MRO APRIL 2022 DE

Drive efficiency and uptime

Vol. 38, No. 2

April 2022

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Machinery and Equipment MRO

Vol. 38, No. 2 Established 1985 www.mromagazine.com Twitter: @mro_maintenance Instagram: @mromagazine Facebook: @MROMagazine linkedin.com/company/mro-magazine Reader Service Print and digital subscription inquiries or changes, please contact Beata Olechnowicz, Audience Development Manager Tel: 416-510-5182 Fax: 416-510-6875 email: bolechnowicz@annexbusinessmedia.com Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400 Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 Mario Cywinski, Editor 226-931-4194 mcywinski@annexbusinessmedia.com Paul Burton, Senior Publisher 416-510-6756 pburton@annexbusinessmedia.com Maryam Farag, Associate Editor 437-788-8830 mfarag@annexbusinessmedia.com Ilana Fawcett, National Account Manager 416-829-1221 ifawcett@annexbusinessmedia.com Melanie Morgan, Brand Sales Manager 437-218-0941 mmorgan@annexbusinesmedia.com Svetlana Avrutin, Media Designer Catherine Giles, Account Co-ordinator 416-510-5232 cgiles@annexbusinessmedia.com Scott Jamieson, COO sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com Machinery and Equipment MRO is published by Annex Business Media, 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto ON M2H 3R1; Tel. 416-442-5600, Fax 416-510-5140. Toll-free: 1-800-268-7742 in Canada, 1-800-387-0273 in the USA. Printed in Canada ISSN 0831-8603 (print); ISSN 1923-3698 (digital) PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710 Subscription rates.

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PEMAC

Staying safe and secure

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achinery and Equipment MRO ran a poll on our web site recently asking, “Does your company have a safety program?”. While we expected most to have some sort of program, only four per cent of respondents said they did not. Over 90 per cent said they had at least a basic program, with nearly three-quarters saying they have a detailed program. While unscientific, the poll shows that the majority of companies value safety at their plants. This is of utmost importance, as a safe plant is a productive plant.

For many, workplace safety focuses on the workplace itself, therefore the machinery and equipment being used, safe practices for working on those machines, and the environment for each worker. In that context, accidents, even small ones, not only cause heartache for the employees involved, but can cost a company money and put it in a state of unplanned downtime. Not to mention any litigation that may arise.

However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a safety plan also needed to include keeping employees safe from an invisible threat. Companies had to instill plans to have workers wear masks, socially distance, do symptom screening, perform temperature checks, and many more. Add to this the ever-changing rules, and what a safety program looked like two years ago, is much different than it does now.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) outlines the top ways to make a workplace safe. Eliminating the hazard being the most effective; followed by substitution, if you can’t remove the hazard, replace it; put in engineering controls to mitigate the hazards; add administrative controls to change the way work is being performed; and use proper personal protective equipment.

These are the ways to make your plant as safe as possible. CCOHS’s Machine safeguards and hazard control in manufacturing article is available on page 22.

What do many machines contain that are so important that MRO has a column on it in each issue? What can vary in size from tiny to super large? Well, that would be bearings, and their safety is something that may be taken for granted. The most common safety issues for bearings come when they are being installed, removed, or lubricated. It is important to use proper tools, and not take shortcuts, making sure to have a plan in place for the job. Our resident bearing expert, Doug Martin, speaks to bearing safety on page 16.

Finally, it is important to remember that reactive work is more dangerous than planned work, as the need to get things back up and running as soon as possible can cause workers to rush. Doc Palmer looks at how Planning and scheduling bolsters safety and success, on page 10.

From all of us at MRO, stay safe.

Mario Cywinski Editor

Photo: cesarhgv / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images.

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C O N T E N T S Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

in this issue

Departments Editor’s Notebook / 3 Industry Newswatch / 6 In Conversation with Mr. O / 30

Planning and scheduling bolsters safety and success / 10

Establishment of an acoustic lubrication program / 12

A company’s financial success is meaningless without safety.

The implementation of effective and ongoing acoustic lubrication programs has proven to be challenging in industries.

What’s Up Doug / 16

How a hydronic air handler can help / 18

There have been many situations in which there are safety concerns related to bearings, typically during installation and removal.

More information has become readily available on achieving the quality of air to influence positive health.

Machine safeguards and hazard control in manufacturing / 22

Responding to industry surges and mass hiring / 24

There’s a reason why working with heavy machinery is treated with a certain respect.

Industries are growing and the rate of hiring is trending alongside this surge.

Social Media : @mro_maintenance : @mromagazine

: linkedin.com/company/mro-magazine : @MROMagazine

Product News What’s New in Products / 28

MRO Quiz / 20 Completing the industrial equipment reliability maturity cycle.

Maintenance 101 / 26 The role of the maintenance storekeeper

Cover I Photo: YinYang / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

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900 solar panels installed on roof of Rite-Hite’s tech building

For more industry news and events, visit www.mromagazine.com/news

Photo: Rite-Hite.

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ite-Hite’s Global Headquarters announced the installation of 900 roof-mounted solar panels on the Tech Building, which is on the south side of Freshwater Way. Expected to help offset the company’s energy costs for years to come, the solar panels will be one of several green building elements used in construction of the 9.5-acre campus in Walker’s Point.

The panels were installed by Eland Electric Corporation, in conjunction with contractor C.D. Smith Construction. MRO

DiPaolo Machine Tools partners with Kitamura Machinery

SpectraSensors and Kaiser Optical Systems join forces

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he Endress+Hauser subsidiaries SpectraSensors, Inc. and Kaiser Optical Systems, Inc. have joined forces to form a new company: Endress+Hauser Optical Analysis, Inc. The Group acquired these two U.S.-based companies in 2012 and 2013. SpectraSensors specializes in gas analysis with tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy technology. Kaiser Optical Systems, which specializes in Raman spectroscopy, brings expertise in solid, liquid and gas analysis across a range of applications, including vaccine production. MRO

Photo: Endress+Hauser.

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HIRJ Aviation Group announced that it is expanding its maintenance, repair, and overhaul network with the opening of a new facility in Macon, Georgia.

The facility will be located at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport and is part of MHIRJ. The lease has been signed for two additional lines of maintenance, with the potential to grow that number to four, which would bring the total up to 40 lines of maintenance within the MHIRJ network. The new facility will add around 200 jobs in the local community. MRO

Photo: MHIRJ Aviation Group.

MHIRJ expands MRO network with new facility

Gastops introduces online equipment condition monitoring platform

Photo: DiPaolo Machine Tools.

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astops announced the official launch of Gastops Connect, an online subscription service that delivers critical equipment condition monitoring and analysis capabilities to users of the condition monitoring sensor technology and solutions.

Gastops Connect collects, processes, and analyzes data from MetalSCAN sensors and combines it with equipment controller data and third-party data to create a real-time view of equipment condition accessible through any web browsing device. MRO

Classic Fire + Life Safety appoints VP of HR

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lassic Fire + Life Safety announced the appointment of Melissa Diaz as its Vice-President of Human Resources.

Diaz joins the company with over 15 years of experience in diverse business environments, including sales and marketing, distribution, manufacturing, and the professional services sector.

Previously, Diaz held the position of human resources manager at Gates Corporation, a manufacturer of application-specific fluid power and power transmission solutions. Prior to that, she worked for 10 years at Bunge Canada, a company committed to connecting farmers to consumers in the areas of food, feed and fuel delivery. MRO

Photo: Classic Fire + Life Safety.

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iPaolo Machine Tools has added Kitamura Machinery’s line of vertical, horizontal, five-axis and double column machining centres to their milling and automation solutions line up.

Based in Mississauga, Ontario, DiPaolo Machine Tools supplies new, used, and refurbished machine tools. DiPaolo offers end-to-end service and works with their customers to create solutions to maximize operational efficiency. MRO

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Helukabel’s product receives NEK 606 approval Photo: Helukabel.

