Reference manual
- Introduction: setting the scene
- Selecting the best motor and equipment
- Commissioning
- Motor and system maintenance and operation
- Motor repair and replacement
- Utility management
- Maintenance management systems: plant inventory and records
Maintenance management systems: plant inventory and records
Best practice organisations have a well-maintained management system for tracking plant details and maintenance history. It takes time to develop and resource such a system, but it is fundamental to effective motor and equipment management.
This section deals with the:
- benefits of a best practice maintenance management system
- how to develop a maintenance management system
- the contents of a maintenance management system.
Benefits of a best practice maintenance management system
Accurate and comprehensive plant inventory and records are essential for:
- implementing preventive and predictive maintenance planning, to maintain machinery efficiently and effectively
- avoiding routine maintenance problems turning into extended downtime
- avoiding making repetitive and costly mistakes
- tracking patterns and trends in motor and equipment performance
- continuously improving plant reliability and efficiency by eliminating poorly performing equipment
- predicting future (capital) expenditures
- conducting cost analysis and comparisons of maintenance for specific machines.
In best practice organisations, the maintenance department is responsible for the plant inventory and records system. Technicians must be trained on the importance of, and method for, updating and maintaining records.
The type of system used will vary depending on the type and quantity of machines you are maintaining. Computer records are the most effective, and there are many different proprietary maintenance software packages available on the market (ranging from simple to highly sophisticated). If you are investing in software, make sure you choose the package the best meets your needs.
A well maintained card system can also be effective if your plant does not have too many machine items or if a computer is not readily available.
How to develop and implement a best practice maintenance management system
The first step in developing and implementing your best practice motor maintenance management system is to review and evaluate your present maintenance policy. Your policy should be clear on:
- the objectives of the maintenance team
- site safety procedures and emergency contacts
- levels of responsibility and authority (including budgetary authority)
- the identification system for equipment - both equipment identifier and repair priority (see highlight box)
- responsibility and timing for condition monitoring and scheduled maintenance
- how work, work requests and equipment failures are prioritised, handled and tracked
- record updating and reporting procedures and responsibilities
- contacts in management, production and purchasing.
| Repair priority Equipment varies widely on factors such as value, operational cost, requirements for maintenance, impact of failure on the production process, environment, safety, and neighbourhood goodwill. You need to consider the impact of failure on each factor, and determine a repair priority system accordingly. Evaluating the repair priority for each piece of equipment, and recording its priority status in the plant inventory, is fundamental to a best practice maintenance system. The lack of a comprehensive yet simple priority system can result in confusion, too many emergencies, and an out of control maintenance group. |
Your maintenance management system must complement your existing maintenance policy and procedures and be readily available to staff so they can easily update it and rely on it as a resource. If yours is a larger plant, keep your motor inventory separate from your plant inventory since motors can be moved from one place to another in a plant throughout their life. The motor should never be separated from its own detailed history. The plant inventory, on the other hand, needs only to contain the number of the motor, which you will use to link to more detailed information on the motor.
Contents of a management maintenance system
The contents of a management maintenance system will vary from plant to plant. Best practice systems can include the following features:
Motor record
- motor identifier
- date of purchase
- manufacturer and model
- enclosure
- rated power
- synchronous speed (number of poles)
- frame size
- rated voltage
- full load current
phase
- full load speed
- efficiency and power factor at 50 per cent, 75 per cent and full load
Motor maintenance log
- date and reasons for failure
- repairs and repair shop details
- motor condition
- maintenance history
- scheduled maintenance
Plant records
- plant number, motor number and repair priority
- plant description, manufacturer and model
- location in plant
- information on spare components
- load type
- duty cycle
- estimated load
- starting method
- motor assessment and recommended replacement option
- transmission method, set up specification and driven speed
- vibration and balance specification
- machine drawing and replacement component list
Plant maintenance log
- date and reasons for failure
- repairs and repair shop details
- plant condition
- maintenance history
- scheduled maintenance