even under extreme conditions, with significant reduction in energy consumption.* Mobil SHC™ Gear OH Series — Our customized formulation for the Off-Highway sector features dependable technology with excellent low-temperature performance.

Discover the advanced technology of Mobil SHC. To see how four decades of synthetic innovation just jumped a generation ahead, visit mobilindustrial.com.

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B:16.25”

Copyright © 2014 Exxon Mobil Corporation. All rights reserved.

All trademarks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries unless otherwise noted.

T:16”

S:15”

*The energy efficiency design is a trademark of Exxon Mobil Corporation. Energy efficiency relates solely to the fluid performance when compared with conventional reference oils of the same viscosity grade in gear applications. The technology used allows up to 3.6% efficiency compared with the reference when tested in circulating and gear applications under controlled conditions. Efficiency improvements will vary based on operating conditions and applications.

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L U B R I C A T I O N

June 2014

Machinery & Equipment MRO

What’s new in lubrication Extreme-temperature lubricant protects against water ingress during washdown SKF Solid Oil bearing technology provides lubrication for bearings to withstand cold operating temperature extremes and rapid temperature changes in a wide range of food processing applications.

The technology can be applied to virtually every bearing type, including stainless steel, with sufficient internal free space. This eliminates any need for relubrication, minimizes ingress of potentially damaging contaminants and resists most chemicals without emulsifying during harsh washdowns. Resulting performance benefits include extended bearing service life, reduced equipment downtime and lower maintenance costs. The lubricant consists of a polymer matrix saturated with lubricating oil that fills the internal space in a bearing and encapsulates the bearing’s cage and rolling elements. The bearings are engineered to perform reliably in extremetemperature applications from minus 15ºC to minus 45ºC (minus 5ºF to minus 49ºF), withstand high centrifugal forces, and not leak or otherwise contaminate the environment during production.

SKF Canada Online Reader Inquiry No. 590

White lubricant gives open gear drives, ropes a clean look B:16.25”

T:16”

S:15”

Klüber Lubrication’s Klüberplex AG 11-461 and 462 white adhesive lubricant offers high load resistance and copes with demanding requirements. An operating and priming lubricant for open gear drives, the product provides good

adhesion, even at high temperatures, and good lubricating and anticorrosive effects. Its use also extends relubrication intervals, which helps to reduce lubricant consumption and costs. Its light colour makes it suited to specific applications for the lubrication of wire ropes, shackles, pulleys, open gears and plain bearings.

Klüber Lubrication Online Reader Inquiry No. 593

Additive line adheres to eco-friendly, sustainable life-cycle criteria Clariant’s four-stage life-cycle concept for its EcoTain products covers sustainable design, responsible process, safe and efficient use, and eco integration. Its non-ionic emulsifier Emulsogen MTP 070 makes use of alternatives to toxic materials such as boron, diethanolamine, chlorinated paraffins and nitrites. Production focuses on using safer processes with less impact on the environment that help to conserve resources. Also, multi-functionality in lubricant additives leads to reduced formulation complexity and performance optimization to prolong the life of lubricants. Complex ester Hostagliss L4, for example, is suitable for mineral-oil-free formulations and also helps to reduce energy consumption in metalworking operations. These additives all present an improved environmental profile and are readily biodegradable.

Clariant Industrial & Consumer Specialties Online Reader Inquiry No. 591

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Long-life constant level oiler series cuts maintenance costs

Colour-coded lubricant containers prevent mix-ups, keep out dirt

Boundary lubricant is designed for use in manual and power chucks

Oil-Rite’s constant level lubricators maintain a fixed oil level in equipment that naturally depletes fluid through use, wear, friction or evaporation.

Bearings, gearboxes and pillow blocks typically require oil replenishment, and typical industries that use these devices include paper mills, cement plants, coal handling facilities, wastewater treatment, nuclear plants and mining operations. A constant level lubricator operates without a power source or moving mechanical parts, relying on the liquid seal principle to maintain a fixed liquid level. It can function reliably over long periods with little or no monitoring.

Oil-Rite Online Reader Inquiry No. 585

Trico has introduced Spectrum oil containers for identifying, storing, transporting and dispensing lubricants in a wide variety of applications. Built with high-density polyethylene to perform in hostile environments, the durable containers have a wide opening for rapid no-spill filling and are available in 2-gal, 3-gal and 4-gal sizes. They are semi-transparent to provide visual monitoring of fluid levels and contain three handles with contoured finger grips to provide a comfortable and secure hold. Lubricant type is identified by colour-coded lids and writable labels. The lids are available in 10 colours.