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elukabel announced its MULTIFLEX 512-PUR UL/CSA, and its shielded variant (MULTIFLEX 512-C-PUR UL/CSA) are now certified according to the Norwegian Electrotechnical Committee (NEK) standard TS 606.

NEK standard TS 606 defines the requirements for halogen-free cables that are resistant to drilling mud.

This approval is found primarily in applications associated with the oil and gas industry. MULTIFLEX 512-PUR UL/CSA and MULTIFLEX 512-C-PUR UL/CSA comply with the more stringent Det Norske Veritas (DNV) ship approval tests for flexible electrical cables (CP-0417). MRO

Black Controls becomes Rittal’s first Certified Systems Integrator

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ittal Systems Ltd. announced its first Rittal Certified Systems Integrator of 2022, Black Controls Company Inc. Black Controls provides automation and controls solutions for clients in North America, Europe, and Asia in the areas of material handling, consumer products and sterilization.

Black Controls has joined Rittal’s group of Certified Photo: Rittal Systems Ltd. System Integrators, “who have demonstrated exceptional knowledge and experience in specifying and configuring Rittal enclosure and climate control systems, with great proficiency.” MRO

Matcom opens new office in British Columbia

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atcom West Coast has expanded its office and operations to Campbell Heights Business Park in Surrey, B.C. Matcom will host an open house, where visitors will have access to explore the 10,000-squarefeet warehouse.

Matcom has partnered with Smugglers Trail brewery, which is giving $1 from every can purchased back to a local Surrey charity, The Centre for Child Development. Matcom will double this amount. MRO

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For more industry news and events, visit www.mromagazine.com/news

Poda acquires manufacturing equipment and IP

EnWave launches vacuum-microwave toll manufacturing facility

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nWave Corporation announced that its vacuum-microwave toll drying facility, REVworx, is officially open for business.

REVworx offers on-demand contract manufacturing services for the production of vacuum-microwave dried snack and ingredient applications for food companies.

Located at EnWave’s head office in Vancouver, B.C., the REVworx facility incorporates complimentary upstream and downstream equipment required to process food applications at scale.

REVworx is equipped with a 60kW tray-based REV machine, a 10kW REV unit for smaller batch production, a commercial scale air dryer for pre-processing, preparation equipment such as cutters, corers and slicers for fruits and vegetables, a fryer and seasoning station, and a bulk packaging area for shipment preparation.

The company is pursuing Certification 84 Safe Quality Food (SQF), which requires three consecutive months of line trial production, which will be completed March to May, with full SQF certification expected for June. MRO

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oda Holdings, Inc. announced it has signed a purchase agreement with its Chinese manufacturing partner to acquire Poda Pod manufacturing equipment, 15 patent applications related to Poda Pod technology, and three Chinese trademarks for approximately CA$3.45 million.

The manufacturing equipment is comprised of all proprietary custom-built equipment for Poda Pods production, capable of producing an estimated five million Poda Pods per annum. All manufacturing equipment will be shipped to Vancouver, B.C. The 15 patent applications were filed in China and represent product design and manufacturing methods applicable to the development and large-scale production of Poda Pods. MRO

I N D U S T R Y

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April 2022

UL and ONYX to extend wind asset life

Photo: UL.

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L has partnered with ONYX Insight on an expanded life evaluation program, using UL’s wind forecasting and structural assessment with ONYX Insight’s operations and maintenance expertise and predictive technology.

The businesses have built on their collaboration with recent life evaluation projects involving hundreds of turbines across a range of makes and models. The expansion of the collaboration will enhance UL’s in-house structural analysis with drivetrain evaluation capabilities and structural health monitoring for turbines, towers and foundations through ONYX Insight’s sensing solutions and analytics.

UL’s track record of life evaluation work includes structural assessment, including turbine, tower and foundation, to ascertain turbine capabilities and estimates of a turbine’s useful life. MRO

Catalys Lubricants acquires Nemco Lubricants & Chemicals

Ontario invests in manufacturer of automated greasing systems

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atalys Lubricants announced the acquisition of Nemco Lubricants & Chemicals, a Prairie-based manufacturer of lubricants and automotive fluids.

Catalys acquired the entire Nemco company, including its activities, inventory and equipment, housed in a plant in Winnipeg and two warehouses in Regina and Saskatoon.

Nemco continues to operate under the name of Nemco, a division of Catalys Lubricants, with the same team and at the same locations. MRO

elena Jaczek, Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario, announced an investment of $755,500 through the Jobs and Growth Fund to Lubecore International Inc. Founded in 2008 by Linda Eisses and her husband Jan Eisses, Lubecore International Inc. is a manufacturer of automated greasing systems. The funding will help the company purchase equipment to modernize its Campbellville production facility, adopt digital technologies to grow their operations, and begin producing parts that have traditionally been made outside of Canada. MRO

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S A F E T Y

Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

PLANNING AND SCHEDULING BOLSTERS SAFETY AND SUCCESS A company’s financial success is meaningless without safety.

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lant maintenance ensures that assets run reliably to create financial profits. However, there is no sense in any company success if individuals are not ensured complete safety.

Conveniently, the best maintenance practice of planning and scheduling bolsters both personal safety and company success. Maintenance planning and scheduling, together, replace dangerous reactive work with safer proactive work.

They make any work safer, especially over the years. Additionally, they make a plant more reliable with fewer explosions and other unfortunate events that endanger everyone.

Maintenance work is dangerous, especially reactive maintenance, as it includes working on serious assets that can grab, cut, bite, pinch, and squash.

Fortunately, we have skilled and experienced crafts that know how to handle the work. They have done the work

many times over the years and know what to expect.

Unfortunately, maintenance is also routine enough to make even the best of us complacent. We take our eyes off the ball for a minute and get hurt.

Consequently, maintenance is one of our most dangerous professions. Of all work, reactive maintenance is the worst. An emergency or urgent priority job begs rushing. The operators must have the equipment back in service. We

Photo: © kerkezz / Adobe Stock

BY DOC PALMER

S A F E T Y

Photo: © momius / Adobe Stock

Machinery & Equipment MRO

cannot wait until morning and must work in the dark. It encourages taking chances. We use one chain fall instead of taking time to go get another one. If a lot of our work is reactive, it induces fatigue. We have so much overtime that we work tired and are prone to making poor decisions. And of course, reactive work by its nature cuts into plant profits.

While still dangerous, proactive maintenance is safer. It is generally work that can wait beyond the current week.

Without having to complete the job right away, rushing is obviously reduced.

We can also think better about what to expect and reduce surprises that might lead to taking chances.

In addition to simply any maintenance job that could wait, proactive work also includes PM, PM-directed work, and PdM-directed work. The PM work usually includes tasks such as replacing a filter or measuring chain thickness. The PM-directed work includes tasks such as replacing a chain. The PdM-directed work includes such tasks as replacing an inboard bearing. These specific tasks have known scopes without surprises and allow taking the correct parts and tools for the work.

Enter maintenance planning for even further help. Planners give head starts and improve them over the years. For any proactive job, or even a reactive job that can wait a few days, the planner helps anticipate what parts and tools they may need. Planners also provide job instructions as a guide or at least a reference, if needed. Furthermore, over the years, we learn better what to do and what not to do on particular assets.

Planners are “craft historians”, saving any learning and giving even better head starts over the years. This type of planning is “continuous improvement” in practice, the Deming Cycle. Of course, we never want our skilled and experienced craftspersons blindly following any job plans. We should always treat the plans as aids, not handcuffs. We want crafts to give feedback to improve plans for the future. The application of past learning leads to better maintenance execution both for more reliable assets and safer work execution.

