Maintworld Magazine 2/2023

2/2023 maintworld.com 

maintenance & asset management 

Reduce “dirty 

hours” and 

create value 

p 26 

The mystery 

of methane 

p 38 

The Rise of 

Maintenance 

Droids p 10

EDITORIAL 

A very Finnish problem? 

The Finnish technology industry 

estimates that it will 

need in the coming ten years 

around 130,000 new professionals. 

Altogether, there 

are now 317,000 employees working in 

Finland's technology sector, so the need 

for 130,000 new professionals is daunting. 

If this goal is not achieved, it is 

estimated that the sustainable economic 

growth enabled by Finland's digital 

green transformation in the industry 

will not be realized. Additionally, the 

situation is exacerbated by the fact that 

there are also skills needs in other sectors, 

and more professionals need to 

graduate from educational institutions. 

We started the EFNMS (European Federation of National Maintenance 

Societies) EMAM 23 survey some time ago and obtained the results at the end 

of April. We received almost 200 answers from 29 countries – mainly from 

Europe. One of the questions was related to recruiting of new personnel. 

The outcome was that 77% said it is hard to find new personnel. Meanwhile, 

18% said it is almost impossible. 

The problem with human resources is a challenging one. We see a lot of 

aging personnel in companies, especially around technical services. Because of 

the increasing automation and new digitalization tools, productivity has risen, 

and companies do not see any need to replace retiring people. Companies have 

noticed that they have partly lost the silent competence of existing assets. One 

of the hot topics now – for several reasons – is the discussion of retirement age 

and flexible ways of prolonging the active working life of an individual. 

On the other side, there is the issue of getting new talents into technical services 

and maintenance, asset management, or whatever, one may call it. There 

are other areas considered to be more attractive among young people, also 

referring to the results of student inquiries. How can we improve our status and 

external image among decision-makers and new talents as an industry? Not an 

easy task, but we must do our best. 

In this issue, there are some flashbacks from the EuroMaintenance 2023 

event held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in April 2023. This includes a Maintworld-interview 

with Diego Galar, professor in Operation and Maintenance 

Engineering at the Luleå University of Technology, who was elected by the 

General Assembly of the European Federation of National Maintenance Societies 

(EFNMS) as the new Secretary and Director of Industry Relations within 

the Board of Directors. This issue will also provide information on industrial 

robotics. Many types of robots have been developed to handle various situations 

in the industry and transportation sectors. For instance, drones are already 

deployed in many industries for asset inspections, security, and surveillance. 

We will return with the EMAM 24 survey at the beginning of 2024. The 

results will be published during the coming EuroMaintenance 24 event scheduled 

for 16–18 September 2024 in Rimini, Italy. 

See You latest in Rimini! 

Jaakko Tennilä 

Editor-in-Chief, Maintworld magazine 

28 

Plantwide 

ecosystems 

enable organisations to 

gather more data than 

ever before relating to the 

performance, health and 

status of process equipment 

and automation systems. 

4 maintworld 2/2023

IN THIS ISSUE 2/2023 

48 

Maintenance 

activities are one 

of the most critical safety and 

health factors in all industries, 

especially in mining. 

19 

A 

cleaning technique that can 

return a heat exchanger to 

almost its original design values 

is a very important asset today. 

4 Editorial 

6 News 

10 

16 

The Rise of Maintenance Droids 

Tips for improving the efficiency and 

reliability of your motor-driven systems 

19 

Thermal cleaning, no alternative 

but a better way to clean 

22 

Four reasons we send our industrial air 

compressors to an early grave 

24 

26 

28 

32 

36 

38 

Reduce “dirty hours” and create value 

Avoiding electrical motor failures 

Outsourcing analysis of key plant data 

helps to increase efficiency, reliability 

and profitability 

EFNMS– Asset Management at its Best 

Swedish maintenance industry 

looks boldly to the future 

Solving the impossible problem of 

surging methane emissions 

42 

44 

46 

48 

An integrated approach to 

infrastructure integrity 

Finnish engineers create novel sensor 

technology to prevent hot car deaths 

Compressor installation and 

maintenance: How to assure reliable 

operation of your reciprocating 

compressor 

Occupational safety and health 

cooperation in maintenance at 

mining sites 

Issued by Promaint (Finnish Maintenance Society), Messuaukio 1, 00520 Helsinki, Finland, tel. +358 29 007 4570. Editor-in-chief Jaakko 

Tennilä, Promaint. Publisher Avone Oy, avone.fi, executive producer Vaula Aunola, editor@maintworld.com, producer Nina Garlo-Melkas. 

Advertisements Kai Portman, Sales Director, tel. +358 358 44 763 2573, kai@maintworld.com. Layout Avone. Subscriptions and Change of 

Address: toimisto@kunnossapito.fi. Printed by Savion Kirjapaino Oy Frequency 4 issues per year, ISSN L 1798-7024, ISSN 1798-7024 (print), 

ISSN 1799-8670 (online). 

2/2023 maintworld 5

In Short 

The global contract manufacturing market was 

valued at USD 246.51 billion in 2022 and 

is slated to reach USD 512.74 billion by 2030 

at a CAGR of 9.58 % from 2023-2030. 

Source: ResearchAndMarkets.com 

Global Logistics Robots 

Market Report 2023: 

Increase in the number 

of logistics and warehousing 

companies incorporating robots 

is driving growth 

THE GLOBAL LOGISTICS ROBOTS market 

size reached US$ 15.2 billion in 2022. 

Looking forward, Research and Markets 

expects the market to reach US$ 

58.6 billion by 2028, exhibiting a 

CAGR of 25.22% during 2022-2028. 

An increase in the number of 

logistics and warehousing companies 

that are incorporating robots 

to improve speed and efficiency and 

remain competitive in the market are 

propelling the demand for logistics robots 

worldwide. 

Moreover, the adoption of advanced technologies, 

such as robotic warehousing and logistics 

technologies, is growing on account of the sudden outbreak of the coronavirus 

disease (COVID-19) and the consequent lockdowns imposed by governments of 

various countries to prevent the transmission of the pandemic. This can also be 

accredited to the temporary closure of manufacturing units, disruptions in the 

supply chain and labour shortage. 

Due to the increasing internet penetration and a rising preference for online 

shopping, the e-commerce sector is burgeoning, especially in emerging economies. 

Organizations in this sector are emphasizing the improvement of packaging 

quality, concentrating on timely delivery and deploying logistics robots, which is 

anticipated to fuel the market growth in the upcoming years. 

The global construction 

equipment rental market size 

valued at USD 187.46 billion in 

2022; expected to expand at an 

annual growth rate (CAGR) of 

6.12% from 2023 to 2030 

Drone Roof 

Inspection 

Market to 

reach USD 

645.3 million 

by end-2033 

THE GLOBAL DRONE roof inspection 

market share is estimated to be US$ 171 

million in 2023 and is expected to expand 

at a CAGR of 14.2% during the forecast 

years of 2023-2033, states market 

research and competitive intelligence 

provider Fact.MR. 

Drone-based roof inspection has many 

advantages such as the process is much 

safer and more efficient. Drones can also 

reduce the manpower needed and amount 

of time invested drastically. In some cases, 

the roof is inaccessible or unsafe for 

humans to physically climb and inspect. In 

such cases, drone-based roof inspection 

can easily produce images which contractors 

can inspect from a safer distance and 

position. 

Technological advancements have 

equipped end users with several options 

such as, roof inspection by remotelypiloted 

drones, optionally piloted or fully 

autonomous drones. Drones for roof 

inspection are deployed with high quality 

cameras and GPS. By using fully autonomous 

mode, the pilot can concentrate on 

camera positioning while roof inspection 

is carried out by a robotically-controlled 

drone, says Fact.MR in a statement. 

CONSTRUCTION and mining operations have been sparked in emerging economies 

around the world by the increase in government spending on the development of 

public infrastructure. Due to this factor, there is a significant market demand for 

construction equipment. 

The rise in prices for new construction machines is encouraging construction 

companies and contractors to shift their interest towards renting construction 

equipment. Further, the emergence of advanced technologies and increasing levels 

of automation is expected to propel the growth. Source: Grand View Research 


70% 

Thanks 

to its fleet of nuclear plants and high shares of electricity generation 

from biomass, hydro and wind power, Finland has a low reliance on fossil fuels. 

In 2021, fossil fuels covered 36% of its total energy supply, well below 

the IEA average of 70%. Among IEA member countries, only Sweden has 

a lower share of fossil fuels in its energy mix. Source: IEA Policy Review 

SSAB and Loimua to study 

use of waste heat in the 

district heating network 

SSAB and Loimua, which produces 

and supplies district 

heating, have agreed to study 

the use of waste heat from 

SSAB Hämeenlinna in the 

local district heating network. A study of 

the additional potential to use the waste 

heat for district heating and a concept of 

heat recovery at the works will be conducted 

during 2023. 

The potential for use as district heating 

corresponds to the amount of heat 

used by more than a hundred and fifty 

apartment blocks. 

– If the investment materializes, 

it could occasionally replace fossil 

fuels, like natural gas, during the 

coldest heating season. At other 

times of the year, use of the waste 

heat in district heating production 

would also reduce the use of biofuels. 

