Precision Maintenance Training

What can you expect to learn?

This preparatory course is designed to be primarily taught to craft technical apprentices and/or new hires. Those working with and having responsibility for asset reliability will find the class valuable to assist in skills application efforts. The principles taught provide a foundation for apprentices that will be used throughout their technical career. Application for these learned principles and hands-on techniques increase field skill levels, build personal confidence and develop pride in applied work.

Objectives:

This hands-on skills course begins with an understanding of reliability principles, machinery failure patterns, and effective communication principles. This session teaches and applies fundamental field techniques such as shop mathematics, the correct use of precision measurement tools, proper application and adjustment of threaded fasteners. Participants review how motors, pumps, fans, gearboxes, and power transmission products function and fail. Attendees are introduced to various common machine components including bearings, seals, gaskets, and lubricants. A short introduction to pneumatic and hydraulic fluid power systems is provided. A continued utilization of these core and fundamental practices will greatly enhance the probability of assets attaining their correct manufacturing life cycles. Finally, attendees who receive this practical field skills knowledge increase their effectiveness in the application of craft knowledge.

Subjects

Included but not limited to:

• Introduction to Reliability
• Persuasive Communication
• Field Math
• Precision Measurement Tools
• Fits and Tolerances
• Threaded Fasteners
• Lubrication and Bearings
• Gaskets and Seals
• Equipment Types
• Machine Components

Target Participants:

The seminar is aimed towards participants with a mechanical craft background but production operators and engineers will find the seminar valuable and first-line supervision is encouraged to attend to demonstrate advocacy and understanding for renewed essentials.

Prerequisite:

None

Duration:

5 days of formal training for 15 participants. Recommended class make-up is 10 crafts personnel and 5 from the other mentioned roles.

Dates: See Training Calendar

What can you expect to learn?

Although all craft technicians have a set of basic skills, all too often we have found that they have forgotten, never used, or were not taught correct “precision” principles and techniques. Maintenance has typically been viewed from a “remove and replace” or “get it going” perspective and rarely includes; long-term, lowest cost, highest manufacturing reliability, profitability perspectives and/or “repair and improve”.

Objectives:

The course covers essential mechanical skills information, correct procedures, hands-on application with performance measured review and practice. Participants will be ready to apply and demonstrate; exact shaft/housing measurements, common assembly error reductions, typical case/pipe strain distortion corrections and precisely perform accurate machinery alignment. Attendees will be prepared to approach and retain improved asset balance quality and provide a “performance” field documentation that states as found as left conditions with the use of static and dynamic measurement tools to extend asset reliability. This initial module develops techniques and corrections for “common” machinery errors that may constitute as much as 70% of facility failures.

Subjects

Included but not limited to:

• Introduction to Reliable Manufacturing®
• Vibration as a “Precision” Tool
• Correctly Fitting Housings and Shafts
• Common Assembly Errors
• Practical Field Lubrication
• Precise Belt Alignment
• Achieving Precision Shaft Alignment
• Understanding Bearing Failure Types
• Improving Balance Quality
• Typical Machinery Errors

Target Participants:

All related mechanical craft technicians, first and second line supervision, planners, schedulers, maintenance work teams, operations/management/material coordinators, selected senior operators, and small project and large project managers.

Prerequisite:

Craft Personnel are expected to have a set of basic skills or ECS Field Prep.

Duration:

5 days of formal training for 15 participants. Recommended class make-up is 10 crafts personnel and 5 from the other mentioned roles.

Dates: See Training Calendar

What can you expect to learn?

Building on the lessons learned in ECS 1, ECS 2 provides participants with an analytical, application-based approach for maintenance activities. This seminar focuses on the complete spectrum of reducing component failures; (finding, recognizing, removal and prevention) that are responsible for limiting operational reliability and profitability in the manufacturing environment. This session allows participants to discover that significant equipment failure may have nothing to do with a precise alignment or balance and then provides them the hands-on field techniques to alter and reduce these types of failures.

Objectives:

This session focuses on specific issues that surround the practices and components that commonly fail, i.e. bearings, lubrication, power transmission and sealing systems. The class includes learning the proper manner to disassemble failed machines to effectively and efficiently document failure symptoms and then use those symptoms to assist in determining the failure root causes. Fit charts in-class interpretation exercise identify bearing failure resources with a working practical knowledge of; application, identification, removal and installation techniques. Focus continues on the application of proven lubrication best practice skills including; selection, properties, types, housing, delivery systems. Session correction emphasis is then placed on the smaller “balance of plant” machines that represent the majority of the total facility asset base. The power transmission section introduces the correct selection, installation, inspection and lubrication of common couplings. We finish with an introduction to the various shaft sealing systems to better recognize and field correct typical failure modes. Key elements of this seminar include immediately applicable knowledge, with “hands-on, performance-based dynamic” class exercises. Classroom system “performance” measurements provide technicians with immediate feedback on application results and the value of applied techniques. These hands-on-exercises comprise approximately 50% of the class.

Subjects

Included but not limited to:

• Improvement by Precision
• Machinery Inspection Techniques
• Determining Failure Through Inspection
• Rolling Element Bearings
• Lubrication & Lubricant Maintenance
• Power Transmission Devices
• Packing & Mechanical Seals
• Shaft Sealing Systems

Target Participants:

All related mechanical craft technicians, first and second line supervision, planners, schedulers, maintenance work teams, operations/maintenance/material coordinators, selected senior operators, and small project and large project managers.

Prerequisite:

Craft personnel is expected to have previously successfully attended and field applied techniques taught and discussed in Essential Craft Skills 1.

Duration:

The session is five full days for up to 15 participants.

What can you expect to learn?