Now enter maintenance scheduling for even further help. The management question is: how can we do more proactive maintenance when our hands are full of reactive maintenance? Proper maintenance scheduling (fully loading weekly schedules

11 April 2022

Planners give head starts and improve the head starts over the years. For any proactive job, or even a reactive job that can wait a few days, the planner helps anticipate what parts and tools we might need. where it is “OK” to break the schedule) actually gives a 50 per cent pop in work order completions.

By definition, any extra maintenance we complete is that extra proactive work we could never seem to get after.

Therefore, the extra work is all proactive. Nonetheless, we still have the same amount of reactive work with all its inherent safety problems and its cutting into plant profits. Nevertheless, very soon the extra proactive work starts to reduce the sheer incidence of reactive work. The proper greasing of a bearing before it’s too late prevents the bearing from failing, prevents collateral damage, and prevents loss of product.

Proper scheduling does that for us.

Further benefits include project work, the ultimate proactive maintenance.

With the increased productivity, we can complete more projects in-house. Projects are work opportunities to replace inherently less reliable assets with better ones. For example, we might replace an internal oil pump with an external oil pump that is easier and less intrusive to work on in the future. Before too long, most of our work is safer, more profitable proactive work.

For instance, an asset explodes injuring a number of persons and taking down production. The maintenance force jumps into risky reactive action and works overnight once again on overtime to restore the plant. The root cause turns out to be not getting around to doing important PM, and didn’t finish all the PdM routes in the last few months. That should not be normal. We want a plant that runs well and we can do it safely.

We have to be doing proactive stuff to keep things from breaking. Planning and scheduling can help us do that proactive maintenance, and do better prepared maintenance over the years. To be a great plant, you have to be both profitable and safe. MRO Doc Palmer, PE, MBA, CMRP is the author of McGraw-Hill’s Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Handbook and as managing partner of Richard Palmer and Associates helps companies worldwide with planning and scheduling success. For more information including online help and currently scheduled public workshops, visit www.palmerplanning.com or email Doc at docpalmer@palmerplanning.com

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L U B R I C A T I O N

Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ACOUSTIC LUBRICATION PROGRAM

The implementation of effective and ongoing acoustic lubrication programs has proven to be challenging in industries, including power generation.

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he benefits and value of using ultrasound technology when lubricating grease-lubricated rolling element bearings has been advocated by ultrasound technology OEMs and lubrication industry experts for some time. It is often used in a variety of industries in one-off occurrences.

The concept of acoustic lubrication is simple enough: use specialized acoustic lubrication hardware/software to record and analyze ultrasound caused by fric-

tion from lubrication related issues in a rolling element bearing. Followed by using this information to determine the amount of lubricant to add to the bearing.

It’s essentially using ultrasonic technology to “listen” to the bearing and based on audible and/or on-screen visual prompts from the technology while “listening”, grease accordingly.

The benefits of greasing using acoustic technology versus the typical calendar or time-based preventive maintenance (PM)

method are known and understood. Most importantly, is the correct amount of lubricant added to the bearing. Many motor failures are the result of continually over greasing the motor bearings, with excess grease eventually entering and contaminating the motor windings. Excess grease in the bearing can lead to generation of excess heat, resulting in the need of “temporary external cooling” for the bearing in the form of air movers.

Other benefits include a reduction in

Photo: John Watling, OPG

BY JOHN WATLING

L U B R I C A T I O N Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

Although different facilities may approach their journey of implementation from different directions, and their start and end locations are not the same, certain steps must be taken in order to create an acoustic lubrication program that stands the test of time.

At Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (PNGS), the pursuit of an acoustic lubrication program began in an unlikely manner, with an issue unre-

Photo credit: Rick Tremblay, OPG

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lated to lubrication. In June 2016, the PdM Crew used an IR camera to identify a suspected leaking manway on a condenser, and when asked by operations if more opportunities existed for the use of this technology, PdM engineering suggested using ultrasound technology instead.

While completing the subsequent vendor-led ultrasound training, PdM engineering decided to pursue the use of

ultrasound technology; to use it for rolling element bearing degradation detection, and potentially acoustic lubrication. To officially adopt it as the fourth PdM program technology in use at the station (supplementing and complementing existing infrared thermography, oil analysis and vibration analysis programs), an internal engineering standard for the technology was created. This provided “official

facility’s grease consumption, and ensuring the correct asset is selected for greasing, which avoids cross-contamination or mixing. This can lead to a general improvement in the facility’s “lubrication culture”, including improvements in lubrication storage practices.

Therefore, with obvious benefits, why are more effective acoustic lubrication programs not established in all industries, particularly power generation, and specifically nuclear power generation?

In a word, it is “sustainability”: an effective acoustic lubrication program needs to be fully self-sustaining in order to succeed. In a nuclear power station, this means there needs to be awareness, acceptance, and involvement in the program from a variety of groups, not just the mechanic in the station carrying the tool or the PdM engineer in their office advocating its use.

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April 2022

The benefits of greasing using acoustic technology versus the typical calendar or time-based preventive maintenance method are well known and understood. Most importantly is that the correct amount of lubricant is added to the bearing; not too little and not too much. engineering acceptance” of the technology, and a recognized starting point.

Next, upon completing a proof-of-concept report for use of the technology for leak searches in the station, funding was provided to purchase hardware and software, and vendor training for other station personnel. Development of a database identifying station equipment with rolling element bearings to be monitored was created with new software, mirroring the vibration analysis route-based collection software database, and routine collection of ultrasound data for rolling element bearing degradation detection was initiated.

The formal pursuit of an acoustic lubrication program began in earnest, when the station’s pump crew completed some of the on-site training offered by the vendor and began trialing the same vendors’ hardware for their lubrication PMs. The PdM crew and the pump crew agreed to combine their efforts with the technology into one database that would be installed on the company intranet. This allowed access for anyone needing to collect or analyze ultrasound dynamic data from rolling element bearings, and/or perform acoustic lubrication on the same equipment.

As these initiatives progressed, any opportunity for promotion of the technology to others in the station for their potential needs was not lost; station system engineers (SEs) and station operators were encouraged to borrow and field test the ultrasound hardware for their purposes. A presentation to the station Plant Health Committee by the Mechanical Maintenance Section Manager and his direct reports (including the PdM crew FLM), advocating for approval of official utilization of the technology for lubrication purposes, was crucial to achieving senior plant management buy-in for implementation. Further funding and purchase of more equipment followed.

With buy-in achieved from management, the focus shifted to engaging other station departments and personnel to obtain alignment, including the maintenance training department, the calibration lab, and of course the PM co-ordinator. All would play important roles in the establishment of a self-sustaining program.

The PM co-ordinator was an especially important contact since there are over 20,000 active PMs at PNGS, and more than 800 of these are coded as PM category = LUBE. If acoustic lubrication was to be implemented, a targeted approach was required, meaning a select group of equipment and their PMs would be trialed using this new lubrication method.

Identifying qualified sources of training (and necessary content) was discussed with the training department, and present plans are to continue to use vendor resources until an in-house training program for all-things ultrasound technology is created. The calibration lab provided station requirements for using the technology in a quantitative role, rather than as a qualitative piece of equipment with no calibration requirements (as for general leak searches). Discussions with the vendor are ongoing to ensure proper processes are followed for regular and ongoing calibration of the hardware.

PNGS has not yet achieved a self-sustaining acoustic lubrication program, but estimates are that they are about 65 per cent of the way there, much of the heavy lifting in establishing the program is complete (i.e. engagement of the organization, establishment of the ultrasound dynamic and lubrication database, and creation of the engineering standard).

How about the remaining 35 per cent and to the end of the trail? First, the final selection and updating of greasing PMs needs to occur. The calibration procedure for the hardware needs to be documented, and the network install of the ultrasound software is not complete. However, all these issues are understood, and work continues to progress them to completion.