If implemented, the project will have 

a major impact on improving energy 

production since it would allow an 

increase in the share of heat produced 

without combustion, says COO 

Maija Henell at Loimua Oy. 

– SSAB is committed to acting systematically, 

proactively and in a goaldriven 

way to minimize the environmental 

impacts of our operations 

and to improve the material and 

energy efficiency of our operations. 

Increased cooperation with Loimua 

to use our waste heat would very well 

serve this goal by reducing the heat 

load released into waterways, adds 

Mikko Lepistö, Manager, Energy 

in Production Operations at SSAB 

Europe. 

The parties will study the technical 

and economic feasibility of the project 

during 2023, following which any investment 

decisions will be made. If it materializes, 

the project will require heat recovery 

and heat pump systems on the SSAB 

Hämeenlinna site and a strengthening of 

the main district heating network. 

The potential 

for use as 

district heating 

corresponds to the 

amount of heat 

used by more than 

a hundred and fifty 

apartment blocks. 


In Short 

The industrial maintenance services 

market is expected to grow to $66.93 

billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 6.5%. 

Source: The Business Research Company. 

"The industrial Internet is the 

foundation of intelligent mines" 

THE INTELLIGENT MINE solution powered 

by 5G and the industrial Internet that 

was jointly developed by Huawei and 

Shaanxi Coal Industry Co., Ltd. (Shaanxi 

Coal Company) has hit its one-year 

milestone. The partnership has 

created a new benchmark of 

intelligent mines for the industry. 

Jun Xu, CTO of Huawei's 

Mine BU, said that Huawei 

has worked with Shaanxi Coal 

Company's Hongliulin Coal 

Mine and Xiaobaodang Coal 

Mine to develop new practices 

and applications that meet the 

specific requirements of coal 

production. 

Technologies like 5G, cloud 

computing, and AI, as well as related 

digital applications, have been leveraged 

to significantly improve production 

efficiency and operational safety at the mines of 

Shaanxi Coal Company. 

As a result, the Hongliulin Coal Mine now has 18% fewer 

workers working underground. In addition, 97.7% of its mine 

faces now support intelligent mining, and intelligent management 

has been made possible for the underground mine face using 5G 

video splicing and video calls. 

More than 2,700 sets of equipment at the mine 

are now interconnected using unified data 

standards, with 170 million pieces of data 

streamed to the data lake every day. This 

data has been used to create over 100 

digital models. This data can also be used 

to inform production and operation 

decision-making and to develop new 

digital applications using "zero-code" 

development tools. 

The Xiaobaodang Coal Mine has 

also used 5G and other technologies 

to enable intelligent mining processes, 

equipment, and management, 

significantly improving operational 

safety and production efficiency. 

The mine's underground workforce 

has reduced by 42%. Key facilities in 

the mine, such as the underground water 

pump rooms and substations, have achieved 

intelligent, unattended operations, thanks 

to machine patrol inspection and video-based 

collaboration. In terms of production safety, environmental 

monitoring devices are able to autonomously detect and give out 

warnings related to gas build-up, fires, flooding, ventilation issues 

and geological events, and enable real-time data interconnection. 

This can support more informed decision making to greatly 

improve safety management at the mine. 

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY PARTNERS WITH UK 

FIRM TO MONITOR WATER FOR DEADLY BACTERIA 

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY in the United Kingdom is 

helping SAS Water to develop a new product to prevent the 

spread of deadly bacteria Legionella. If left undetected in water 

supplies, Legionella can grow to dangerous levels and cause the 

respiratory infection Legionnaires' disease. 

SAS Water, based in Leek, is an industry leader in Legionella 

control with more than 30 years' experience of working with 

clients across private and public sectors including factories, 

councils, nursing homes, housing associations, hotels, spas 

and leisure centres. Now, the company has teamed up with 

Staffordshire University on a project which aims to transform the 

market for water safety. 

– Each year, hundreds of Legionella outbreaks are discovered 

across the UK and can result in serious illness and death. 

Businesses have a legal obligation to understand and minimise 

the risk of Legionella and we provide a range of services to 

help them do this, Lizzie Ward, Managing Director of SAS Water, 

explained. 

– We had an idea for a new product but didn’t have the 

technical know-how to bring it to life. So, working with 

Staffordshire University seemed liked a fantastic opportunity. 

Legionella risk is usually monitored through temperature 

checks and the regular flushing of water systems. To improve 

accuracy and save resources, SAS Water is now developing a 

sensor-based solution to automatically monitor water for the 

bacteria, using low powered, cutting-edge sensor technologies 

and a cloud-based management system. 

SAS Water has accessed a range of funded support through 

Staffordshire University’s Innovation Enterprise Zone. After 

developing the product concept and a prototype, the company 

has now entered a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership 

(KTP) with Staffordshire University to bring the product to 

market. 

– SAS Water is a brilliant, forward-thinking company and 

this is the perfect example of knowledge transfer. You have 

a business with an idea for a project but lacking the internal 

expertise to deliver it. We have incredible knowledge within 

our academic teams. It's a fantastic way of driving businesses 

forward, Philip O’Neil, Employer Partnership Development 

Manager at Staffordshire University, said. 


150 TWh staggering 

The white paper “Thermal Energy Harvesting”, published 

by the Knowledge Center Organic Rankine Cycle (KCORC), 

puts the potential for generating electricity from currently 

untapped thermal energy in industrial processes at a 

150 TWh every year. 

Hynion AS and H2X Global Ltd. 

team up to fuel the future of 

transportation 

HYNION AS, the top hydrogen fuel supplier in 

Scandinavia, has entered into partnership with H2X Global 

Ltd., the leading Australian manufacturer of hydrogen 

fuel cell vehicles. Together, the companies will establish 

commercial fleets of hydrogen-powered vehicles and the 

necessary infrastructure to keep them running. 

H2X Global has already secured orders for several 

commercial hydrogen vehicles in Gothenburg, and with 

Hynion’s network of hydrogen refuelling stations set 

to expand in the near future, the partnership is sure to 

make a huge impact on the market. This collaboration will 

improve market penetration and accelerate the transition 

to zero-emission alternatives, like hydrogen fuel. 

– This cooperation agreement will help us deploy our 

hydrogen-powered vehicles more effectively and make 

a real difference in the world, Peter Westh, CEO of the 

Swedish subsidiary H2X Gothenburg AB, said. 

Rejlers heads electrical 

and automation design 

for Norway’s longest 

railway bridge 

REJLERS NORWAY has been commissioned to 

assist Implenia with electrical and automation 

design work when the country's longest railway 

bridge is to be built over Tangenvika. Implenia is 

the main contractor for the BaneNor project in 

Stange municipality. 

The railway bridge will be slightly more 

than one kilometre in length and high demands 

have been placed on the environment and 

sustainability to ensure the least possible 

impact on the environment in and around 

Mjøsa. The project will be environmentally 

certified according to BREEAM Infrastructure by 

Norconsult, which is the main consultant. Rejlers 

Norway will plan the electrical and automation 

facilities in the deck and shipping lane below. 

– We are delighted to have been selected to 

provide our services and advice in connection 

with the construction of the longest railway 

bridge in Norway. We will work together with 

Implenia and Norconsult to ensure that this 

project is a true success that delivers more ecofriendly 

freight traffic and reduces travel time 

between Oslo and Hamar, says Ragnar Holtan, 

CEO of Rejlers consultancy division Omega 

Holtan. 

The dualling of the line between Hamar and 

Oslo will allow trains to run at speeds of up to 

250 km/h. This means additional departures, 

shorter journey times and enhanced freight 

capacity. The project is scheduled for completion 

in 2027. 


ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION 

The Rise of 

Maintenance 

Droids 

Professors DIEGO GALAR, RAMIN 

KARIM AND UDAY KUMAR from the 

University of Luleå, Sweden 

A popular vision of a 

future with robots was 

created by the immensely 

popular Star Wars movies. 

The word “droid” is so 

ubiquitous that it is hard 

to believe the word was 

created and trademarked 

by George Lucas, the films’ 

director. In fact, Star Wars 

robots have motivated real 

science. As an example, 

NASA’s personal satellite 

assistant was inspired by 

the lightsaber training droid 

used by Luke Skywalker. If 

a minor droid in Star Wars 

can influence NASA, can R2- 

D2 and BB-8, the movies’ 

two nonanthropomorphic 

robots, have an effect on 

how we conduct repairs? 

One interesting feature 

of R2-D2 and BB-8 is 

how they communicate 

nonverbally, using 

expressive beeps and 

whistles for classic communication 

functions, such as initiating com- 



munication and signalling that they 

are paying attention, an interesting 

precursor of M2M interaction in complex 

maintenance actions. However, 

the applicability of R2-D2 and BB-8 

to maintenance is questionable, and 

what they may inspire in the next generation 

of roboticists is unknown. But 

simply thinking in this direction raises 

an interesting question: How would a 

real-life repair robot be different from 

the admittedly more fanciful R2-D2 

and BB-8? 

Autonomous robots, i.e., freely 

moving robots that operate without 

direct human supervision, are 

expected to function in complex, 

unstructured environments and make 

decisions on what action to take in any 

given situation. They gain information 

on their surroundings via sensors. 

