Going beyond the repairable asset - part 3

Information is nothing without action: Making MES and SCADA packages deliver value in the real world.

From SCADA to MES, plant operation software provides almost unlimited information on what is working and what may be going wrong in a manufacturing process or warehouse environment. At some stage, however, somebody has to pick up a spanner and make physical changes to improve the operational outcomes.

At this point, argues ERIKS, Europe's largest MRO* vendor, manufacturers need a supplier with experience and specialised knowledge to ensure that real world physical improvements genuinely benefit the bottom line.

This is by no means to say that software systems aren't necessary or beneficial; indeed, they can be extremely useful as tools to provide insight and information, and to focus efforts in key areas of a business. They are, however, generally used in a reactive rather than proactive manner when it comes to measuring the operation conditions of existing plant.

For example, software is typically used to measure operating conditions against a baseline, calculated from initial plant startup data, or from figures supplied either by original equipment manufacturers or installation engineers. This information naturally has inherent value but, on its own, has limited practical use - it requires an experienced team to interpret the data and then take meaningful and appropriate action. Just as importantly, knowledge, skill and experience is needed to identify areas of plant operation that software analysis may fail to cover and to understand the impact of developing trends or changes in operating conditions.

What plant management systems are good at, however, is showing when improvements have been made and quantifying them, so that investment in MRO parts and procedures can be accurately cost justified. MRO suppliers will often provide estimated cost saving figures for the work they do, which can then be used as a reference point and, in many instances, tested and validated. For example, where there are several similar production lines, processes or machines on one site one can easily be used to trial proposed changes and then subsequently act as a benchmark for other lines or machines, if the work is successful.

Plant operation software, from simple data recording modules, to SCADA visualisation systems and plant-wide manufacturing execution systems (MES), can provide key metrics that show the historical, current and, in some instances, predicted status of operating systems. What software will not be able to do is to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in preventative maintenance techniques, products and materials. For this, once again, the human element is essential.

As an example, in recent years we've seen the advent of energy efficient drives and motors, power transmission systems that require minimal maintenance, roller chain that does not need lubrication, and seals that withstand wash-down and steam cleaning without damage.

All of these will reduce the need for routine maintenance and prevent unplanned stoppages, increasing plant uptime beyond original expectations. Yet to be effectively applied, all demand the knowledge that is only to be found among experienced engineers and maintenance teams; in particular among MRO professionals employed by specialists such as ERIKS, who benefit from the shared experience of working to improve performance at many different sites across the country, with a wide variety of product and service suppliers.

Another limitation of most software systems is their inability to look at an entire plant, break it down into its component parts and then proactively identify areas where maintenance can be reduced, efficiency increased or reliability improved beyond that of the original plant design capability.

This is where plant-wide electromechanical and maintenance services can be particularly effective in bringing about change in real-world circumstances. With an experienced multi-disciplinary team of people in place it becomes straightforward to make proactive changes and improvements in the reliability of plant and equipment, leading to improvements in productivity and reductions in operating costs.

Putting theory into practice:

To emphasise the point made above we can use the example of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). An OEE calculation provides a methodology for calculating the overall effectiveness of the equipment deployed, by measuring and then optimising the efficiency of machine performance or that of a complete manufacturing plant. This tool is frequently used by software vendors as a quantifiable benchmark to gauge efficiency and an OEE calculation can be a useful method of describing the positive effect of maintenance best practice.

An OEE score is made up of three components: Availability (A), percentage of uptime of each asset; Performance (P), percentage throughput against target; and Quality (Q), percentage of scrap or waste. When multiplied together A x P x Q = OEE and measures each different form of wastage in any manufacturing process.

Best practice dictates that once an OEE calculation has been made, a gap analysis is undertaken between the current plant efficiency and the desired target or benchmark. The necessary investment and optimisations can then be undertaken and progress monitored through the OEE calculation.

The big question faced by many companies that have bought into OEE software systems is, 'How do I convert all this information into tangible efficiency improvements and savings?'

The answer is straightforward, 'You have to start making changes to the operation, configuration or function of your plant and equipment.'

The changes in availability (A) might, for example, be a simple as replacing inefficient power transmission equipment or improving sealing materials, preventing leaks and replacing wear components with better quality options. Note, however, that each action has to relate to key factors such as reducing downtime or increasing production speed (Performance), to volume or quality improvements (Q) or waste reduction.

Bridging the gap between information and improvement is a task that is often best left to specialists. These are not generally found within on-site or directly employed teams, as even the most efficient and informed maintenance and production engineers are limited in their knowledge, simply because the majority of their time is taken-up working within their own company.

By comparison, a specialised supplier such as ERIKS can offer a cost effective solution. With over 300 engineers and 30 specialist engineering sites across the UK, including large scale electromechanical repair workshops, research and design centres and its own manufacturing base to look after, ERIKS not only provides the most comprehensive spread of maintenance services it is also the UK's largest industrial MRO component stock and distribution company, making it an ideal partner to any company looking to make the most of their plant management software systems.

* Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO), refers to materials and services that do not go directly into the end product, but are used by the plant to maintain, repair or operate the machinery and processes used in activity of manufacturing.