Therefore, the development of an effective and ongoing acoustic lubrication program needs the involvement and support from many people within the organization; however, with thoughtful planning and a team approach, sustainability can be achieved, and the program will be successful. MRO John Watling P.Eng. is a Senior Technical Engineer, Mechanical Thermal Components at Ontario Power Generation, Pickering Nuclear Generating Station.

Photo: John Watling, OPG

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

SAFETY AND BEARINGS

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ver the years, there have been many situations in which there are safety concerns related to bearings, typically during installation and removal.

Mounting bearings safely

In the paper and mining industry, large diameter bearings are often used. The first step is to standing bearings on end as the wrapping is removed from them.

This poses a risk of the bearing tipping, which can cause serious injury. The recommendation would be to ensure the bearing is slung, even if loosely, to an

overhead crane so that if the bearing tips, it is caught by the sling.

Pressing bearings onto shaft – do not hit bearing with hammer

Bearing steel is hardened and has some degree of brittleness. A hammer blow can cause a shard of steel to fracture and fly, and act like shrapnel. The shard can cut through the material of the millwrights clothing, penetrating the skin.

Mechanically driving bearings up a tapered sleeve

Tapered bore bearings are mounted by

driving the bearings up a tapered adapter sleeve. Force is required to drive the bearing up the sleeve. Often the nut is used to push the bearing up the sleeve.

To do this, a spanner can be used. However, as the bearing size gets larger, the spanner needs to be impacted to turn the nut. This is done by either impacting a special wrench designed for impact or using a drift applied to the slots in the nut.

What often happens is that one millwright holds the drift and the other hits the drift with a sledge hammer. One false blow in a cramped area can cause an injury to the holder of the drift.

Photo: © Alexey Rezvykh / Adobe Stock

BY DOUGLAS MARTIN

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

17 April 2022

No matter what method of heating is used, bearings are heated to about 100°C, which is about enough to cause a burn. Even if you are not injured, you may drop the bearing from the pain.

Induction heaters do create a magnetic field which may affect pacemakers or other electronic devices.

Using an oil bath has gone out of style as they are hazards in terms of vapours and storage of a hot fluid. As well, an oil coated bearing poses issues for safe lifting.

A torch/direct flame is not recommended for the health of the bearing, but there is also risk to humans as the flame is very hot and can create hot spots on the bearing, which, if the material structure is changed, can lead to bearing fracture generating a sharp surface.

Insertion of grease into the bearing

As grease is petrochemical, and it will have a number of reactive additives, it is important to wear gloves that provide a barrier to the potential chemical hazard from absorption through your skin.

As well, excessive grease, such as on an asset that get grease frequently, can cause slippery areas on the floor, where the grease (or lubricating oil) drops.

Certainly, this is a housekeeping issue, however, it is related to the bearing.

Removal of bearings

The use of a hydraulic nut to drive the bearing up the taper is a safer methodology; however, as with any use of high-pressure hydraulics, one must stand out of way of line of fire (i.e. in the line of travel if there were a hydraulic fitting failure).

Using heat to install bearings

No matter what method of heating is used, bearings are heated to about 100°C, which is about enough to cause a burn. Even if you are not injured, you may drop the bearing from the pain.

Insulated/heat resistant gloves should always be used when handling bearings heated for installation.

The safest method to heat a bearing is with an induction heater, and a full featured induction heater will then stop heating at a set time or temperature.

When it comes to get a bearing off the shaft, sometimes the fastest way to get the bearings off the shaft is to cut it off.

Sometimes, a disk cutter (zip cutter) is used, and other times, a torch or an arc welding device. With these methods, there is always the risk of starting a fire and many facilities require a hot work permit to undertake such a thing. Needless to say, when undertaking a bearing removal using such tools, there is always a danger of fire.

A less obvious danger is then when cutting a bearing switch viton seals, the elevated temperature could cause the release of toxic fumes. Furthermore, any residual grease or oil poses a danger in terms of toxic fumes. Not to mention that material from the process may be mixed into the grease. As an example, sulfur pellets can get missed into grease of a failed bearing from a sulfur conveyor.

Seals made of FKM (fluoro rubber) exposed to an open flame or temperatures above 300°C are a health and environmental hazard. They remain dangerous even after they are cooled.

This also applies to PTFE seals. If exposed to temperatures above 300°C, such as fire or the open flame of a cutting torch, they give off hazardous fumes. Once the seals have been heated to such a temperature, they are dangerous to handle, even after they have cooled. They should never come into contact with skin.

As noted above, bearing steel is hardened and will fracture. The fracture surfaces can be razor sharp and they pose a danger when handling.

Appropriate cut proof gloves should be worn when removing/handling severely damaged bearings.

There are some applications in which very large bearings and housings are used. As an example, there is a steel-making application in which there is a bearing with a 42” shaft diameter. The housings and bearing weigh a few thousand pounds.

A number of years ago, there was an incident when the housing was being removed. The housing mass was being supported by a Hiab crane truck. They were trying to push the housing using a hydraulic jack, but it was stuck. The Hiab operator used the crane to add some pull. However, the housing became unstuck and violently swung and crushed the operator of the Hiab against his truck.

Although this story is an exception, it still illustrates that when handling bearings, the correct tools should be used for every step of the process. A well-planned job with the right tools is always faster and safer for the technicians doing the job. MRO Douglas Martin is a heavy-duty machinery engineer based in Vancouver. He specializes in the design of rotating equipment, failure analysis, and lubrication. Reach him at mro.whats.up. doug@gmail.com.

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

HOW A HYDRONIC AIR HANDLER CAN HELP

As an output of COVID-19, more information has become readily available on achieving the quality of air to influence positive health.

BY RAHUL GOYAL

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On the flip side, supplement humidifiers are not required when using a hydronic air handler, as the air handler lowers the chances of having very high humidity within a space. This is beneficial because high humidity can promote development of mold spores, impacting overall health.

The hydronic air handler helps maintain uniform temperature and relative humidity within a space, adding comfort. Additionally, other improvements to the air conditioning system can help enhance overall indoor air quality, including:

ten felt when sitting under an air duct that blasts out heat from a gas furnace.

Your eyes may feel dry, or your lips may start to chap. Extended periods of exposure to dry air can lead to bloody noses, cracked lips or dry sinuses. With a hydronic air handler, the air is heated at a more reasonable temperature.

For a hydronic air handler, the maximum temperature is a fraction of a furnace, providing less extreme heat to help avoid stratification, in which the air close to a duct is much warmer than spaces farther away.

1. Installing an HVAC system that can cycle a percentage of outside air indoors. With a slight increase in the circulation of outside air, it helps dilute the buildup of dust, odours, gases and other air pollutants.

2. Incorporating ultraviolet (UV) light into an already established duct system. Certain wavelengths of UV light have the ability to kill microorganisms in the air, such as germs, viruses and mold spores.

3. Adding high-quality filters to an HVAC system. Investing in a higher quality filter can add an extra level of filtration and improved air quality, and most hydronic air handlers already have the capability to add filters built-in.

By taking the time to learn more about the HVAC system within a commercial building, you can take the proper steps to improve overall indoor air quality, impacting comfort and health. MRO Rahul Goyal, HVAC Product Director at Rinnai, has over 20 years of experience in consumer products. Throughout his career, he has managed and produced several IoTbased products, including solar technology, LED lighting, wiring devices, and gas and HVAC appliances.

Photo: Rinnai

here is always big emphasis on the types of foods you are supposed to eat and the exercise you should do, but another area of health that isn’t talked about enough is the kind of air you should be breathing.

While this may seem extreme, the reality is the quality of air you consume is equally as important as the foods or vitamins you put into your body. One of the best ways to achieve good quality of air is to replace or adjust the HVAC powering your commercial building.