The information is processed in the 

robot’s “brain,” consisting of one or 

more microcontrollers; after processing, 

motor signals 

are sent to the 

actuators (motors) 

of the robot, and it 

can act. Thus, the 

“brain” is the system 

that provides an 

autonomous robot, 

however simple, with 

the ability to process information and 

decide which actions to take. The main 

difficulty is training robots to perform 

maintenance effectively in different 

and little-known environments. 

Autonomous robots, including 

unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 

remotely operated vehicles, are currently 

used in various industrial settings 

for inspection and maintenance. 

Inspection is a simple observation 

action and thus is the simplest task for 

maintenance robots. As autonomous 

robots can be programmed for repetitive 

and specific tasks, the development 

of inspection operations for 

industrial assets using UAVs is relatively 

mature. 

FEATURES OF MAINTENANCE 

ROBOTS 

Many different robots have already 

been developed to handle various situations 

in industry and transportation 

sectors. However, most are limited to 

special situations or applications. To 

execute the desired tasks, autonomous 

robots, as well as all other technical 

systems, have to fulfil certain requirements. 

The requirements and their 

importance and focus depend on the 

individual application or tasks. Nevertheless, 

we can formulate a general set 

of requirements as follows: 

Velocity and mobility: Vehicle 

speed and dynamics (ability to move) 

are two main aspects of robot design. 

Depending on the dimension of the 

asset, the robot may have to reach a 

relatively high velocity for sufficiently 

fast navigation between inspection 

areas or similar points of action. 

Another requirement is related to the 

desired manipulation and positioning 

capabilities of the system. This 

includes the precision of locomotion, 

as some inspection sensors need to 

be moved in a smooth and continuous 

way over the surface. The robot 

may also need to move sideways or to 

turn 360° to position sensors or tools. 

The system dynamics should be able 

to handle the 

various terrains 

The importance of 

autonomous inspections 

and maintenance 

is increasing. 

and reach all 

positions of the 

asset. 

Payload: 

Depending on 

the application, 

the system 

must be able to carry payloads of different 

weights. For example, in the 

case of steel piping, a payload of 5 kg 

or more is mandatory to carry ultrasonic 

inspection sensors. This requires 

a much bigger robot than a system 

which just needs a simple camera with 

a weight of several hundred grams. In 

other words, the dimension, adhesion, 

and motion components of the robot 

need to be adapted for the application. 

Reliability and safety: An important 

non-functional aspect is the robustness 

of the system. If the autonomous 

robot fails frequently during one 

inspection task, it is not usable in 

practice. The requirements of reliability 

and safety include robust hardware, 

optimal controllers, and methods 

to detect and handle hazardous 

situations and to recover from them. 

Usability: Velocity, manoeuvrability, 

and the capability of carrying a 

certain payload are important, but 

they are only the basis of the general 

operability of the system. To bring a 

robotic system into application, it has 

to be more powerful, more efficient, 



and less dangerous than common 

approaches. This includes aspects of 

maintainability and a broad range 

of other tasks. Therefore, it must 

be able to carry different payloads 

(e.g., inspection sensors or tools) 

depending on the desired task, parts 

need to be easily replaceable, and 

the operation must be faster and less 

complicated than existing approaches. 

Aspects like energy consumption, 

weight, or dimension of the system 

can be important as well. 

The use of drones, 

robots, and UAVs will 

rapidly become more 

popular and commonplace 

because of their 

ability to decrease 

costs and keep human 

workers safe. 

TYPES OF ROBOTS IN 

MAINTENANCE – NOW AND 

IN THE FUTURE 

The vision of using drones and robots 

in maintenance and inspection tasks 

is already materializing. Drones are 

deployed in many industries not only 

for asset inspections but also for security 

and surveillance. Most deployments 

are in utilities and power generation, 

oil and gas, or infrastructure 

management, but the aero industry 

is deploying UAVs to inspect aircraft. 

This includes the possibility of 

launching a UAV every time an aircraft 

approaches a gate, as a means of 

monitoring potential damage. 

Robots often perform tasks that 

are difficult, unsafe, or tedious for 

humans. In fact, in any industry, 

safety and cost are two of the most 

significant drivers of operation and 

maintenance and are always important. 

Many industrial work areas are 

hazardous, so measures must be taken 

to secure the safety of users. For 

instance, working on energised highvoltage 

transmission lines, sometimes 

several metres in the air, can make 

the consequences of a mistake deadly. 

Unmanned systems have the potential 

to reduce the risk exposure of the 

operational workforce and improve 

the safety of personnel. 

The use of drones, robots, and 

UAVs will rapidly become more popular 

and commonplace because of their 

ability to decrease costs and keep 

human workers safe. They are becoming 

more versatile and useful as their 

functionalities and intelligence continue 

to be improved. For instance, 

UAV vendors are working towards 

releasing cognitive drones, which will 

be able to intelligently tune the rate of 

their data collection depending on the 

context of the inspection. For example, 

cognitive drones will be able to 

collect more images of damaged parts 

by adapting their operation whenever 

they identify a damaged part. 

In the future, it’s likely that we 

will see inspections and maintenance 

tasks carried out by voice-guided 

robots. We’ll also see actuator robots 

complete routine field inspections, 

thanks to a host of attractive features, 

such as flexibility, adaptability, and 

a range of payloads, while human 

workers turn to safer, supervisory 

roles. Sensors on board will include 

high-resolution digital and infrared 

cameras, Light Detection and Ranging 

(LiDAR), geographic information 

systems (GIS), sonar sensors, 

and ultrasonic sensors. Drones can 

be equipped with forward-looking 

infrared (FLIR), or ultraviolet sensors 

can detect hot spots or corona 

discharge on conductors and insulators, 

signalling a potential defect or 

weakness in the component. LiDAR 

can be integrated with drones to survey 

a proposed right-of-way, show the 

infrastructure situation when seismic 

conditions are changing, or monitor 

the encroachment of vegetation. 

There are many more potential uses, 

and these examples are only the tip of 

the iceberg. 

At present, most UAVs are 

remotely operated by expert pilots, 

but the next phase of UAV technology 

will include “smarter” machines 

that fly autonomously. This is already 

a reality in the military environment 

to some extent and is quickly entering 

industry. The new technology will 

allow UAVs to sense and avoid other 

objects in their path, recognise features 

or components through various 

sensors (including cameras) using 


Manage, trend, and analyze 

ultrasound and vibration 

data with the integrated 

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complex software algorithms, such 

as image processing algorithms, and 

achieve situational awareness. This 

will foster calculated decision-making, 

such as initiating focused inspections, 

issuing work orders for repairs, 

and starting maintenance work with 

the same robot or another autonomous 

robot integrated in the system. 

In the not-so-distant future, there 

will be a much wider variety of robots 

depending on the features needed 

and the task to be performed. Drones 

and UAV are cheap and affordable for 

inspection and minor interventions, 

but if a higher payload and stability are 

required, a mobile platform equipped 

with robotic arms might be an option. 

Robotic platforms represent an opportunity 

to access hard-to-reach assets 

and perform the required tasks. 

Perhaps it’s time to start thinking 

about robot maintainability. This 

could represent a new discipline 

where assets are designed to be maintained 

by robots and not by humans. 

At the moment, most assets are 

designed for human size and tools. In 

the future, we may switch to robotic 

capabilities and dimensions when we 

design maintainability policies and 

methodologies. 

FIELDS OF APPLICATION 

Remotely controlled and autonomous 

inspection and maintenance devices are 

used in different sectors for different 

purposes, but the inspection of remote 

and difficult-to-access environments 

seems to be the main application. For 

example, UAVs are used for inspection 

in assets in oil and gas industries, 

and underwater robots are used for 

maintenance on offshore platforms. 

Oil and gas companies are interested 

in UAVs for inspection and exploration 

purposes, as they offer a less expensive 

means of surveying the terrain where 

pipelines are installed. They also offer a 

way to patrol the pipes to look for disruptions 

or leaks caused by accidents 

such as landslides or lightning strikes 

or for damage caused by vehicles or 

falling trees. In certain areas of the 

world, sabotage is not uncommon, so 

they look for this as well. 

The energy sector has been a pioneer 

in the application of robots for 

inspection and maintenance. Power 

suppliers have traditionally inspected 

power lines for encroaching trees, 

New assets should 

incorporate ways to be 

maintained by robots 

and not humans. 

damage to structures, and deterioration 

of insulators by having employees 

traverse the lines on foot and climb 

the poles. This is time-consuming 

and arduous, with a considerable ele- 

ment of risk. Things changed when 

companies began to send out manned 

helicopters; crews used binoculars and 

thermal imagers to detect the breakdown 

of insulators. Using UAVs to 

inspect power lines promises to further 

revolutionize the industry. UAVs offer 

lower costs, do not create a hazard for 

aircrews, can operate in more adverse 

weather conditions, and are less obtrusive 

to neighbouring communities. 

UAVs could be used in critical 

infrastructure inspections and for cer- 



tain maintenance purposes by traffic 

infrastructure agencies. In addition 

to being less expensive to operate 

than manned aircraft, they are more 

covert and will avoid distracting drivers. 

