Predictive maintenance audits

The Team has experience in the realization of predictive maintenance audits for industrial users. The audits carried out by the team are basically focused on electric motors and generators, but the users can also request the realization of more general audits referred to other electrical assets of the plant or factory.

The main goal of the predictive maintenance audits offered by the team is to analyse in detail the current maintenance methods applied in the plant. Based on the obtained information, the team detects the possible weaknesses and defines potential improvements. The works include the detailed specification of the techniques and tests to be applied to the electric motors and generators of the user facility. These include both online techniques to be included in predictive maintenance programs, as well as offline tests to be developed during plant turnarounds. All these considerations are referred both to AC and DC motors that the user specifies.

The team also performs an individualized study per motor and, considering its respective characteristics, operating conditions, type of load, coupling system, starting modality, type of drive, etc… defines the recommendations regarding the best techniques to be applied for each machine. These recommendations also include additional information, such as periodicity for application of the technique, necessary equipment, limit values according to the standards, potential constraints and additional practical considerations.

In the audits report, a synthesis of the operation of the suggested techniques and offline tests is usually included. Moreover, the audits contain recommendations related to the verifications and tests that should be applied during motor/generator commissioning or after motor/generator repair or overhaul. The audits also include details on the suggested providers for the different equipment to be used during the tests or during the application of the techniques. Furthermore, training recommendations are also given.

All in all, our audits perform an exhaustive revision of the maintenance protocols applied to electric motors and generators and formulate recommendations regarding the most suitable techniques and tests that should be applied to optimize the preventive and predictive maintenance programs.

The aspects that a typical electric motors maintenance audit of the team covers are specified next:

• Revision of the regulation and internal maintenance procedures and best practices for the electrical assets of the plant.

• Exhaustive classification of the motors to be included in the audit, according to different relevant characteristics.

• Determination of the most common types of faults in the plant (performance killers) and specification of occurrence rate of the different faults.

• In-depth analysis of the predictive maintenance techniques and offline tests applied to the motors/generators of the plant.

• Definition of current weaknesses and strengths regarding electric motors maintenance.

• Proposal of the integral predictive maintenance plan to be applied to the motors/generators under consideration for covering each failure mode.

• Proposal of offline tests to be applied to the motors/generators under consideration for covering each failure mode.

• Description and justification of the proposed techniques and tests.

• Proposal of possible suppliers of the suggested technologies and necessary equipment.

• Specification of the detailed maintenance procedure for each individual motor: suggested techniques, periodicities, necessary equipment, limit values and practical considerations (an individual table is provided for each motor).

• Suggested maintenance actions and inspections during motor commissioning and after motor repair.

• Description of suggested training actions.

• Quantification of the possible impact of the actions included in the audit.

• Additional recommendations.

• Conclusions