In addition, the containers include a BunaN O-ring to seal lubricant from the external environment.

Trico Online Reader Inquiry No. 587

Dillon Chucks and Jaws’ HPG500 boundary lubricant prevents metal-to-metal contact under high load and slow speed conditions for either high-end manual chucks or power chucks. Benefits of this high-performance, environmentally friendly NLDI Grade 2 lubricating grease include good mechanical stability, high-load-carrying capacity and good water, moisture, rust and corrosion resistance. It can be used in bearings, bushings, slides, pivots, tracks, etc., and is available in 14-oz tubes. A greasing set, consisting of a grease gun, two tubes of grease and one grease adaptor fitting, also is available.

Dillon Manufacturing Online Reader Inquiry No. 589

Nano-ceramic grease has low coefficient of friction

Food-grade chain lubricant is environmentally friendly

DayLube high-performance nano-ceramic grease from Dayton Progress maintains its original viscosity and adhesion even after 100,000 production strokes, extending service intervals for all types of production equipment. The grease operates in temperature ranges from minus 40°F to plus 800°F, and the nano-ceramic particles remain intact to 2,500°F. It has high load-bearing properties and a low dielectric constant, does not contain metal or silicone and is resistant to steam, acids and most chemical products.

Available in 16-oz tubes or jars, as well as 1-gal and 5-gal pails, it is used for the protection of bearings, bushings cables, cams, chains, conveyors, gears, etc., in a broad range of industries.

Dayton Progress Online Reader Inquiry No. 586

Sprayon Products has added the LU205 food-grade chain lubricant to its line of NSF H1-rated food-grade lubricants. The lubricant is a blend of high-quality renewable resource oils, treated with effective antioxidants, extreme pressure, anti-wear and corrosionprotecting additives. PTFE is added to enhance load capacity and reduce friction. The lubricant offers good extreme-pressure lubricity, water resistance and high-temperature per formance on chains and much more. Foaming action allows for pinpoint application and deep penetration.

Free of heavy metals, the product has a temperature range of 12˚F to 450˚F and is rapidly biodegradable.

Sprayon Online Reader Inquiry No. 588

Ultrachem has developed a line of high-performance synthetic lubricants designed to be used in a wide variety of rotary screw and rotary vane compressors. True universal lubricants, the Chemlube Plus Series is fully compatible with most rotary screw compressor oils and can be used to top off and replace existing fluids.

Made with a very thermally and oxidatively stable polyol ester blend, these oils were designed to take advantage of the superior lubricating properties inherent in polyol esters, and yet be economical, by combining them with less expensive synthetics.

The lubricants are formulated to form less varnish under high-temperature applications and to be more resistant to acidic intake air than the polyalkylene glycol coolants. Under normal operating conditions, a service life of up to 11,000 hours of lubricant service life in rotary screw compressors can be expected.

Ultrachem Online Reader Inquiry No. 592 IL

OUR GOAL: PREVENTING DROPPED TOOLS

Synthetic lubricant works with most compressor oils

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Tel 1.800.668.5458 www.flocomponents.com For Total Lube Solutions,

GO WITH THE FLO! Online Reader Inquiry No. 130

Online Reader Inquiry No. 131

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What’s new in hand and power tools ▼

Carrying case protects drill bit products for technicians on the go

Online Reader Inquiry No. 374

The Dog Box from Snap-on Industrial is a rolling tool box with rubber wheels for a

Online Reader Inquiry No. 366

Harting has introduced three Han torque tool sets and a screwdriver set designed to make field termination of its Han industrial connector products easy when employing either screw or axial screw technologies. An alternative to crimp connections for larger-gauge wires, axial screw termination makes durable, vibration-proof connections and is a convenient solution for repair work, with the ability to handle conductor cross-sections to 100 mm2. The torque sets for high-current axial contacts and power contacts feature variably adjustable torque screwdrivers that work in the torque range of 5 Nm to 14 Nm and 1 Nm to 5 Nm. The torque kit includes two pre-set, tightening torque screwdrivers with a fixed value of 0.5 Nm and 1.2 Nm, which are suitable for screw contacts and fixing screws.

