2021 - 10 - Plant Engineering

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OCTOBER 2021
SOLUTIONS
11 | A pressing case for predictive
analytics at MacLean-Fogg
Predictive maintenance on a hot forming press
gets automotive supplier started in smart
manufacturing
15 | A new era of thermowell-free

temperature measurement
In oil, gas and chemical processing
applications, accurate and reliable temperature
measurement is crucial, and is traditionally
achieved using thermowells, which have been
18 known to be problematic
Double containment using clear outer plastic

containment. Cover courtesy: Simtech Process Systems.
18 | PVDF piping used for nuclear
EDITOR’S INSIGHT facility acid handling project
Facility engineers designing a process for
5 | From automation platform to maximum safety and efficiency
industrial ecosystem
21 | Top three advantages of integrated

INSIGHTS explosion protection
With recent technology advances, intrinsic safety
7 | The supply chain battles back now offers the safest, most cost-effective and
Building resilient, flexible supply chains in the easiest way to deploy solutions that safeguard
post-Covid era process operations
8 | U.S. DOE issues final rule for 26 | Four things to keep in mind when
testing small electric motors performing FMECA
Small motor testing gets an upgrade FMECA is a complex process but can optimize
processes
PLANT ENGINEERING (ISSN 0032-082X, Vol. 75, No. 8, GST #123397457) is published monthly except in January, July and November, by CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325, Downers Grove,
IL 60515. Periodicals postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PLANT ENGINEERING, PO Box 348, Lincolnshire, IL 60069. Jim Langhenry,
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of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever. and
Technology TM
www.plantengineering.com PLANT ENGINEERING October 2021 • 3

OCTOBER 2021
SOLUTIONS
28 | How to avoid COVID-19-related
schedule delays using Lean
If implemented effectively, Lean planning
practices can help manufacturers meet critical
production start dates and make up for delays
caused by the pandemic 35 | Emerging technologies advance
condition monitoring techniques
Lubrication engineers extend machine life by
28 integrating lab analyses with online-generated data
44 | Air Force base water supply piping

system challenge met
Designing an efficient, long-lasting piping system
48 | How to get your ROI from IIoT

An analysis of enhanced productivity through smart
device monitoring technology
30 | Integrate ERP and CRM for
manufacturing
Smart manufacturing firms bring together 51 | Why more manufacturers are turning
technology, business processes and people; a to microgrids
critical component in this plan is the integration Microgrids mitigate power distribution
of ERP with CRM vulnerabilities
32 | Capacity planning in a post- 53 | Consider modular reed valves for

COVID manufacturing world your reciprocating compressors
Capacity and supply-chain strategies help Tips for reliability professionals engaged in
manufactures remain competitive due diligence
INSIDE: APPLIED AUTOMATION

UPCOMING WEBCASTS
OCTOBER 6, 2021: A4 | Cybersecurity Demands
Simplicity in the Cloud: The benefits behind cycle- Coordinated Tactics
based preventive maintenance Securing operational technology (OT) networks
for resiliency against cyberattacks requires
To view all upcoming webcasts coordination between information technology
for Plant Engineering visit (IT) and OT personnel, and recognition of the
differences between the two domains
WWW.PLANTENGINEERING.COM/WEBCASTS
4 • October 2021 PLANT ENGINEERING www.plantengineering.com

INSIGHTS
By Kevin Parker, Editor
PlantEngineering.com
3010 Highland Parkway Suite 325
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Ph. 630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504
From automation platform
CONTENT SPECIALISTS/EDITORIAL
to industrial ecosystem
KEVIN PARKER, Editor
KParker@CFEMedia.com In late September, Bosch be developed without ties
JACK SMITH, Managing Editor
Rexroth Automation & to provider-specific or
JSmith@CFEMedia.com Electrification Solutions proprietary systems. The
AMANDA PELLICCIONE, Director of Research hosted a press briefing on platform also includes a
860-432-4767, APelliccione@CFEMedia.com its ctrlX AUTOMATION range of ready prepared
KATIE SPAIN NAREL, Art Director ecosystem. The company standard components, e.g.,
KSpain@CFEMedia.com
first launched what it for PLC, motion, safety,
SUSIE BAK, Production Coordinator
SBak@CFEMedia.com characterized as an alter- communication or a secure
native concept to previous connection to IT systems.
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD proprietary automation These can be combined
H. LANDIS “LANNY” FLOYD, IEEE Life Fellow systems at the end of 2019. with users’ own software
H.Landis.Floyd@gmail.com
It includes tools for new components or those from
JOHN GLENSKI, President, Automation Plus
jglenski@processplus.com generations of engineers third-party providers.
SHON ISENHOUR, Partner, Eruditio LLC
and developers more familiar with how
sisenhour@EruditioLLC.com things get done outside the insular world Supply chain challenges
DR. SHI-WAN LIN, CEO and co-founder, Thingswise, LLC of industrial automation. The 2022 26th annual 3PL Logistics study
Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) board member In short, information technology (IT) was just released by NTT Data. According
shiwanlin@thingswise.com
converging with automation. In this new to reporting in Forbes, the study found that
JOHN MALINOWSKI, Senior manager of industry affairs
(retired), Baldor Electric Company world, instead of a black box, the program- 83% of shippers reported disruption in the
DAVID SKELTON, Vice president and general manager
mable logic controller (PLC) becomes a supply of key materials this year compared
Phoenix Contact Development and Manufacturing software application on a control platform. to 49% of respondents to the 2021 survey.
dskelton@phoenixcontact.com Device drivers still play an important role In addition, almost two-thirds (68%) of
BILLY RAY TAYLOR, in automation systems integration. Here, respondents said they believe supply chains
Director of commercial and off-highway manufacturing
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber however, applications downloaded from have become too global.
Billytaylor@goodyear.com a store “talk” to the process. “The control The pandemic placed a spotlight on
LARRY TURNER, President and CEO, Hannover Fairs USA platform includes tools to 1) select and supply chains, illuminating the downsides
lturner@hfusa.com
configure, 2) design and program and 3) of just-in-time inventory management
MARK WATSON, Senior director, manufacturing technology,
IHS Markit
innovate and customize,” said Dave Cam- and vulnerabilities in sourcing strategies.
Mark.watson@ihsmarkit.com eron, director of sales, Bosch Rexroth. Solutions to these challenges being
promulgated include 1) use of technol-
CFE MEDIA CONTRIBUTOR Machines and processes ogy to improve supply-chain visibility,
GUIDELINES OVERVIEW Many ctrlX features support the machine 2) reshoring, or what some are calling
Content For Engineers. That’s what CFE Media stands for,
and what CFE Media is all about—engineers sharing with their
builder’s need to generate and document regionalization, and 3) adopting a supply
peers. We welcome content submissions for all interested countless user-mandated variations on chain-as-a-service model.
parties in engineering. We will use those materials online, on
our Website, in print and in newsletters to keep engineers the basic processes involved. Other recommendations to manufac-
informed about the products, solutions, and industry trends. “Besides the advantages to the machine turers include that they review current
* www.plantengineering.com/contribute explains how to
submit press releases, products, images and graphics, bylined designer,” said Cameron, “ctrlX AUTO- inventory policies to reflect the new real-
feature articles, case studies, white papers, and other media.
* Content should focus on helping engineers solve prob-
MATION is a complete redesign of the ity, better monitor suppliers while identi-
lems. Articles that are commercial in nature or that are critical hardware/software functions to allow a fying alternative suppliers and a focus on
of other products or organizations will be rejected. (Technol-
ogy discussions and comparative tables may be accepted if
strong ‘future-proof ’ concept for upgrad- production schedule flexibility.
non-promotional and if contributor corroborates information ing and adapting to new technologies like According to the 3PL Logistics study,
with sources cited.)
* If the content meets criteria noted in guidelines, expect 5G. Having the ability to update apps, 83% of shippers said they plan to adjust
to see it first on our websites. Content for our enewsletters functions and programming with the sources of supply as a direct result of
comes from content already available on our Websites. All
content for print also will be online. All content that appears Rexroth device portal from anywhere efforts to rebalance toward regional and
in our print magazines will appear as space permits, and we
will indicate in print if more content from that article is avail-
allows fast servicing to maximize pro- domestic sources.
able online. duction time.” In fact, some say the world already has
* Deadlines for feature articles intended for the print maga-
zines are at least two months in advance of the publication
More than 300 companies have imple- begun moving away from radical glo-
date. Again, it is best to discuss all feature articles with the mented ctrlX AUTOMATION. Support balization, with trade in manufacturing
content manager prior to submission.
of virtually all popular programming lan- goods now growing more slowly than the
Learn more at:
guages and the corresponding engineer- world economy, according to an article in
www.plantengineering.com/contribute
ing tools enable automation solutions to the Washington Post by Marc Levinson. PE
and
Technology TM www.plantengineering.com PLANT ENGINEERING October 2021 • 5
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INSIGHTS
SUPPLY CHAIN
By Joe Berti
The supply chain battles back

Building resilient, flexible supply chains in the post-Covid era
T
he COVID-19 pandemic attacked supply efficiently, reducing storage and transportation costs. Pro-
chains from every angle, prompting labor, curement officers can also collaborate more effectively
part and supply shortages while also drasti- with their supply chain partners, aligning or spotting
cally altering consumer behavior. And as we problems much earlier in the production cycle, reducing
know by now, the impact stretched far beyond retailers dispute resolution and letting them collaborate in near
and manufacturers. A recent survey found that 94% real time using up-to-date information.
of procurement officers across aerospace and defense,
financial services and IT reported negative impacts from Maximize output with predictive
the pandemic, with companies averaging $184 million maintenance
in lost revenue. Manufacturers also need to ensure they do not create bot-
For many manufacturers, the pains of the pandemic tlenecks and supply chain disruptions of their own when
have hardly subsided even as vaccines became widely equipment goes down. This requires taking advantage
available across the U.S. Shortages have remained such of the predictive capabilities of a cutting-edge enterprise
that manufacturers now set their product strategy based asset management system that can ensure you can keep
on what parts and components are available as opposed your equipment and operations running. It also requires
to what their consumers want or what their competitors knowledge of what parts and equipment are critical to
can’t offer. For plant managers, the imperative is three- operations, oftentimes, across large numbers of MRO
fold: Build supply chain resilience and inventory visibility, spares inventory and thousands of assets. Unplanned
extend asset lifespan to decrease downtime and enhance downtime costs an average $260,000 an hour, according
productivity across all of their operations to remain com- to one study. Across a large organization, the source of
petitive in the face of ongoing supply chain threats. outages or reason for downtime can also be obscure: 70%
of companies lack full awareness of whether downtime
Resilience with AI and blockchain is the result of replacement, upgrade or maintenance.
One of the main lessons of the pandemic was the critical These costs are not necessary with a fully integrated
importance of establishing greater supply chain resil- asset management system capable of giving you a holistic
ience. Even before the pandemic, 87% of chief supply picture of asset health, detecting and flagging anoma-
chain officers said it was extremely difficult to predict and lies automatically and helping technicians prioritize and
manage supply chain disruptions. For most organizations expedite repairs. To help gather data and make it action-
– 84% – the greatest challenge for supply chain officers able, an estimated 125 billion connected IoT devices are
is the lack of visibility, with an estimated 90% of today’s expected in the field by the year 2030. Organizations that
supply chain data going effectively unused. If you don’t don’t invest in gathering, analyzing and operationalizing
know where your goods are or when your supply chain their data will fall behind.
partners experience disruptions, it is incredibly difficult Many of the supply chain and operational issues orga-
to plan. Even relatively localized supply chain incidents nizations grappled with over the last year are not new. For
have massive global effects. Roughly 90% of Fortune 1000 reasons ranging from sustainability to increasing consumer
companies reported having tier 2 suppliers in the regions expectations about ethical sourcing, manufacturers were
of China most affected in the initial phase. already under increasing pressure to modernize and digi-
Organizations that have invested in advanced technol- talize their supply chain operations. What the pandemic
ogy that can promote supply chain resilience are signifi- made painfully obvious, however, is the lack of resilience
cantly more likely to thrive both in the face of disruptions that stretches across every supply chain in almost every
but also post-pandemic. Working together, the predictive industry. In the world of supply chain and global shipping,
capability of AI and the accountable track-and-tracing disruptions are the norm, whether it’s a pandemic or a bad
provided by blockchain can promote supply chain resil- hurricane season. Organizations that invest now in sup-
ience in a number of ways. These newer intelligent supply ply chain intelligence and digital transformation will be
chains offer end-to-end inventory actionable intelligence positioned to thrive in both good times and bad. PE
and visibility, giving companies significantly more warn-
ing in the event of supply chain disruptions. They can Joe Berti is VP product management, AI applications, with
also manage the inflow and outflow of inventory more IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software.

INSIGHTS
MOTORS & DRIVES
By Thomas H. Bishop, P.E.
U.S. DOE issues final rule for testing

small electric motors
Small motor testing gets an upgrade
T
he U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has tion Act (EPCA) defines “small electric motor”
issued rulemaking on test procedures for as “a NEMA general purpose alternating current
small electric motors for more than a single-speed induction motor, built in a two-digit
decade. The present “final rule,” effective frame number series in accordance with NEMA
February 3, 2021, is the culmination of those efforts. Standards Publication MG 1–1987.” In another
The final rule will be mandatory for product test- rule, DOE determined that CSIR (capacitor-start,
ing beginning July 6, 2021. If you want to view the induction run [often termed “capacitor-start”]),
complete detail of the final rule that was published CSCR (capacitor-start, capacitor-run) and certain
in the Federal Register on January 4, 2021, it can polyphase motors are the only motor categories that
be found at go.easa.com/1421. For further reading, satisfy the relevant criteria set by EPCA to be regu-
another DOE site with information about the final lated as small electric motors.
rule is go.easa.com/eere. In the final rule, DOE further harmonized its test
A question you may ask is how the rule defines procedures with industry practice and harmonized
a small motor. The Energy Policy and Conserva- certain test conditions with current industry stan-
dards to improve the com-
parability of test results
for small electric motors.
None of these changes
affected the measured aver-
age full-load efficiency of
small electric motors or the
measured nominal full-
load efficiency of electric
motors when compared to
current test procedures.
These changes are sum-
marized in Table 1. PE
Thomas H. Bishop, P.E. is

a senior technical support
specialist at EASA, Inc., St.
Louis, MO; 314-993-2220;
www.easa.com. EASA is an
international trade asso-
ciation of more than 1,800
firms in about 70 countries
that sell and service electro-
mechanical apparatus.
Table 1: Summary of
test procedure changes.
Courtesy: EASA

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SOLUTIONS
PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE
By Mo Abuali and the MacLean-Fogg team
A pressing case for predictive

analytics at MacLean-Fogg
Predictive maintenance on a hot forming press gets automotive supplier started
in smart manufacturing
S
mart manufacturing in the form of predictive industry. Metform is a division of MacLean-Fogg,
analytics is driving manufacturers toward a fourth-generation family-owned manufacturing
a production paradigm of zero downtime, company. Metform’s products include Securex wheel
zero waste and zero defects. They’re replac- nuts for heavy trucks and trailers, gear blanks for
ing traditional reactive or preventive maintenance automotive and various special fasteners and special
approaches with the use of sensors, Internet of formed parts.
Things (IoT) devices and advanced analytics. Ana- The company has 10 Hatebur hot forming presses.
lytics incorporate machine learning algorithms to The hot forming process is “really the backbone of
make sense of the data and ultimately develop bet- our business,” said John Delk, Metform director of
ter maintenance practices, reductions in unplanned continuous improvement. “We basically take steel
downtime and improvements in productivity (see bar, heat it up above the transformation stage to
Figure 1). 2,250°F.”
From the perspective of suppliers on tight bud- A blank is cut off, then moved to the next station
gets, those goals may sound laudable but risky and where it is pressed via a punch and die set into a basic
expensive. The good news is that rather than con- form. The workpiece has some contour added at a
cern oneself with modernizing an entire enterprise, second station and finally, at a third station, there’s
a manufacturer can begin to gain the benefits of a knockout of a hole in the center of the piece.
analytics and connectivity relatively quickly and “The process happens at a rapid stroke rate per
easily. The solution is to start small, perhaps by minute — the machine is moving fast, and the parts
networking a single piece of equipment to gather are very hot,” Delk said.
data that enables predictive maintenance, and after The largest of the hot forming presses is a Hate-
Figure 1: The seeing benefits accrue, scaling up to other machines. bur AMP50XL (see Figure 2). “We only have one of
business case those,” said Metform general manager Steve Wright.
for predictive Hot forming at Metform The AMP50XL was installed in 2012 and, in
analytics. That was the approach taken by Metform, a Savan- the ensuing nine years, “We've had three major
Courtesy: nah, IL-based manufacturer that supplies parts unplanned maintenance events on this machine.
IoTco and solutions to the automotive and heavy truck Given that it’s the only press of that capacity we
have, and that we’re using it to supply parts to the
automotive industry, we just cannot have that. You
can imagine the anxiety those downtimes created
for our customers,” Wright said.
While the company did have what it thought was
a reliable, robust preventive maintenance system
in place, the planned maintenance events made it
clear that a better system was needed. “We partnered
with IoTco to use Predictronics (PDX),” said Wright.
IoTco LLC, Cincinnati, is a consultancy that works
with companies to help create a competitive advan-
tage through digital transformation, using Industrial
Internet of Things (IIoT) and predictive analytics
tools to connect and analyze complex manufacturing

