The critical role of proactive asset maintenance and risk assessment in averting significant operational risks and financial costs.
A machinemonitor® Case Study
By Ron Scollay, Technical Authority at machinemonitor® with over 30 years in the field.
Industry Relevance
In the mining industry, where equipment failure can result in substantial costs as well as production losses, reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) is not just a strategy—it's a necessity.
Maintenance, like insurance premiums, can often seem to have little benefit if there is no evidence of breakdown. However, the safe and viable continuation and longevity of critical electrical assets depends on a strategic maintenance approach centering long-term reliability.
In the following case study machinemonitor®, an innovative provider of maintenance solutions, demonstrates how condition monitoring of critical mill motors sustained continuous and safe operation to a planned outage maintenance opportunity.
The Real Cost of Failure
The 3 top costs associated with equipment failure extend beyond immediate repair needs:
Risk to Personnel Safety: Ensuring the safety of personnel through proactive maintenance is a critical duty of care.
Operational Costs: Beyond the direct repair or replacement of machinery, costs include craneage, personnel mobilization, and subcontracting, which are minimal compared to the production losses.
Financial Impact: For a typical concentrator plant, a single hour of downtime can cost between $30,000 to $50,000 in lost production for gold or copper, and approximately $10,000 for a cement mill.
Overview
Customer: Gold Mine, Assets Involved: 5500kW 11000 Volt Mill Motor
This case study highlights machinemonitor®'s approach in managing a critical anomaly in a high-capacity mill motor. The anomaly, characterized by abnormal current distortions, posed risks to equipment performance and personnel safety, necessitating immediate intervention.
Below we demonstrate how predictive maintenance can prevent catastrophic failures and align with safety and financial strategies.
The Problem
A stator wedge anomaly was detected in a 5500kW, 11000 Volt mill motor during routine operations. The anomaly was first identified by distortion in the line current, which prompted a further investigation.
3 Keys - The machinemonitor® Intervention and Solution
Machinemonitor® used RCM principles to mitigate risks and optimise asset performance for the mill. A comprehensive risk assessment guided the strategic action plan, prioritising maintenance of machine functionality while preparing for a planned outage to address the anomaly effectively.
The intervention by machinemonitor® involved 3 key actions:
Qualification of Anomaly: The initial anomaly detected by current distortion was followed by a visual inspection to confirm the issue.
Risk Assessment: A comprehensive risk assessment was conducted to understand the potential impact of the anomaly on operations, safety, and financial aspects.
Strategic Maintenance Planning: Instead of immediate corrective action, which would disrupt production, machinemonitor® qualified that the motor could run to the next mill reline outage. This allowed the motor to remain in service managing risk and maintaining production.
Outcomes
This case underlines the importance of effective asset management strategies in high-stake environments. The machinemonitor® proactive approach allowed the mine to continue operations until the planned outage, significantly reducing potential production losses.
Cost Savings: Through proactive maintenance, machinemonitor® minimised unplanned downtime, reducing associated costs and maximising production continuity for the customer.
Improved Reliability: machinemonitor's® interventions managed the reliability of the mill motor, to permit controlled and planned maintenance intervention.
Enhanced Safety: By promptly understanding the equipment risks, machinemonitor® ensured personnel safety and protected operations from maloperation and unexpected hazards.
Professional Recommendations
machinemonitor® is committed to lowering costs, ensuring production certainty, and extending the life of your valuable electrical assets.
To achieve these goals we recommend continued investment in predictive maintenance technologies and strategies to minimise operational risks and enhance profitability through uninterrupted production.
Prioritise proactive maintenance strategies to minimise downtime and optimise asset performance.
Implement reliability-centered maintenance principles to identify and address maintenance challenges effectively.
Understand the condition of the equipment performance and mitigate potential risks promptly.
The RCM approach serves as insurance against the higher costs of reactive unscheduled maintenance, unplanned shutdowns and production loss.Motors and generators are inherently reliable. The operational stresses at the shaft, load, and connection to the power supply are factors that contribute to ageing and developing failure mechanisms.