Rail, road, airport, river and port 

authorities, and water boards could 

use UAVs to monitor point and linear 

assets to assure health integrity and 

functionality. 

OVERALL, THE MAINTENANCE of energy and critical infrastructure is a 

promising direction for the use of robots, including ∫ the following: 

Railways: 

∫ Identification of obstacles and track irregularities using drones. 

∫ Inspection of rail profile, cracks, irregularities, and missing 

components using an autonomous robot vehicle. 

∫ Replacement of missing components, crack welding, etc. using an 

autonomous maintenance robot vehicle. 

∫ 

∫ 

∫ 

Roads: 

Identification of obstacles and damage using drones. 

Inspection of roadway, road alignment, road profile etc. using an 

autonomous robot vehicle. 

Repair of roadway (placement of asphalt/concrete), repair of 

pavement, maintenance of embankments, maintenance and cleaning 

of ditches etc. using an autonomous robot vehicle. 

Canals and Waterways: 

∫ Identification of debris, obstacles, and damage to the infrastructure 

using drones. 

∫ Inspection of waterway, sidewalls, berm, gates etc. using an 

autonomous robot vehicle, both land and water. 

∫ Removal of debris and obstacles, repair of sidewalls, berm etc. using 

an autonomous robot vehicle (both land and water). 

Power Lines: 

∫ Identification/inspection of power line damage, insulator defects, 

tower damage using drones. 

∫ Cleaning of insulators and repair of line damage using an 

autonomous robot vehicle. 

CAN ROBOTS DO 

MAINTENANCE? 

Industry is moving towards new 

and more sophisticated inspection, 

condition monitoring, analysis, and 

maintenance technologies. This evolution, 

together with the development 

of autonomous robots, will provide 

a platform to maintain all kinds of 

assets more efficiently. The current 

technology is promising and will 

reach maturity soon but integration 

with humans remains a key concern. 

The importance of autonomous 

inspections and maintenance is 

increasing because many assets are 

aging. At the same time, asset managers 

are struggling to operate effectively 

and maintain costs, as skilled 

maintainers are retiring, and finding 

a labour force for maintenance is 

challenging. Reliable inspection and 

maintenance methodologies incorporating 

new technologies would facilitate 

cost-effective and efficient asset 

management. 

Various industries, especially 

those dealing with high-risk activities, 

are already using remotely operated 

robots for some maintenance 

activities, for instance, marine repairs 

(repairs of ships offshore, offshore oil 

and gas platform maintenance, deep 

sea pipeline and cable maintenance), 

oil refinery repairs, nuclear power 

plant repairs etc. At the moment, 

because of the limited development 

of robots for maintenance purposes, 

complete maintenance cannot be performed. 

New assets should incorporate 

ways to be maintained by robots 

and not humans, thus changing the 

design of our machines and the way 

we perform maintenance. 

REFERENCES 

Galar, D., Kumar, U., & Seneviratne, D. (2020). Robots, Drones, UAVs and UGVs for Operation and Maintenance. CRC Press. 

Karim, R., Galar, D., & Kumar, U. (2021). AI Factory: Theories, Applications and Case Studies. 


PARTNER ARTICLE 

Tips for improving the efficiency 

and reliability of your 

motor-driven systems 

Text: MATTHEW CONVILLE, MBA, P.E. EASA Technical Support Specialist 

Balancing plant maintenance 

costs and activities with the 

need to achieve production 

goals is a daily challenge 

for most maintenance 

professionals. Since the 

motor-driven system is often 

a critical component in this 

dynamic, let’s look at some 

best practices to help it 

achieve those goals and meet 

customer demands. 

To plant maintenance pros in 

most industries, these are 

familiar questions: “How do 

we improve reliability within 

our plant?” 

“How can we reduce unplanned downtime, 

so our production stays more consistent?” 

“How can we decrease our total cost of 

ownership of our equipment?” 

They phrase it differently, but ultimately 

each of these questions is 

about improving the efficiency and 

reliability of the motor-driven system. 

Although that encompasses a wide 

range of components including fans, 

pumps and drives, here we’ll focus on 

the electric motors. 

As a class, motors are among the 

most efficient and reliable machines 

in most plants. But when one fails, 

especially if it fails unexpectedly, 

plant reliability obviously suffers. 

The resulting downtime can slow or 

halt production, sometimes ruining 

raw materials and components or even 

damaging finished product. If you’re 

seeking answers to the questions about 

plant reliability and unplanned downtime, 

solutions that make motors last 

longer and prevent premature failures 

are good places to start. Such solutions 

Figure 1: Motor-driven system. 



Figure 2. Quality motor 

repairs ensure efficiency 

and reliability. 

The Effect of Repair/Rewinding on 

Premium Efficiency/IE3 Motors 

validated through third-party 

testing that ANSI/EASA Std. 

AR100 repair best practices 

will maintain the efficiency of 

the repaired motor–whether 

it’s a mechanical repair or a full 

rewind. A supplemental document 

called the Good Practice Guide to 

Maintain Motor Efficiency explains 

why these best practices are 

important and how they should 

be implemented. It’s useful not 

only to service centers but also 

to end users who want to educate 

themselves about repair/rewind 

processes they receive. 

will likely decrease your total cost of 

equipment ownership as well. 

FAILURE ANALYSIS 

Since motor failures often are a call to 

action, let’s start there. The mean time 

between failures can vary widely, so 

determining the root cause is the first 

step toward improving the motor-driven 

system’s reliability. Was there a maintenance 

issue or a previous failure? Was 

the motor well suited for the application 

load, torque, start-stop and environmental 

requirements? Was it installed 

and aligned properly, or did the process 

change after the motor was installed? 

Some maintenance pros have the 

experience to analyze motor failures, 

but usually it’s a task for a qualified service 

center. A qualified service center 

can also help you determine what to do 

next, weighing such factors as the type of 

repair/rewind, the cost and availability of 

new equipment, the application requirements, 

and the efficiency of the repaired 

motor versus that of a new one. 

Once identified, many causes of failure 

are easily remedied. For example, studies 

have shown that the most common motor 

failure involves the bearings, which 

can be a simple, cost-effective repair. 

Other solutions may include improved 

maintenance, condition monitoring, a 

motor rewind, or a replacement motor. 

Unless you determine the cause of failure, 

though, neither efficiency nor reliability 

will improve–even with a new motor. 

EASA, INC. 

INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS 

Phone: +1 314 993 2220 • 1331 Baur Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132 USA • FAX: +1 314 993 1269 • www.easa.com 

Recognized as an 

American National 

Standard (ANSI) 

EASA Standard 

AR100-2020 

ANSI/EASA 

AR100-2020 

RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 

FOR THE REPAIR OF ROTATING 

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS 

IS THERE A STANDARD 

FOR REPAIR OF ROTATING 

EQUIPMENT? 

If repair turns out to be the best option, 

it’s logical to ask how you can be sure the 

work will be done correctly. Fortunately, 

the motor repair standard approved 

by the American National Standards 

Institute (ANSI), ANSI/EASA Standard 

AR100-2020: Recommended Practice 

for the Repair of Rotating Electrical 

Apparatus defines the performance criteria 

for a quality repair. It also cites best 

practices from widely accepted industry 

standards organizations, such as ANSI, 

ABMA, CSA, IEC, IEEE, ISO, NEMA 

and NFPA. To be assured of the highest 

quality repairs, specify that they be made 

in accordance with ANSI/EASA Std. 

AR100-2020. 

Speaking of motor repair/rewinding, 

it’s important to note that even the most 

energy-efficient motors can be repaired 

with no loss of efficiency, if the repairs 

are in accordance with the best practices 

in ANSI/EASA Std. AR100. This was 

proven in a recent study by EASA and 

the UK-based Association of Electrical 

& Mechanical Trades (AEMT Ltd.): The 

Effect of Repair/Rewinding on Premium 

Efficiency/IE3 Motors. Based on that 

study, EASA and AEMT also published 

the Good Practice Guide to Maintain 

Motor Efficiency (see sidebar). 

WHY CONSIDER AN EASA- 

ACCREDITED SERVICE CENTER? 

EASA has long encouraged motor users 

to require that service centers adhere to 

ANSI/EASA Std. AR100. Many users also 

require that each step in the supply chain 

comply with some quality assurance program. 

The EASA Accreditation Program 

fulfills this need–and beyond that, it has 

several components that are key to the 

efficiency and reliability of your motor 

fleet, including: 

• Use of calibrated equipment with 

traceability (where required for precision 

measurements) 

• 23 audited categories covering everything 

from initial inspection to completion 

of the repair 

• More than 70 motor repair/rewind 



criteria are audited to ANSI/EASA 

Std. AR100–from terminal connections 

to core testing, from shafts and 

rotors to frames, housings, bearings 

and balancing 

• Continual, documented employee 

training 

• Internal and external auditing 

EASA’s Accreditation Program 

requires annual internal audits and 

independent, third-party on-site audits 

initially and every three years to ensure 

compliance with ANSI/EASA Std. 

AR100-2020. Motor users can provide 

this accreditation to their customers to 

show that a critical part of their supply 

chain or process has a quality assurance 

program that meets the industry standard–ensuring 

efficiency and reliability. 

Partnering with an EASA-Accredited 

service center can help you confidently 

answer the questions posed earlier. 

