Thesis (D.Tech. - Electrical Engineering, Dept. of Process Control and Computer Systems, Faculty of Engineering and Technology)--Vaal University of Technology. / In recent years, industrial plant maintenance has changed dramatically. These changes are due to a considerable increase in the number and variety of physical plant assets, increased design complexity, new maintenance techniques and changing perspectives regarding on how to perform maintenance effectively. Managers at modern process plants are becoming increasingly aware of the extent to which equipment failure affects safety and the environment. Process plant personnel are limited in their ability to accurately and consistently evaluate the health of plant assets. Due to poor record keeping, maintenance staff often has little defence against aging equipment and asset failures. As a result companies have undertaken to implement planned equipment maintenance schedules and install new technology to allow for efficient tracking and analysing of equipment health across the board. The introduction of an integrated asset management solution is presented in this thesis. The integrated asset management solution will assist maintenance staff to cost-effectively predict the probability of asset failure prior to the occurrence of any actual plant incidents. The integrated solution documented in this thesis will be implemented at the Sasol Solvents site to enhance plant availability, maximum up time for all plant assets and plant safety. Strategic Asset Management Inc. (SAMI) uses the Operational Reliability Maturity Continuum model to improve profitability, efficiency and equipment reliability. The SAMI empirical model employs various stages to address improved performance and asset management and was used as a guideline to develop an integrated solution to optimise plant performance and profits. The integrated asset management solution, documented in this thesis, was developed with the intended function of bringing information from diverse plant based systems and field equipment to the maintenance personnel in an understandable interface so that the information can be used to improve the reliability and availability of all plant assets.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 160-164.

Esse trabalho tem como objetivo propor um modelo para determinação da criticidade em processos industriais, utilizando a análise multicritério. Inicialmente é proposta uma classificação por prioridade dos elementos mais críticos de um sistema industrial e posteriormente, uma ordenação desses elementos dentro das suas respectivas classes de criticidade, obtendo com isso a criticidade de cada um. O modelo baseia-se nos métodos de sobreclassificação ELECTRE TRI e PROMETHEE II. Uma aplicação do modelo é realizada nesse trabalho, onde são considerados os critérios: segurança; meio-ambiente; qualidade; impacto operacional; impactos econômicos; tempo médio entre falhas e tempo médio de reparo. Como resultado, são apresentadas comparações do modelo proposto com os métodos tradicionais de determinação de criticidade, procurando observar aspectos subjetivos e objetivos de forma conjunta, a fim de fornecer uma visão clara e sistêmica sobre os problemas implícitos na determinação da criticidade em sistemas industriais. É possível concluir que o uso da análise multicritério na determinação da criticidade possibilita maior profundidade na avaliação e constitui uma ferramenta que auxilia na gestão da manutenção e no aumento da confiabilidade para os sistemas produtivos. / This work aims to propose a model for determining the criticality in industrial processes, using the multi-criteria analysis. Initially it is proposed a priority rating of the most critical elements of an industrial system and later, an ordering of the elements within their respective classes of criticality, thus obtaining the criticality of each. The model is based on outranking methods ELECTRE TRI and PROMETHEE II. An application of the model is carried out in this work, where the criteria are considered: security; environment; quality; operational impact; economic impacts; mean time between failures and mean time to repair. As a result, are presented comparisons of the proposed model with the traditional methods of determination of criticality, trying to observe subjective aspects and objectives jointly in order to provide a clear and systemic view of the problems implicit in determining the criticality in industrial systems. It was concluded that the use of multi-criteria analysis to determine criticality enables greater depth in the assessment and is a tool that helps in the management of maintenance and increased reliability for production systems.

Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de um aplicativo para a execução de Sistemas Especialistas baseados em Lógica Fuzzy, a fim de auxiliar gestores no diagnóstico do funcionamento de equipamentos e na determinação do momento ótimo da intervenção ou manutenção dos mesmos. O estudo teve como motivação a necessidade de superar algumas características do Sistema Especialista DEMOI, desenvolvido e executado na ferramenta Logic Fuzzy Toolbox do ambiente Matlab™. Assim, uma ferramenta em linguagem JAVA e C foi elaborada visando a obtenção de uma melhora no tempo de processamento das informações e a integração direta entre Sistemas Especialistas de monitoramento e de planejamento próprias das operações de manutenção. No desenvolvimento deste trabalho foram consideradas as etapas correspondentes aos testes preliminares de operação do sistema especialista já existente, bem como a elaboração do aplicativo proposto. Os resultados das simulações, realizadas sobre um caso prático de análise de vibração de uma máquina rotativa, mostraram os benefícios do novo aplicativo, principalmente na redução considerável no tempo de retorno para diagnósticos envolvendo elevadas quantidades de variáveis e regras de inferências. Adicionalmente, com a introdução da ferramenta, foi propiciado um ambiente de integração entre Sistemas Especialistas de monitoramento e planejamento da manutenção, que poderá ser utilizado por gestores sem as limitações existentes em aplicativos ou recursos de softwares comerciais. / In this study, a development of an application for the execution of Expert Systems based on the Fuzzy Logic is carried out in order to help managers on the diagnosis of the operation of equipments and on the determination of the best moment for doing intervention or maintenance. The research had as motivation the necessity to overcome some characteristics of the Expert System DEMOI, developed and executed in the tool Fuzzy Logic Toolbox of the environment Matlab™. So, a tool in language JAVA and C was developed aiming to get an improvement in the processing time of the informations and the integration between Expert Systems of monitoring and planning of maintenance operations. For developing this research were considered preliminary tests of operation of the Expert Systems linked to Matlab software, as well as the development steps of the proposed application. The results of the simulations, carried out on a practical case of analysis of vibration of a rotary machine, showed the benefits of the new application, principally when the processing time was evaluated. In this sense, a considerable reduction in time of return for diagnoses with elevated quantities of variables and inferences rules was possible by using the new tool. Additionally, with the introduction of the application was provided an environment of integration between Expert Systems of monitoring and planning of the maintenance, which can be used for managers without the limitations present in applications of commercial softwares.

O departamento de manutenção industrial tem a responsabilidade da preservação adequada dos ativos e o seu gerenciamento passou a ser uma questão de destaque no concorrido mercado global. A grande expansão dos conceitos da “produção enxuta” mostra a possibilidade de ganhos nas mais diversas áreas, incluindo o departamento de manutenção industrial. Este trabalho propôs um roteiro para o desenvolvimento da manutenção enxuta em empresas por meio de framework com base na literatura. Levaram-se em consideração outros frameworks, fluxogramas e roteiros de trabalhos relacionados, além da inclusão das premissas da abordagem por processo e observações coletadas em uma avaliação piloto com especialistas de uma indústria de linha branca da região Sudoeste do Paraná, com a qual foi demonstrada particularidades a serem consideradas e seu interesse na aplicação. Na sequência, o roteiro ajustado foi proposto para avaliação de especialistas de seis empresas, sendo empregadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas para a extração de dados. A análise qualitativa dos dados obteve resultados de seis empresas de ramos diversos que devem ser considerados nas implantações, mostrando dificuldades como falta de identificação de equipamentos, manutenção preventiva, ausência de cultura de estudo dos desperdícios, treinamento, 5S e TPM, amplamente abordados na literatura, mostrando as particularidades associadas a esta área específica, bem como o potencial de implantação da filosofia e as suas dificuldades. / The industrial maintenance department has a responsibility for the proper preservation of the assets and its management has become a prominent issue in the competitive global market. The great expansion of lean manufacturing concepts shows the possibility of gains in the most diverse areas, including the industrial maintenance department. This work proposed a roadmap for the development and implementation of lean maintenance in companies through a framework based on literature. Other frameworks, flowcharts and work-related scripts were taken into account, as well as the inclusion of the premises of the process approach and observations collected in a pilot evaluation with specialists from a metal mechanic company, with which particularities were demonstrated to be considered and your interests in the application. Then, the adjusted script was proposed to verify specialists from 6 companies, and semi-structured interviews were used. The qualitative analysis of the data obtained results from six companies of diverse branches that should be considered in the implantations, showing difficulties such as lack of identification of equipment, preventive maintenance, absence of culture of waste study, training, 5S and TPM, widely discussed in the literature, showing the particularities associated with this specific area, as well as the potential of implementation of the philosophy and its difficulties.

Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de um aplicativo para a execução de Sistemas Especialistas baseados em Lógica Fuzzy, a fim de auxiliar gestores no diagnóstico do funcionamento de equipamentos e na determinação do momento ótimo da intervenção ou manutenção dos mesmos. O estudo teve como motivação a necessidade de superar algumas características do Sistema Especialista DEMOI, desenvolvido e executado na ferramenta Logic Fuzzy Toolbox do ambiente Matlab™. Assim, uma ferramenta em linguagem JAVA e C foi elaborada visando a obtenção de uma melhora no tempo de processamento das informações e a integração direta entre Sistemas Especialistas de monitoramento e de planejamento próprias das operações de manutenção. No desenvolvimento deste trabalho foram consideradas as etapas correspondentes aos testes preliminares de operação do sistema especialista já existente, bem como a elaboração do aplicativo proposto. Os resultados das simulações, realizadas sobre um caso prático de análise de vibração de uma máquina rotativa, mostraram os benefícios do novo aplicativo, principalmente na redução considerável no tempo de retorno para diagnósticos envolvendo elevadas quantidades de variáveis e regras de inferências. Adicionalmente, com a introdução da ferramenta, foi propiciado um ambiente de integração entre Sistemas Especialistas de monitoramento e planejamento da manutenção, que poderá ser utilizado por gestores sem as limitações existentes em aplicativos ou recursos de softwares comerciais. / In this study, a development of an application for the execution of Expert Systems based on the Fuzzy Logic is carried out in order to help managers on the diagnosis of the operation of equipments and on the determination of the best moment for doing intervention or maintenance. The research had as motivation the necessity to overcome some characteristics of the Expert System DEMOI, developed and executed in the tool Fuzzy Logic Toolbox of the environment Matlab™. So, a tool in language JAVA and C was developed aiming to get an improvement in the processing time of the informations and the integration between Expert Systems of monitoring and planning of maintenance operations. For developing this research were considered preliminary tests of operation of the Expert Systems linked to Matlab software, as well as the development steps of the proposed application. The results of the simulations, carried out on a practical case of analysis of vibration of a rotary machine, showed the benefits of the new application, principally when the processing time was evaluated. In this sense, a considerable reduction in time of return for diagnoses with elevated quantities of variables and inferences rules was possible by using the new tool. Additionally, with the introduction of the application was provided an environment of integration between Expert Systems of monitoring and planning of the maintenance, which can be used for managers without the limitations present in applications of commercial softwares.

M.Phil. / In modern society, professional engineers, technologists and technical managers are responsible for the planning, design, manufacture, maintenance and operation of the processes and systems ranging from simple processes to complex systems. The failure of these can often cause effects that range from inconvenience and irritation to severe impact on the society and its environment. Users, customers and society in general expect that products be reliable and safe at all times (Allan & Ballinton 1992). The biggest investment in any plant is, arguably, on individual plant equipment. It is therefore reasonable to give the greatest attention possible to the health and integrity of equipment that form part of the chemical process plant.Most of plant failures occur without warning and this result in equipment breakdowns, huge production losses and expensive maintenance. The reaction to plant failures has, in most cases, been a reactive maintenance which means that the plant equipment must fail before the cause of fault is investigated and the equipment is repaired. Reactive maintenance has shortcomings in that it is successful in solving problems temporarily but does not guarantee prevention of fault recurrence. Equipment and process failures waste money on unreliability problems. The question that arises is. ‘How reliable and safe is the plant during its operating life?’ This question can be answered, in part, by the use of quantitative reliability evaluation. The growing need to achieve high availability for large integrated chemical process systems demands higher levels of reliability at the operational stage. Reliability is the probability of equipment or processes to function without failure when operated correctly for a given interval of time under stated conditions. This research dissertation is aimed at developing equipment optimisation program for the chemical process plant by introducing a logical approach to managing the maintenance of plant equipment. Some relevant reliability theory is discussed and applied to the Short – Path Distillation (SPD) plant of SASOL WAX. An analysis of the failure modes and criticality helps to identify plant equipment that needs special focus during inspection.

No description available.