As the cooler months set in, many people begin to spend more time indoors, requiring a heating system that provides comfort, and clean air. One piece of equipment that can help to improve the comfortability and heated air quality is a hydronic air handler. Combining this technology with a tankless water heater, hydronic air handlers can be an effective alternative to oil, gas or electric furnaces, meeting heating capacities ranging from 17,000 to 77,000 BTUs. The hydronic air handler provides high level of quality heat, and helps maintain uniform relative humidity within a space, aiding with consumers health and comfort.

For a hydronic air handler, the maximum temperature is a fraction of a furnace, providing less extreme heat to help avoid stratification, in which the air close to a duct is much warmer than spaces farther away. In comparison, furnaces heat at a very high temperature, sometimes ranging from 1,200 to 1,400 Degrees Fahrenheit. With the extreme heat from furnaces, stratification is of-

The Podcast for MRO Professionals The podcast features conversations with industry experts about maintenance, reliability, and operations. Topics that are of utmost importance to MRO readers.

Previous guests and topics have included: • Scott MacKenzie – Maintenance at TMMC Plants with a Focus on the Environment • Martha Myers – Importance of Networking and Education in Maintenance • Doc Palmer – Focus on Scheduling and Planning of Maintenance • James Reyes-Picknell – Managing Maintenance and Reliability • Shawn Casemore – Engaging Your Employees in a Safety Culture

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Paul Burton, Senior Publisher, pburton@annexbusinessmedia.com

For guest/topic suggestions, contact Mario Cywinski, Editor, mcywinski@annexbusinessmedia.com

A Podcast brought to you by MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

mromagazine.com/podcasts/

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Q U I Z

Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

COMPLETING THE INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT RELIABILITY MATURITY CYCLE

BY L. (TEX) LEUGNER

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t what stage of development is the maintenance organization in your company or plant?

The following questions and guidelines will help you to determine if you are on the right path to equipment reliability maturity.

Does corporate management support and actively demonstrate a culture of continuous improvement of both equipment reliability and personnel skills?

LOGIC: An organization’s management must establish and support a vision in which a culture is developed that continually supports equipment reliability improvement and the skill and knowledge levels of personnel.

Has the organization built an organizational structure that puts operations and maintenance groups on equal cooperative levels?

LOGIC: In many organizations, the maintenance department is subservient to the operations or production groups. This structure is based on a mistaken philosophy that mainte-

nance, or anything related to it, is a cost rather than an asset. This always creates tension and behaviour that results in situations where insufficient time is spent efficiently, carrying out effective maintenance activities. This structure results in increased maintenance costs due to repeated failures or production stoppages that could have been prevented.

Does the organization have a well-designed and defined set of roles and responsibilities between the operations and equipment maintenance groups?

LOGIC: The role is the specific function performed, while the responsibilities are the tasks or duties that the role requires.

Often, there are conflicts between a specific role and a set of responsibilities, resulting in confusion and errors in decision-making.

Does organizations’ management put more emphasis on cost reduction of maintenance activities than on equipment reliability improvement?

LOGIC: Statistically, when the focus is on cost reduction, reliability gets worse, but focus on reliability improvement

and costs go down. It is impossible to improve or even maintain existing reliability if machinery is allowed to deteriorate. When sound preventive maintenance activities are deferred, equipment condition monitoring is neglected or the results are ignored, breakdowns and failures are inevitable. Preventive maintenance and condition monitoring technologies, such as vibration analyses and reliability-based procedures and processes, must be continually reviewed and improved for reliability to mature.

What process has your plant established when a piece of new equipment is installed?

LOGIC: All new machinery should be evaluated for maintainability and reliability before it’s designed or purchased.

Once selected, the installation of new equipment is very often hurried, putting emphasis on immediate production rather than ensuring that the new machine efficiently does what it was intended to do. New machines must be properly installed, thoroughly commissioned, and operationally tested, with all preventive maintenance requirements carried out and documented before being turned over to operations.

How does your maintenance organization reacts when a failure or stoppage occurs?

LOGIC: Depending upon the criticality

Photo: © Chalabala / Adobe Stock

Every equipment reliability improvement program experiences a developmental learning period; from the reactionary “break and fix” mentality to a complete asset management maturity.

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21 April 2022

updated. The life cycle cost for every piece of critical equipment should have its history and condition evaluated and updated, while machinery that can be permitted to run to failure before replacement should have its replacement cost re-evaluated.

of the equipment on which any failure occurs, many organizations respond immediately, make repairs. However, they make a short-sighted mistake of not taking the time to evaluate possible causes of the failure during machine disassembly. Obviously, immediate repair is necessary, but the repair should involve a carefully documented inspection with photos taken as part of the disassembly procedure, so that a root cause inspection and corresponding evaluation of the failure type may be carried out.

This disassembly inspection is invaluable and should be part of the process of preventing a recurrence. In many organizations, recurring failures of similar types are considered normal, but if a disassembly inspection with documentation is consistently carried out, the overall cost of thorough corrective maintenance becomes approximately three times lower than hurriedly reacting to failures. In fact, every failure or stoppage should be documented and investigated as part of a mature reliability program.

Has your maintenance group developed an effective and efficient preventive maintenance program?

LOGIC: As equipment reliability programs mature, preventive maintenance tasks can be extended and often eliminated completely, particularly if these are supported with effective condition

monitoring technologies, such as oil analyses, because well managed oil and vibration analyses scheduling can confirm extended oil drain intervals and bearing replacements.

Has your maintenance organization developed a condition monitoring program that supports preventive maintenance?

LOGIC: When considering the effective condition monitoring programs that should be employed, remember the conditions that affect all rotating equipment. They are always the same, very often related to each other; common of these are lubrication, vibration, temperature, corrosion, wear, and erosion to name the most common. When applying condition monitoring, technologies such as obtaining oil samples, vibration signatures, temperature readings or any other equipment condition sources, remember the rule of three: take samples at the same location, at the same operating temperature, and if the machine is running, at the same speed and load if possible.

Does your organization continually and consistently improve the maintenance documentation for all plant equipment?

LOGIC: At least annually, preventive maintenance, equipment condition monitoring and all reliability improvement task files should be reviewed and

Does the organization use the most effective equipment reliability performance indicators?

LOGIC: Key performance indicators for equipment performance might include meantime between failure, availability, reliability, maintainability, and overall equipment effectiveness. Key performance indicators for effective and efficient maintenance activities might include mean time to repair, job performance, work order usage, and work order cycle time, planned versus unplanned (emergency) maintenance.

Some organizations use performance indicators that are misapplied, misinterpreted or misleading, which make reliability improvement results look effective. An example would be the availability of any piece of production equipment applied to a hydraulic system. While it might be operational (available), if 100 per cent of the shift it is leaking due to internal leakage or operating at lower pressures than it should, it’s actual efficiency might be in the 80 per cent range, making the availability performance indicator very misleading and totally unreliable.

To conclude, North American industry loses over $200 billion dollars every year due to ineffective maintenance, unexpected equipment failure and breakdowns. In 1988, a study concluded that over 55 per cent of maintenance was reactive in nature. A survey conducted in 1997 concluded that 69 per cent of maintenance cost was related to fully preventable maintenance activities, and a significant portion of these were early failures after installation, suggesting that the questions and comments in this quiz are relevant. Unless an industrial plant follows the recommendations provided above, one may never know. MRO L. (Tex) Leugner, the author of Practical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication, is a 15year veteran of the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers, where he served as a technical specialist. He was the founder and operations manager of Maintenance Technology International Inc. for 30 years. Tex holds an STLE lubricant specialist certification and is a millwright and heavy-duty mechanic. He can be reached at texleug@shaw.ca.

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

MACHINE SAFEGUARDS AND HAZARD CONTROL IN MANUFACTURING There’s a reason why working with heavy machinery is treated with a certain respect.

BY THE CANADIAN CENTRE FOR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

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efore proper safeguards were developed and required, countless workers were injured or killed while operating or working in proximity to heavy machinery.