SOLUTIONS
Figure 2:
AMP50 hot
forming press
at Metform.
Courtesy:
Metform
processes, systems and machines. Doing so identifies where we saw the biggest opportunity for improve-
opportunities to reduce costs, increase efficiencies, ment.” While they’d previously been gathering data
eliminate waste and enhance productivity. Predic- from the machine for predictive-maintenance use,
tronics is a predictive analytics and artificial intel- the old process was neither efficient nor of ade-
ligence (AI)/machine-learning software solution. quate detail, they realized. “From a data collection
standpoint, there was a lot of spreadsheets, a lot of
Starting small, with a big press handwritten notes, a lot of tribal knowledge,” Delk
A single hot form press, however, as physically said. “We wanted to make sure we could gather that
large and important to the company as it may be, information and put it into context as we were ana-
is still just one piece of equipment. The decision to lyzing the equipment.”
delve into predictive analytics with just that press Recognizing that there was a gap in the data, Delk
is emblematic of Metform’s strategy to achieve a continued, “We had some good information off the
quickly measurable return on investment (ROI) — machine in terms of how it was performing — data
and also of IoTco’s standard advice to start small. that was captured within the PLC [programmable
“We wanted to define the business need for this logic controller] — but we needed to make sure we
project. We had an ROI of less than two years,” said were providing that data to the right team members
Delk. “While starting small, we focused on our most at the right time, so that the operators, the main-
critical asset — and only that asset.” tenance team and our leadership were all getting
To calculate ROI, the company considered not good information on what our next steps might
just the cost of repairing the press if it went down need to be. We recognized that there was a gap in
but also the cost of the lost production time, since instrumentation.”
it is a single point asset, according to Delk. “Tool A team that included Metform and MacLean
life is another area we're going to explore with this Fogg engineers as well as those from Predictronics
deployment. The combination of those three things and Forging Equipment Solutions — a partner of
and being able to improve our OEE [overall equip- Hatebur, the manufacturer of the AMP50XL press
ment effectiveness] were the key factors that played — concluded that sensors would be needed at four
into the ROI calculation.” collection points around the drivetrain.
Metform chose to focus specifically on the “One important aspect to this project was identi-
AMP50XL’s drive train because “that was the area fying the vibration sensors and where to put them,”

Figure 3: Predictive analytics
systematic approach. Courtesy:
Predictronics
said MacLean Fogg manufacturing

engineer Roman Totten.
“We discussed whether we wanted
single axial or triaxial sensors and
where to position them. Ultimately,
remembering some of the past press
failures, and where in the drive train
they may have occurred, we decided
that it was best to go with triaxial
sensors to get all three ranges of
motion for the shafts that we were
monitoring,” Totten said. “Also, the
locations are widely spread, and
touch nearly all the main shafts
within the main drive train on that
machine.”
“Those results can then be displayed on a dash-
From sensor to software board as well as presented to the end user,” Totten
The data from the four newly installed triaxial explained. “The idea is to track those over time
sensors, as well as data previously available via the and use machine learning to compare those to
PLC, is fed into a system running on Predictron- reference conditions, usually initially a baseline
ics software, which was developed for Industry 4.0 condition. And then as you have assessment of
and smart-factory types of applications, including the machine or process over time, you can then
predictive maintenance. take additional steps for diagnosis and prediction
The software has modules for data collection and as needed.”
connectivity because collecting good quality data is
the foundation for making better decisions about A picture of health
your machine health and equipment. It also includes With the system now in place on the AMP50XL,
modules for analyzing all this data. “every 20 minutes during a production run, we are
The system leverages a combination of prepro- gathering 10 seconds worth of data at 10,000 Hz.
cessing techniques, extracting metrics or features A lot of data being collected,” said Delk. “Our PDX
from the data, as well as machine learning, Totten solution is doing some analytics in the background
said. and providing us with a health index.”
“In terms of the architecture for how the solution Early in the process, the team used about three
was configured, we start with the machine layer, and weeks’ worth of data to establish a baseline of health,
we look at what data we can collect, which includes Delk said: “Now, the system’s dashboard can show
sensors that may be already there for the control of if and how we are deviating from that baseline.”
the machine. This could include tonnage or maybe Delk cautioned that these are still early days on
the stroke rate of the machine and so on,” said Tot- the project but that they are already finding the
ten. now-visible data to be useful. “We're very early
To this is added data from the four sensors in our journey but the process is really generat-
installed to monitor the condition of the machine. ing conversations between our maintenance team,
“We use our data collection software to aggregate our operations team and [manufacturing engineer]
all this data, then send it to the IT server, where Roman [Totten] and myself,” he said.
more in-depth analytics could be run,” said Totten. “As we see change in the data, we're asking, ‘what
Signal processing involves filtering, finding pat- are we seeing here?’ It’s also important to understand
terns in the data. Then, feature extraction finds the what we’re seeing in the data as evidenced on the
pertinent “symptoms,” of those metrics related to plant floor. As a result, we have a good snapshot of
the health of the machine (see Figure 3). machine health over time,” Delk said.

SOLUTIONS
artificial intelligence, there are

six ‘pillars’ of data we consider
when we set up a data collection
system,” Seigel said. “They are
data collection, signal process-
ing, feature extraction, fault
diagnosis, trending/prediction
and health assessment.
“Information from controllers
using protocols like MT Con-
nect, as well as from additional
instrumentation such as the four
triaxial sensors added to the Met-
form machine can be combined
together with an appropriate
triggering and sampling rate to
enable useful data of those six
categories to be made visible,”
Seigel said. “When you have good
quality data, you can make bet-
ter decisions about your machine
processes.”
“And there are also oppor-
tunities for enterprises to tie
these predictive systems into
their maintenance systems or
Figure 4: The business case for the project assumed achiev- engineering asset management systems that they
Machine health, ing ROI in two years and on one asset — the AMP50. might be running — SAP, Infor, Oracle, whatever
prediction and “We’re remaining true to our roadmap,” Delk said. that might be,” said Abuali.
diagnostics. “There’s always an urge to engage in mission creep, Eventually, Metform will order spare parts in a
Courtesy: to expand further, faster, before we’re ready, or to get more predictable fashion. It will optimize preventive
Predictronics more out of what’s already accomplished. We need maintenance schedules in a more elaborate way. It
to take the time on the front end and understand will eliminate overhead maintenance and shift the
the data before we make assumptions regarding the operation from a reactive mode to a predictive and
machine’s health.” (See Figure 4). preventive, and even prescriptive mode of doing
At the same time, the team is excited to — eventu- maintenance.
ally — scale up the process within the facility. This not only improves OEE but also impacts
“I’d say as a general manager, I like what I see so mean time between failure, mean time to repair
far,” said Wright. “We're able to monitor the machine and labor and scheduling of maintenance resources.
health, see in real time how the machine is doing Predictive quality — actually correlating machine
and see a signal of a problem before it becomes a and process data with quality of the products and
major problem. We have a long way to go in terms the lots being produced is also a future possibility.
of learning how to better use the system and gain It will be possible to be prescriptive in detecting
further confidence in the system, but at this point, and predicting scrap that might be produced on
I’m really pleased with the progress we made. I’m the machine due to process parameter deviation or
anxious to expand this to the other nine Hatebur maintenance issues on the machine.
presses.” The ability to measure, record and use such data
enables benefits to accrue across the production
Beyond predictive maintenance floor and beyond. It’s good to smart small, but the
Metform is focusing on predictive maintenance and important thing is to start. PE
on a single machine — for now. However, there is a
lot more that can be done with such a system. Dr. Mo Abuali is the CEO and managing partner
“If you look at the approach to building these at IoTco, a CFE Media content partner. He is an
predictive systems, using machine learning and Engineering Leader Under 40 winner.

SOLUTIONS
PROCESS TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
By Guruprasad Sosale
A new era of thermowell-free

temperature measurement
In oil, gas and chemical processing applications, accurate and reliable temperature
measurement is crucial, and is traditionally achieved using thermowells, which have
been known to be problematic
T
hermowells have been widely used for wall, the other measuring the ambient temperature
many years for measuring the tempera- — and uses the resulting data to calculate and output
ture of flowing liquids. Essentially a sen- the process temperature in real time. By taking the
sor within a protective casing, thermowells ambient conditions during the measurement into
are designed to guard the sensor from damage caused account, the transmitter significantly increases the
by excessive pressure, corrosive materials and high accuracy and the responsiveness of the pipe surface
velocity materials. While thermowell reliability has measurement. Coupled with models that predict the
come a long way, there is a risk that wear could cause range of application of the sensor, i.e., liquid-like
a sensor to fail or break. If a thermowell fails and is not processes flowing in the turbulent regime in metal
detected, the medium temperature could go unmoni- pipes, the performance matches that of a traditional
tored, which can have catastrophic results, and even if invasive measurement.
detected the process must be shut down to maintain
or replace the device. Suitable applications
Thermowells require drilling into the pipe to estab- The inherent benefits of the noninvasive temperature
lish contact between the sensor and the medium. This transmitter allow it to be used throughout the oil and
is problematic, as it can affect the integrity of the pipe, gas chain with potential applications in upstream,
and the reluctance to drill too many holes in pipes midstream and downstream processes. Oil wellheads
places limitations on how many sensors can be used, are an example of an upstream application ideal for
which can lead to potential blind spots in process noninvasive temperature measurement. Wellhead
data. Installations can be costly, must be planned applications are three-phase mixtures of sand, gas,
far in advance and may require suspension of the oil and water flowing at high speeds, and are thus
process, leading to expensive downtime, as well as extremely aggressive. Since noninvasive measure-
a high cost per measurement. This historically has ment does not require contact with the medium,
limited the use of temperature as a parameter to gain the risk of device failure is reduced.
better process insight across in upstream, midstream The issues presented by the varying pipe sizes
and downstream oil and gas processes. used in a typical oil and gas installation can be
However, a new solution has emerged that allows addressed by ABB’s noninvasive measurement
operators to understand the thermal nature of the solution, which attaches to the pipe using straps,
material inside the pipe without the need to drill enabling one device to cater for every requirement.
into it and requiring no physical contact between the By overcoming the challenges associated with
sensor and the medium. ABB’s TSP-341 noninvasive installing invasive temperature or pressure devices,
temperature solution treats the pipe itself as the sen- noninvasive temperature measurement presents
sor, taking readings from the surface and then using an easy and low-cost solution for connecting new
software to predict the true medium temperature based or existing wellheads to the digitalized plant in a
on variables such as ambient conditions, insulation and cost-effective way. Noninvasive means that tem-
process and medium variables like volume, pressure perature measurement can be used to complement
and viscosity (see Figure 1). pressure sensing, helping to discern conditions such
The software interprets the readings from dual sen- as slugging or low flow where dynamic pressure
sors — one measuring the temperature of the pipe swings are not visible.

SOLUTIONS
PROCESS TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
suited to conventional thermowells and

can present a challenge for accurate and
responsive temperature measurement.
ABB’s sensor can also be used not only
on heat traced piping, but also for moni-
toring the heat tracing process itself when
mounted directly on the process piping
to ensure the heat transfer is occurring as
it should. Unlike a thermowell, which is
only in contact with a specific area of the
medium, noninvasive sensors can detect
the variances in temperature across the
pipe, known as thermal stratification,
and give a truer reading of process per-
formance. Since noninvasive solutions
are cheaper to purchase and quicker and
simpler to fit, multiple devices can be
installed to enhance accuracy across the
process and provide validation of exist-
ing thermowells and other noninvasive
devices across the application. For large
piping, for instance in refineries, nonin-
vasive sensing can complement invasive
measurements in measuring flow profiles
during low flow periods, such as startup
and shutdown, giving a truer picture of
the temperature profile.
Other applications can include using
Figure 1: ABB’s TSP-341 noninvasive temperature solution treats the sensor to help prevent overheating of flowing
the pipe itself as the sensor, taking readings from the surface product, for instance highly viscous fluids such
and then using software to predict the true medium temperature as heavy oils and lubricants, by monitoring the
based on variables such as ambient conditions, insulation outlet of pumps for abnormal temperature levels,
and process and medium variables like volume, pressure and generally exceeding the performance of in-built
viscosity. Courtesy: ABB Measurement & Analytics pump sensors, while removing the risk of expos-
ing the sensor to viscous and abrasive materials
within the pipeline.
Noninvasive measurement can also be used in
temperature monitoring for leak detection on mid- Predicting performance
stream oil and gas pipelines, supplying the data While innovation can prove beneficial in providing
needed to factor temperature compensation into new ways of tackling known problems, the per-
leak detection algorithms. Mounting the sensor ceived uncertainties of using new technologies
outside the pipe removes pigging challenges as well can also deter engineers from embracing their
as the risk of high-pressure gas leading to sensor possibilities. For this reason, ABB has developed
failures. A unique advantage of the noninvasive an online tool that allows engineers to determine
approach is its ability to enable a remote instal- the suitability of using a noninvasive temperature
lation without compromising on performance, as device for an application by allowing them to input
the temperature display and transmitter can be process and pipe characteristics to predict its per-
located above ground, while measurement insets formance. Part of ABB’s My Measurement Assistant,
are mounted underground, where they are pro- the web-based tool factors in the influence of flow
tected from ambient conditions. rate, wall thickness, insulation, wind and thermal
Monitoring of temperature on heat tracing lines conductivity to demonstrate the sensor’s accuracy
in downstream applications is another application in different circumstances without the time and
for noninvasive temperature measurement. The costs involved in physically testing a device in a
small pipelines used for steam tracing are not real-life environment.