Thesis (D. Tech. (Electrical Engineering, Dept. of Process Control and Computer Systems))--Vaal University of Technology. / In recent years, industrial plant maintenance has changed dramatically. These changes are due to a considerable increase in the number and variety of physical plant assets, increased design complexity, new maintenance techniques and changing perspectives regarding on how to perform maintenance effectively. Managers at modern process plants are becoming increasingly aware of the extent to which equipment failure affects safety and the environment. Process plant personnel are limited in their ability to accurately and consistently evaluate the health of plant assets. Due to poor record keeping, maintenance staff often has little defence against aging equipment and asset failures. As a result companies have undertaken to implement planned equipment maintenance schedules and install new technology to allow for efficient tracking and analysing of equipment health across the board. The introduction of an integrated asset management solution is presented in this thesis. The integrated asset management solution will assist maintenance staff to cost-effectively predict the probability of asset failure prior to the occurrence of any actual plant incidents. The integrated solution documented in this thesis will be implemented at the Sasol Solvents site to enhance plant availability, maximum up time for all plant assets and plant safety. Strategic Asset Management Inc. (SAMI) uses the Operational Reliability Maturity Continuum model to improve profitability, efficiency and equipment reliability. The SAMI empirical model employs various stages to address improved performance and asset management and was used as a guideline to develop an integrated solution to optimise plant performance and profits. The integrated asset management solution, documented in this thesis, was developed with the intended function of bringing information from diverse plant based systems and field equipment to the maintenance personnel in an understandable interface so that the information can be used to improve the reliability and availability of all plant assets.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The change management approach followed during the installation of a new maintenance work management process (termed SAMI Stage1) in Sasol Synfuels is assessed. A framework and a set of change management principles are derived from literature relevant to the topic and are used as a basis to assess the implemented change. The concept of physical asset management is also reviewed and incorporated into the overall framework. The assessment reveals the following positive aspects of the change management process followed: • Excellent executive sponsorship throughout the implementation of SAMI Stage 1. • The use of one team of Sasol Synfuels personnel to develop the strategic plan and another team to perform the design of the new maintenance work management process has resulted in a core group of change advocates within Sasol Synfuels. • Sasol Synfuels business units were declared SAM I Stage 1 competent, which included the achievement of outcome indicators as well as behavioural changes. • The SAMI Stage 1 change is reinforced through further changes such as SAMI Stage 2, SAM PI (production initiative), as well as the creation of a new department, OPEX, to facilitate operational excellence within Sasol Synfuels. • The overall SAMI roadmap, commencing with maintenance work management, is found to be an effective vehicle to achieve the future integrated state of asset management. However, the following negative aspects of the implemented change are also highlighted: • The concept of physical asset management as the ultimate objective of the SAMI process was inadequately explained and coached to the organisation. Although maintenance work management efficiency has improved, the organisation has not made the mental transition from a cost centre mentality to a profit centre mentality. • Production personnel were initially excluded to a large extent, since SAM I Stage 1 was installed as a predominantly maintenance-focussed initiative. However, production personnel are required to play a large role in the maintenance work management process and their initial exclusion required significant stakeholder management during the advanced stages of the change. • There have not been significant changes to the recognition and reward systems in Sasol Synfuels in order to enhance the integration of specifically the maintenance and production functions. The organisation is thus still very much focused on functional excellence as opposed to the integrated concept of asset management. The effectiveness of installing a maintenance work management process first and then addressing equipment failures is also reviewed. It is concluded that this approach of firstly establishing discipline in the execution of maintenance work is indeed a viable approach. However, the overall objective of asset management must be considered from the onset