Harting Online Reader Inquiry No. 365

Work box protects tools, is built to survive everyday jobsite abuse

Milwaukee Tool has introduced the 26-in. Jobsite Work Box. Built for extreme durability, the storage solution can survive over 1,000 drops with a 50-lb. load. Features that add to its durability include reinforced corners, recessed latches that are positioned for protection against jobsite abuse, and buttressed hinges that allow falling debris to deflect off the hinge rather than break it upon impact. The work box is made with a high-impact-resistant polymer, and is weather sealed to protect the tools from debris and contamination.

Corner pockets securely organize tools upright, and mounting bosses in the lid allow the user to hang items with a simple screw. In addition, the box features a top handle design that folds into a cut groove for clamping small-diameter material while cutting. It also features generous space within the main compartment for long and bulky tools, and a removable tray for organizing smaller items.

Milwaukee Tool

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Rolling tool box can be pulled to jobsite

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Walter Surface Technologies’ bright orange drill bit carrying case, made of shock-resistant, extrathick polyethylene plastic materials, is designed to help protect Walter drill bit products from water, rust, oil, grease and other contaminants. The company’s all-purpose drill bits offer heavy-duty, fully ground body construction, special bronze SST heat and surface treatment and high-flow spiral design for fast removal rate. Available for high-performance HSIS drill bit products such as the SST 118 Quick Shank and the SST+ 135 Quick Shank, the drill bit carrying case offers a closed, quick-release belt clip, giving end-users a practical way to work with a 29-piece drill bit set.

Walter Surface Technologies

smooth and quiet ride along with maximum shock absorption. Available in three sizes, the tool box can be loaded up with all the necessary tools and pulled out to the jobsite, where it can be removed from the rolling chassis if required. Four models are available: small, medium and two large sizes. The small and medium sizes come with the choice of an interchangeable hard steel wagon-style handle or a soft nylon leash. Larger boxes come with the hard steel wagon-style handle that has a swivel feature for comfortable pulling, while a spring-loaded action keeps the handle in the upright position when the box is stationary. The boxes come in 18-in. (small), 24-in. (medium) and 26-in. (large) sizes.

Of the two large-size models, one comes with five drawers, the other with nine drawers.

Snap-on Industrial

Tool kit gives precisely the right torque for screw termination

Online Reader Inquiry No. 368

Cost-effective service provides tools only when they are needed

Hilti’s Tools On Demand Service allows customers to access its tools for a time period of three to 24 months to match seasonal and project-specific needs. Having the tools when, and only when, they are needed means less downtime, less risk, more reliability, greater protection and an improved monthly cash flow, with less up-front capital investment. The company’s Tool Fleet Management Service is for tools used year in and year out.

Its authorized independent rental net-

Online Reader Inquiry No. 132

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work suits emergency, daily or weekly tool needs. Tools On Demand complements these existing offerings to provide tools for those months when projects peak. Customers can use the service to match project requirements with the best tools at the right time to complete each phase of the project. The Tools On Demand Program is related to the Tool Fleet Management Program and in-

cludes a comprehensive review of a business’ current tool fleet and recommendations based on tool usage intensity, tool age and the profitability drivers of upcoming projects.

Hilti Online Reader Inquiry No. 367

Plasma cutting system packs high power in a portable package

Powermax30 XP, a plasma cutting system that delivers high performance in a small portable package, has been introduced by Hypertherm. The system is 50% more powerful than its predecessor, the Powermax30, yet maintains its light weight and small size. It features a two-inone design for high-power cutting on thick metal and detailed cutting on thin metal using FineCut consumables. The recommended cut capacity is 10 mm (3/8 in.) with a severance capacity of 16 mm (5/8 in.). The system contains a redesigned Duramax torch and consumables that last twice as long as those found on the Powermax30 for a lower overall operating cost. Easy to use, it is rugged and reliable, with Hypertherm Certified reliability to perform in the most demanding environments.