Validation in situ measurements, it doesn’t follow that the way it is
Noninvasive measurement is also a cost-effective measured must stay the same. The conventional
way of checking whether existing thermowells in- justification for maintaining the status quo — based
situ are accurate. Quick installation and low engi- on the argument of “we’ve always done things this
neering costs, coupled with eliminating the need for way” — is increasingly being challenged by the
drilling into pipes, means that noninvasive tempera- new possibilities that digitalization is bringing to
ture sensors can be used to validate measurements all areas of industrial measurement.
of thermowells and other noninvasive sensors. If Advances in temperature measurement tech-
the noninvasive sensor handling the measurement nology, particularly when it comes to digitaliza-
is delivering substantially different readings to the tion, are presenting new opportunities that can
other devices, then this may indicate a problem that benefit most companies operating processes with
requires investigation. Previously, the only way of turbulent flows.
achieving this would be to install additional ther- While thermowells still clearly have their place
mowells, which has considerable cost implications and can present the better solution in certain appli-
while potentially affecting the safety and integrity cations where extremely high accuracy levels and
of the process. The more operators can measure, the response times are required, noninvasive solutions
better they can understand and optimize processes. are ushering in a new era of precise, flexible and
Noninvasive solutions provide a means of doing so low-cost temperature measurement. PE
in a cost-effective way without having to shut down
or re-engineer the process. Guruprasad Sosale is global product manager of
noninvasive and wireless technologies at ABB Mea-
Time to do things differently surement & Analytics.
While temperature may be one of the oldest process
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2020-CFEedu-General_HalfHorizontal.indd 1 5/5/2020 9:10:41 AM

SOLUTIONS
CASE STUDY
By Tommy Harrison and Alexandra Peters
PVDF piping used for nuclear

facility acid handling project
Facility engineers designing a process for maximum safety and efficiency
W
hen a prominent nuclear fuel processer and each of them on their own present difficult han-
was in the design phase with a system dling issues. In cases where they are combined, there
processing combinations of hydroflu- are additional concerns related to potential tempera-
oric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid and ture excursions and by-products.
deionized (DI) water, it chose Kynar PVDF piping Simtech process systems has a complete line of
systems to secure the expected lifetime of its fluid plastic piping with various joining methods. Selec-
handling process. Compared to commodity plastics tion of the proper joining method can save time and
and metals, the fluoropolymer, Kynar PVDF excels in add safety to the construction of the fluid handling
withstanding highly acidic chemistries. system. Simtech also provides systems fabricated offsite
Industry experience indicates that sulfuric acid and by their engineering team or onsite training for the
hydrofluoric acid can be aggressive to high performance maintenance professionals operating within a facility.
metals and typical polymers. There are countless stories Along with the piping and fittings, Simtech offers
of corrosive attack and stress cracking failures with those a variety of valves and instrumentation made with
materials. Kynar PVDF, on the other hand, has many
documented successful case histories handling these Figure 1: Close up of welded valves and
chemicals individually and as mixtures. piping. Courtesy: Simtech Process Systems.
Major concerns in the aforementioned nuclear design
were chemical attack, system pressure, wide temperature
range and process safety. After evaluating a complete
Kynar PVDF piping system including pipe, fittings and
valves versus a similar system made from Hastelloy, the
end user decided that the Kynar PVDF option would
be the most cost effective for long life performance.
Chemical handling
There are a host of chemicals involved in the process
Table 1: Pipe specification for acid systems
1½ inch and Armor Tech dual

Recycle acid Butt fusion
above laminate
Recycle acid 1 inch and below Kynar PVDF SDR 21 Socket fusion
1½ inch and Armor Tech dual
Sulfuric acid Butt fusion
above laminate
Sulfuric acid 1 inch and below Kynar PVDF SDR 21 Socket fusion
Sulfuric acid Kynar PVDF
All Butt fusion
unloading ContainTech
1½ inch and ArmorTech dual
Hydrofluoric acid Butt fusion
above laminate
Hydrofluoric acid 1 inch and below Kynar PVDF SDR 21 Butt fusion
Hydrofluoric acid Kynar PVDF
All Socket fusion
unloading ContainTech

Table 2: Recycle acid composition
Mass concentration
Chemical name
Min % Max %
DI water 9 19
Nitric acid (67% conc.) 34 37
Hydrofluoric acid (49% conc.) 2 5
Sulfuric acid (93% conc.) 45 49
Kynar PVDF to assure fluid contact surfaces can be

the same material. The types of valves used in this
process were horizontal check, pressure relief and
manual and actuated ball. (See Figure 1 for photos
of components.)
The fluid handling systems involve outdoor transfer chemicals are used in the process, they are combined Figure 2:
of chemicals to an indoor facility. Extra care was pre- in a chemical waste line. The chemical waste line is Double
ferred for this transfer so the user requested double made up of DI water, 67% nitric acid, 49% hydro- containment
containment for moving the acids from the outdoor fluoric acid and 93% sulfuric acid. This process is using clear
unloading area to the indoor process area. Kynar expected to run at 50°C and 32 psi, however, it is outer plastic
PVDF piping was easily welded by socket fusion or designed for upset condition of 82°C and 40 psi. containment.
butt fusion in the double containment system (see Again, the use of Kynar PVDF in this combination Courtesy:
Figures 2 and 3). of chemicals and temperature gives a nice range of Simtech
The double containment systems handle 93% sulfu- safety in the design. See Table 2 for actual conditions Process
ric acid and 49% hydrofluoric acid. The diameter of the of the recycle stream. Systems.
inner pipe was 1 inch and 1½ inch and the outer pipe
needs to be sized to easily fit the transfer pipe inside. Final thoughts
In the process system, the same sulfuric acid and By choosing Kynar PVDF to handle a combination of
hydrofluoric acid are processed through 1½ inch and 93% sulfuric acid, 49% hydrofluoric acid, 67% nitric Figure 3:
above diameter dual laminate piping. The Armor Tech acid and DI water, the nuclear facility was considering Double
dual laminate piping combines an inner layer of Kynar long term operating costs with minimum expected containment
fluoropolymer with an outside support layer of FRP. maintenance over a long period of time. A combina- assembly
The outside support layer gives strength and protection tion of solid Kynar PVDF socket fused pipe and butt of Kynar
to the more corrosion resistant thermoplastic liner. fused dual laminate pipe were installed depending PVDF piping.
In pipe sizes 1 inch and below, for the same process on the size of the pipe and the chemistry involved. In Courtesy:
system, Simtech provided solid Kynar PVDF piping addition, by using double containment technology, Simtech
that was joined by socket fusion for both acids. All the facility engineers were designing for the ultimate Process
systems on this project were successfully hydrotested in safety. PE Systems.
before commissioning. See Table 1 for the piping
specifications.
System design
For the solid piping system, butt fusion was chosen as the
joining method because the thick lap joint provides a level
of safety when containing very strong chemicals. In the
dual laminate system, butt fusion was chosen because the
overwrap of FRP provides the additional safety should a
weld be somehow compromised (See Figure 4).
In the process, the temperatures range from -18°C
to 50°C and the pressures inside the pipe range from
20 psi to 50 psi. In this type of service, Kynar PVDF
provides performance that other polymers could not
achieve.
Recycle stream
To add to all of the design considerations, after the

SOLUTIONS
CASE STUDY
“Kynar PVDF Helps Maintain Product Purity, Mini-

mize Maintenance at Ashland Chemical,” Spotlight
Kynar Volume 17 Number 2, A History of Performance,
ELF Atochem, p.5.
Beach, Steve; “In-Situ Relining Saves Shutdown at

Dow Corning,” Plant Services, Putman Publishing,
October 2005.
Tommy Harrison started with Simtech in distribution/

fabrication 8 years ago and now is a part of Simtech’s
technical sales department and is responsible for the
Mid-Atlantic Region. His expertise in thermoplastics
allows him to work with engineers and end users on
designing systems.
Figure 4: References
Simtech dual Kim, John; “Selection of Materials Used in Power Alexandra Peters received her B.S. in chemical engineer-
laminate Plant Chemistry Equipment and Operation,” Ultrapure ing from Villanova University in 2020. She works for
piping. Water, December 2004, pp 20-26 Arkema Inc. as marketing and end-use applications engi-
Courtesy: neer for the Fluoropolymer Division. She was recently
Simtech “Materials of Construction Guidelines for Hydroflu- recognized by the International Association of Plastics
Process oric Acid Solution (Aqueous),” 2014 Hydrogen Fluoride Distribution for completing its Performance Plastics
Systems. Industry Practices Institute, Washington D.C, p. 7, p. 12. Level I Certificate Program.
SOLUTIONS
INTRINSIC SAFETY
By Jesse Hill
Top three advantages of

integrated explosion protection
With recent technology advances, intrinsic safety now offers the safest, most cost-
effective and easiest way to deploy solutions that safeguard process operations
I
n every industry, exploding equipment is a bad two electrical faults and remain safe. It is also immune
thing. In process industry settings, however, the to some of the issues arising from mechanical explosion-
risk of explosions is very real. And the stakes — proof installations such as improperly sealed conduits
from impacts on revenue and the environment and damaged or improperly secured enclosures. Intrinsic
to loss of life — are far too great to ignore. safety also is inherently safer for personnel as its energy
Engineers designing electrical equipment and pro- limiting principle typically allows only up to 30 V or
cesses for use in hazardous areas are offered many differ- 100 mA into the hazardous area.
ent methods of explosion protection. These range from
exclusion methods, such as oil immersion or purge and 2. Intrinsic safety is the least expensive
pressurization, to containment in the use of explosion- In many cases, nonhazardous-rated equipment can be
proof or flame-proof enclosures, as well as energy limit- used in an intrinsically safe circuit if it meets certain
ing technologies such as non-incendive, increased safety criteria. These devices are considered “simple appara-
or intrinsic safety. These principles and techniques have tuses,” which means they are not capable of generating
some inherent advantages and disadvantages. There more than 1.5 V, 100 mA or 1.5 W, or they dissipate no
also are some ideal applications, such as protecting an more than 2.5 W. These devices include thermocouples,
entire control room using pressurization. switches, RTDs and LEDs and are typically less expen-
In the correct situa- sive and more readily available than hazardous area
Figure 1: Intrinsic safety technology, such tion, however, intrin- approved devices.
as the ELX EtherCAT Terminal series from sic safety stands out Another area in which intrinsic safety is less costly
Beckhoff, offers benefits in safety, cost as the safest, least than other forms of explosion protection is the ongoing
and ease of implementation. Courtesy: expensive and easiest maintenance of the process or machine. Since they use
Beckhoff Automation to deploy. Here are energy limitation as an explosion protection concept,
three reasons why. the devices in the hazardous area can be worked on
without removing power. Additionally, maintenance
1. Intrinsic time and effort can be significantly reduced because
safety is the no gas clearance is required, and additional time is no
safest longer needed to access electronics inside explosion-
Intrinsic safety is proof enclosures.
the only method of
explosion protection 3. Intrinsic safety is the easiest
approved for Zone 0. One of the biggest deployment advantages to intrinsic
This is the most haz- safety is the ability to use mostly safe area wiring prac-
ardous area recog- tices. Of course, there are some wiring rules to follow,
nized by ATEX, IECEx i.e., intrinsically safe and non-intrinsically safe wiring
and NFPA 70-2020: must be separated by 50 mm, and intrinsically safe
National Electrical wiring must be identified by a label or light blue cable
Code (NEC), Article jacket. However, all other aspects of wiring — when
505 and is considered to use cable tray, types of glands, etc. — are similar to
hazardous “continu- safe area wiring practices. This is in comparison to the
ously.” This is because many rules regarding explosion-proof wiring installa-
intrinsic safety is tions such as how and where conduit must be sealed
required to withstand as well as the type of cables and fittings required by the

SOLUTIONS
INTRINSIC SAFETY
Figure 2: The ELX series offers a range of intrinsically

safe “blue terminals” for hazardous environments,
enabling communication from Zone 0 up to the cloud.
Courtesy: Beckhoff Automation
electrical codes. Intrinsic safety is also much easier to deploy

than purge or pressurization systems as there is no need for an
inert gas supply to pressurize the enclosure nor the tubing and
fittings associated with this gas supply.
Exciting technological advances in intrinsic safety technology
are making these deployments even simpler. An example is the
integrated intrinsic safety in new EtherCAT input/output (I/O)
terminals (see Figure 1). These components combine explosion
protection with a standard, DIN-rail-mounted I/O terminal (see
Figure 2). Other vendors offer some sort of integrated approach
to explosion protection, but many result in different form factors
THAT’S THE TRUE MEANING OF than their non-ex counterparts and they cannot be integrated
directly into the same I/O node with non-ex terminals.
RELIABILITY The integrated approach provides many other benefits. For
starters, it eliminates the need for a third-party intrinsic safety
barrier. This not only greatly reduces the size of the enclosure
that houses the control system, but it also cuts the number of
time-consuming wiring terminations in half. This also elimi-
nates the need to add another vendor to the bill of materials.
Another noteworthy benefit of these integrated technologies is
that engineers can take advantages of the benefits of EtherCAT
technology, including:
• Real-time communication speeds at 100 Mbit/s and the
EtherCAT G/G10 Gigabit expansions that will soon offer
even greater bandwidth for demanding applications.
EXPLORE THE BROAD RANGE OF • Free selection of topology without impact on performance,
NEW SULLAIR COMPRESSORS AT SULLAIR.COM • Practically no network size limitations, with up to 65,535
nodes on a single EtherCAT network.
• High synchronization due to the principle of distributed
clocks.
In terms of safety, cost and ease of deployment, the benefits

of intrinsic safety are clear. Engineers should evaluate whether
this method fits their application and implement it as appropri-
ate. It’s also important to work with technology partners that
take the risks just as seriously as you do and provide solutions
to help keep your team, company and equipment safe. PE
Jesse Hill is the process industry manager at Beckhoff Automation.

22 • October 2021 PLANT ENGINEERING
© 2020 Sullair, LLC. All rights reserved.
Advertisement
Motion reimagined its entire supply chain, including procurement, inventory management,
and Fulfillment Center logistics—to better serve its customers. Image courtesy: Motion
Supply Chain – Reimagined

Joe Limbaugh, Motion
S
upply chain [noun]: the sequence of processes customers want to be served. True, advancements
involved in the production and distribution of have been made through computerizing the existing
a commodity, part or product. model, but the model itself remains intact. That is,
The term supply chain is relatively new. In until now.
fact, although I have worked in the industry for almost In early 2019, our President, Randy Breaux, issued
40 years, we didn’t really talk about supply chain until a challenge (substitute: “directive”). “All customer
the past decade or so. Never mind that the principles orders entered by 3:00 p.m. for normally stocked
and concepts can be traced back to the early 1900s, or a items will be delivered the following morning of the
hundred years ago. next business day. Same-day delivery will always be
Motion entered the industrial distribution space available.”
in 1946, when our founders, Caldwell Marks and The thought process was sound. Our customers’
William Spencer, purchased a single industrial supply expectations have changed, and we needed to
store located in Birmingham, Alabama. (The original change with them. While we still operate in a B2B
company, Owen-Richards, was inaugurated in the early environment, our customers want to be served in a
1920s.) Through organic growth and acquisitions, B2BC manner. They expect the same transactional
Motion has evolved to an international organization experience at work as they receive at home. That means
serving North America and the Asia Pacific. With sales access to even more products and for Motion to be
of over $5.5 billion (2020) and a team of over 7,000 closer to the point of demand for even faster deliveries.
people, Motion has come a long way. They want a personalized journey and the ability to
Why the history lesson? Because for decades, self-serve, but still have access to world-class technical
industrial distribution companies have operated the support via customer service representatives, technical
same hub-and-spoke model with no regard for how sales representatives and product support experts.
Supply Chain – Reimagined
So, we got to work. We began conducting a careful Motion’s goods-to-person system brings its distribution
and honest self-evaluation. We confirmed that we were efficiency to a whole new level. Image courtesy: Motion
doing many things right, but we also recognized there
was work to do. Our current product offering, footprint
and delivery methods were not always meeting our To support our theory, we implemented a pilot
customers’ expectations, and we needed to change. Fulfillment Center and, in one of our existing
We took a hard look at our 75-year-old model Distribution Centers, tested our first goods-to-person
and began reimagining the future. When the dust system. Both investments have proven to bring
settled, we had reinvented how a premier industrial efficiency to a whole new level, reinforcing our plans
distribution and service company should look and to replicate them in additional markets. On the digital
operate, and among other things, announced our plans side, we realized efficiency gains when we rebuilt our
to develop Fulfillment Centers throughout the markets website for an even better online experience. (Check it
we serve. These Fulfillment Centers will satisfy the out at Motion.com!)
need for additional product at the point of demand, From the start, Motion’s biggest strength has always
and provide custom-tailored, final-mile packaging been its people, who, moving forward, will be even
and delivery. Specifically, they will be stocked with an more important than ever. Motion’s new model will
optimal level of inventory, fortified with state-of-the- allow our teams to work with customers to provide
art technology (like goods-to-person product storage an even deeper focus on technical expertise for the
and retrieval). In addition, final mile will be managed products and services that we provide.
by a custom fleet of delivery vehicles complete with To get where we needed to go, many historic
logistics software. building blocks had to be replaced, modified, or
Motion’s new van fleet is integral to the
company’s final-mile packaging and delivery
process, bringing product to customers faster
than ever before. Image courtesy: Motion
just eliminated. Because to support this