and the organisation must be continuously aligned to that objective. Based on the above observations, recommendations are made on futu re Sasol implementations of maintenance work management processes. In essence there should be more focus on the concept of physical asset management before and during such an implementation. It is also recommended that a post SAM I Stage 1 project analysis should be performed (using appropriate questionnaires andlor interviews) to assess the positive and negative aspects as encountered by the organisation. These learning pOints should be documented and used for future, similar interventions. It should also be established whether the changes in behaviour and outcome are due to predominantly compliance to the work management process, or whether there is significant commitment to the process. Commitment to the process by the majority of the organisation is required to ensure sustainability there of. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die benadering soos gevolg ten opsigte van veranderingsbestuur gedurende die implementering van 'n nuwe instandhoudingswerk bestuursproses in Sasol Synfuels (genaamd SAM I Fase 1), word ondersoek. 'n Raamwerk en 'n stel beginsels met betrekking tot veranderingsbestuur word uit die relevante nagevorste literatuur ontwikkel en word gebruik as 'n basis waarteen die geimplementeerde verandering geevalueer word. Die beginsel van fisiese batebestuur word ook ondersoek en in die oorhoofse raamwerk geinkorporeer. Die volgende positiewe aspekte van die veranderingsbestuur proses wat gevolg was, word deur die ondersoek openbaar: • Uitstekende borgskap deur uitvoerende bestuur tydens die verloop van die implementering van SAMI Fase 1. • Die gebruik van een span Sasol Synfuels personeel om die strategiese plan te ontwikkel en 'n ander span om die ontwerp van die nuwe instandhoudingswerk bestuursproses te behartig, het gelei tot die ontstaan van 'n kern groep in die organisasie wat die verandering ondersteun. • Besigheidseenhede in Sasol Synfuels is SAM I Fase 1 bedrewe verklaar, wat die behaling van uitkomsindikators, sowel as gedragsveranderinge insluit. • Die SAMI Fase 1 verandering word versterk deur verdere veranderings soos SAMI Fase 2, SAMPI (produksie inisiatief), sowel as die daarstelling van 'n nuwe afdeling, OPEX, om operasionele uitnemendheid in Sasol Synfuels te fasiliteer. • Die algehele SAMI proses, beginnende met die bestuur van instandhoudingswerk, is effektief bevind om die toekomstige, geintegreerde toestand van batebestuur te verwesenlik. Die volgende negatiewe aspekte van die geimplementeerde verandering word egter ook uitgelig: • Die beginsel dat fisiese batebestuur die uiteindelike doelwit van die SAMI proses is, was nie voldoende verduidelik en oorgedra aan die organisasie nie, Alhoewel die effektiwiteit van instandhoudingswerk bestuur verbeter het, het die organisasie nie die paradigma skuif gemaak van 'n kostegesentreerde denkwyse na 'n winsgesentreerde denkwyse nie. • Aanvanklik was produksiepersoneel grootliks uitgesluit uit die proses, aangesien SAMI Fase 1 hoofsaaklik as 'n instandhoudingsinisiatief aangepak is. Produksiepersoneel het egter 'n groot rol om te speel in die instandhoudingswerk bestuursproses en hulle aanvanklike uitsluiting het gelei tot aansienlike bestuur van belanghebbendes gedurende die gevorderde stadiums van die verandering. • Daar is nog nie betekenisvolle veranderinge gemaak aan die vergoedings -en erkenningssisteme in Sasol Synfuels om sodoende die integrasie van spesifiek die instandhouding en produksiefunksies te bevorder nie. Daar is dus nog steeds 'n sterk fokus in die organisasie op funksionele uitnemendheid in teenstelling met die geintegreerde beginsel van batebestuur. Daar word ook gekyk na hoe effektief dit is om eers 'n instandhoudingswerk bestuursproses te installeer voordat toerustingfalings ondersoek word. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat hierdie benadering om eers dissipline in die uitvoering van instandhoudingswerk daar te stel, inderdaad 'n haalbare benadering is. Die oorhoofse doelwit van batebestuur moet egter vanaf die begin oorweeg word en die organisasie moet gedurig op koers gehou word rakende daardie oogmerk. Voorstelle, gegrond op bogenoemde waarnemings, word gemaak vir die toekomstige implementering van instandhoudingswerk bestuursprosesse in Sasol. In wese moet daar meer gefokus word op die beginsel van batebestuur voor en gedurende so 'n implementering. Daar word ook aanbeveel dat 'n nabetragting gehou word rondom die implementering van SAMI Fase 1 (met behulp van gepaste vraelyste en/of onderhoude) om die positiewe en negatiewe aspekte, soos ondervind is deur die organisasie, te evalueer. Hierdie inligting moet dan gedokumenteer word en gebruik word vir toekomstige, soortgelyke intervensies. Daar moet ook bepaal word of die verandering in gedrag en resultate die gevolg is van oorwegend die navolging van die proses of toewyding aan die proses. Die meerderheid van die organisasie moet toegewyd wees aan die proses om volhoubaarheid te verseker.