Hypertherm Online Reader Inquiry No. 369

End prep tool is for use in high-purity piping systems

An electric O.D. clamping end prep tool for use on both thin-wall and heavy-wall tubes with a high percentage of chrome, especially in highpurity applications, has been introduced

by Esco Tool. The CMillhog tool has a massive clamp that grips tubing from the outside, evenly distributing the holding power, to assure a chatter-free, precision end prep on both thin-wall and heavywall tubes. Featuring a 950-watt electric motor and requiring no cutting oils, this end prep tool is suitable for use on high-purity piping systems requiring 37-1/2-degree bevels, flat-facing, J-preps, or orbital welding. It is equipped with a ratchet feed, which provides over 1 in. of stroke, operates on 110/230 V and is suitable for prepping stainless steel and most hard-to-machine alloys. It has a narrow body that fits between 1-1/8 in. tubes and a working range of 1/2 in. to 2-1/2 in., and uses an easy-to-change block for changing tube sizes.

Esco Tool Online Reader Inquiry No. 370

MRO

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What’s new for handling fluids Coupling is designed for rugged high-pressure applications

off-road equipment industries. Using a one-piece, bite-the-wire crimp coupling with non-skive design to eliminate cover skiving before assembly to the hose, the couplings eliminate leaks and in-field failures caused by shock and vibration. Making assembly simple and quick, they are available in 85 different types and popular sizes of 1-1/4 in., 1-1/2 in. and 2 in., and are designed to work with SAE R13 and 4SH hydraulic hose. They can withstand ultrahigh pressure of up to 6,000 psi.

Kurt Hydraulics

incorporates a full port two-piece 150# flanged stainless steel ball valve for good flow rates with minimal pressure drop.

The valve features a blowout proof stem, reinforced PTFE seats and seals, and a 316SS (ASTM CF8M) ball. Actuators are direct mounted, creating a compact assembly for tight spaces, while limit switches can be mounted directly to the valves, allowing for remote position indication. The series can be

Online Reader Inquiry No. 376

configured with either an electric or pneumatic actuator. Electric actuators are available in weatherproof or explosionproof, a variety of supply voltages and twoposition modulating control. Actuators

Automated flanged stainless steel ball valve fits in tight spaces

The W.E. Anderson division of Dwyer Instruments has introduced the Series WE04 stainless steel ball valve. The series

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continued on page 28

Smith® Bearing 443 North Ave • Garwood, NJ • TEL. 800.932.0076 • FAX. 908.729.9429

Application/Markets

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AS9100 (B) • ISO9001:2000 ACCURATE BUSHING COMPANY sales@smithbearing.com

Accuracy is Our Best Policy

www.smithbearing.com www.accuratebushing.com

PRUFTECHNIK Canada www.pruftechnik.ca

Online Reader Inquiry No. 133

Online Reader Inquiry No. 379

Online Reader Inquiry No. 377

A C C U R AT E B U S H I N G C O MPA N Y

Pressure sensors certified for use on piping systems in Canada

cryogenic plants. Pressurized equipment above 50 psi in pressure needs to be registered with each Canadian province to ensure that the component (sensor, fitting, valve, etc.) can withstand certain pressure overload conditions. AST pressure transmitters are certified for use within each province of Canada. They can be configured to operate at a maximum pressure of 21,000 psi using an F250C process connection and Inconel material. To download a pdf list of hazardous and non-hazardous area-approved pressure transmitters, with the available fittings and maximum allowable working pressures, visit http://bit.ly/1gvd3F0.

American Sensor Technologies

feature thermal overload protection, and permanently lubricated gear train.

Dwyer Instruments

Manufacturer of

Online Reader Inquiry No. 378

American Sensor Technologies pressure sensors are registered to ANSI/ASME B31.3 under Canadian registered number #0F13183.2, which authorizes them for use on process piping systems throughout Canada, typically in petroleum refineries, chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, paper, semiconductor and

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has created a resilient, durable seal in a material specially engineered for it, the ZurconZ13 Glyd RingD. Developed for powerful hydraulic applications, where high pressure is combined with elevated temperatures, the ZurconZ13 polyurethane material withstands pressures up to 500 bar (7,250 psi) from both sides and at temperatures up to 120°C (248°F). Its resilience enables it to be used in cylinders with lower-quality inner walls. The seal delivers an effective combination of elasticity and tensile strength, without compromising sliding friction properties. Core industrial applications include construction machinery, earthmoving equipment, mobile cranes, forklift trucks and any other solutions involving mobile hydraulics.

Trelleborg

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The Kurt Hydraulics line of 6W couplings combined with high-pressure braided hose are suited for applications that require high-pressure capabilities and temperature ranges from minus 40°F to plus 250°F for the oil, mining, construction and heavy

Durable seal stands up to the most unforgiving conditions

Online Reader Inquiry No. 134

Tired of being kicked in the bearings?