initiative, our entire supply chain had to
be reimagined, including procurement,
inventory management, and Fulfillment
Center logistics. It was hard, sometimes
unpleasant work. But fundamentally
imperative.
Is reimagining easy? Yes and no. It’s
one thing to sit and theorize about what
the future should look like. But it’s quite
another to be brave enough to implement
the changes once identified. A model
that is 75 years old is brittle, steeped
in tradition and exhausting to modify.
Changing people’s minds can be tricky.
(Remember the old saying: “Culture
eats strategy for breakfast”? It’s true!)
Fortunately, at Motion, we have embraced
a culture of “challenge.” Randy says that
nothing is off the table, and he means it.
So, we pressed on, believing that what
Joe Limbaugh is Executive Vice President – Supply
we were doing was right, and that our
Chain / Operations Support / Marketing / Enterprise
customers would benefit from our efforts.
Excellence at Motion in Birmingham, Alabama.
These efforts’ results exceeded
Serving the Company since 1983,
our expectations. Our customers
he is currently responsible for
and employees have seen and
product procurement and inventory,
communicated the benefits, and we
distribution and fulfillment
are exceedingly encouraged as we
centers, branch operations
begin moving further, faster.
support, headquarter campus
The former model served
operations, marketing, productivity
Motion well for 75 years. We could
improvement, and company-wide
never have come this far without
lease management.
it. However, to get where we want
to go, we identified the need to
understand and embrace change.
To find out more, visit
Admittedly, it is hard to see into
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the future, especially during these
In addition, discover Motion’s
unprecedented times. So, while
75-year story here:
nobody knows what the future
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holds, at Motion, we understand
that the best way to predict the future is to create it.
SOLUTIONS
FMECA
By Bryan Christiansen
Four things to keep in mind

when performing FMECA
FMECA is a complex process but can optimize processes
F
ailure Mode Effect and Criticality Analysis knowledge and tailor objectives accordingly that fulfill
(FMECA) is a reliability design engineer- their industry’s need.
ing technique that looks into the potential
failure modes of any system and analyzes 2. Analyzing quality of data
the severity of their impact on system performance. The availability and accuracy of data play a crucial role in
FMECA is an extension of Failure Mode Effect Analy- the successful outcome of FMECA exercises. The biases
sis (FMEA) by adding a criticality analysis to it. The in the interpretation of data have always been a challenge
criticality analysis involves classifying and ranking to reliability engineers. Oftentimes, the lack of data on
failure modes based on their probability of occur- equipment health and performance leads to speculations
rence and the severity of impact on overall system and opens doors to a decision based on the human expe-
performance requirements. rience as opposed to some quantitative decision model.
FMECA, just like FMEA, is a bottom-up approach The best action plan is to streamline all the data points
that is carried out at the design phase and is intended that are needed for the FMECA exercise. The typical
to not just develop the corrective actions but also to data points could include operations and maintainability
rank them for prioritization. Prioritization of corrective data, maintenance history picked up from CMMS or
actions is imperative where a large number of assets maintenance logs, quality defect reports from similar
generally require intervention and the available capital equipment, parts manual and warranty details provided
cannot fulfill needs for all assets. by original equipment manufacturers (OEM).
With that being said, FMECA has gained importance
over time within various industries, especially within 3. Defining methods of criticality analysis
capital-intensive businesses. They are typically subjected As we discussed, the criticality analysis involves rank-
to stricter requirements to optimize the process, opera- ing the failures modes based on the severity of impacts
tions and maintenance with always insufficient resources on system performance. The criticality analysis can be
to execute all of the required corrective actions. carried out in either a qualitative or quantitative man-
This article outlines a few items that should be con- ner. The availability and accuracy of equipment data
sidered while performing any FMECA. play a significant role in the selection of the method
of criticality analysis. The general rule of thumb is to
1. Defining objectives of criticality in go by quantitative criticality analysis when detailed
FMECA component-level failure data is available. However, if
The main objective of criticality analysis is to contain the the asset data is difficult to quantify in numbers, then
risk that any failure poses to the system performance. the qualitative analysis may also give reasonable results.
Before performing FEMCA, it is important to define As the name implies, the quantitative analysis looks at the
the risk that is required to be mitigated. equipment data that can be quantified such as equipment
The definition of risk may vary from industry to failure rates, conditional probability data and operating
industry. An event that is considered normal in one hours. If it is decided to perform quantitative analysis, it
industry can be considered risky to another. is always useful to look at the compilation of infield equip-
For example, specialized explosion-proof enclosures ment test data as it can help construct necessary failure
are mandatory for pump assemblies that carry flam- rates. For some applications, there may be outside sources
mable gasoline in an oil refinery. On the other hand, a or published literature that can be leveraged to obtain gen-
similar-sized municipal pump carrying drinkable water eral failure distribution data for specific assets.
may have a standard enclosure without posing any safety On the other hand, qualitative analysis is more
risk from product leakage. Therefore, the team con- driven by subject matter expertise (SME) and is used
ducting FMECA must possess strong industry-specific when detailed component level failure data is not
26 • Month 2020 PLANT ENGINEERING www.plantengineering.com

available. In qualitative analysis, the risk priority CMMS is a platform that provides a range of benefits to
number (RPN) is often calculated through qualita- any organization relevant to sustaining the FMECA pro-
tive numerical analysis of design risk. cess. Some of the benefits include tracking of asset failures,
The components of risks such as probability and automating maintenance tasks, generating work orders,
impacts are graded on a multi-point scale system. creating interactive performance dashboards and monitor-
Each point on a scale is given a definition based on ing costs and resources overruns. It also acts as a database
qualitative discussions among equipment stakehold- of historical data on asset performance that can be used by
ers including subject matter experts (SME), reliability reliability engineers to predict failures and develop proac-
engineers, operations, OEM, etc. tive failure containment and asset maintenance regimes.
4. Integrating FMECA results into CMMS Final thoughts

To ensure the integrity of the FMECA process, it is FMECA is a complex process, but so are all other main-
important to have a closed-loop system that records tenance and reliability techniques that have a signifi-
the outcome of FMECA including priority analysis for cant impact on machine performance and reliability. To
continuous improvement. This is because the critical- get the most value out of the process, FMECA should
ity of equipment depends on variable parameters such be led by trained professionals or consultants that know
as equipment's health, failure rates and operational common pitfalls and how to avoid them. PE
conditions that vary throughout the asset’s lifetime.
To record the variance of asset performance over Bryan Christiansen is the founder and CEO of Limble
their life cycle, the asset criticality data should be CMMS. Limble is a modern, easy to use mobile CMMS
stored and continuously be updated in a Computer- software that takes the stress and chaos out of main-
ized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) or tenance by helping managers organize, automate and
a comparable digital system. streamline their maintenance operations.
Engineering is personal.
So is the way you use information.
CFE Media delivers a world of knowledge to you.
Personally.
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www.plantengineering.com
2021_CFE_General_HalfHorizontal.indd 1 5/6/2021 1:32:43 PM

SOLUTIONS
LEAN PLANNING
By Brandon Darroch and Brian Arend
How to avoid COVID-19-related

schedule delays using Lean
If implemented effectively, Lean planning practices can help meet critical production
start dates and make up for delays caused by the pandemic
A
s a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, to approach the procurement process in a less than
many manufacturing companies placed traditional way. Consider an open book procurement
their design and construction projects on approach where the general contractor is transparent
hold. Many of these projects were critical to with the owner’s procurement team on bids received for
meeting production targets and already had aggressive key trades or project components. This enables owners
construction schedules before the pandemic began to maintain competitive bidding protocols while being
to impact the global economy. As the manufacturing open to potential schedule savings alternatives. Since
industry begins to ramp up again, owners are looking open book procurement is a relatively new concept,
for creative solutions during design and construction consider sharing previous project examples or case
to make up for lost time. studies to educate procurement staff on how they can
Effectively implementing Lean practices during ini- remain involved and retain control over the procure-
tial planning can help identify design, procurement and ment process.
construction strategies for bringing facilities online
in a compressed timeframe. Here are several key con- Rethink corporate standards
siderations and insights. Many institutional and manufacturing owners have
established supplier networks and longstanding
Develop an effective plan purchasing agreements that support operations and
Historically, manufacturing leaders have preferred maintenance. There is a reason that light fixtures and
the traditional design/bid/build model, which takes roof membranes are typically the same across mul-
a linear, step-by-step approach to project delivery and tiple locations. You can streamline maintenance stock,
uses the critical path method of scheduling. While purchase equipment and parts in bulk, reduce cost
this model typically provides the most control and the per unit and simplify overall maintenance programs.
least amount of risk to the owner, the linear nature of However, constraints such as these can pose challenges
this method makes it the longest in terms of schedule when trying to accelerate project schedules. Should
duration. speed to market be a priority business driver, owners
Based on Lean concepts, pull planning focuses on are encouraged to be open to non-standardization
the desired end state and works backwards to identify and consider alternative products and equipment that
activities that can be done in advance or completed still meet their requirements but might be available at
simultaneously with the goal of meeting that end state. reduced lead times.
Pull planning is a collaborative process that requires For example, following the pandemic, standard
participation from all project stakeholders, and as a switchgear for a manufacturing plant may take 26
result, helps build trust and consensus — elements weeks or more to be delivered, while a switchboard that
critical to a successful project. Done correctly, an effec- provides a similar function can be delivered in half the
tive pull plan will drive the development of an efficient time. Additionally, a manufacturing plant may require
and feasible project delivery method. more than 400 light fixtures. Placing an order of this
size may take a supplier weeks to produce and deliver to
Schedule acceleration versus procure- the site. By dividing the order among multiple suppliers
ment protocols or considering alternate light fixtures that still meet
A pull planning session may identify opportunities the specification but are a different model, the fixtures
for significant schedule savings. However, taking full may be delivered and installed before the larger order
advantage of these opportunities may require owners is even shipped. This can apply to HVAC systems and

other building components as well. It is important to
note that, when considering alternate solutions, careful
review is required by the installing contractor, engineer
and owner. Electrical and mechanical systems require
constant maintenance, so the facility lifecycle risks and
rewards must be evaluated by all parties.
In another example, a greenfield automotive assem-
bly plant includes heavy-duty cranes that require
numerous large columns to support. Traditionally,
these columns are steel. However, due to steel short-
ages, steel fabricators could not meet the project’s
aggressive schedule. During a planning session to
address the issue, the design team proposed using leadership sets the tone from the very beginning and Rather than
precast concrete columns rather than steel. Although should facilitate collaboration and create an environ- traditional
a deviation from the client’s standard, the alternative ment of trust and respect of each participant to ensure design/
solution was accepted, and the precast columns were issues do not become exercises in finger pointing or bid/build,
fabricated and installed eight weeks sooner than the devolve into blame game scenarios. By being open to alternative
steel would have been delivered. innovative ideas and encouraging all team members delivery
to participate and contribute to solutions, the owner methods may
Jumpstart the construction process establishes an effective project culture. In addition to be necessary
An effective pull planning session may also identify being open minded, a good owner’s lead (or owner’s to meet start
opportunities to break up projects into smaller scopes representative) should have the ability to actively lis- of production
of work. These “pull ahead” packages can enable an ten, effectively communicate and most importantly, deadlines.
owner to start construction activities before the bulk of be empowered and be comfortable making decisions.
design is complete, enabling a significantly compressed
overall project schedule. Accelerating project execution after
For example, take a greenfield manufacturing plant. COVID-19
By completing the sitework design and awarding an Many manufacturing organizations use the same proj-
early site/civil package, the project can begin con- ect delivery method over and over because “that is how
struction before other building elements are designed. it has always been done.” As a result, it is crucial for pro-
Foundations and steel can be completed separately, fessional services consultants and contractors to make
enabling steel mill orders to be placed before the bulk clear to manufacturers that the traditional design/bid/
of the mechanical/electrical design is complete. Large build approach typically comes with the longest dura-
mechanical and electrical equipment can require up tion, and that an alternative delivery method may be
to six months lead time, so specifying and ordering necessary to meet start-of-production deadlines. In
substations, switchgear, chillers, air handling units many cases, pandemic-related project delays have
(AHUs) and so on early places them in the manu- provided the necessary catalyst for manufacturers to
facturing queue sooner. Finally, the balance of the investigate alternative approaches. If implemented
architectural, mechanical and electrical systems can effectively, these Lean practices can help manufac-
be designed after construction has started, allowing turers meet critical production start dates and make
the owner additional time to refine their own process up for delays caused by the pandemic. PE
equipment design and subsequent utility requirements,
giving more time for the engineering details for the Brandon Darroch, PMP, is southeast division manager
production lines to be refined without impacting the and senior associate at SSOE Group, a global proj-
overall construction schedule. ect delivery firm for architecture, engineering and
By breaking the project up into smaller packages construction management. He has 15 years of expe-
rather than completing the entire project design in rience leading projects for both general contractors
a single comprehensive package, owners can achieve and design firms.
significant schedule savings.
Brian Arend, PE, LEED AP is electrical power depart-
The importance of owner involvement ment manager and senior associate at SSOE Group. He
Every project will face challenges as it moves forward. has 17 years of industry experience and has worked
How the project team addresses those challenges can across many different manufacturing industries as well
make or break a project schedule. The owner’s project as automotive.

SOLUTIONS
ERP AND CRM
By Pat Garrehy
Integrate ERP and CRM

for manufacturing
Smart manufacturing firms bring together technology, business processes and
people; a critical component in this plan is the integration of ERP with CRM
C
ustomer relationship management (CRM) Lee Wylie, who as group vice president of applica-
software has always been driven by the tions research at Gartner in 1990 coined the name
need to manage relationships with cus- ERP, said, “Functional departments within an enter-
tomers to increase revenue and profits. prise had historically implemented their own solu-
CRM does this by giving firms access to critical tions. In the early years, you could find the engineer-
customer and business data to help streamline the ing department on an HP platform, accounting on
sales cycle, identify new markets, build unique cus- IBM, manufacturing on Digital Equipment and sales
tomer histories and support informed business deci- using stand-alone PC-based solutions. Integration
sions throughout the company. Especially critical to was difficult to impossible to say the least.
manufacturers, enterprise resource planning (ERP) “Today, the modern cloud platform, with applica-
software's primary objective is to help businesses tions designed specifically for the cloud, is facilitat-
operate as efficiently as possible. ing the process of true enterprise integration. In
CRM contains customer information while ERP addition to near seamless integration of ERP and
contains sales, inventory, financial and other busi- CRM, the platform provides a manufacturing enter-
ness data critical to manufacturers. Keeping these prise with the ability to integrate engineering PLM
two systems separate, as most companies have been systems as well as move beyond the enterprise with
doing, does not provide the complete view needed customer and supplier communities.”
to meet customer requirements. Companies have
typically purchased and deployed CRM and ERP Separate versus integrated CRM and
systems separately from each other. However, inte- ERP systems
grating the two systems can bring substantial ben- Though the two systems can be used independently
efits through faster time to market, improved cash and can be beneficial for companies, it becomes dif-
flow and increased agility. ficult to maintain two systems’ data simultaneously
When cloud computing came along, companies as the business grows. ERP systems allow firms to get
realized they could replace their old, on-premise, a real-time view of their entire enterprise. But these
spreadsheet-heavy systems with on-demand busi- firms also need a real-time view of their customers.
ness apps for manufacturing. These cloud-based Integrating CRM and ERP systems exponentially
systems store big data on servers, don’t have to be increases the value of each system, giving manu-
maintained onsite and enable increased productiv- facturers the data they need to drive revenue and
ity and business efficiencies. Cloud ERP provides increase efficiency from the shop floor to customer
on-demand, real-time access to big data from any relations. For example:
device, helps reduce costs, especially information
technology (IT)-related costs, and can be scaled up Operational costs. As a business grows, the data
or down to fit changing production requirements. generated by its CRM systems increases exponen-
Industry analysts agree that manufacturing firms tially and needs to be entered into the ERP system
need to create a clear ERP and CRM strategy to for further processing. When CRM and ERP systems
ensure they are using the latest and most compre- are maintained separately, this task requires extra
hensive data available. Manufacturers who have resources and increases operational costs.
integrated their CRM and ERP systems have gained But integration automates data transfer from CRM
critical insight into what they can offer and deliver to ERP so it reduces errors caused by manual entry.
to their customers. This reduces duplication by letting employees update