THE “BIG FOUR” FACTORS 

IMPACTING MOTOR HEALTH 

Earlier we looked at the importance 

of failure analysis. What we do with that 

information can have a major impact on 

equipment efficiency, reliability, and cost 

of ownership. Often the motor isn’t the 

root cause of the problem; it’s external 

factors from the application that I call the 

“big four”: 

• Routine maintenance 

• Environment surrounding the motordriven 

system 

• Alignment during installation 

• Power supply for the motor-driven 

system 

Failure to address the “big four” will 

likely result in the same failure of a new 

or newly repaired motor. 

Maintenance. To prevent winding 

and bearing failures, keep the motor 

clean and follow the manufacturer’s 

recommended lubrication intervals. As 

a best practice, do not mix lubricants, 

many of which are incompatible and 

cause premature bearing failure. Over- or 

under-greasing a bearing can have the 

same result. 

Environment. Key things to monitor 

in the motor-drive system’s immediate 

environment are ambient temperature 

and vibration, relative humidity, airborne 

contaminants, and potentially corrosive 

elements. Individually or collectively, 

these could hasten bearing and winding 

failures. 

Also, make sure there’s sufficient airflow 

to cool the motor. If the motor has 

Good Practice 

Guide to 

Based on the 2019 and 2003 Rewind Studies 

of premium efficiency, energy efficient, 

IE2 (formerlyEF1) and IE3 motors 

air filters, change them regularly. Dirty 

filters restrict airflow into the machine, 

causing it to run hotter and increasing the 

risk of bearing and winding failures. 

Alignment. Something commonly 

overlooked during the installation process 

is proper alignment. Make sure the 

alignment of the motor-drive system is 

within tolerance, not just an individual 

component. For example, flexible couplings 

often function adequately with a 

fair amount of misalignment. However, 

a motor-driven system will generate less 

heat and lower vibration levels if it meets 

or exceeds the most stringent alignment 

specification for that system. This will 

lead to longer bearing life and a more efficient 

motor-driven system that can save 

money on utility and repair costs. 

Power supply. The quality of the 

power supply is important for winding 

longevity. Common concerns include 

variation in supply voltage that is more 

than 10% of the nameplate voltage, voltage 

unbalance at the motor terminals 

that exceeds 1% of the average voltage, 

and transient peak voltages at the motor 

terminals. Voltage variation and unbalance 

can increase winding temperatures 

and cause premature failures. Transient 

peak voltages at the motor terminals can 

damage winding insulation, creating 

turn-to-turn or ground faults. 

CONDITION MONITORING 

Once the motor-driven system is set up 

properly and you’ve handled the “big 

four” factors impacting motor health, 

condition-based monitoring can help 

prevent unplanned downtime. This could 

be as simple as having the service center 

check vibration, temperature, and insulation 

resistance on a prescribed timetable. 

Remote condition monitoring with 

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) 

devices is the next step. These devices 

detect and record step changes in certain 

inputs and then prompt you to investigate. 

Some of them even use machine 

learning to reduce false positives, by getting 

“smarter” as they see more anomalies 

and receive feedback from users. 

The key to success with either method 

is to evaluate and act accordingly when 

there is a step change in a monitored 

trend. This may prompt you to send a 

motor out for reconditioning before it 

fails, keeping your productivity up and 

your repair costs down. If you need help 

during the evaluation and action phase, 

rely on a service center that adheres to 

ANSI/EASA Std. AR100. 


ASSET MANAGEMENT 

Text: SENNE GEERAERTS, International Sales Support, Thermo-Clean Group 

Thermal cleaning, 

no alternative but 

a better way to clean 

It is actually quite simple to achieve good cleaning quality. After all, if the cleaning method 

deployed succeeds in pulverising the organic contamination to only a few percent of the 

original amount and that in the form of easily removable dust, achieving high cleaning 

quality is child's play. While this all sounds very simple, is it also achievable in practice? 

To answer this, it is important 

to know a little more about 

the technique that possesses 

this property, namely thermal 

cleaning. This technique 

involves the use of special ovens in which 

the combination of heat with low oxygen 

levels will ensure that the organic components 

in the contamination are converted 

into pyrolysis gases and dust residues. 

During the process, these gases are 

used as a source of energy with which 

the furnace plant is brought up to temperature 

and maintained. Thus, most of 

the pollution is already processed in an 

environmentally friendly and useful way. 

The remaining part is dust consisting of 

ash residues and inorganic components, 

which can be easily removed afterwards 

by hosing it down. 

The combination of the heat and the 

fact that 1 kilo of dirt is converted into 

50 grams of dust by the special thermal 

treatment makes it possible through this 

technique to clean in all those hard-toreach 

places where other techniques simply 

cannot reach. 

With thermal cleaning, it is therefore 

possible to simultaneously remove contamination 

both inside pipes, around 

pipes, between pipes and jacket and 

even in pipes with static mixers. As a 

result, the degree of cleaning that can be 

achieved is very high and this has many 

advantages: 

• Better performing heat exchanger 

• Improved heat transfer 

• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions 

• Saving on operating costs 

• Fewer maintenance shutdowns 

• Longer operating hours 

• Less wastewater 

A cleaning technique that can return 

a heat exchanger to almost its original 

design values is a very important asset 

today. This automatically results in far 

fewer maintenance shutdowns and also 

makes a huge difference to the energy 

consumption of the production process. 

This can really save many hundreds of 

thousands of euros or dollars per year 

per cleaned heat exchanger; a nice result 

for an initially slightly more expensive 

cleaning method. A clean bundle transfers 

heat much better and, as a result, 

much less energy is simply needed to 

keep production running properly. 

For this cleaning method, it is of 

course important that the parts can 

withstand the temperatures used. A 

normal treatment is generally carried 

out between 400 and 450°C (752 °F and 

842 °), and the metals used for the part 

to be cleaned must of course be able to 

withstand this. Aluminium exchangers 

are thus already ruled out for thermal 

cleaning. 

For special alloys, which cannot withstand 

this temperature, such as Duplex 

steel or Monel, two-stage cleaning is 


ASSET MANAGEMENT 

often performed. Here, the contamination 

is first thermally cracked at a lower temperature, 

after which the residue will be 

removed by hydro blasting. As the fouling 

becomes somewhat more brittle due to the 

thermal treatment, it is relatively easy to 

completely remove the product that is then 

created using water blasting. A thermal test 

with the fouling will soon reveal whether 

this is a feasible cleaning option or not. 

The parts that can be treated by thermal 

cleaning are very broad: heat exchangers 

with pollution in & or between the tubes; 

heat exchangers with fixed housings & 

pollution between tubes & shell; compablocs, 

heat exchangers plates, spiral heat 

exchangers; vane decks, demisters, mellow 

packs; pipe work (also with static mixers); 

extruder screws & parts; polymer & refinery 

pumps; flame arrestors, sieve packs, 

valves; filters, spin packs, die plates, hot 

runners etc. 

In principle, all parts with (partly) 

organic contamination and resistant to 

the temperatures used can be cleaned by 

thermal cleaning. Inorganic fouling can 

only be removed if it is part of a fouling mix 

with organic components. In such cases, 

thermal cleaning will remove the organic 

part (the adhesive in this case), leaving the 

inorganic part loose and removed by the 

post-treatment technique. 

As with any technique, there are some 

drawbacks with this cleaning method. The 

temperature has already been mentioned 

several times and the parts to be treated 

must be able to withstand it. For most 

metals, however, the critical limit is above 

500°C, so thermal cleaning is not a problem 

here. Furthermore, pyrolysis furnaces 

are not mobile, so only offsite cleaning is 

possible. The proximity of a potential supplier 

that has this technology in-house then 

obviously plays an important role. 

Moreover, thermal cleaning is highly 

specialized and not every pyrolysis furnace 

is suitable for it just like that. Perfect 

temperature control, the ability to heat up 

and cool down slowly and the creation of 

a low-oxygen environment are important 

prerequisites for using this technique properly 

and safely. 

In addition to the right installation, the 

necessary expertise is of course required to 

bring the cleaning to a successful conclusion. 

Because of these restrictions, only a 

few companies in the world can offer this 

in a professional manner. As a result, the 

current capacity is not that large and it is 

sometimes difficult to clean all parts with 

this technique within a few days/weeks 

during a major shutdown. In practice, such 

capacity problems usually mean that thermal 

cleaning is only used for the bundles 

that will benefit most from the excellent 

cleaning quality. 

As the title suggests, thermal cleaning 

is not an alternative, but simply a much 

better cleaning method for a very large 

spectrum of contaminated parts. The technique 

itself has been around for years and 

is increasingly being used to bring dirty 

heat exchangers from various industries to 

another level of "clean". The fact that this 

method generates much less waste and, in 

addition, a huge reduction in CO2 emissions 

can be achieved due to the much better 

cleaning efficiency, are huge assets that 

will allow us to encounter thermal cleaning 

much more often in the future. 

Practice shows that thermal cleaning 

is now widely used and the method 

is fortunately becoming more and more 

familiar to the general public. Choosing 

the right cleaning technique is very 

important, because afterwards it largely 

determines the efficiency of your production 

process. 