Quit Hammering. Install Bearings Right. Try the Super Lightweight, ConeMount™ Bearing Heater.

With ConeMount™ you can: fix an elevator, repair a Porsche®, get the AC going, upgrade a tractor tranny, restore a hydraulic pump, assemble a mixer - the list goes on and on.

The 5.6lb ConeMount™ Bearing Heater

1-800-343-6405 www.conemount.com

PROUDLY MADE IN COLORADO

Online Reader Inquiry No. 135

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Large I.D. hose assembly allows for increased media flow

Parflex STW and STB PTFE true bore hose assemblies have been introduced by Parker Hannifin. These assemblies have a large inside diameter to speed up the flow of the media through the tube. This prod uct also is available in a heavy-wall variation. The additional tubing thickness provides an improved bend radius,

ment’s linkage-less, non-contact feedback system is one reason behind these long operating hours. Eliminating physical contact between the valve stem and the instrument means the device can withstand the high levels of vibration and corrosion often found in process environments. It is suited to a wide variety of industries and applications, including the power, pulp and paper, and offshore oil production industries. Benefits include the availability of equipment alerts that notify of pending issues, automated configuration, calibration and tuning, and access to advanced levels of valve assembly diagnostics.

Emerson Process Management

Pressure-control regulators useful in fuel industries

The RHPS Series high-flow, pressure-reducing and back-pressure regulators from Swagelok are designed for applications in the chemical/petrochemical, oil and gas, power, biopharmaceutical, semiconductor and alternative fuels industries. These regulators are constructed of 316L stainless steel for line sizes up to 4 in., and provide a variety of options. Pressurecontrol products include pressure-reducing regulators, with both spring-loaded and dome-loaded models, designed for general industrial applications; back-pressure regulators, available in both spring-loaded and dome-loaded models, designed for general industrial purposes; and specialty regulators, including products designed specifically for pharmaceutical applications.

Swagelok Online Reader Inquiry No. 386

Online Reader Inquiry No. 382

Coupling line handles wide range of applications greater kink resistance and reduced permeation. The assemblies are manufactured in sizes from 1/8 in. up to 1-1/2 in.

I.D. and are available from the PAGE business unit of the Parflex division.

Static dissipative assemblies can be provided upon request.

Parker Hannifin

Kurt Hydraulics’ line of multi-purpose W-Style couplings is compatible with low-pressure braided hose and highpressure spiral hose. Designed for nonskive high-pressure spiral hose (6,000

Online Reader Inquiry No. 380

Long-life digital valve controller is suitable for many industries

psi) and all wire-braided hose applications, the ruggedly built couplings are available in 742 different end types and in sizes 4-32 non-skive, all sizes of R12, non-skive 4SH 12-24 sizes, and a full line of metrics. They are suitable for both industrial and commercial applications, including construction, agricultural, mining, off-highway vehicle and plant maintenance equipment, and are designed to handle sub-zero through high-temperature conditions.

Kurt Hydraulics Online Reader Inquiry No. 385

Flexible hybrid hose offers half the bend radius of rubber hose

Emerson’s FieldVue DVC6200 series digital valve controller has racked up more than one billion hours of online use within the process and energy industries since its introduction in 2010, according to the company. It states that the instru-

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M8 series E-Z Flex hybrid hose from Parker Hannifin, manufactured from thermoplastic and rubber, is a two-wire braid construction with fourspiral wire hose performance. This robust hose can handle high-pressure applications without compromising flexibility.

The design allows for a smaller O.D., creating a tighter bend radius and easier handling. It is also lighter, making it easier to route. The bend radius for a 5/8-in.

I.D. hose, for example, is only 4 in. The hoses are mechanically bonded, rather than chemically bonded, creating a hose with a low volumetric expansion and allowing it to handle synthetic and waterbased fluids during a long service life. The

302

The number of applications for Canadian Industry that are delivering cost savings.

hoses are available in sizes 3/8 in. I.D. to 5/8 in. I.D. as a hose assembly or in long continuous lengths for on-site crimping.