a single, central database instead of spending a lot of forecasting becomes more accurate. Furthermore,
time trying to manually connect business processes. all employees can access critical business informa-
By removing manual data entry and expensive cus- tion exactly when they need it. Inventory, ship-
tomization from the picture, manufacturing firms ments, customers, order history, returns, payments,
can lower their operational costs and drive higher pricing and more are available in real time from
revenues. any device anywhere, allowing the firm to react
quickly to the changing needs of the market.
Communication and collaboration. CRM is used
by the sales and marketing departments and ERP is Customer focus. When CRM is maintained as a
used by departments such as purchasing and produc- separate system from ERP, sales departments will
tion. Customer data entered into the CRM system have insight into the firm’s customers, but other
must be entered accurately into the ERP system for departments will not. Expensive customization and
further planning and processing. But the manual maintenance must be done to try to let the rest of
entry required by maintaining two separate systems an enterprise view critical customer data and those
can create errors which, in turn, create miscom- efforts do not guarantee that everyone will have the
munication between departments and result in loss same customer focus.
of business. Every department can track and record key cus-
When integrated, CRM and ERP systems store tomer information and make it available to relevant
customer details and this data is accessed and used people throughout an enterprise, providing a com-
by every department. This results in closing the complete view of a customer. The enterprise that wisely
munication gap between departments since they are integrates CRM and ERP systems gains complete
using the same data. For example, a purchasing man- visibility into customers’ needs, buying habits, order
ager can plan purchases based on the requirements history, account standing and so much more. Not
entered by Sales. Or engineering or production can only does this knowledge give firms better insight
see something entered by the salesperson in a note into their customers, it also helps build relationships
on a lead or opportunity that wasn’t communicated with customers and focuses the enterprise on areas
via some form or procedure when the requirements with the potential for future growth.
got to their department.
Keeping everyone up to date
Business processes. Maintaining separate CRM Manufacturing firms want a robust, easy-to-use
and ERP systems introduces errors through man- CRM application to store and organize customer
ual entry. When customer leads are converted into data and improve the company’s customer focus.
accounts, the CRM customer data is updated but, They also want an ERP solution that delivers real-
when the two systems are not integrated, data on the time access to critical business and product data for
ERP side may not be updated at the same time. Not all employees anywhere in the world on any device.
only does this introduce data mismatches between Smart companies with a strategic plan for their busi-
the two systems but it also makes it difficult to track ness know that a system that integrates their CRM
sales and marketing performance. and ERP systems can help deliver the increased
One of the most significant benefits of integrating efficiencies, productivity and agility needed in the
CRM and ERP systems is improved productivity by global marketplace.
streamlining processes, automating workflows and The ability to integrate CRM and ERP should be
reducing errors and duplication of data. Employees an important part of any manufacturing firm’s stra-
and processes become more efficient, more produc- tegic plan. By combining CRM with ERP and other
tive and increase profitability. partner solutions, manufacturers not only receive
the benefits of an integrated CRM plus ERP solu-
Business decisions. Sales forecasting is a critical tion, but they can also extend their ERP system to
function for organizations and it needs perfect data support many other business processes. PE
from both CRM and ERP systems. However, those
same errors created by having to manually enter Pat Garrehy is the founder and CEO of Rootstock
CRM data into a separate ERP system can carry Software and has an extensive background as a soft-
over into the sales forecast and cause potentially ware architect and engineer. With more than 30 years
massive business losses. of management, sales and technical experience, he brings
Because an integrated CRM and ERP solution a unique blend of analytical focus and business savvy
eliminates errors caused by manual entry, sales to the table.

SOLUTIONS
SUPPLY CHAIN
By Michael D. Verdier
Capacity planning in a post-COVID

manufacturing world
Capacity and supply-chain strategies help manufactures remain competitive
C
OVID-19 has had a notable impact on There are multiple elements to consider. Compare
manufacturing in every industry sector. 12-month rolling average sales with the previous three
In a recent survey by the National Asso- months to identify trends. Evaluate sales projections
ciation of Manufacturers, almost 80% of with actual revenues. Task sales or business develop-
manufacturers anticipated financial and operational ment leaders with analyzing industry trends.
consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic. Even Consider the cost index of production and packaging
prior to the pandemic, there was a notable shift from materials and building materials with that of current
global to more local economies due in large part to interest rates. How will this influence customer’s near
international trade tensions, increased foreign wages, and long-term demand for products and services? Will
quality control and other factors; the pandemic only inflation of material costs reduce consumer demand
intensified this trend. resulting in capacity demand reductions and idle assets,
Now, many industries are looking to bring supply or are current near-zero interest rates an opportunity to
chains (critical component/raw material produc- invest in capital improvements, including expansions?
tion) closer to home, resulting in manufacturers Don’t forget to consider the impact of government
building new production facilities or expanding stimulus programs on the industry. For example,
existing facilities as a means of improving supply there are some bills in Congress meant to stimulate
chain resiliency. This changing landscape is push- the airline industry, which may in turn significantly
ing companies to re-evaluate their processes and impact manufacturing suppliers that produce com-
production capacities. ponents to support the assembly and inspection of
Accessible aircraft engines.
onsite Forecast production volumes Maintain focus on the geopolitical and economic
inventory Whether the industry is experiencing growth or antici- environment as well. Are there incentives to bring pro-
alleviates pating a reduction in revenue, it is critically important duction back to the U.S.? Are there quality or supply
interruptions to forecast the production volume demand accurately chain reliability challenges companies are experienc-
in throughput as this influences all aspects of the near and long-term ing with offshore suppliers in developing countries?
levels. growth strategy — from equipment asset utilization, There are a multitude of interdependent factors to
Courtesy: to staffing and capital spending for new facilities and consider — every manufacturer is unique, necessitating
BHDP infrastructure. the need to carefully evaluate each of these factors that
may influence the production demand forecast and
in turn the near- and long-term strategy for growth.
Calculate throughput levels

Understanding the throughput capabilities of produc-
tion equipment factors into assessing your production
volumes and capacity levels. When determining your
equipment needs and planned capital spending, fac-
tor in equipment reliability, including downtime for
change overs and scheduled maintenance because the
equipment cannot always run at 100% capacity.
For example, consider a scenario where the demand
forecast indicates a need to produce 1,000 units per
hour. Even if a production line is rated at 1,000 units
an hour, the actual throughput will need to be adjusted

Custom
shipping
technology
minimizes
for downtime and reliability to gain a more accurate waste and
prediction of actual production capacity. excess
Once the actual throughput capacity per line is storage
established, the next step is to translate that into the of boxes.
quantities and types of equipment needed to deliver Courtesy:
the production demand, whether it is making systems, BHDP
converting lines or packing systems. Remember to take
into consideration that each production line, which
will likely be multiple equipment modules, will typi-
cally have varying throughput capacities.
This will be critical when it comes to developing
equipment general arrangements and beginning to plan the faint of heart. It is an expensive endeavor. Not only
for material delivery, maintenance and utility distribu- is the equipment a significant investment, but increas-
tion to the lines. For example, on a single production ing capacity may also require additional staffing, raw
line, someone may need two case erectors, but only materials and an investment in utility infrastructure.
one palletizer to avoid bottlenecks in the line. Consider conducting a sensitivity analysis, which is
a front-end study that explores different scenarios
Infrastructure support to determine expansion thresholds and associated
Understanding production volume and throughput requirements.
capacity is only one part of the planning puzzle. One For example, sales trends show that manufacturing
area that is easily overlooked is the infrastructure it company “ABC” needs to increase production capac-
takes to support the production operations: power, ity 15% to meet demand, and they commissioned a
compressed air, domestic water, steam, as well as any sensitivity study to analyze the existing production
waste byproduct that must be collected, treated and volume, as well as the spatial and utility impacts of
disposed of properly. adding additional production lines.
To add incremental capacity and additional equip- The sensitivity analysis showed that the company
ment, what is required to support and bring that only had sufficient facility and utility capacity to add
production line to life? Is there sufficient power, two incremental production lines. If they elect to add Mezzanine
compressed air or steam? If not, is there a need to three new production lines, it will be a significantly view of newly
add an incremental transformer and switchgear, com- higher investment because it would require additional expanded
pressors or boilers to support the increased process transformers, more compressors and a building expan- capacity and
utility demand. The addition of incremental utilities sion. A sensitivity analysis presents owners with a best opportunities
and their respective distribution will require proper value options analysis (BVOA) of various capacity for future
space planning for the equipment as well as the dis- expansion scenarios to allow them to make informed increases.
tribution of pipes, cable tray, conduit, ductwork and decisions of how best to phase their long-term growth Courtesy:
so on to avoid creating interference or a barrier to while managing their capital spending. BHDP
future growth.
In addition to utilities and utility distribution, inves-
tigate the upstream and downstream impact that an
increase in production may have to other infrastructure
areas. Increased production may require additional
raw materials. Where will they be stored? Additional
packing materials may also be required. Will additional
or new types of racking systems be required? Will addi-
tional warehouse space be needed? Will more dock
doors be required to receive materials or ship finished
products? It is critical to conduct a comprehensive
upstream and downstream study of your entire material
storage strategy, utility requirements, onsite logistics
and material flows, maintenance protocols, as well as
staffing needs with each capacity increase initiative.
Consider a sensitivity analysis

Adding capacity to a manufacturing facility is not for

SOLUTIONS
SUPPLY CHAIN
ensure a focus on the long-term business objectives

are maintained and that short-term decisions do not
become barriers to long-term growth and success.
Capacity planning is a team sport

As any successful sports coach will tell you, people need
a team with the right experience to win a championship
title. And, that applies to capacity planning, too. From
the beginning, it is important to have a cross-section
of expertise representing all aspects of the business at
the planning table who are willing to share their unique
insights. Early involvement of team members supports
commitment to the capacity planning process. Ideally,
Data-informed Strategies for future capacity the process is led by an individual who has a history
designs from expansion with the company and experience working across mul-
computer In the example above, adding a third line would have tiple roles and functions throughout their career. By
modeling that been much more expensive. However, there are other sharing the process with a cross-functional team, the
simulated costs such as construction mobilization/demobilization capacity planning and expansion option development
increased and plant downtime to take into consideration with and evaluation process can be conducted in as little
production each capacity initiative or building expansion decision. as eight to 12 weeks.
helped If a building expansion is involved, consider expand-
minimize ing the production building to ultimately accommodate Increased acceptance of automation
bottlenecks. four new lines (four production bays) in the future but Prior to the pandemic, many manufacturers were
Courtesy: only install two new lines in an initial expansion phase. challenged to attract and retain skilled technicians to
BHDP This offers an opportunity to use the two empty operate their production equipment. The pandemic
bays for incremental raw material and packing mate- required manufacturers to suspend operations or
rial storage or warehousing of finished product in reduce the number of staff working to ensure worker
support of the two new lines on a temporary basis safety, which led to backlogs in order fulfillment and
until such time that the third and fourth production severe supply chain shortages globally. As a result,
lines are needed. manufacturing leaders are accelerating their invest-
This approach also offers an opportunity to defer ment in automation to improve supply chain resiliency
capital spending for new material storage space while in the future.
protecting future production line installations. It also While the initial investment may be high, automa-
offers a benefit of minimizing disruptions to operations tion has multiple benefits. It can help protect work-
as a result of another production building expansion ers’ health by minimizing contact with one another
adjacent to operating lines. (automation requires fewer workers in a given space). It
This strategy provides the option of adding capac- also has a benefit of increasing consistency in product
ity incrementally as required with reduced downtime quality, and over time can mitigate the impact of pro-
and the benefit of avoiding business interruptions due duction cost due to rising wages whether production
to a new capital expansion and construction project. is offshore or domestic.
The overall goal is to plan with a longer horizon in While manufacturers may not be able to invest in
mind, which involves protecting the space that will full-scale automation all at once, consider identifying
ultimately be needed in the future without investing one or two areas that could be automated and integrate
in the building or equipment now. into your overall capacity and master plans.
Future capacity expansion requires advance planning
and development of robust equipment general arrange- Capacity planning post COVID-19
ments, location control plans and phasing strategies The manufacturing sector experienced significant
to ensure building expansions, equipment, material disruption from COVID-19, but as organizations
flows, utilities and utility distribution are synchronized. restart their operations, capacity planning combined
That is why it is important to invest in a comprehen- with site and facility master planning can help leaders
sive site and facility master plan based on an aligned re-imagine a resilient and efficient future. PE
production capacity master plan. It is equally important
to regularly review and update these plans as a business Michael D. Verdier, P.E., is vice president and market
changes. Regular reviews and refinements to plans will leader of integrated industrial design with BHDP.

SOLUTIONS
CONDITION MONITORING
By Neil Canter
Emerging technologies advance

condition monitoring techniques
Lubrication engineers extend machine life by integrating lab analyses with
online-generated data
M
onitoring lubricants and the machinery This article provides an update on new test proce-
where they are used is becoming more dures that have been implemented to assess the condi-
important as end users wish to extend tion of lubricants and machinery.
operating life for as long as possible.
End users require lubricants and machinery to Wear debris alloy classification
operate at optimum levels under more demanding STLE-member Allison Toms, senior technical con-
conditions. To achieve this, lubricants and machin- sultant to GasTOPS Inc. in Huntsville Ala., and for-
ery must be monitored to ensure they retain the mer vice president of technology and engineering
original operating characteristics needed to do their services, has focused on using techniques to monitor
required tasks. wear debris. She said, “Since the 1940s, wear debris
Condition monitoring, i.e., fluid analysis, is analysis has been determined by bulk elemental
a valuable tool needed to periodically assess the analysis of debris in oil. On or about the year 2000,
properties of lubricants and machinery. The value individual particle analysis using scanning electron
of this technique is increasing because end users microscopy energy dispersive X-ray (SEMEDX) was
have fewer resources available to them, and if a spe- applied in broader applications to oil analysis, par-
cific machine is not performing up to expectations, ticularly for aviation, rather than primarily being
condition monitoring is essential to find the root used for detailed post-mortem failure analysis. How-
cause and determine a solution as quickly as pos- ever, SEMEDX, although simplified from a research
sible in real time. grade instrument, was still complicated, difficult
to operate, and
used a 900-pound
instrument, mak-
ing it difficult to
use in field appli-
Table 1: cations.”
Standard used To m s s a i d a
oil analysis on new analytical
a synthetic technique using
gear oil was laser-induced
conducted breakdown spec-
at three troscopy (LIBS)
specific times for individual wear
and showed particle determi-
that all the nation represents
lubricant’s key a fundamen-
parameters tal change in oil
are within analysis. She said,
expectation. “The availability
Courtesy: of specific particle
OELCHECK alloy identification
GmbH means the need to

SOLUTIONS
Figure 1: interpret elemental results is eliminated. Specific advanced notice of impending failures. Research is
Classification alloy classification of wear debris improves failure currently underway to incorporate this technology
of the alloys detection often missed by bulk elemental analysis. into a smaller, compact LIBS approach.”
present in a This technique was initially designed for high value Figure 2 compares an AOFA analysis versus
patch for an machinery such as aircraft. atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) on two air-
aircraft engine “Short laser pulses create micro hot-plasma abla- craft engines. Toms said, “Two distinct failures
was conducted tion of debris, and then spectroscopic tools are occurred, yet AES results were identical for both
using a employed for analysis. The wear debris can origi- engines. In contrast, AOFA evaluated each particle
technique nate from chip collector and chip detector devices, and generated detailed alloy results. The differ-
known as LIBS. filters, ferrograms, and loose particles. This tech- ence in the two techniques is that AOFA analyzes
Courtesy: nique is currently in use globally by commercial particles individually while AES is providing a
GasTOPS Inc. aviation, military, and MRO [maintenance, repair, bulk chemical/elemental analysis of all particles
and operations] industries and OEMS [original together.”
equipment manufacturers],” Toms said. Another benefit for wear particle analysis using
An example can be found in the analysis of a LIBS is to have instrumentation that is portable,
patch for an aircraft engine shown in Figure 1. easy to use, and provides results in a prompt time-
Toms said, “Size detection ranges from particles line. Toms said, “The military wanted a smaller,
as small as 70 microns and up into thousands of more rugged, and easier-to-operate instrument.”
microns. Alloy classification rates are greater than Toms provided an example of an operator of
95% for all 23 alloys tested, greater than 97% for turboprops that used AOFA to detect a problem
some. The technique we use takes a few minutes that could not be identified by spectrometric oil
to analyze up to 20 particles by alloy and size. It is analysis. She said, “After a warning light detected a
small, lightweight, easy to operate, and deployable.” problem, an oil sample was tested by AOFA, which
A complementary technique known as advanced confirmed the operator’s suspicion that the cause
oil fines analysis (AOFA), identifies wear debris was deterioration of a carbon seal. Proactively,
particles in lubricants by alloy and by particle size engine removal was scheduled for the next down-
down to 0.5 microns along with the concentrations time and carbon seal deterioration was confirmed.
of each alloy to provide enhanced knowledge on The turboprop operator detected this problem more
damage severity. Toms said, “AOFA presently uses than 700 hours prior to scheduled removal of the
a SEMEDX to analyze and identify alloys in par- engine resulting in a savings of approximately
ticles. This technique is currently used by airlines $400,000 by avoiding delays, cancellations, and
to profile their engines and provide significantly secondary damage.”