Text: ALLAN RIENSTRA, Director of Business Development for SDT 

Four Reasons 

We Send our Industrial Air 

Compressors to an Early Grave 

Industrial air compressors are among the hardest working 

assets found in a modern factory. They must work tirelessly, 

day-in and day-out, to meet the compressed air demands 

necessary for production. Industry uses compressed air for 

a magnitude of applications. It is so commonly used that 

most factories require multiple industrial air compressors to 

meet demand. What is often overlooked is that on top of the 

compressed air that is demanded for production, there is also 

a large artificial demand of this resource. An artificial, invisible 

demand that taxes resources, destroys production efficiency 

and plant sustainability, while encroaches upon company profits. 

As much as 30-40% of the 

compressed air is utterly 

and completely wasted. 

When a compressed air 

system falls victim to leaks, 

it’s the compressors that are forced to 

pick up the slack. When an industrial 

air compressor has to work overtime 

to cover the artificial demand caused 

by air leaks, it is subject to more wear 

and tear – leading to unplanned breakdowns, 

which puts an undue burden on 

maintenance teams. 

The constant over usage of an industrial 

air compressor will have a com- 



pounding effect on the deterioration of 

its reliability. While this can be offset 

with regular compressor maintenance 

(oftentimes a maintenance team’s first 

or only course of action), routine compressed 

air leak surveys performed with 

an ultrasonic leak detector are far more 

effective at lowering an air compressor’s 

workload and therefore lengthening 

its lifespan. 

Simply from reading above, it can 

be derived that the number one reason 

an industrial air compressor is worked 

into an early grave is due to the burden 

put on them by a leaky compressed air 

system. SDT has seen neglected, leaky 

compressed air systems time and time 

again – which points to several glaring 

cultural and ideological issues, common 

in manufacturing all over the world. 

The following list summarizes four reasons 

a compressed air system will fall 

into disarray, forcing its industrial air 

compressor to suffer the consequences 

and make the ultimate sacrifice. 

1 

The industrial air 

compressor is not 

highly ranked in 

a facilities strategic asset 

management plan (SAMP) 

Industrial air compressors sometimes 

end up being disassociated with production. 

Whether this is because they 

reside in the compressor room – away 

from the production line, or some other 

reason… But as a result, compressors 

find themselves far down the maintenance 

teams list of priorities, and in 

some cases the task of maintaining an 

industrial air compressor is outsourced 

to a third party. 

Industrial air compressor manufacturers 

like Ingersoll Rand, Atlas Copco, or 

any number of manufacturers can take on 

the burden of maintaining compressors 

in factories. In this relationship, when the 

maintenance and reliability of an asset 

is outsourced, a factory’s maintenance 

team can become disassociated from 

that asset. Falling out of the rankings of a 

maintenance team’s SAMP results in the 

asset and its components being forgotten, 

which can spread to the compressed air 

lines, pipe fittings, and so on. 

Even when the responsibility of maintaining 

an industrial air compressor 

falls to a third party, the maintenance 

and reliability team should not forget 

other components that make up their 

compressed air system when strategizing 

their asset management plan. 

2 

Lack of 

Understanding 

Surrounding the 

Sustainable and Fiscal 

Bottom Lines of an Inefficient 

Compressed Air System 

At its point of use, the cost associated 

with manufacturing compressed air is 

often overlooked, which can lead to some 

pretty frivolous uses of this expensive 

resource. By the time air is compressed, 

cooled and dried, then regulated and 

transported to its point of use, significant 

costs have occurred. Only about 15% of 

the electricity consumed by the compressor 

results in compressed air delivered 

to its point of use. The other 85% is lost 

to the heat of compressing the air. This 

astonishing number of electricity consumed 

for this resource becomes even 

more staggering when the amount lost to 

leaks is factored in. And considering that 

even with a leaky compressed air system, 

most factories can carry on production 

relatively unscathed, it’s no wonder 

that the costs from compressing air can 

account for over 30% of a manufacturer’s 

electricity bill. 

As much as 30-40% 

of the compressed 

air is utterly and 

completely wasted. 

A company culture that tolerates this 

astonishing waste does so out of misunderstanding, 

not malice. A misunderstanding 

of its costs, its detriments 

to the environment, or that the system 

is even leaking in the first place. This 

propagates misuse of the resource and 

even more so… it downplays the importance 

of maintaining a healthy compressed 

air system. Company culture 

and culture of the maintenance and 

reliability team must seek to maximize 

the reliability of each asset, while boosting 

efficiency and sustainability wherever 

possible. And there isn’t any fruit 

that hangs lower in this regard than the 

compressed air system. 

3 

Compressed Air 

Systems give little 

indication that they 

are leaking and struggling to 

meet demand 

When a compressed air system is leaking, 

there aren’t always tell-tale signs. 

They are, in the true sense of the word, a 

hidden cost. Sure, standing in the middle 

of a plant floor during a maintenance 

shutdown would reveal hundreds of hissing 

compressed air leaks… And with a big 

enough time commitment, a portion of 

them could even be located and repaired. 

But that’s not a luxury many maintenance 

teams can afford. What happens when 

the machines are roaring, and production 

is booming? Compressed air leaks can’t 

be heard or seen under these circumstances. 

They don’t make a mess on the 

floor or emit any odor. They don’t pose 

a risk to the health and safety of factory 

workers. And their only real threat to production 

is the looming failure of an overworked 

industrial air compressor. 

4 

Compressed Air Leak 

Surveys take Time, 

Effort, and Create 

More Work 

Performing a compressed air leak survey 

in a large manufacturing facility can be 

a long, tedious work. In any given facility, 

there are hundreds of meters (if not 

more) of compressed air lines, rubber 

pipes, and dozens (if not more) of other 

components that make up a compressed 

air system. All of these components can 

leak, which detracts from system pressure, 

plant sustainability, and bottomline 

profits. 

Monitoring all of this may seem like a 

daunting task. However, with the help of 

an ultrasonic leak detector, or an acoustic 

imaging camera, finding, tagging, and 

fixing leaks becomes much simpler. Ultrasound 

harnesses the power of superhuman 

hearing to locate leaks that would 

otherwise be impossible to detect in a 

noisy factory. An acoustic imaging camera 

like SonaVu takes it a step further by 

using its ultrasound detection capabilities 

coupled with its camera to detect leaks 

and visualize them on its display screen. 

SonaVu can tag leaks by taking a picture 

or leak spots during the survey, making 

locating, documenting, and repairing leaks 

easier than ever. 



Reduce “dirty hours” 

and create value 

Text and image: MAINNOVATION 

The hours when an installation is 

experiencing unplanned downtime 

are also referred to as “dirty hours”. 

Installations are at temperature, under 

pressure, under voltage, but nothing is 

being produced. This situation therefore 

means that energy and heat are consumed 

– with associated costs – but because 

productivity is nil, no income is generated. 

Not to mention the impact on the 

environment and the loss of raw materials. 

Dirty hours therefore result in high energy costs 

per product. By focusing on improving technical 

availability, we can reduce these costs. This not 

only has a positive effect on productivity, but 

also on the energy ratio. 

Peter Decaigny, partner at Mainnovation explains: “We regularly 

see that the focus is mostly on the technical high-tech options 

to reduce energy consumption. Not that these matters are unimportant, 

but often a durable improvement of technical availability 

has a value creation that is many times higher. We not only reduce 

the dirty hours, but also provide additional products and associated 

turnover. So, you kill two birds with one stone.” 

SHORT UNPLANNED DOWNTIMES 

To improve the technical availability, we have to take a critical 

look at unplanned downtime. Decaigny: “This may seem obvious, 

but we are not always aware of the many minutes that the 

machine or production line is standing still. And many minutes 

together, quickly make an hour.” 

ROADMAP REDUCING 

DIRTY HOURS 

24 maintworld 2/2023 

1. Make a longlist of all unplanned 

downtimes where different employees 

provide input 

2. Focus on the standstills that occur with 

a certain frequency 

3. Analyse these standstills by examining 

step by step what precedes the 

standstill and what the possible reason/ 

cause is (root cause analysis) 

4. Determine which specialists should 

be called in to find a solution. A 

multidisciplinary approach is essential 

5. Describe what is needed to implement 

the chosen solution. For example: 

a. Adjusting the operator instructions/ 

work instructions 

b. Implementing the adjustments on 

other lines/other locations 

c. Follow the Management of Change 

procedure to test whether the 

adjustments do not entail any risks to 

the environment or safety 

6. Finally, the chosen solutions can be 

introduced and propagated horizontally 

7. After some time, re-list the downtimes to see 

if they really have disappeared and not created 

new ones (the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle).

A first improvement lever therefore lies in improving the 

small unplanned downtimes, the so-called micro-stops. 

These do not last long, but they occur often and therefore 

have a significant impact. Eliminating these standstills can 

in many cases be done through small technical and nontechnical 

adjustments. “The process starts with mapping 

out these micro-stops. At what point did the machine or 

production line stop? What was the reason or cause? How 

long did this take? And what has been done to lift the standstill?” 

Decaigny warns against a pitfall: “It may sometimes be 

tempting not to regard a micro-stop as a micro-stop. We hear 

substantiations such as 'yes, but this is normal' or 'this always 

happens after a switch', but resolving these standstills could 

just be the most effective and profitable.” 