Even with today’s safety regulations, machinery operation often comes with the risk of severe injury. As the essential first line of defense, it’s important to understand how safeguards can protect you and reduce the risk of injury.

Many machines found on shop floors and in factories have moving parts that

rotate, reciprocate, punch, slide, grind.

They can also use toxic or corrosive chemicals, and generate extreme heat, noise, and vibration. Guards are permanent devices fitted on the machinery and equipment to provide protection against direct contact with moving parts, mechanical failure, electrical failure, and human error. When guards are missing or improperly used, there is the potential for injuries ranging from severe cuts to crushed hands and arms, amputation, or even death.

Photo: © Supachai / Adobe Stock

Machinery operators and workers in manufacturing have the right to a safe and healthy workplace. They should be encouraged to come forward with any safety concerns, and to never operate any equipment without a machine guard in place.

Safeguards include barrier guards, safety devices, shields, awareness barriers, and warning signs. Some examples include wire cages around fans, blade guards on table and band saws, and covers on drive belts and electrical switch boxes. These methods can be used on their own or in combination to protect the machine operator and other employees in the work area. In some equipment, there is a built-in interlock switch that does not allow the machine to be activated unless the machine guard is in place. Never disable the interlock switch.

Employers in manufacturing should follow the hierarchy of controls when selecting a safeguard or combination of safeguards for machinery in the workplace.

Always use the more effective methods were possible. Use a lower level control method only when the more effective

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Photo: © Marotoson / Adobe Stock

Machinery & Equipment MRO

solution isn’t possible. Let’s walk through them from most to least effective.

pressure, temperature, amperage, noise, or volume).

Elimination is the most effective control method. When you remove the hazard from the workplace, you remove that possibility of injury. Consider what you can change to eliminate hazards. Try re-evaluating the process design to reduce or eliminate human interaction. This approach could mean changing the layout in the machinery area or automating tasks and ventilation. For material handling, try lift tables, conveyors or balancers.

Engineering controls allow you to remove or mitigate the hazard at the source. These controls typically involve the installation of safeguards, and measures such as emergency stop devices, light curtains or proximity detectors.

Substitution is the next step in the hierarchy. Where hazards can’t be eliminated, substitute hazardous materials or machines with less hazardous ones, such as those that have energy containment or lower energy (e.g., lower speed, force,

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Administrative controls reduce hazards by altering the way the work is done.

They include training, housekeeping protocols, safe job processes, the rotation of workers, and changing work schedules.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is considered the last level of protection when all other methods are not available or possible. This equipment is worn by individuals to reduce their exposure to haz-

ards, and examples include protective eyewear and face shields, hard hats, hearing protection, hand protection and protective footwear. Remember, a hazard is not eliminated when PPE is used, but the risk of injury may be reduced. Be sure that the PPE does not create a hazard. For example, do not wear gloves when working with rotating equipment as they may get caught in the machinery.

Machinery operators and workers in manufacturing have the right to a safe and healthy workplace. They should be encouraged to come forward with any safety concerns, and to never operate any equipment without a machine guard in place. If the guard is missing, hands, clothes or tools could come in contact with moving parts, hot spots, or high voltage conductors. If workers believe a guard is missing or not functioning properly, they should report the situation to their supervisor and not operate the equipment until the situation is addressed.

Safeguards are a vital component of reducing workplace injuries in manufacturing. They work best when combined with the hierarchy of controls, robust training on equipment operation and safety protocols, and a culture that encourages workers to speak up about safety concerns. MRO The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) promotes the total well-being — physical, psychosocial, and mental health — of workers in Canada by providing information, advice, education, and management systems and solutions that support the prevention of injury and illness. Visit www. ccohs.ca for more safety tips.

DID YOU KNOW? The CSA Standard Z432-16 Safeguarding of machinery provides detailed guidance for the design, installation, use and maintenance of machinery. The use of machinery in a workplace exposes workers using it, and people near it, to various hazards. CSA standard Z432-16 defines machinery as: “An assembly of linked parts or components, at least one of which moves, with the appropriate machine actuators, control and energy circuits, etc. joined together for a specific application, in particular for the processing, treatment, moving, or packaging of material.”

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

RESPONDING TO INDUSTRY SURGES AND MASS HIRING Industries are growing and the rate of hiring is trending alongside this surge.

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apid growth in consumerism, technological transformation, the heightened standard of living, and population increase is fuelling industry growth across North America. This is forcing workforces to scale immediately to respond to the industry surges.

It is essential for organizations to prepare for this in the coming years, as it’s inevitable in this exponentially growing economy.

With rapid growth comes mass hiring. Due to increased and consistent demand, organizations are recruiting in large numbers during a compressed time frame. Mass hiring often doesn’t have sound plans or frameworks to fol-

low, leaving organizations struggling to find qualified candidates, reach new markets, and build talent pools. These are challenges for everyone facing mass hiring, but it doesn’t have to be.

Organizational strategies

Preparing to mass hire requires a framework that responds to company missions, values and goals. The framework should incorporate who your organization is, and what your organization wants to maintain through this process.

This might mean that your organization also needs to do a systems audit to reflect on current policies, practices and procedures to determine if they are the most equitable foundation. To bring in

high quality talent, your organization must also be of high-quality.

After an organization clearly defines the expectations of mass hiring, it is critical to focus on where candidates are being searched for and who is the target.

Expanding candidate sourcing is the primary way to diversify potential hires, ensuring that your organization will not have homogenous talent. When the workforce diversifies, there are a plethora of cultural and corporate benefits, including better problem solving, decision-making and employee satisfaction.

However, in mass hiring, attention to potential issues does not end after the candidate accepts an offer; the focus switches to retention. After mass hir-

Photo: © nimito / Adobe Stock

BY JANELLE ABELA

D I V E R S I T Y Machinery & Equipment MRO

ing, your organization will have a group of new employees who are new to the workplace culture. That doesn’t mean you have to teach them the workplace culture, instead you must welcome them into the process of creating a new culture. Candidate experience is a key factor for retention and mass hiring opens the doors for detrimental effects on this.

The strategies to mitigate this potential problem come through planning of the onboarding process. Structure in opportunities to collaborate, and meet and grow together. Don’t wait until the threeor six-month review, regularly check in with new hires individually and as a group. Don’t simply ask, “how are you doing?” Instead, consider asking, “how are you finding the routine?” or “is there any additional support I can provide you to help ease your transition into this role?”

By asking specific and prompting questions, the relationship develops, and the new hires feel welcomed into the process rather than being isolated in a new space. This is an opportunity to find out what is failing them before they start to show failure to meet expectations.

Approaching employee relationships will allow the individual to develop a sense of purpose, visibility, and sense of community. Paired with ongoing and continued training and support, employees will be more likely to stay at an organization, even when there is potential chaos and fog of mass hiring processes.

Individual strategies

Listen, really listen. Just because there are a lot of new hires, doesn’t mean you have to double down on enforcement and training of policies, procedures and practices. If there is consistent error or oversight, pause and ask. Perhaps workplace habits or actions that existed prior to mass hiring were not as necessary as previously thought. Perhaps they are complicating worker experience, leading to heightened problems. With a diversifying and growing workforce, there are new perspectives, mindsets and ideologies that work, think and problem-solve differently.

Therefore, by asking these new contributors to the workforce why they might be struggling, or why they might be doing something differently, you may find that the answer will positively influence the organization.

Transparency is also a daunting change that organizations must work towards to allow workers to see their contributions and value within an organization. Stron-

25 April 2022

After an organization clearly defines the expectations of mass hiring, it is critical to focus on where candidates are being searched for and who is the target. ger relationships and transparency lean into the desire for collaboration and involvement in organizational growth, from all stakeholders.