The essential premise of any hydraulic system is: force applied at one point, is equally transmitted to another, using an incompressible fluid. Most fluid power problems are the result of poor installation practices, a “replacement” approach to troubleshooting, an improper adjustment of fluid controls. These strategies are found to be ineffective in improving asset reliability, consume un-needed time/resources and reduce manufacturing quality/throughput.

Objectives:

Class participants will have a thorough understanding of practical fluid power operation principles, common failure modes for fluid and pneumatic assets with field-tested techniques to prevent failure. Attendees will be ready to apply and demonstrate the identification problems including the effects of poor fluid conditioning, pump and actuator assembly errors, cavitation and aeration, incorrect control adjustments, excessive temperature, fluid conductor leaks, and provide a “performance” report that states as found and as left condition with the use of dynamic measurement tools to extend asset reliability. In-class hands-on activities provide proper techniques to place equipment in a more reliable and precise state, Attendees will be introduced to a logical troubleshooting approach by understanding symbols, schematics and correctly interpret machinery operating data. Class focus is not on fixing or replacing but in preventing fluid power issues from happening in the first place.

Subjects

Included but not limited to:

• Introduction to Reliable Manufacturing®
• Introduction to Fluid Power Systems
• Fluid Power Advantages & Disadvantages
• Hydraulic Essential Principles
• Pneumatic Essential Principles
• Hands-On Component Inspections
• Component Failure Sources
• Hydraulic and Pneumatic Safety Tips
• Schematics and “Logical” Troubleshooting

Target Participants:

The seminar is aimed towards participants with a mechanical craft background but production operators and engineers will find the seminar valuable and first-line supervision is encouraged to attend to demonstrate advocacy and understanding for renewed essentials.

Prerequisite:

It is highly recommended that Craft personnel have previously successfully attended and field applied techniques discovered in Essential Craft Skills 1 & 2

Duration:

5 days of formal training for 15 participants. Recommended class make-up is 10 crafts personnel and 5 from the other mentioned roles.

What can you expect to learn?

Manufacturing reliability, production quality/quantity and maintenance cost are greatly affected by centrifugal pump performance. Today’s “remove and replace” mentality has left little room for correct identification and elimination of design, process, and maintenance errors. This class focuses on error detection and prevention with best-in-class techniques to improve “Reliable Manufacturing®”.

Objectives:

This class uses a dynamic process approach to recognize and significantly reduce common pump and sealing problems/failures. This allows attendees to recognize, explain and describe; different pump types with operational differences for correct utilization. Attendees determine and demonstrate hands-on performance activities, best efficiency point (BEP) with considerations for; specific gravity, pressure, head determination, flow and flow restrictions. Participants understand and describe operational issues and component damage caused by vaporization, air entrainment, turbulent flow, recirculation, vane pass, double pumping, piping configuration, impeller system modifications, common maintenance impeller system modifications, common maintenance practice errors and their effects/influence on pump performance and reliability. The class discusses and proves how to measure, determine, demonstrate and correct the effects of; system errors, incorrect valves, fittings/piping within a dynamic system. Various packing types, arrangements, calculations, ring number, length, and cuts are covered. Students install, correctly tension, and dynamically measure packing/seal application results. Classroom hands-on exercises comprise approximately 50% of the class.

Subjects

Included but not limited to:

• Introduction to Pumps and Systems
• Fluid Properties
• Troubleshooting Incorrect Pump/System Design
• Machine Frames/Bases
• Compression Packing Installation & Analysis
• Field Observation & Documentation

Target Participants:

This series course is aimed towards participants with a Mechanical Craft background. Engineers and first-line supervision will find the seminar valuable and are encouraged to attend to demonstrate advocacy and increase their understanding for renewed essentials. First-line maintenance/production supervision and engineers are encouraged to assist with field assignments and application sustainability.

Prerequisite:

Participants are encouraged to have completed “Essential Craft Skills … Machinery Assembly and Installation” and have a mechanical craft background.

Duration:

5 days of formal training for 15 participants. Recommended class make-up is 10 crafts personnel and 5 from the other mentioned roles

What can you expect to learn?

In these days of increased pressure to provide improved and sustainable profit margins with fewer people and less capital, it has become ever more important that we improve the reliability of the process, asset, engineering, design, purchasing, warehousing, and all others. Reliability within manufacturing, therefore, becomes paramount to asset availability and on-time consistent quality product delivery.

Objectives:

This session is an opportunity to accelerate “reliability” work. We begin each subject with a look at what the “best-in-class” performers do today, how they view and cause work to move forward, measurement tactics that provide a “scorecard” review of success and just how “skill set” work is incorporated at the floor. Each chapter provides reliability “observation” notes to assist in the determination of current activities and on the floor culture. Paramount to this work is the development, implementation, and sustainability of correct principles with on the floor work application. While all are involved in this work, leadership requires a global view to begin improvements in the right directions and levels. Site leaders will find this class loaded with field applicable practical tips, vital information to begin documentation and reassess sustainability within Reliable Manufacturing®.

Subjects

Included but not limited to:

• Understanding Reliable Manufacturing®
• Function & Foundation
• How Machines Fail
• Becoming Reliable & Predictable
• Recognizing Essential Skills Elements
• Asset Strategies...Defining, Developing, Validating Design for Reliability
• Determining Asset Health
• Define the Work System Essentials
• Creating an Improvement Plan...Proving Added Value
• Implement, Sustain, Institutionalize
• Instructional Development...Consistency and Reliability

Target Participants:

Corporate, Senior, and Area/Line Managers/Superintendents, Maintenance and Operation Supervisors

Prerequisite:

Appropriate background and responsibilities

Duration:

Five days