SURPRISING FINDINGS 

Analysing stops to effectively improve the technical availability, 

will have to be a joint effort of the production operator 

and the technician. “The operator often has a fixed order 

of actions. It was taught to him this way - a long time ago - or 

he himself made adjustments in his actions that are, in his 

opinion, efficient and correct. For example, he must press 

the reset button ten times with every format change. He does 

not lose sleep over that. That is apparently how it works, is 

his opinion.” 

The technician has also adapted his way of working. He 

knows that a certain part breaks down regularly, so he has 

more than enough in stock. “But is it normal for this component 

to fail continuously? And are the various actions 

performed correctly when the part is replaced, or do they, 

indirectly, lead to a standstill? If you critically analyse the 

micro-stops, this might lead to surprising findings…” 

GIS 

Next 

Generation 

EAM 

BIM 

PdM 

AI 

Mobile 

APM 

AIP 

BI 

PPM 

RELIABILITY ENGINEERING 

A multidisciplinary approach is also essential for tackling 

larger and more complex shutdowns. Decaigny: “People from 

production, maintenance, engineering and sometimes suppliers 

all contribute specific knowledge and skills. A good 

reliability engineer brings together the necessary competencies 

and applies the correct analysis technique. In this 

way, potential solutions are discussed, validated and implemented. 

And perhaps most importantly, by tackling this as 

one team, we immediately have the right support to make the 

change sustainable.” 

When solutions to eliminate or shorten the micro-stops or 

longer downtimes are finally implemented, it is smart to also 

consider the Management Of Change procedure. Decaigny: 

“What are the possible effects of the adjustments in processes 

or working methods on the environment or on safety? In addition, 

it is also important to consider whether we should also 

roll out a certain adjustment (after evaluation) to other similar 

installations. Finally, we must document this properly and 

update all necessary documents and drawings.” 

Surprisingly, while large profits are indeed achievable, 

micro-stops are often not eliminated and the Management 

of Change procedure is not applied. Decaigny: “But reducing 

the dirty hours is recommended for several reasons. It generates 

value for the company and for the employees. Moreover, 

as reported, the installations are at temperature, under pressure 

and under voltage and using this effectively is also good 

for the environment. Small effort, big pay-off.” 

Many companies use their Enterprise Asset Management 

(EAM) system mainly as an electronic card index or a 

digital work order system, unaware of the possibilities it 

has for Asset Management. EAM Systems like Maximo, 

IFS Ultimo, HxGN EAM and SAP EAM have evolved 

tremendously. They now offer functionalities for Asset 

Investment Planning, Project Portfolio Management, 

Asset Performance Management, Business Intelligence 

and Predictive Maintenance. Major steps have also been 

taken in the field of Mobile, GIS and BIM integration. 

Are you ready for Next Generation EAM? 

Our VDM XL experts can assist you with further 

professionalisation and automation of your Maintenance 

& Asset Management organisation. 

www.mainnovation.com


Avoiding Electrical 

Motor Failures 

Text: PETER BOON, Product Manager at UE Systems 

Electric motors are essential to numerous 

plant operations, no matter the industry, 

so understanding how and why they fail 

can help you develop a better maintenance 

program in your plant. 

Electric motors are essential for ensuring that plants run 

smoothly and effectively. If one fails, it can mean costly 

downtime for the plant and create a variety of safety 

hazards. There are several different failure modes, so by 

understanding them, the lifespan of a motor can extend 

from 2 to 15 years. 

The key is moving from the reactive category of the PF curve 

to the predictive phase. You can detect problems before they seriously 

damage the motor using ultrasound technology. Because 

there are so many different components within a motor, a failure 

mode can emerge in a variety of places. A motor has between 8 and 

10 components, each with its own failure modes. By properly addressing 

them, you can significantly extend the life of your motor. 

MOTOR HOUSING 

Failures in motor housing can crop up from improper installation, 

physical damage, corrosion, and material build-up. While motor 

housing may not seem like an actual performance component, 

these shortcomings can ultimately affect the way others perform. 

For instance, a soft foot could lead to bearing failures, shaft 

bending, and broken or cracked feet. When placed on a flat surface, 

this emerges if a motor does not have all its feet flat on the surface. 

Material build-up can heat the motor's operating temperature, 

damaging other motor parts, such as bearings. 

MOTOR STATOR 

Motor stator failure modes emerge from physical damage, contamination, 

corrosion, high temperature, voltage imbalance, broken 

supports, and rewind burnout procedures. A lot of times, these 

can emerge from motor repair shops. 

Stator failures occur due to the rewind burnout of the windings. 

This often happens before the motor can be rewound, requiring 

emergency repairs. But because the plant will need the motor 

returned as soon as possible, hasty maintenance can damage the 

stators by improperly heating the housing and the stator. This can 

also lead to motor inefficiencies. 

MOTOR ROTORS 

Rotors are composed of numerous layers of laminated steel, and 

the rotor windings are composed of bars of copper or aluminum 

alloy that are shorted on both sides with shorting rings. These 

components can then fail through thermal stress, physical damage, 

imbalance, broken rotor bar, contamination, and improper 

installation. 

Physical damage on rotors can develop after certain emergency 

maintenance tasks, including bearing replacement, motor rebuilds, 

and during a disassembly and reassembly process. Generally 

speaking, motor bearings should not be changed at plant locations, 

especially on critical equipment. 

Imbalanced motor rotors are typical, but this can put a lot of 

strain on bearings. This will ultimately lead to a rotor making 

contact with a stator and creating another point of failure. Again, 

improper rebuilding tactics, such as overheating, can also damage 

rotor components. 

By establishing precision balance standards, you can be sure 

you are preventing these imbalance failures. 

MOTOR BEARINGS 

Motor bearings within an electric motor can emerge from improper 

handling and storage, improper installation, misalignment, improper 

lubrication, start/stop processes, contamination, overhung 

loads, and motor fan imbalance. 

Contamination is one of the biggest reasons for bearing failure 

modes. This occurs when foreign contaminants or moisture enter 

the bearings, usually during the lubrication process. You can take 

steps to prevent contamination during the regreasing process to 

ensure that they are kept out. 

It is also important that your motor is properly outfitted for 

the task for which it was selected. This means using the correct 

bearings for its application. Engines that use sheaves or sprockets 



mounted on the shaft will need roller bearings in the motor, which 

are common among most standard motors. 

Lubrication can always be a major cause of failure because 

there are so many places where one can improperly apply lubrication. 

Too much or too little lubrication, along with the improper 

form of lubrication, can lead to premature wear and tear. All motor 

greases should be polyurea-based and not all-purpose lubricants. 

One should always take the plug out of the bottom so that old 

grease can be drained properly. Also, release valves can help prevent 

over-greasing. 

Motor bearing seal failures tend to emerge from improper lubrication 

or installation. 

MOTOR FANS 

Motor fans tend to fail from physical damage, ice build-up, foreign 

materials and corrosion. Fans help keep the temperature down on 

a motor, which is essential to ensuring the rest of the components 

are performing well. 

The motor fan guard failures can also lead to a more significant 

motor failure. This tends to happen through physical damage and 

plugging. By keeping them clean, you can go a long way in preventing 

fan guard failures. 

MOTOR INSULATION AND WINDINGS 

There are several potential issues when it comes to motor insulation 

and windings. Contamination and moisture can lead to 

winding failures. Oftentimes, this is because they are not stored in 

ambient areas. Overheating is another issue that can cause motor 

failure. Insulation breakdown, cycling, flexing, and AC drive stress, 

round out the possible failure modes for this category. 

The life of the insulation in a standard electric motor is based 

on the engine's temperature. This means for an electric motor 

that is operating at a particularly high temperature, you could be 

cutting back on its lifespan. In fact, for every 18 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, 

the insulation life is cut in half. While better insulation can 

extend the lifespan, temperature is easily one of the most significant 

factors. This means bringing in cooler outside air. 

Insulation breakdown can be a big problem, as it will cause 

windings to short out. These problems can be detected through 

MCE testing and thermography. Winding shorts from turn to turn 

can crop up from contaminants, abrasion, vibration, or voltage 

surges. 

Cycling and flexing are other problems that typically occur 

from the frequent start and stop operations of the motor. This operation 

cycle can lead to frequent heating and cooling of windings 

and insulation, leading to wear and tear, such as holes, ultimately 

leading the motor to short and fail. 

MOTOR SHAFT 

Motor shaft failure modes occur due to physical damage, improper 

manufacturing, improper installation, and corrosion. For instance, 

installing a motor improperly can cause specific components, such 

as the motor casing, to corrode and create imbalance. 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR MOTOR LAST – THE ROLE OF 

ULTRASOUND 

Now that we know the various motor failure modes, we can take 

better steps toward creating a proper maintenance plan. 

It's important to understand that failures tend to first appear 

in bearings. Using ultrasound technology is a great way to detect 

Stage 1 failures. Ultrasound inspection instruments such as the Ultraprobe 

15.000 can detect failures at a very early stage, even in slow 

speed bearings. 

Lubrication is also key to keeping your motors in good shape. 

Make sure to grease the motors as needed with the proper motorrated 

grease. Add grease or oil only when needed. 

