R&M Tips

The “Know-Do” gap is the space that must be bridged between knowing what to do and actually doing it. IMAGE COURTESY ANDREYPOPOV FROM GETTY IMAGES VIA CANVA

TIP #1: WHAT IS THE KNOW-DO GAP?

The key to success is to bridge the know-do gap. What does that mean? Well, in my 60 years of working with organizations around the world, I’ve seen them fail to do the most important step in making real change: getting from knowing what to do, to actually doing it. I’m going to give you some “know-do gap” examples and teach you how you can close the gaps.

I’ve seen some amazing presentations and reports that document an implementation plan for improving reliability and maintenance processes. More than 85 percent of the mill’s time was spent developing the plan … but only about 10 percent of the effort was spent telling the front line and the people who will need to execute the plan. And even worse, they only spend 5-10 percent of their time coaching people how to execute the plan.

The most successful organizations flip this, spending a majority of their time coaching their team to implement the plan.

Know-do Gap Examples

To close the gap, you should employ coaching as one technique. A coach’s job is much more than a training course.

You will also need to use more than traditional training classes. You need to coach the implementation plan. Here’s are some know-do gap examples for coaching at your plant. If your team doesn’t have time to coach or maybe doesn’t know how, you should contact us here at IDCON. Ninety-five percent of our work with organizations is coaching teams.

For example, if you had an objective maintenance assessment, you may have learned that one gap in your process is defining the way meetings are conducted at your plant. You may need to show your team how to run a scheduling meeting. This can start with showing individuals what they need to do to prepare for the meeting, to running the meeting a few times for them. Then observe as they run the meeting and, most importantly, offer feedback on how they can improve their performance.

Coaching isn’t just for the maintenance department; you should work closely with the operators who are requesting work. Do they know the right priority for a request? Do they know what details to give? This is a huge part of ensuring that people know what to do and how to do it. You can’t assume that simply posting a priority guideline on the wall will teach people how to apply the right priority.

TIP #2: KEEP EQUIPMENT COMPONENTS CLEAN

Statistics indicate that more fires start from electrical system failure than from any other cause. Electrical equipment is usually well designed and properly installed. However, the principal reason for electrical system breakdown is the failure to maintain the installation in its designed state.

As soon as electrical equipment is installed, normal deterioration begins. If left unchecked, the deterioration process can cause malfunction or complete failure. Performance and life expectancy of the equipment are decreased by factors such as environmental conditions, system overload, or excessive duty cycles on equipment. As a way to frame a basic electrical maintenance program, the fundamentals are a good place to start.

Fundamentals of Electrical Preventive Maintenance

First, direct your fundamental efforts toward initiating an effective electrical preventive maintenance program to reduce the potential for a serious electrical interruption. The basic rule applying to all electrical apparatus is to keep it clean, keep it dry, keep it tight, and prevent friction.

Clean: Dirt is a common cause of electrical failure. Dirt is the day-to-day accumulation of particulate matter from the atmosphere consisting of dust, lint, chemical, metallic particles, oil mists, spray residues, etc. If allowed to accumulate, it can contaminate electrical equipment causing overheating and increased electrical resistance. In some applications heavy contamination cannot be avoided. This is typical of foundries, mills, quarries, cement plants, grain elevators, etc. In these applications, special apparatus designs are appropriate. Every effort, however, should be made to keep equipment free of particulate matter. This includes activities such as weekly cleaning of motor casings and keeping electrical cabinets free of dust by vacuuming. Every maintenance opportunity should include a thorough cleaning of apparatus.

Dry: Electrical equipment operates best in dry, corrosive-free atmospheres. Humidity accelerates the oxidation of metals used in the electrical gear. Oxide build-up increases resistance, thus reducing effective contact; the resulting heat can lead to eventual failure. High moisture levels can lead to direct short circuiting and immediate failure. Humidity should be controlled if possible and guarded against by using equipment designed for use in damp or wet conditions. Typical examples of high moisture areas or places where there is an exposure to moisture or corrosion include pulp mills, paper mills, locations of high humidity, metal plating, and areas where acids and alkali chemicals are used, handled, or stored.

The top reason for electrical system breakdown is the failure to maintain the installation. IMAGE COURTESY SUNAN WONGSA-NGA FROM GETTY IMAGES VIA CANVA

Electrical equipment operates best in dry, corrosive-free atmospheres. IMAGE COURTESY KANPISUT FROM JOOKIKO VIA CANVA

Tight: Many electrical components operate with high speed movement, while other electrical equipment may not move at all. Motion of operating equipment will eventually cause wear and imbalance. Appreciable imbalance tends to create vibrations in equipment and loosen vital connecting parts. Routine maintenance is necessary to detect wear and loosening of parts and connections. This should include a check for tightness of accessible hardware and bolted parts as a simple precautionary measure. Tightening a screw or connection can only take a moment, but it can prevent hours of searching for intermittent trouble.

Friction Free: Electrical equipment that is operating properly has minimal friction; however, there is always the potential for mechanical breakdown due to increased friction. Friction can result from numerous causes. Some of the most common reasons include misalignment of equipment, excessive wear, and the failure to properly lubricate.

Some electrical apparatus does not require lubrication, nor should it be performed unless specified by the manufacturer. Over-lubrication is dangerous because excessive oil can collect dust and abrasive materials and even oxidize into difficult-to-remove deposits on the machinery. Lack of required lubrication will significantly add to overheating of the unit and may eventually lead to failure. Machinery must be properly lubricated at recommended frequencies. Alignment of machinery components is critical to help reduce friction. The key element is maintenance.

TIP #3: GEAR COUPLING INSPECTIONS

Subjective inspections on gear couplings should include noise, visual, temperature, grease leaking, guards, and keyway. Noise could be caused by:

• Misalignment
• Imbalance
• Loose bolts
• Lack of lubricant
• Chipped teeth

Listen for abnormal noise. A wearing/broken coupling may have a high-pitched squeak or rattle. Do your operators or new condition monitoring technicians need to know the fundamentals of care and inspections?

BONUS TIP: OIL SAMPLING

TERRY TAYLOR, CMRP, PE, RELIABILITY CONSULTANT

The most important point about oil samples and oil analysis in general is looking for any change that is taking place.

In order to see a change, each sample must be taken in a consistent and repeatable manner. Oil sampling can be accomplished in many ways; however, there are only a few ways in which the sample can be correctly captured.

A technician must analyze each sample point for how best to capture the sample in the most consistent manner. Always begin with the best method and work down the list until you reach a compromise between the best method possible and what the conditions or configuration of the equipment allows. Consistency in taking an oil sample comes down to the person capturing the sample. Proper training goes a long way toward reducing the variables in how each sample is actually captured.