However, before that, each of us must look at ourselves. Reflect on the self and how we as an individual impact those around us. Reflection is something that a lot of people struggle with, for a variety of reasons. You might not have the time, know what you are reflecting on, have the knowledge or skills for effective reflection, or what to do with the information that you gather. Reflection is the key to responding to the major changes we are seeing in the workplace.

Things that require reflection are: 1. Intersectionality: Our intersectionality is the unique experiences that influence discrimination and oppression, such as gender, race, class, sexual orientation, and physical ability. These are aspects of our identity that influence who we are and how the world interacts with us. These markers may have influenced your experiences and your relationship with people around you due to biases or stereotypes. By reflecting on our intersectionality, we can better understand how our social location influences the way we see the world, but also acknowledge that others see from different lenses or viewpoints that make our experiences unique to us.

2. Experiences and socialization: Built upon our intersectionality, our experiences and the way we were socialized can strongly influence the way that the world interacts with us. Whether it is formal education or immigration from one country to another, our experiences and what has been taught to us as socially acceptable will influence how we perceive and treat those around us. This also contributes to our expectations or determinations of what is right or wrong, the language we use, our values and desires, and how we create or maintain relationship.

3. Learning and language use: Our vocabulary is responsive to our experiences and socialization. We interact in a world that has taught us how to interact with it. However, if we take the time to recognize what we know, how we know it and what that means, then we can better reflect on the impact for others. The -isms are at play here (classism, racism, ageism, and sexism) can have drastic impacts on others, without us even knowing.

By looking inward, we see the difference between our intention and our impact, and can do the work to ensure those always align.

4. Biases: Everything we think, assume, process and do is based on biases. Having bias is normal and it’s not something you can just get rid of overnight. However, we can reflect on what types of bias we have and ask why we have them. Bias can happen with and without us knowing. The without (unconscious bias) happens all the time. It is as simple as preferring blackberries over raspberries because one time you found a bug in your raspberry. Bias isn’t always harmful to others, but it can be.

Therefore, it is important to understand why you think the way you do and recognize measures to alleviate this harm against others.

As you continue to engage with new people in the workplace, take the above thoughts into consideration. Recognize the newness to all the things that you are experiencing and how other people are experiencing these situations. Take into consideration how we are growing, why we are growing, and how we can grow together. Change is inevitable, and in the case of mass hiring, we have an opportunity to do it ethically, respectfully, and with everyone in mind. MRO Janelle Abela founded Diverse Solutions Strategy Firm with the goal of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in corporate settings, while comprehensively benefiting the organization, employees, and clientele. Contact Janelle: janelle@diversesolutions.ca.

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Their work description may also include helping to prepare materials and equipment for disposal, or auction. It may entail providing support to sister plants by part transfers to other locations. The storekeeper must also prepare and maintain a variety of key performance indicators and other reports related to the organization’s store activities.

The primary tasks, duties, and responsibilities that commonly make up the storekeeper job description are listed below:

Exploring the role and responsibilities of the maintenance storekeeper, and what their primary duties include.

BY PETER PHILLIPS

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he storekeeper is the third key figure on the maintenance team. They play a critical role in a successful work order system. They work together with the planner and supervisor on the work order planning and scheduling process by ensuring the availability of parts to perform preventive maintenance and repairs on the facility and equipment.

What exactly does a storekeeper do to guarantee parts will be available when needed?

The storekeeper is responsible for general and department-specific routines, daily store activities, including processing postings, supplies receipt and distribution. They will be carrying out inventories control activities, and they may manage purchase orders.

The storekeeper job description entails maintaining an automated inventory

database and update materials, supplies, and equipment records within the program. They will generate related reports to verify inventory levels, determine re-order activities and verify part usage. It may also involve the distribution and issuance of uniforms, supplies and materials for operational and production-related activities.

Storekeepers also initiate purchase orders to replenish inventories following established guidelines and procedures of the company, and follow-up with vendors and suppliers to ensure prompt delivery of items. They are also responsible for conducting an inspection on the receipt of delivery from suppliers, and verify the quality and quantity of materials and supplies.

They will deliver and store the incoming items to the appropriate areas within the facility.

Reviewing the list of duties, it easy to see this maintenance position is a busy one. Just like the planner and supervisor the role of the storekeeper is critical to maintaining overall equipment effectiveness.

Equipment MTTR (mean time to repair) hinges on the availability of manpower and parts to perform repairs. When a piece of equipment fails during operation, it is critically important to have the part on hand, and for the technician to find them quickly. All too often parts needed for the breakdown are in stock, but no one can find

Photo: Peter Phillips

THE ROLE OF THE MAINTENANCE STOREKEEPER

• Take delivery of all incoming materials and reconcile with purchase orders.

• Track, document and resolve any discrepancies on received orders.

• Ensure accuracy of the facility’s inventory system by updating records of physical inventory totals, receipts, adjustments and returns.

• Manage inventory/supplies and ensure they are within the established minimum and maximum levels.

• Manage maintenance software to keep up-to-date records of receipts and withdrawals from the stockroom.

• Responsible for packing, pricing, labeling and shipping materials to vendors.

• Responsible for stock rotation and coordinate the disposal of surpluses.

• Manage supplier relations and maintain high ethical relationships both internally and externally.

• Create purchase orders and utilize purchasing card to perform low-value procurement activities.

• Add new inventory parts in the maintenance system and determine stock locations.

• Maintain storeroom organization and cleanliness.

• Staging parts for work orders that are ready for technicians to execute.

M A I N T E N A N C E Machinery & Equipment MRO

them easily and much time is wasted searching for parts.

Is having a full-time storekeeper and taking the time to organize the stockroom worth the cost?

Looking at the average cost per hour of lost production in industry, it indicates that a storekeeper’s salary comes with little or no cost to the company.

When looking at best maintenance practices, the average time to find a part in the storeroom should not be over 90 seconds. This may sound like an unreasonable short amount of time to find a part. However, when a storeroom is organized to a world class level, 90 seconds is an attainable target.

Another cost saving measure when it comes to work order efficiency is the staging of work orders. One of the critical planning steps of the work is making sure parts are available. In the work order staging area, parts are kitted into bins with the work order attached. Generally, the staging area shelving is located just outside the storeroom for easy access for the storekeeper (as shown in top image). When the technician pre-

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April 2022

The storekeeper job description entails maintaining an automated inventory database, and update materials, supplies, and equipment records within the program.

They will generate related reports to verify inventory levels, determine re-order activities and verify part usage. pares to carry out the work, everything they need is prepared in advance, which saves a great deal of time. Along with the staging bins, there is also a return area where technicians will return unused parts so they can be inspected by the storekeeper before they are returned to stock.

In summary, maintenance storerooms, stocked with correct quantities of materials, supplies and spare parts are a major factor in efficient low-cost maintenance operations. Ma-

terials are the biggest maintenance support function, contributing to low maintenance productivity. MRO Peter Phillips is the owner of Trailwalk Holdings Ltd., a Nova Scotia-based maintenance consulting and training company. Peter has over 40 years of industrial maintenance experience. He travels throughout North America working with maintenance departments and speaking at conferences. Reach him at 902-7983601 or peter@trailwalk.ca.

E-NEWSLETTER Stay connected to the industry by subscribing to MRO Food & Beverage eNewsletter, reaching more than 20,000 subscribers. This monthly eNewsletter is an update of everything you need to know about the maintenance and operations of the Canadian food and beverage manufacturing sector.

Our eNewsletter content mix includes topics covering several news facets, including maintenance in food and beverage manufacturing, machinery and equipment performance and repair, food and beverage industry trends, as well as the latest hires and innovations by companies specializing in food and beverage manufacturing.

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MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

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Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

WHAT’S NEW IN PRODUCTS

For more product news, visit www.mromagazine.com/products

Rod-style electric actuator

Packout modular storage system

RSH electric hygienic rod-style actuator from Tolomatic delivers continuous control to automation machinery. uRSH is clean-in-place compatible, allowing designers to achieve open machine designs, and rated IP69K to withstand high-pressure washdown.