Parker Hannifin Online Reader Inquiry No. 384

Silicone tape creates chemicaland moisture-resistant barrier

Rust-Oleum Industrial Brands has introduced LeakSeal self-fusing silicone tape, a silicone repair tape that creates an air-tight bond and conforms to any surface to provide a water-tight seal. It does not stick to the substrate to which it is applied, but rather fuses with itself. It demonstrates extreme strength by withstanding 700 psi, is extremely resistant to temperatures that range from minus 85°F up to plus 500°F, and can withstand most solvents, acids and oils.

The tape is easy to apply and remove, and leaves no sticky residue.

Available in 10-ft rolls in black and opaque, it can be used for fixing leaky pipes and hoses or for insulating frayed electrical wires.

Rust-Oleum Industrial Business Group Online Reader Inquiry No. 381

MRO

2,685,771 The number of dollars we have saved Canadian companies with our innovative solutions.

1

The number of companies that can deliver this kind of industry performance.

Trust the Tsubaki Advantage to solve your application challenges.

Track cost savings and performance. Stay informed and up-to-date about planned maintenance. With over 500 unique and proven solutions, we’ll have the answer you’re looking for.

800.263.7088

tsubaki.ca

Online Reader Inquiry No. 136 TSU-SL-007 IndustryAd CI 4.5WX7.5H[291013]v1.indd 1

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

What’s new...

Rugged incremental rotary encoder withstands harsh environments

in products, systems, components and accessories for machinery and equipment MRO (maintenance, repair and operations).

▼

Hygienic clamping assembly protects equipment against bacteria growth

Online Reader Inquiry No. 349

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Inch size rod end bearings are selflubricating for long service life

J.W. Winco is offering its WN 648 self-lubricating rod end bearings in inch sizes. These RoHScompliant bearings are suitable for high-load, low-speed applications with hanging angles requiring linear, rotational or oscillatory motions and are offered in both tapped and threaded stem versions. The bearings are made of zinc-plated low-carbon steel, with right- or left-hand threads, the ball socket is low-carbon, zinc-plated steel and case hardened, and the external ring is made of a special oil-impregnated bronze material, which makes these rod ends self-lubricating, maintenance-free and low-friction.

J.W. Winco Canada

Online Reader Inquiry No. 350

Cost-effective vibration analyzer software works off iPad platform

GTI Predictive Technology has introduced the VibePro 6 affordable predictive maintenance solution, developed specifically for the iPad. The software has been written to communicate directly to the alignment component, and any reports generated can be instantly accessed in VibePro 6. Features include route data collection; on-site vibration analysis; correlation between vibration readings and alignment condition; instant e-mail for reports; machine verification and acceptance reports for motors, pumps, fans and spindles; and transmissibility measurement. The seamless and easy-to-use VibePro product family offers solutions for vibration analysis, dynamic balancing, infrared thermography and shaft laser alignment on a single device.

GTI Predictive Technology

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Ruland has developed an IP69K-rated hygienic clamping assembly to help protect food processing, medical and other types of equipment from bacteria buildup. Providing a smooth, uninterrupted surface that can be cleaned in place, hygienic clamping assemblies can be used as guides, spacers, clamping devices and hard stops. They offer holding power similar to clampstyle shaft collars and allow for simple positioning adjustments without marring the shaft. The company’s design is IP69K rated against the ingress of dust and water up to 80°C and 8 MPa to 10 MPa of pressure. The design consists of a type 303 stainless steel shaft collar, a two-piece housing made from FDA-compliant materials, and three O-rings with NSF H1 registered lubricant. The assemblies are supplied with a zinc-plated forged alloy screw and are available for shaft sizes ranging from 6 mm to 25 mm or 1/4 in. to 1 in.

RotoPrecison

extrusions, resulting in significantly less downtime, and substantially reduced total cost of ownership. Available in a kit of parts or fully assembled, the system comes in two sizes and two configurations that can be used much like an industrial-grade erector set. The system sub-assemblies include track support, wheel plate extrusion, wheel mount kit and components. A brake kit also is available for both singleedge and double-edge versions.

Bishop-Wisecarver

The IXARC family of rotary encoders from PositalFraba has been expanded to include incremental encoders offering versatility and reliable performance under demanding conditions. The company’s magnetic encoders feature advanced signal processing software running on powerful 32-bit microprocessors. This results in incremental encoders matching the performance of larger, more complex optical encoders, all in a sturdy, compact, cost-effective package. The encoders are available in thousands of configurations with HTL (push-pull) or TTL (RS422) interfaces, different types of electrical connectors and a wide range of shaft and flange diameters. Heavy-duty models, with IP69K-rated housings and seals, can stand up to wet and dirty environments, even repeated exposure to water jets from pressure washers.