Toms believes there is always the desire for Figure 2: Atomic emission spectroscopy (AES)
enhanced diagnostics and prognostics in machin- and advanced oil fines analysis (AOFA) were
ery monitoring. She said, “Knowing the specific conducted on two engines that failed. AOFA
alloy(s) and number of each alloy particles pro- analyzes particles individually and produced
vides enhanced granularity with detailed infor- detailed analysis about the specific alloys
mation on the component’s wearing. This knowl- detected. In contrast, AES provides a bulk
edge provides more in-depth failure analysis and chemical/elemental analysis for all particles
advance failure notice. Adding the concentration together producing identical results that do
of each alloy enhances knowledge on damage not provide clues as to why both engines
severity.” failed. Courtesy: GasTOPS Inc.
Transportable lab often-contaminated lubricant environment. But fluid

STLE-member Jack Poley of Condition Monitoring analysis sensors cannot compete with vibration sen-
International in Miami, Fla., also feels the availabil- sors because data is too incomplete due to instru-
ity of portable instrumentation has led to new condi- ment capabilities restrictions such as only being
tion monitoring test procedures. He said, “Speaking able to detect ferrous wear, rather than other nec-
primarily for fluid analysis, portable testing, includ- essary wear metals (copper, lead, aluminum, etc.).
ing handheld instruments, are playing a significant Another element, silicon, used to detect abrasives,
role in what is perceived as a growing movement cannot be detected by currently available sensors. A
‘toward the machine,’ i.e., the advent of packaged progression that begins to have onsite laboratories
onsite laboratories that include the most popular increasingly gaining ground on offsite laboratories
tests currently employed, including AES wear metals. will occur as sensors begin to gain more sensitiv-
This is reflective of the innate (real time) quest for ity and begin to mimic the full gamut of lubricant
instant gratification, in terms of data from which testing for condition monitoring.”
an evaluation can be rendered ASAP.” Poley provided an example of a fully fitted trans-
The goal in real-time condition monitoring is portable lab that features an X-ray fluorescence spec-
the use of sensors. Poley said, “Sensors are rela- trometer as the wear metals inspection method. He
tively new (circa 2000) to fluid analysis but still said, “This approach is able to detect short-term
are not stable enough to always survive in a hot, failure possibilities by quantifying large wear metal

SOLUTIONS
Poley indicates that in the

future, such instrumentation
will include artificial intel-
ligence (AI) software since
such applications already
exist. He said, “This devel-
opment, fully realized, will
elevate condition monitor-
ing fluid analysis to not just
provide real-time analysis but
also offer auto-diagnosis and
advisory rendering.”
Most advances in condi-
tion monitoring have not
been in technology used to
conduct tests but in improv-
ing the ease and speed of
performance. Poley said,
“No new parameters have
been developed during the
past five years except for the
transportable laboratory. The
focus has been on accelerat-
ing the execution of monitor-
ing tests without degradation
in detection and quantifica-
tion quality.”
Tribometers
Convenience is a key char-
acteristic for Dr. Deepak
Veeregowda, head of global
Figure 3: Three examples of tribometers marketing and sales for Ducom Instruments Europe
(KRL shear stability tester, high frequency B.V in Gronigen, The Netherlands. He said, “We
reciprocating rig, and four-ball tester) can be are now being asked to use tribometers (designed
used to monitor the depletion of the specific to measure the friction and wear of lubricants) in
additives shown. Courtesy: Ducom Instruments condition monitoring of lubricants during use. This
Europe B.V. tool is used in combination with conventional tools
such as spectroscopy techniques that establish a cor-
particles (greater than four microns) beyond iron relation between additive depletion in a lubricant
to other wear metals.” and machine performance factors such as friction.”
This technique can be adapted in Poley’s opinion Deepak said while spectroscopy can measure an
to evaluate in-service lubricants for net effective increase in friction that infers lubricant performance
lubricity. Poley said, “Reductions in film strength has declined, this technique does not necessarily
can lead to excessive boundary lubrication that confirm the cause is additive depletion. He said,
can throw off large particle wear metal (LPWM) “Tribometers can help investigate the root cause of
analysis.” lubricant performance and determine if an additive
Online testing techniques are under develop- such as a friction modifier or an extreme pressure
ment but not yet ready for commercial use. Poley additive has become depleted while the lubricant
said, “The technology is not quite there for online/ is in use.”
inline analysis other than for iron at a rather limited Deepak provided examples of tribometers such
40-micron detectability limit at best. My expectation as the KRL shear stability tester used to measure
is that we are about five to 10 years out in terms of depletion of viscosity modifiers, the high frequency
practicality or affordability.” reciprocating rig used to monitor friction modifiers,

and a four-ball tester that measures depletion of and cannot be monitored by the FTIR method, an
friction modifiers and extreme pressure additives. alternative technique known as high pressure liquid
Figure 3 shows all three tribometers and indicates chromatography (HPLC) has been used to develop
the lubrication regime where they function. Deepak a method to gain additional information on those
said, “When deployed for condition monitoring, lubricants. In this field of industrial applications,
the tribometers can be used to measure coefficient HPLC is commonly used to measure the inhibitor
of friction, specific heat, viscosity loss, and wear depletion in water-based coolants. To develop the
scar diameter. Lubricant applications where the new method, synthetic gear oil samples taken out
tribometers can be used include transmission oils of a wind turbine gearbox over a period of six years
such as gear oils and hydraulic fluids used in heavy were used.
and renewable energy industries.” Fischer said, “The main planetary gear of a 1.5
With the growing use of aluminum and other MW wind turbine is filled with approximately 600
non-ferrous metal alloys, formulating lubricants liters of a synthetic gear oil. We analyzed the oil
with metal deactivators and monitoring their per- periodically over six years. The samples for the
formance over time has become more important HPLC method were taken at 12,600, 43,800, and
for end users. A prime example is the evaluation 52,700 operating hours. While all the values of the
of a synthetic gear oil used in a wind turbine. The standard used oil analysis, as shown in Table 1, indi-
expectation is that the gear oil must produce opti- cated that the gear lubricant’s key parameters were
mum performance while the turbine operates for within expectation, the oil became steadily darker, as
many years. shown in Figure 4. Even though there is no standard,
a change in the color provides an initial appraisal
High pressure liquid chromatography to the tribology engineer, who is diagnosing each
Dr. Thomas Fischer, scientific director for OEL- sample individually, of whether the composition of
CHECK GmbH in Brannenburg, Germany, said, the lubricant may have changed over time.”
“The traditional technique for monitoring synthetic Initially, the color of the oil sample after 12,600
gear oils is Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy hours was, like the fresh oil, light and clear. By the
(FTIR). It provides information based on the changes next samples, the oil discolored within a short peri-
of the used oil through a comparison with the spec- od to dark brown. Fischer said, “This darkening of
trum of a corresponding fresh or reference oil.” the oil did not provide any indication for whether
Besides other results, FTIR can detect oil oxida- lubricant performance was deteriorating, but it was
tion by the formation of oxygen bonds but, especially alarming and led to further investigation of the oil’s
for the synthetic oils, this method cannot be used characteristics. In reviewing the usual analytical
to quantify this phenomenon. Changes in the FTIR data, we found that key parameters such as viscosity,
spectrum can only be quantified if the molecules viscosity index, and water content, as well as an IR
present in the lubricant absorb the infrared light comparison, remained stable. Only the neutraliza-
differently at different wavelengths. Polyalphaolefin tion number (AN), a measure of acidity, increased
(PAO) or ester oils are used as base oils for mod- barely. The key elements, phosphorus and sulfur,
ern synthetic gear oils because they are more stable reflective of the additive components, only dropped
against oxidation over a long period compared to slightly but remained within expectation. The wear
conventional Group I or II mineral oils. metals, except for copper, showed no increase. The
Fischer said, “In using mineral oil-based lubri- diagnosis statement concluded that the oil could
cants, the IR-method can be used to calculate oxi- remain in service, however, because of copper, it
dation by an increasing peak at a wave number of should be analyzed at a shorter period.”
1710 cm-1. This peak is representative of carbonyl The copper content, which was within limits at
bonds. It rises continuously as the lubricant ages 43,800 hours, increased significantly after 52,700
due to the introduction of oxygen into the hydro- hours. This led to the recommendation that the oil
carbon molecules. However, this approach cannot must be changed immediately. However, the copper
be used for ester-based lubricants because one of content did not necessarily explain the discoloration
the main peaks for esters is present at a close wave of the lubricant. Fischer said, “We felt the rise in
number of 1740 cm-1. Therefore, the peak at 1710 copper might be an indication that the non-ferrous
cm-1 cannot be used for synthetic oils to monitor metal deactivator concentration in the gear oil had
oil degradation by oil oxidation.” dropped. It was striking to us that both the high
Since oil oxidation in synthetic gear oils are increase in copper levels and the dark discoloration
designed to remain in service for up to 10 years of the gear oil had taken place within the relatively

SOLUTIONS
Figure 4: The color of the synthetic gear oil used in a wind only a small concentration of the non-ferrous metal
turbine becomes progressively darker over time. Courtesy: deactivator. This decline in the deactivator content
OELCHECK GmbH can be used as a strong indication that high cop-
per content in the oil sample is caused by corrosive
short period of less than 10,000 operating hours. wear of the bearing cage because the additive is not
Unfortunately, we could not use any of the fast and present anymore. In our experience, non-ferrous
relatively inexpensive traditional analytical tech- metals such as copper, lead, and tin can increase in
niques, including FTIR, to determine, whether and concentration dramatically in a short time when a
how much the metal deactivator concentration did system is running with a depleted inhibitor. The new
change. Metal deactivator additives are usually based HPLC method, presently not used as a standard for
on azole chemistry and include such examples as gear oil analysis, is an approach to monitor a pos-
tolyltriazole and benzotriazole.” sible source for the fast-progressing corrosive wear.”
These metal deactivators are effective in protect- Fischer believes if HPLC had been used to monitor
ing copper-containing surfaces against corrosive the condition of the wind turbine gear oil, the decline
wear. Unfortunately, metal deactivators are con- in metal deactivator concentration would have been
sumed continuously. If they are not present in the identified already after 43,800 hours. He said, “Know-
lubricant, copper corrosion will start. In windmill ing these results, our tribology experts would have
gearboxes, the main components where such corro- recommended the gear oil must be changed with the
sion will lead to catastrophic failure are the cages of next 2,000 operating hours because otherwise, the
double-row spherical roller bearings. If these bear- wear of the bearing-cage would rapidly increase.”
ings fail, a very costly overhaul is the result. Fischer The new HPLC method is, compared to the stan-
said, “Because we use the HPLC method regularly to dard oil analysis methods, a time-consuming and
measure the concentration of inhibitors in automo- expensive analytical technique, but the results from
tive coolants, we decided to also use this instrument this case study justifies its use. Fischer said, “The
to evaluate the metal deactivators in lubricants and process itself is relatively expensive because every
define the remaining concentration of non-ferrous sample needs to be extracted using a solid phase
inhibitors in synthetic gear oils.” extraction method prior to the HPLC analysis. How-
The HPLC method was used to measure the con- ever, the advanced warning made through HPLC
centration of tolyltriazole and benzotriazole in the analysis is justified because it will enable damage
fresh and used oil samples. Fischer said, “We found and cost-intensive repairs to be avoided.”
the fresh oil displayed a high content of tolyltriazole.
However, after the oil was used for 43,800 hours, Membrane patch colorimetry test
we measured a significant decline in the concentra- STLE-member Greg Livingstone, chief innovation
tion of this type of metal deactivator. The sample, officer for Fluitec International in Bayonne, N.J.,
which was in use for more than 50,000 hours, showed said the membrane patch colorimetry test (ASTM

D7483) has made a significant contribution to tendency of lubricants is one of the most important
condition monitoring of the deposit tendencies of properties to be measured in lubricants.”
turbine, compressor, and hydraulic fluids. He said, Two of the methods used to measure foaming
“This procedure is able to predict when a fluid has are ASTM D892 and ASTM D6082. Mendez said,
potential to form deposits, allowing users to take “Both methods are somewhat operator-biased, suffer
proactive action prior to varnish formation.” from poor precision, and are prone to human error
In the membrane patch colorimetry test proce- in sample preparation and handling. Other issues
dure, a sample of the fluid is diluted with an equal include the bulkiness of the test device, difficulty
volume of petroleum ether and filtered through a in handling oil samples to be tested, and relatively
0.45-micron nitro-cellulose membrane. Livingstone long test period duration.”
said, “The color of the oil-degradation products A new foam testing apparatus has been developed
captured on the filter are measured by a spectro- that uses standardized lighting, a high-resolution
photometer and compared to a control. The color camera, and a patent-pending algorithm to accu-
difference, or ΔE, is evaluated on the CIE scale to rately and repeatedly measure foam height at the
assess the magnitude of the deposits. This method different experimental conditions of the two test
enables end users to take proactive action prior to methods. The apparatus measures foam formation,
varnish formation, which can have a detrimental foam dissipation, foam height, and air release.
effect on the lubricant.” Mendez said, “The new foam testing apparatus,
Livingstone said, “The membrane patch colorim- actually under development for ASTM approval as a
etry test is the only ASTM-approved method designed revision of the current D892 and D8062 standards,
to predict the deposit characteristics of in-service represents an improvement toward the sensitivity,
lubricants. Users of this method avoid having to react precision, and unbiased determination of lubricant
once a varnish deposit has caused a reliability issue.” foaming tendency. It also improves throughput of
Livingstone said lubricant applications sensitive samples, reduces uncertainty in the analysis, and
to deposits including turbine, compressor, and positively benefits the overall process of quality
hydraulic systems are most suitable for using this control and product characterization.”
test procedure. He said, “Non-detergent mineral Mendez said the new foam testing apparatus is
and synthetic industrial lubricants have proven to not in any way incompatible with lubricant formu-
be effectively evaluated for deposit formation by lations. He said, “Users of this technique will be
this procedure. Lubricants with detergent/dispersant able to develop applications to determine additive
additive systems have not been extensively tested performance (defoamers in particular), study foam
yet. One concern is that lubricants containing heavy kinetics, and conduct air release experiments.”
amounts of contaminants will plug the membrane, The automated procedure used to run the new
making the test much harder to administer or requir- foam testing apparatus makes it possible to deter-
ing an augmented test protocol.” mine the influence of instrumental configuration
Livingstone said many rotating equipment OEMs and design in the determination of foam height and
now recommend the membrane patch colorimetry foaming tendencies. Mendez said, “The new test
test as a key part of monitoring fluids used in their procedure can evaluate the material and shapes of
systems. He said, “Research is underway to develop gas diffusers and determine objectively possible cor-
an online procedure to adequately perform real-time relations between pore sizes and foam production.”
deposit testing of lubricants. The hope is to enable The new foam testing apparatus provides the user
end users to more quickly determine the condition with an advantageous environment for studying and
of their lubricant systems so that the necessary cor- accurately measuring foam. Mendez said, “We have
rective action steps can be made.” found that foam heights and temperatures can be
measured with an uncertainty of ±0.25 milliliter
Foam of foam and a temperature uncertainty of ±0.1°C.”
Foam or entrained air can adversely impact the per- Mendez expects this new technique can be adapted
formance of the lubricant. Among the problems to observe online performance of lubricant base
that foam can create are reducing the ability of the stocks and finished lubricant formulations.
lubricant to remove heat, increasing the possibility
of oxidation, resulting in poor fluid flow in applica- The future
tions such as hydraulic fluids. Dr. Aaron Mendez, Livingstone said, “Change is imminent in the lubricant
director of research and applications at Ayalytical industry as we are seeing integration of traditional
Instruments Inc. in Chicago, said, “The foaming laboratory analyzers merged with data produced from

