CLEVELAND, Jan. 23, 2020 TestOil, an industry leader in lubricant analysis, initiated a survey of industry leaders on their current satisfaction with generally accepted machinery criticality indices and rating scales. They found the following:
- 95% of respondents said a criticality index is something they either definitely or probably need.
- 53% of respondents said they are not currently using a criticality rating system.
- For those that are using a criticality rating system, 52% developed the method in house and 48% did not.
TestOil CEO Dan Richards said. "We used the survey to take the lead on this longstanding disconnect between plant operators, maintenance teams and their supporting vendors. Getting all the stakeholders on the same page regarding machine criticality promotes alignment on the most prudent allocation of time and financial resources. Let's face it, some problems are more important than others." Features of the systems survey respondents are currently using include:
- A 1-5 rating on a weighted matrix of potential safety risk, production risk, parts availability and estimated downtime due to likely failure modes
- A criticality matrix that takes into account: function; redundancy; likelihood of failure; consequences of failure; and the likely downtime
- A 3-tier system: normal, caution and alert
- A system that considers utilization rate, impact, consequences, maintainability, reliability, replacement value and the lead time to substitute equipment with a spare
- A system that assesses potential failures for each piece of equipment and consequences of those failures to safety, health, environmental, production and cost of repair/replacement
- A scale of 1-9 with 1 being most critical. Scoring criteria are based on the impact of equipment failure (loss of function) including safety, environmental compliance, regulatory compliance, availability and heat rate (efficiency)
TestOil's Chief Operating
Officer Mary Messuti said, "We continue to take leadership
positions on a number of pervasive industry issues, including criticality
rating standards. Where we see a need, we will step in, research the situation
and provide a well-thought out solution that benefits everyone. Taking positive
action is in our DNA."
TestOil's Business
Unit Manager Carolann Kolar said,"I spend a good part of my time
out in the field with TestOil's clients. Because I am on the front line along
with them, I know how important it is to catch machine failures before they
happen. A new and better criticality rating system would be an excellent step
in that direction."
With more than 30 years of
experience in the oil analysis industry, TestOil focuses exclusively on
assisting industrial facilities with reducing maintenance costs and avoiding
unexpected downtime through oil analysis program implementation. As industry
experts in diagnosing oil-related issues in equipment such as turbines,
hydraulics, gearboxes, pumps, compressors and diesel generators, TestOil
provides customers with a guarantee of same-day turnaround on all routine
testing. With in-house certified training professionals, TestOil offers
lubrication and oil analysis training, private onsite training, certification
training and exams, and educational webinars. For more information on
partnering with TestOil on oil analysis programs or training opportunities
visit http://wp.stage.testoil.com. Contact: 216-251-2510; sales@testoil.com.