The all-316 stainless-steel exterior resists corrosion and eliminates the need for protective shielding.

RSH is designed for forces up to 7,943 lbf (35 kN), speeds up to 20 in/sec (498 mm/sec) and stroke lengths up to 48 in (1,200 mm). It is available in ball screw and roller screw options. www.electromate.com

Milwaukee is adding solutions to the Packout modular storage system, optimized for shop storage. Over 20 Packout shop storage solutions include: wall plates, hooks, racks, holders, and a cabinet.

Features include secure mounting of storage solutions when paired with Packout wall plates, and quick access to stored items to maximize efficiency in the shop. www.milwaukeetool.com

Inline splicing connectors

PTC-400 power tubing cutter

Wago expanded the lever-actuated 221 series with the 221 inline splicing connector. It allows universal conductor connection, a secure conductor contact and comes with orange levers for toolfree wiring for solid, stranded, and fine-stranded conductors from 12-20 AWG. Equipped with spring pressure, maintenance-free cage clamp connection technology, the new Inline connectors offer the option of using additional adapters where multiple poles are required. www.wago.com

Ridgid PTC-400 power tubing cutter, is a portable tubing cutting machine designed to cut stainless steel, carbon steel, copper, aluminum, and plastic. PTC-400 cuts ½ -inch to four-inch tubing and has a quick-acting engagement feature with feed screw. It features two rotating speeds, while its cutter wheel profile allows for a cold-cutting operation. It has a weight of 32 pounds. www.ridgid.com

Three-phase energy analyzers

IO-Link photoelectric sensors

Carlo Gavazzi has launched EM530 and EM540 three-phase energy analyzers. EM530 is a Class 0.5S (kWh) analyzer and measures current up to 10,000A via 5A current transformers, and EM540 is a Class 1 (kWh) analyzer and measures current up to 65A via direct connection. These three-phase power analyzers can be used for two and three phase systems, and wild-leg systems.

They can measure electrical variables, energy consumption and harmonic distortion.

Features include: voltage inputs up to 415 VL-L AC, self-powered; current and voltage THD; energy measurements (imported/exported): total kWh, kvarh, kVAh; partial kWh, kvarh, kVAh, total kWh by phase; run hour metres, total operating time; free downloadable configuration software; digital output or RS485 Modbus; and cULus listed. www.GavazziOnline.com

Carlo Gavazzi expanded the PD30 photoelectric sensor family with IO-Link, featuring configurations, preventative maintenance capabilities, and special application functions. Four application functions pre-programmed into sensors: speed and length, pattern recognition, divider/counter, and object and gap monitoring functions. An IO-Link configurator is required to change sensor settings during initial installation. The application functions can also be used without an IO-Link operating environment. The sensors feature sensing modes, including diffuse-reflective, retro-reflective, polarized reflective, retroreflective PointSpot, background suppression, background suppression PointSpot, and foreground suppression, emitters (infrared or visible red), and housings (plastic or stainless steel). www.GavazziOnline.com

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P R O D U C T S Machinery & Equipment MRO

April 2022

WHAT’S NEW IN PRODUCTS

For more product news, visit www.mromagazine.com/products

Clamping shaft collars

High-purity pressure gauge

Ruland quick clamping shaft collars are offered in collars with cam levers and collars with clamping levers. Quick clamping shaft collars with cam lever have an integral lever that sits flush with the outside diameter and is finger actuated. Quick clamping shaft collars with cam levers are manufactured from 6061 anodized aluminum bodies and 6063 aluminum handles with bore sizes from ¼ inch to three inches and six millimetres to 75 mm. Quick clamping shaft collars with clamping levers are offered in standard materials including 1215 lead-free steel with black oxide or zinc plated finish, 303 and 316 stainless steel, high strength 2024 aluminum and engineered plastic. www.ruland.com

Ashcroft 50 mm HPS high-purity pressure gauge with reed switch is ultrasonically cleaned to provide reliability in ultra-high purity gas delivery systems. The reed switch capability provides a safety feature through actuating an internal switch that triggers an alarm or a process condition change. The gauge features stainless-steel construction and wetted components that are used with industrial gases in semiconductor and electronic manufacturing. Its helium leak tested to 1 x 10-8 scc/s, cleaned in class 10,000 cleanroom, and packed in a polyethylene-sealed bag after nitrogen gas flushing. www.ashcroft.com

CenterLine Limited stationary welders

Exair custom air knives

CenterLine Limited’s Model N configured stationary welders carry same features as Model W. Model N is designed with a narrow upper arm and lower knee with a 152 millimetres by 300 mm tooling platen.

The base model supports one OHMA weld cylinder, while the Model W can support dual OHMA weld cylinders. CLCS controller offers control of the machine sequence and up to two feeders, four schedules available per cylinder, and programmable electrode maintenance counters per schedule. These three entry-level FlexFast projection welders are supplied with fixed mounted OHMA air over oil weld cylinders, VeriFast LVDT weld bodies and lower platen with interchangeable part fixture plate. www.cntrline.com

Exair has the ability to customize and tailor air knives to different specifications, ranging from size, shape and material to custom mounting holes and dimensions.

For customers with space limitations, smaller lengths or skinnier profiles can be created. In situations where the knife may need to be installed in a defined spot, special mounting brackets, or additional/custom sized air inlets can be provided to fit a current system. For applications where stock aluminum, stainless steel or PVDF won’t work, other material options such as CPVC or glass filled PEEK thermoplastic have been used. Special marking requirements for tying knives to specific machines or critical processes can be accommodated. www.exair.com

Open-source gantry robot Festo’s modular gantry robot platform for laboratory-based automated liquid handling systems allows OEMs to develop test or assay solutions in minimum time. These modular gantries feature an open-source motion and fluidic application programming interface (API) with Python, Java, and .NET/C# drivers. Three-axis modular gantry robots for each platform can be delivered as ready-to-assemble kits, including cabinet and all necessary supporting components, or as preassembled systems. The modular platform follows a Lego-like building block strategy of employing interoperable components that can be assembled with hand tools. www.festo.com

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Photo: © bernie_photo / iStock / Getty Images Plus

The Podcast for MRO Professionals The podcast features conversations with industry experts about maintenance, reliability, repair, asset management, safety and operations. Topics that are of utmost importance to MRO readers.

Previous guests and topics have included: • Kevin Wright, Country Manager, igus Canada Inc - The importance of plastic products in MRO; • Dr. Rafiq Ahmad, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta - The role of additive manufacturing in the fight against COVID-19; • Scott MacKenzie, Senior National Manager of External Affairs, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada – Maintenance at TMMC Plants with a Focus on the Environment; • Martha Myers, Founder and Owner, Martha Myers Consulting Service – Importance of Networking and Education in Maintenance; • Doc Palmer, Managing Partner, Richard Palmer and Associates Inc – Focus on Scheduling and Planning of Maintenance; • James Reyes-Picknell, President, Conscious Asset – Managing Maintenance and Reliability; • Shawn Casemore, President, Casemore and Co Inc – Engaging Your Employees in a Safety Culture; and • Steve Richmond, CEO, Projetech Inc - How the expansion of 5G networks can benefit maintenance and repair operations MRO

Mr. O’s Tips Past Mr. O tips are now available on our web site. We have tips from many industry experts on a wide variety of MRO related topics.

• Do not be afraid of change;

• Online networking during COVID-19;

• Increase affordability and efficiency with cloudbased EAM systems;

• Asset information management;

• Sustaining our environment with maintenance; • Ramping up from your COVID-19 slow-down; • Planners: The underestimated safety heroes;

• Don’t lose productivity during COVID-19, gain it; • The first step toward building a safety culture; and, • Many more.

View all the tips at mromagazine.com/mr-os-tips/ Or scan the QR code!

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