Posital-Fraba Online Reader Inquiry No. 351

figuration for thin components (e.g. chain sprockets). This reduces the overall cost of the mounted component.

Fenner Drives Online Reader Inquiry No. 352

Easy-to-use vibration analyzer enables fast data collection and analysis

Emerson’s CSI 2140 Machinery Health analyzer detects potential problems before they lead to unplanned downtime.

T his lightweight and ergonomically shaped device delivers four-channel simultaneous data collection functionality, so users can collect vertical, horizontal, and axial readings on a bearing at the same time, and data collection is fast.

Features include wireless and Bluetooth communication and a full-colour touchscreen. The screen is easy to read in both

Online Reader Inquiry No. 353

Locking device does away with need for hub when mounting components

Fenner Drives has added B-Loc compression hubs to its series of B-Loc keyless locking devices. This external locking device allows customers to mount components without the need for a hub. It ap-

Online Reader Inquiry No. 347

Modular linear guide family is versatile

QuickTrak is a family of modular linear guide components and sub-assemblies from Bishop-Wisecarver using DualVee Motion Technology. The design helps manufacturers and automation solution

direct sunlight and dark areas and autoadjusts based on ambient lighting. The company’s PeakVue technology provides early detection of developing problems in bearings. In addition, advanced diagnostics embedded in the unit help users drive to the root cause of mechanical issues. Additional available advanced analysis capabilities include cross-channel, transient and structural analysis, as well as AC electric motor monitoring and four-plane dynamic balancing.

Emerson

then be imported into Fluke SmartView software. The cameras also integrate wirelessly with the Fluke SmartView Mobile app for iPhone and iPad. In addition, the cameras feature IR-Fusion technology, which merges the infrared and visual images into a single view to better discover, diagnose and communicate problems. They are Bluetooth-ready and include wireless connectivity to PCs, GPS positioning and recording, streaming video, ruggedized capacitive touch screen for quick menu navigation, IR-PhotoNotes photo annotation system, fieldchangeable rechargeable smart batteries with charge level indicators, and high temperature measurements up 1,200°C (Ti400 model only). While the cameras are available now, some features may be available at a later time as free upgrades.

Fluke Electronics Canada Online Reader Inquiry No. 348

Vertical turbine pump series offers wide range of applications

KSB offers a wide selection of vertical turbine pumps, including the large-capacity SEZ series of turbine casing pumps. This series is used in power plant condenser systems and large-scale desalination facilities where the requirement is to lift very large volumes of water (up to 18 cu m/sec or 285,300 gpm) moderate distances. Medium-capacity requirements are served by the Wellstar family of pumps, which are used for irrigation systems and other water extraction duties. The compact and efficient UPA and UPZ models are available in diameters as small as 50 mm (2 in.). UP-

Online Reader Inquiry No. 354

providers assemble machines with motion guidance systems quickly and easily with its T-nut- and T-slot-based kit of parts. The system can be customized without additional machining, and mounted with standard T-nuts onto

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plies axial force by tightening a series of screws to engage sets of mating tapered rings. The inner tapered rings create radial force on the shaft, resulting in a high-pressure frictional connection.

Rather than creating a radial force on the mounted component, the outer tapered rings are drawn together to generate an axial clamping force on the mounted component. Features include low-cost designs, zero backlash, infinite radial and axial adjustment, and easy installation and removal. The mounted component is held in place by axial compression, eliminating the need for a traditional hub con-

IR camera trio offers precise imaging accuracy, broad wireless connectivity

The Fluke Ti200, Ti300 and Ti400 infrared cameras feature LaserSharp auto focus, which uses a laser to pinpoint exactly where the camera should focus for precisely focused images. The rugged cameras connect to the Fluke CNX Wireless system, allowing them to be used as a main unit to view live measurements of up to five wireless modules on its screen and integrate the data into the infrared image. Images are easily transferred directly to PCs, an iPad or iPhone, and can

series pumps feature submersible motors mounted beneath the impeller assembly.

They normally are mounted on the end of a pipe connected directly to their discharge nozzle so they can be lowered easily into a narrow borehole or well. The pumps are used in a wide variety of applications, from industrial water treatment plants and power plants to irrigation systems and mine dewatering.