SOLUTIONS
online sensorics and incorporated into an Industrial necessary. In addition, they often require cleaning
Internet of Things (IIoT) network. Oil analysis in the and/or replacement components. Numerous research
future might not just be for assessing the health of the and trial projects are working on this topic.
lubricant or a specific component but may play an Poley believes the future of fluid analysis and con-
integral role in optimizing manufacturing processes dition monitoring of lubricants and machinery is
and remote monitoring of plants.” highly encouraging. “Test instrumentation continues
An IIoT network enables sensors, actuators, and to make great strides with onsite analysis enabling
other devices to become interconnected, leading users to gain faster access to data to improve time-
to the more rapid sharing and analysis of data. The liness of warnings and encourage involvement of
objective of this network is to enhance manufactur- maintenance in advisory construction,” Poley said.
ing and industrial processes. “Another mitigated issue is that improved testing
Deepak agrees and goes further by indicating IIoT techniques have led to the reduction of sample sizes,
can be linked with Industry 4.0, which involves the leading to reduced disposability of chemicals used
use of AI to enable machines used in a production in the analyzes. Onsite fluid analysis testing is now
plant to interact through wireless connectivity and able to quickly assist in vetting a sensor alarm in at
sensors as a means to optimize the manufacturing most a couple of hours, depending on installation
process. He said, “Industry 4.0 will revolutionize the logistics versus days when testing was confined to
lubricant condition monitoring business. IIoT with offsite labs.”
sensor enablement, mixed reality for data visualiza- Poley predicts eventually onsite analysis installa-
tion, and machine learning (ML) for Big Data will tions will accelerate the movement to the possibility
help in creating digital twins of lubricants deployed of all-sensor asset condition monitoring (ACM),
in the field. These digital twins are the representative which is the real-time Holy Grail of ACM. He said,
lubricant conditions in the field that can be accessed “Artificial intelligence-infused intelligence agents
remotely to optimize the performance of machines. are on the threshold, indeed a few already exist,
Industry 4.0 will transform the conventional busi- as the primary data evaluators based on the sheer
ness models, for example, machine uptime will be the complexity of the evaluation process in the 21st
value proposition offered by companies associated Century. Data will continue to be more varied and
with condition monitoring.” more proliferated when multiple condition monitor-
Mendez is optimistic about the future of condi- ing disciplines are amalgamated [especially when
tion monitoring. He said, “Since the global lubricant sensors are in play]. Artificial intelligence will be
industry spends a large amount of time and money needed to provide the adaptability required to inde-
in corrective maintenance and lubricant reposition, pendently assess the importance of the results to
the future is bright for improvements toward objec- instantly conduct problem solving of the complex
tiveness, precision, and performance of methods for issues facing lubricant systems.”
lubricant condition monitoring.” Condition monitoring has assumed an impor-
Toms said, “Industry would like more on-equip- tant role in ensuring lubricants and machinery can
ment sensors for lubricant and machinery moni- continue to be used over the long term. Technology
toring. Wear debris analysis using on-equipment advances are enabling users to start working with
(inline) sensors has been available for more than online techniques and even envision the future use
25 years with more than 500 million hours in avia- of AI.
tion, power generation, wind turbine, and marine These steps will further improve the accuracy,
applications.” precision, and speed at which condition monitor-
Customers using inductive wear debris sensors ing can provide users with vital information about
would like lubricant monitoring sensors incorporat- lubricant systems and machinery in the future. PE
ed into one package to eliminate the need for manual
oil condition sampling. However, it is difficult to find Neil Canter heads his own consulting company,
a reliable, repeatable lubricant condition sensor that Chemical Solutions, in Willow Grove, Pa.
can monitor all the lubricant parameters of inter-
est for different applications. Typically, lubricant This article first appeared in Tribology & Lubrication
condition/contamination (water, fuel, degradation, Technology (TLT), the monthly magazine of the Society
viscosity, particle counts, cleanliness, etc.) sensors of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE), an
detect one parameter where numerous oil condi- international not-for-profit professional society head-
tion and contamination parameters are required. quartered in Park Ridge, Illinois. Reprinted with per-
Multiple lubricant condition sensors are probably mission from STLE.

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2021-CFE-General_SixthPage.indd 1 1/6/2021 2:24:23 PM PLANT ENGINEERING October 2021 • 43
SOLUTIONS
PIPING
By Steve Cooper
Air Force base water supply

piping system challenge met
Designing an efficient, long-lasting piping system
B
uilding the United States Air Force’s new Traditional pipe materials
basic training facility at Joint Base San Traditional pipe materials such as copper and car-
Antonio-Lackland, Texas required large bon steel were considered, but a type of thermo-
diameter pipe and fittings to move 155ºF plastic pipe was selected for the system that would
(68 º C) water effectively throughout the campus move hot and cold potable water, non-potable
at 90 psi. HVAC heating and chilled water, plus condenser
The problem was that the 6,000 feet of pipe would water. Solving the problem would win the pipe’s
need to be installed in crawl spaces, trenches and manufacturer, Asahi/America, Inc. (Lawrence,
in riser locations. More than 250 fittings would be MA) the Project of the Year Award from the Build-
needed. The goal was to have a system that would ing & Construction Division (BCD) of the Plastics
provide long-term performance and need as little Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI).
maintenance as possible. The association’s annual awards program rec-
“The build of the campus is essential to advance ognizes projects and members for exceptional
the Air Force’s training capabilities,” said Col. Dave contributions to the industry. Submissions in the
Norton, director of AFCEC Facility Engineering association's divisions are reviewed, evaluated and
Directorate. “The new infrastructure is designed voted upon by the PPI members. PPI is the major
to allow the Air Force to successfully train future North American trade association representing
enlisted personnel in a more functional, modern the plastic pipe industry.
campus environment.”
The base dates back to just before World War I Construction
when it was established to provide aviation train- The ongoing construction of the West Campus
ing for the country’s new Air Service and later at the base will add four recruit dormitories, two
becoming Lackland Air Force Base. It is now the classrooms, dining facilities and a chapel. The $226
only site for Air Force enlisted Basic Military Train- million project is a partnership between Air Force
ing (BMT). Civil Engineering Center (AFCEC), the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, the 802nd Civil Engineer Squad-
ron, Merrick and Company and the 737th Training
A U.S. Air Force basic military graduation Wing, the largest training wing in the Air Force.
at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Some 1,250 trainees will be assigned to each of the
Courtesy: U.S. Air Force two 280,550 square foot dormitories once the total
project is completed in late 2022.
The design called for pip-
ing that would range from four
through eighteen inches and
consist of both SDR 11 and SDR
17 wall thicknesses, and which
would accommodate the different
requirements of the cold and hot
water services and non-potable
lines. Plus, potable pipes need to
meet NSF requirements for drink-
ing water.

The Air Force’s new basic
training facility required large
diameter pipe and fittings
to move 155ºF (68ºC) water
effectively throughout the
campus at 90 psi. Using
PP-RCT pipe also enabled
sections of the system to be
fabricated and lifted into
the trench. Courtesy: Asahi/
America
Four to sixteen-inch diam-

eter SDR 17 PP-RCT would be
used for plumbing, non-potable,
while SDR 11 PP-RCT would be
used for HVAC chilled and heat-
ing water, condenser water, plus
domestic hot water in diameters
from four inch to eighteen inch. throughout a facility. PP-RCT allows water to move
efficiently and operate at higher velocities without
Challenges corrosion concerns. With the increased perfor-
“Tight places are challenging locations for install- mance of a PP-RCT hydronic system, less energy
ing piping systems,” stated Lance MacNevin, P. is put into the creation and maintenance of the
Eng., director of engineering for PPI's BCD. “Asahi/ system, which creates a smaller carbon footprint.”
America’s Asahitec PP-RCT pipe would provide
light weight, ease-of-maneuverability and would
use faster and safer heat fusion welding methods The Air Force’s new basic training facility
than steel pipe. required large diameter pipe and fittings
Because this pipe is made from random co-poly- to move 155ºF (68ºC) water effectively
mer polypropylene (PP) with modified crystallinity throughout the campus at 90 psi. Using PP-RCT
and temperature resistance, it has a more complex pipe also enabled sections of the system to be
crystalline structure that provides greater pressure fabricated and lifted into the trench. Courtesy:
capabilities at higher temperatures than conven- Asahi/America
tional PP materials.
PP-RCT piping products are
rated for continuous operation
at 180ºF (82ºC) temperature,
with pressure rating depend-
ing on their wall thickness.
PP-RCT pipes also may include
reinforcement layers for benefits
such as reducing longitudinal
thermal expansion/contraction.
Additionally, the use of PP-RCT
piping increases efficiency and
long-term maintenance savings.
Steel pipes in hydronic systems
suffer from the chemical forma-
tion of iron oxides, leading to
rust and corrosion.
Corrosion build-up can take
a toll on the efficiency of pumps
needed to distribute water

SOLUTIONS
PIPING
The Air Force’s new basic training facility required large diameter pipe and fittings to move
155ºF (68ºC) water effectively throughout the campus at 90 psi. Using PP-RCT pipe also enabled
sections of the system to be fabricated and lifted into the trench. Courtesy: Asahi/America
According to Asahi/America, the smooth internal knew that a great amount of the pipe would have
surface of its Asahitec pipe has a Hazen and Wil- to be installed in confined spaces and made it
liams coefficient of 150. a top priority to consider how the crew could
MacNevin offered, “Although new steel pipe has handle it it,” concluded Fink.
a Hazen and Williams coefficient of 140, its flow A six-inch diameter, 20-foot section of carbon
factor and flow characteristics typically change steel weighs nearly 400 pounds, which would
over time due to scaling, rust and pitting. This require special rigging to lift and hangers and sup-
internal corrosion could reduce the flow coef- port bracing. The PP-RCT is considerably lighter,
ficient to 110 or 90, resulting in pumps that have weighing just 4.5 pounds a foot, or 90 pounds for
to draw more power to overcome growing flow 20 feet. Being about one quarter of the weight of
resistance, leading to increased energy usage and carbon steel, using PP-RCT pipe made the job a
decreased efficiency.” lot easier, practical and safer. PP-RCT provided
“This is an extensive installation with thousands all the weight savings, installation benefits and
of feet of piping in buildings and underground,” performance efficiencies promised by the mate-
stated David M. Fink, president of PPI. “The use rial characteristics.
of Asahitec PP-RCT provided significant peace While the light weight of the pipe helped ease
of mind that major essential campus services at the installation underground and in crawl spaces,
this military base will be trouble-free for decades the fusion process using a hydraulic butt fusion
to come.” tool to connect pipes and fittings also provided a
critical benefit. Using heat fusion joining releases
Types of piping no hazardous fumes or gases, which makes it much
“We’ve been seeing more use of PP-RCT high- safer to use in confined spaces.
temperature plastic pressure piping for plumbing Because there are no open flames or combus-
and hydronic heating. PP-RCT pipes also provide tible gases, using PP-RCT pipe does not require
resistance to highly acidic and basic solutions, extra permitting tags. The time required to weld
which may be seen in certain non-potable lines. It Asahitec is also considerably less than that of
was perfect for this project. The design engineers steel. To weld one 12-inch joint of steel pipe

could take up to three hours, while a butt fusion maintenance on the system, unless outside fac-
weld of Asahitec takes roughly 41 minutes to tors damage it.
complete, according to the company. Because “This project provides proof that plastic pip-
of this, the time and cost savings to both the ing offers all the installation and performance
contractor and the customer were considerable benefits that plastic piping suppliers claim,” he
on this project. concluded.
The Air Force plans to add two new dormito-
Performance ries, an additional classroom and dining facility
The hydraulic fusion tool served additional func- and the chapel in the coming years. Once com-
tions beyond welding. It acted as a come along pleted, the 1.33 million square foot West Campus
for the movement and pressurized fusion of the will be able to simultaneously train nearly 5,000
large pipe, kept weldments in alignment, and the recruits. PE
process allowed for continuous operator inspec-
tion of the fusion process and final weld. The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) is the major
“ The system’s performance will be reliable North American trade association representing the
for decades,” stated MacNevin. “The efficiency plastic pipe industry and is dedicated to promot-
of the system will remain as designed, and will ing plastic as the materials of choice for pipe and
not change due to any degradation of the piping conduit applications. PPI is the premier technical,
system. The base will not have to perform any engineering and industry knowledge resource pub-
lishing data for use in the development and design
Long runs of PP-RCT pipe are in tight crawl of plastic pipe and conduit systems. Additionally,
spaces below the first floor. Because of the PPI collaborates with industry organizations that
polypropylene pipe’s light weight there was no set standards for manufacturing practices and
need to use heavy duty hangers or supports. installation methods.
Courtesy: Asahi/America

SOLUTIONS
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
By Nick Schiltz
How to get your ROI from IIoT

An analysis of enhanced productivity through smart device monitoring technology
T
he Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) way that makes it easy to transition expertise from
is paving the way for a safer and smarter one worker to the next.
digital workplace. Digital transformation Organizations can now deploy smart sensors onto
for maintenance has made it easier to critical assets and use continuous vibration and/
plan than ever before. When maintenance needs or temperature monitoring to watch trends and
are scheduled out in advance through early insights trigger alerts when irregular thresholds are met.
into their equipment health, technicians are better For example, wireless sensors can be deployed onto
equipped to prepare for the task at hand. As opposed motors and rotating equipment to monitor vibra-
to reactive maintenance where the pressure is high tion and temperature. The sensors interpret this
to get everything back online as quickly as possible. data and alert maintenance teams when anoma-
IIoT can be defined as, “a network of machines, lous behavior is detected. This early warning of an
computers, and people enabling intelligent industrial impending equipment failure allows maintenance
operations using advanced data analytics for trans- teams to proactively react as opposed to running
formational business outcomes.” IIoT uses advances to a failure that wasn’t predicted.
in sensing, communications, cloud and computing
technologies to help reduce costly unplanned down- Reactive maintenance
time by providing an early indication of pending Reactive maintenance is defined as any sort of
failure and digitally capture human experience in a maintenance work that was scheduled less than
Figure 1: Unlike the run-to-failure method, both preventive and predictive maintenance methods
fall under the proactive maintenance category. Image courtesy: Grace Technologies