KSB Canada Online Reader Inquiry No. 317

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R O A D June 2014

First MRO Expo launches in Mississauga

BY BILL ROEBUCK

Toronto – A new tabletop trade show, MRO Expo, organized by Machinery & Equipment MRO magazine, took place on April 23, 2014. The Expo, held in conjunction with Plant Expo (sponsored by sister publication Plant Magazine) showcased several innovative, practical, problem-solving industrial products from 39 exhibitors.

The one-day event took place at the Mississauga Convention Centre. A total of 25 exhibitors participated in the MRO Expo portion of the show and 14 were part of the Plant Expo area. Six of these companies participated as show sponsors: FLIR Systems Ltd., Maintenance Assistant CMMS, Pruftechnik Canada Inc., Santasalo Moventas, SEW-Eurodrive, and SKF Canada Ltd. Practical seminars from several exhibitors provided insights into some of the products, services and technologies on display. Seminars at MRO Expo included: • Infrared Technology Advancement, presented by Greg Bork, director, FLIR Systems. He discussed the latest programs to enhance preventive maintenance.

• Proactive Maintenance, presented by Julian DiSabatino, sales engineer, Pruftechnik. He reviewed the components of a proper Reliability Centred Maintenance program and production solutions.

• The CMMS Future: Bringing the MRO vendor and technician together at the point of need, presented by Dr. Jeffrey 6

10

Dutschke, industry research specialist, Maintenance Assistant. He discussed the future of CMMS applications, where MRO catalogues are seamlessly integrated into the maintenance workflow and the benefits this brings to both the MRO vendor and maintenance operations.

• Bearings – proper storage and handling improves bearing service life, was presented by Jennifer Moritz, training solutions manager, SKF. Rolling element bearings are highly precise components and any pre-installation damage can seriously affect bearing service life. Moritz discussed how improper storage and handling can damage a bearing and lead to unplanned downtime and costly repairs. She shared some simple yet effective techniques to ensure proper storage and handling.

The exhibitors included: Alpha Controls & Instrumentation, Benchmark, 3

Daemar Inc., Dobco Equipment Ltd., Envira-North Systems Ltd., Environcan, FEIN Canadian Power Tool Company, Fixturlaser Canada Inc., FLIR Systems Ltd., Fluke Electronics Canada LP, Genius Solutions, Harting Canada Inc., Heraeus Noblelight LLC, Igus Inc., Lapp Canada, Magneto Electric Source Co. Ltd., Maintenance Assistant CMMS, Metric/Chess Electric, Morrell Controls, Mr. Roller 2000, NOCO Lubricants, Noren Thermal Solutions, NTN Bearing Corporation of Canada Ltd., Provincial Partitions Ltd., Pruftechnik Canada Inc., Rapid Gear, Santasalo Moventas, SEW-Eurodrive, SKF Canada Ltd., SME, Snap On Industrial Brands, SSI Schaefer System International Inc., Techno-Test Inc., ThermoKinetics, Tuff Grade, UE Systems Inc., WD-40 Company Canada Ltd., Wenglor and York Fluid Control Ltd. MRO 4

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Photos by Bill Roebuck

Machinery & Equipment MRO

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13 1. Julian from Pruftechnik was on hand to discuss condition monitoring systems. 2. Suzanne and Jill from SEW Eurodrive set up a coffee station at their table and also provided delicious cannoli sweets to happy visitors.

3. Doug and Scott from SEW-Eurodrive were on hand to provide information on the company’s success stories.

4. Ken from WD-40 said he was very pleased with the visitor traffic at his display. 5. John-Paul from Benchmark Maintenance Services was on hand to discuss laser alignment products. 6. Wayne was representing the Tuff Grade line of products from the IDI Independent Distributors Inc. buying group. 7. A visitor gets details on test instruments from Rob at FLIR Systems. 8. Jeffrey and Jeff from Maintenance Assistant, a provider of CMMS software, discussed the system’s capabilities. 9. Gary and Mike from Igus filled their tabletop with lots of components. 10. John and Phillippe from Santasalo Moventas provided details on the company’s drive systems.

11. Michael from NTN Canada was showing a variety of bearing products. 12. Fernando, Heather, Mike and Bill from Magneto Electric were kept busy throughout the show by enquiring visitors. 13. Mike from FixtureLaser was showing the company’s shaft alignment systems.

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