Figure 2: With a data-driven approach, orga-
nizations are provided with a more productive
means of integrating future generations of
skilled maintenance personnel by equipping
them with the complete history of each critical
asset. Image courtesy: Grace Technologies
20 hours before execution. During this time, a sense

of urgency is created that contributes to higher
risk taking and less planning. Most injuries occur
during a fast-paced reactive maintenance scenario
over those that are scheduled out, well planned for
and executed by a well-equipped team.
Unlike the run-to-failure method, both pre-
ventive and predictive maintenance methods
fall under the proactive maintenance category.
Though the preventive and predictive methods
share a common category, the principles, strategy
and implementation methods are different and in
some cases a bit complex for the predictive tools.
A robust and reliable maintenance program will
include elements of both preventive and predic-
tive maintenance tools.
With a data-driven approach, organizations are
provided with a more productive means of inte-
grating future generations of skilled maintenance
personnel by equipping them with the complete
history of each critical asset they are tasked with
maintaining. However, one of the main drivers
for IIoT technology is that it can also be used to
replace, or potentially augment, hard to find skilled
maintenance personnel. Many facilities around
the globe are seeing maintenance teams that have
maintained equipment for decades are beginning
to retire with little more than tribal knowledge left
in their wake for the next generation.
College graduates who once would line up to fill
these skilled maintenance positions are starting
to lean more toward innovative fields and are less IIoT can eliminate the route-based inspections
inclined to take up maintenance positions. As a of that legacy equipment and bring about route
result, it's important for technologies to take up prioritization it can be a high value proposition
that mantle and allow these organizations that are for organizations.
losing skilled maintenance personnel to replace Underlying technologies for IIoT are ready for
some of their expertise with IIoT technologies. prime time right now. Easy to deploy sensors are
now affordable and accessible. The wireless and
IIoT promises network communication architectures have been
IIoT promises to reduce downtime especially in built out to be robust in the industrial environment.
the 24/7 world of the industrial space. In most Cloud hosting has become pervasive, affordable
industrial verticals, downtime can be incredibly and really trusted. These three achievements alone
costly; about $20 billion in terms of lost revenue can help organizations build robust and reliable
in process industries alone. In general, anytime IIoT solutions.
you have legacy equipment that could be upwards Many facilities have issues with downtime that
of 60 years old still running in your facility there's cost their organization lost time and money. They
going to be a constant need for maintenance. If don't have a huge maintenance budget to counteract

SOLUTIONS
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
the losses they're seeing in equipment degradation or an IIoT rollout than you might see if you lay the
unexpected failure. Some facilities have issues where groundwork for network integration.
they have spent so much money on maintenance There is a massive potential for ROI in the auto-
that they've effectively eliminated their downtime mation space for IIoT. It can serve to bring value
problems. by reducing unexpected downtime, but it can also
However, this can be a suboptimal deployment be used to help augment the widening gap in the
of maintenance dollars as well because you're skilled maintenance workforce that's been created
spending more than you need to optimize your as more and more skilled maintenance personnel
downtime requirements. What we hope to see are retiring. Above all else, the most important
with IIoT is to even this balance where you're aspect we should value is the safety enhanced
spending the appropriate or the optimal amount through IIoT analytics that provide better plan-
of maintenance dollars to reduce your downtime ning and a proactive approach to maintenance. PE
to the levels that are necessary for the functioning
of your business. Nick Schiltz is a copywriter for Grace Technologies
located in Davenport, Iowa. The company specializes
No size fits all in electrical safety products and predictive mainte-
IIoT technology is not a one-size-fits-all solution. nance solutions. During his five years at Grace, Schiltz
The decisions that go with it are always going to be has published more than two-hundred and fifty blog
complex and multifaceted. And because of that, if posts ranging in topics from electrical safety best prac-
you don't think through the ramifications of the tices to the future impact of IIoT in the industrial
integration with your legacy equipment and the space. You can read more of Schiltz’ work on Grace’s
ramifications of a new system with your existing weekly electrical safety and reliability centered main-
workforce it likely will lead to worse results from tenance blog at GracePort.com
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SOLUTIONS
ELECTRICITY & POWER
By Brent Tracy
Why more manufacturers

are turning to microgrids
Microgrids mitigate power distribution vulnerabilities
N
orth America has now deployed more For large manufacturing enterprises, cost of a single
microgrids than any other region in the hour of downtime can easily top the $5 million mark.
world, and manufacturers are a leading These disruptions have a ripple effect beyond the
adopter of the technology. As more manu- factory and can even affect supply chain logistics and
facturing facilities look to rely less on the power grid businesses that rely on real-time delivery of products.
and integrate renewable energy into their operations, Manufacturers must address all of these challenges
microgrids and backup power are becoming increas- while delivering on the constant expectation to lower
ingly popular. costs across the business year over year.
According to Microgrid Knowledge and data Microgrids offer manufacturers a flexible platform
from Navigant, “commercial and industrial (C&I) to head off these issues — ensuring power is reliable,
microgrids are poised to grow faster than any other enabling renewable energy for sustainability goals,
form of microgrid, as data centers, stores, resorts, controlling energy costs and attracting customers and
manufacturers and other business operations turn to investors that want manufacturers to continuously
the technology.” raising the bar on ESG performance. A microgrid
Manufacturers face a great many challenges: obliga- can help control energy generation, usage and cost
tions to customers, planning for infrastructure repairs stability.
and upgrades, maintaining a healthy workplace and
meeting environmental goals. In addition, they also A microgrid meets needs
face a new set of issues that have recently emerged. The are many options available to configure the best
These include: microsystem for your organization. Some of the best-
• Constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic known components are:
• Tariffs stemming from international trade disputes Photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays, which can be built
• Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) onto existing roofs, structures or ground-mounted
issues important to investors frames and tied into AC inverters, batteries and other
• Power failures due to poor weather, accidents, electrical infrastructure comprising a microgrid. The
equipment malfunctions or other causes. power generated from the panels can be channeled and
stored into energy storage battery banks or incorpo-
An analysis of national power outage data from rated with other power sources like generators and
Climate Central shows that there has been a 67% wind power via inverters that change dc to ac voltage.
increase in major power outages from weather-related When a grid outage occurs, a facility can operate
events since 2000. Two-thirds of states experienced without the grid, using the solar generation to power
an increase in outages caused by extreme weather in operations during the day, and store excess energy in
recent years. batteries to continue into nighttime. Solar plus energy
Power disruptions have a significant impact on storage microgrid can provide cost savings when the
manufacturers. Even small fluctuations in power qual- grid is operating on-peak by shifting load to electricity
ity can disrupt assembly lines and cause costly delays. stored during less expensive, off-peak hours.
An increased use of automated assembly technol- Solar parking canopies: While covered parking
ogy, use of artificial intelligence (AI) and use of 3D provides vehicles protection from the elements, it
printing technologies make resilient, reliable power can also be an overlooked area for onsite renewable
increasingly important. A recent survey found that power generation.
more than a quarter of manufacturing businesses Onsite wind generation: Wind generation can be
experienced an outage at least once a month, and coupled with a battery energy storage system (BESS)
58% reported an outage lasting longer than one hour. to provide a robust onsite option for power generation

SOLUTIONS
ELECTRICITY & POWER
— and an important contributor that helps organiza- Microgrid controls: Operation of the microgrid
tions meet their sustainability goals. needs to be adaptable, depending on the power sup-
Battery storage and UPS: A battery energy storage ply from the grid, time-of-use rates, demand response
system (BESS) stores energy through battery technol- agreements with the local utility and arbitrage where a
ogy. It can be a critical component in the microgrid deregulated market exists for selling off excess power.
system by acting as an energy buffer when intermittent A robust microgrid controls system will handle con-
renewable electricity generation creates new demands ditions in near real-time response and provide the
on the grid. required flexibility to accommodate dynamic opti-
Main battery storage coupled with an uninterrupt- mization strategies as well as grow and change with
ible power supply (UPS) system can be used to provide future growth and power options.
sensitive computer controls and data center servers
with the proper stable backup voltage and protection The bottom line
to keep IT and control system operations online. Microgrids can help manufacturers meet many of the
Backup power generators: Conventional genera- challenges they face today.
tor systems can provide reliable backup power during A well-designed microgrid can bring efficient, low-
unplanned outages. Generators can be combined with cost power as well as reliability and resiliency benefits
energy storage and on-site renewable energy to provide to critical infrastructure. A microgrid with robust con-
a comprehensive microgrid solution. trols and up-to-date cybersecurity supports operational
Fuel cells: If someone’s manufacturing operations flexibility while providing predictable costs optimized
have dependable access to natural gas, biogas or hydro- for both efficiency and sustainability.
gen, fuel cells are a great option. Fuel cells can supply An investment in a microgrid can act as insurance
continuous power when wind, solar, batteries or other for continued growth, success and innovation. A power
resources are unavailable. disruption brings vulnerability, loss of time and money
In addition, fuel cells generate about half of the — a microgrid puts you back in charge. PE
greenhouse gas emissions of centralized power and
release virtually almost no carbon monoxide, lead, Brent Tracy is the manufacturing sector lead for Duke
ground-level ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen diox- Energy Sustainable Solutions, a subsidiary of Duke
ide and sulfur dioxide, the six most common sources Energy that serves private and public companies, gov-
of air pollution. They also offer a high degree of cost ernment-led organizations and educational institutions
predictability, making it possible to lock in long-term nationwide. Tracy is an engineer whose career has been
power costs instead of facing yearly utility rate uncer- focused on creating energy savings and operational
tainty and increases. improvements for commercial and industrial projects.

SOLUTIONS
VALVES & PIPING
By Heinz P. Bloch
Consider modular reed valves

for your reciprocating compressors
Tips for reliability professionals engaged in due diligence
T
he main function of reciprocating com- manufacturer, the user-purchaser must be involved in
pressor valves is to control flow in and valve selection. Selection involves trade-offs. Perhaps
out of the compressor cylinders. Valves a given configurations has better efficiency but needs
are critically important components for more maintenance or the manufacturer believes that
reciprocating compressors; their functional integ- unless the marketplace demands it, there is no incentive
rity usually governs the availability, reliability and to change the present spare parts-oriented business
efficiency of these positive gas-displacing machines. model. Accordingly, he continues to provide valves
Virtually all manufacturers’ and users’ statistics place that do not represent best available technology.
valves at the top of failing components in reciprocat-
ing compressors. Modular reed valves
Four or five types of valve configurations are nor- Although new valve designs are not entering the market-
mally used in reciprocating compressors. Except for place every year, some new entries do exist and are well
suction valve unloaders, which use mechanisms to worth considering. In fact, because owner-purchasers
physically keep a valve open during part or the entire are likely the most reliability-focused of the various enti-
stroke length (displacement) of a piston, valves are ties dealing with valves, users will benefit from a fuller
actuated by differential gas pressure. Valves open when understanding why modular reed valves have found
the pressure on one side of the cylinder is greater than rapid acceptance since 2014; many are now installed
the pressure on the opposing side. in oil refineries and hydrogen compressors with power
The compressor designer’s and knowledgeable user’s ratings approaching 20,000 hp (see Figure 1).
choice of valve depends largely on the characteristics In traditional (legacy) valves, the gas must travel
or parameters of a process application. While valve around corners, which causes efficiency decays due
type and size are being specified by the compressor to pressure loss. However, in a modular reed valve, the
gas path is unobstructed. Also, the differential pres-
sure needed for a valve to open is considerably less in
modular reed valves than in legacy valves. When these
parameters combine with demonstrable life extensions,
the overall advantages are difficult to ignore.
Since many factors will affect reliability, user-to-
user comparisons can be difficult. We advocate that
reliability-focused owner-purchasers look for dem-
onstrated experience in similar services elsewhere.
As an important aside, a cooperative vendor or valve
manufacturer will not withhold their reference lists
from reliability professionals engaged in due diligence.
Design considerations
Considering modular reed valve design, the underlying
design principle of a modular reed valve is captured
Figure 1: in the term “straight-through flow” or StraightFlo.
Modular Although these valves are placed in the category “reed
reed valve valves,” their use of high-performance polymers and
Courtesy: truly modular elements of construction distinguish
Zahroof Valves them from most other valves.

SOLUTIONS
VALVES & PIPING
Figure 2: anticipated range of power losses. Obtaining a war-

Traditional ranty-backed gain of 0.5% in overall power efficiency
valves and in a 6,000-kW reciprocating compressor at $0.06/kwh
depiction and 8,760 operating hours per year is worth more than
of flow. one might think. Considering the value of downtime
Courtesy: avoidance will further enhance the often very attrac-
Zahroof tive payback.
Valves A competent valve manufacturer will explain all
about design compromises, gas velocity limitations,
the meaning of valve lift (distance from seated to
fully open, absence of valve flutter), tolerance for
liquids and solid impurities carried in the gas and
overall valve operation in clean versus fouling ser-
vices. Recall that there are bone-dry gases in some,
and oil carryover in other services. Explore if and how
compressor valves tolerate these extremes. Find out
before a sequence of premature failures tells you that
experimentation is rarely acceptable when important
In virtually all precursor valves, the gas must flow assets are involved.
at high velocity past two or more corners (see Figure
2). The StraightFlo valve has much lower pressure Examining modular reed valves
drop; it consistently results in power savings of 0.5% The inventor chose the generic term “modular reed
or higher (see Figure 3). The manufacturer submitted valve” for compressor valves designed and constructed
data from a highly instrumented case study indicat- as depicted in several of our illustrations. Adaptations
ing a 41% reduction of power losses in the valves of are available of different cages, stacked valve models,
a 1,000 hp integral gas engine compressor in natural unloading mechanisms and other configurational
gas service. Specific power (bhp/volume flow) was choices. However, the high-performance plastic, reed-
improved by 9.3% and similar results were achieved containing components depicted in Figure 1 are com-
at other compressor stations. mon to all; even their external dimensions are identical.
In the pursuit of comparison, a well-managed user- Where traditional valves experienced severe fouling, a
purchaser usually applies the principles of machinery StraightFlo drop-in replacement always showed con-
quality assessment (MQA)(ref. 2). While carrying out siderably less fouling in the same time frame. Because
their MQA tasks, reliability professionals verify that of its largely self-cleaning action, the drop-in replace-
the vendor’s material selection meets the purchaser’s ment greatly extends the run length capability of other
gas conditions, operating temperature criteria and valves. The novel valve concept allows field-cleaning
by a relatively inexperienced labor force and usually
takes less than 15 minutes.
We ascertained ease of service, improved compres-
sor flowrates, servicing possible by lower skilled work-
force members, above-average operating performance
over a very wide speed range and generally well above-
average availability/reliability. While the first applica-
tions were in upstream facilities (oil exploration and
gathering), StraightFlo valves have made significant
inroads in downstream facilities such as oil refineries
and petrochemical plants. The uniform construction of
Figure 3: Two the valve internals facilitates spare parts procurement
modular reed and management to an unusual degree.
elements The flow area ratios of two widely used valves were
illustrating compared with three modular StraightFlo valves;
straight- the percentage increases in flow areas were judged
through flow to be quite significant. Elementary physics explains
path. Courtesy: that, for a given volume of gas, larger flow areas have
Zahroof Valves lower pressure drop than smaller flow areas. Lower

maximum pressures in cylinders reduce pressure ing GmbH, Berlin, Germany, ISBN 978-3-11-067873-4
ratios by a small amount. Together with inherently
larger areas of gas passage, these ratio reductions Bloch, H. P., and F. K. Geitner; “Compressors: How
save energy and increase compressor throughput. to Achieve High Reliability & Availability,“(2012),
McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, New York, NY,
Final thoughts ISBN 978-0-07-177287-7
We were able to verify that the success of these valves is
based on well-instrumented factory tests as well as field Heinz P. Bloch resides in Montgomery, Texas. His
tests. We ascertained the various reports did not refer professional career commenced in 1962 and included
to comparisons of brand-new modular reed Straight- long-term assignments as Exxon Chemical’s Regional
Flo valves with old and/or worn valves. Instead, the Machinery Specialist for the US. He has authored
comparisons were for unused old-style valves versus or co-written more than 780 publications, among
unused new-style valves. them 23 comprehensive books on practical machin-
The tests also showed sizeable improvements in spe- ery management, failure analysis, failure avoidance,
cific energy efficiency (bhp divided by volume flow), compressors, steam turbines, pumps, oil mist lubrica-
no valve flutter, low noise and vibration, extremely low- tion and optimized lubrication for industry. Bloch
pressure differential needed to activate valves, greatly has B.S. and M.S. degrees (cum laude) in mechanical
extended trouble-free operating time and realization engineering from NCE, Newark College of Engineer-
of significant maintenance savings. PE ing. He is an ASME Life Fellow and was awarded
lifetime registration as a professional engineer in
References New Jersey. He is one of 10 inaugural inductees into
Bloch, H. P., and H.G. Elliott; “New Approaches to NCE’s Hall of Fame, which honors its most distin-
Compressor Technology,” (2021) De Gruyter Publish- guished alumni.
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PlantEngineering.

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