Incorporating an ultrasound-assisted lubrication program can 

go a long way in preventing bearing failure. Ultrasound instruments 

are excellent at detecting over or under-lubrication. For this specific 

case, instruments such as UE Systems' Grease Caddies are especially 

dedicated to bearing lubrication. 

Ultrasound is useful even when remote and permanent monitoring 

is needed, such as with hard-to-reach or critical bearings. Systems 

such as OnTrak use ultrasonic sensors, data collection, and cloud 

technology to monitor motor bearings 24/7 and send alerts when failure 

is detected. The system can also be used with single-point lubricators 

that will dispense grease automatically, based on the bearing 

condition – thus, only lubricating when the bearing needs it. 

As ultrasound becomes an increasingly integral part of maintenance 

operations, so are its applications. It can be used to detect 

electrical failures like arcing, rotor bar problems, and rotor imbalance, 

along with alignment and soft foot issues. 

But let's not forget that the key to reach excellence in your electrical 

motors maintenance is to use complimentary technologies: 

besides ultrasound, use also motor circuit evaluation, vibration 

analysis, oil analysis, etc. 

As a few extra tips, keep your motors clean and at the proper 

temperature with consistent airflow, and store motors properly to 

keep moisture from contaminating them. Also, keep moisture and 

chemicals away from the motor so as to prevent contamination. 

Finally, you can get more out of your motors by taking proactive 

maintenance steps. Purchase precision motors for all your critical 

applications, and always use precision maintenance for installation, 

alignment, balance, and lubrication. 

By adhering to these steps, you can extend the lifespan of your 

motors and limit downtime in your plant, effectively speeding up 

operations, limiting cost, and improving performance. 


ASSET MONITORING 

Outsourcing analysis 

of key plant data helps 

to increase efficiency, 

reliability and profitability 

Vladimir Nitu, connected services manager at Emerson, explains how highly secure 

connections to plant automation systems and intelligent field instruments are enabling 

automation companies to provide remote monitoring services, helping processing companies 

and manufacturers to achieve significant operational benefits without having to develop inhouse 

data analysis expertise. 

Text: VLADIMIR NITU, connected services manager at Emerson 



Outsourcing IT support 

to a remote specialist 

company with a team of 

experts on call around the 

clock has been common 

practice among businesses for many 

years. Organisations have become comfortable 

in allowing third-party support 

services to access their IT network via 

secure remote connection, to manage 

their IT systems infrastructure and software, 

and quickly and efficiently diagnose 

and resolve any issues. Within a 

manufacturing environment, the emergence 

of smart sensors and the Industrial 

Internet of Things (IIoT) has enabled 

original equipment manufacturers 

(OEMs) to gain remote access to their 

machines once installed and provide 

lifecycle services to their customers. 

Machine builders can help the customer 

to diagnose issues or perform proactive 

maintenance to identify impending 

issues and prevent them worsening or 

causing costly downtime. 

In the process industry sector too, 

plantwide ecosystems have enabled 

organisations to gather more data than 

ever before relating to the performance, 

health and status of process equipment 

and automation systems. Such data only 

becomes useful when it can be properly 

analysed and acted upon. However, 

analysing potentially complex data can 

be difficult, especially if there is a lack 

of suitably skilled resources on-site. 

Consequently, many organisations have 

turned to automation vendors to provide 

data analysis and support services. 

Typically, because of sensitivity around 

network security, data has been collected 

on-site and then periodically provided 

offline for analysis by the automation 

vendor, with recommended actions 

sent back to the organisation. 

Critically though, following recent 

advancements in cybersecure solutions 

for remote connectivity, companies 

are increasingly having the confidence 

to give external experts access to their 

automation systems and sensing networks, 

without fear of exposing themselves 

to data breaches or disruptions. 

Allowing automation vendors remote, 

real-time access to process equipment 

and automation systems data enables 

organisations to achieve faster and more 

comprehensive results, without having 

to develop specialised in-house expertise. 

Personnel are free to respond to 

more urgent daily priorities, and maintenance 

activities and shutdowns can 

be better planned. Let’s look at some 

typical applications in which remote 

services provided by automation vendors 

can be used to achieve significant 

benefits. 

CONTROL SYSTEM HEALTH 

MONITORING 

Suboptimal performance of distributed 

control systems (DCS) can lead to 

serious process disruptions and costly 

unscheduled downtime. However, 

manual system health checks can often 

miss intermittent issues and underlying 

health warnings that could lead to 

a system disruption if left unmitigated. 

To help optimise DCS performance, 

automation vendors can provide system 

health monitoring as a remote service. 

Such a service provides continuous centralised 

monitoring of control system 

assets, including controllers, servers, 

switches and network components. An 

on-site monitoring device automatically 

checks important health information, 

enabling issues to be detected quickly 

and alerts routed to the automation 

vendor. The vendor’s experts can then 

diagnose the root cause of the problem 

and recommend actions to mitigate the 

issue. 

Knowing that their DCS is being 

monitored 24/7 by expert engineers 

with extensive knowledge of the system 

provides organisations with reassurance 

and peace of mind. Faster issue detection 

and resolution results in reduced 

equipment failures, data loss and downtime, 

thereby increasing asset availability 

and profitability. Maintenance 

managers can shift from a reactive 

maintenance strategy to a proactive one, 

enabling improved personnel efficiency 

and resulting in fewer safety issues, 

repairs and labour costs. 

VALVE HEALTH MONITORING 

Control valves play a key role in safe and 

efficient plant operation and ensuring 

process availability. A malfunctioning or 

failing control valve can cause process 

fluctuations that are sometimes not perceived. 

Such variability reduces yields 

and efficiency, and can degrade product 

quality through contamination or becoming 

off-specification. Poor control 

response from a critical valve can even 

lead to a complete unit shutdown. On 

average it costs about $5,000 (€4,500) 

to pull a valve, yet it is commonplace for 

all valves to be pulled during a turnaround, 

despite around 30% not needing 

service or repair. Therefore, knowing 

when valves require attention enables 

organisations to optimise turnarounds, 

minimise downtime and make considerable 

cost savings by ensuring that only 

the valves that actually require maintenance 

are pulled. 

Digital valve controllers are positioners 

that ensure valves are operating 

according to the control signal, and also 

provide access to diagnostic data. However, 

not only can vast amounts of data 

be captured, but it can be so complex 

that it requires deep expertise to undercover 

the specific corrective actions 

that will be required. Many companies 

simply do not have such expertise 

in-house, but they can overcome this 

challenge by using a remote monitoring 

service. Automation vendors can 

securely gather, visualise and aggregate 

real-time diagnostic data from valves. 

A global network of analysts can then 

view a valve’s health data and inspect its 

condition history to determine trends 

and predict impending deterioration. 

This allows them to provide valuable 

insights, and data-driven recommendations 

that enable maintenance to be 

scheduled and performed well before 

an alarm is triggered and operations 

are significantly interrupted. This then 

leads to improved plant safety, availability 

and profitability. 

MACHINERY CONDITION 

MONITORING 

Whilst the importance of monitoring the 

condition and performance of critical 

plant assets such as pumps, compressors 

and turbines is universally recognised, 

it is not without its challenges. 

Organisations need to prioritise which 

equipment to monitor and when, and 

they must choose the right monitoring 

technology for each plant asset. They 

need to ensure that the data they gather 

is accurate, and if they want to implement 

an in-house condition monitoring 

and data analysis programme, they 

must have both the resources and the 

requisite skill sets to do so. 

Alternatively, automation vendors 

that provide a plant’s analytics software 

and solutions can also take on the 

responsibility of building a compre- 



hensive performance and monitoring 

strategy for its critical assets. This way, 

a team of highly skilled analysts with 

extensive product knowledge provide 

remote condition monitoring. Having 

access to real-time key machinery 

health data enables these experts to not 

only deliver insights into performance 

anomalies that could lead to a critical 

failure and costly downtime, but also 

recommend resolutions. The experts 

will provide a documented analysis that 

identifies any mechanical fault conditions 

or beneath-the-surface issues 

with production assets before significant 

disruption is caused. This leaves 

plant personnel free to focus on taking 

corrective action, thereby reducing 

operational and maintenance costs. In 

addition, knowing the efficiency of key 

assets enables companies to adjust their 

operating parameters and improve the 

planning of their maintenance schedules 

to achieve further benefits. 

STEAM TRAP MONITORING 

Steam systems are designed with steam 

traps to remove condensation from the 

piping, thereby protecting plant equipment 

and allowing efficient process 

by steam system experts. These experts 

analyse the data that is generated by 

wireless acoustic transmitters attached 

near each steam trap, collected through 

proprietary software, and transmitted 

to the vendor’s monitoring service. The 

vendor then provides actionable information 

so that corrective steps can be 

taken immediately – not in weeks or 

months, as losses mount. Even steam 

trap repairs and replacements can be 

handled as part of the service, making 

the process completely hands-off for 

plant personnel. Remote steam trap 

monitoring helps to increase safety; 

improve product quality and process 

throughput; reduce equipment damage, 

energy loss and costs; and ease pressure 

on plant personnel. 

CORROSION AND EROSION 

MONITORING 

Corrosion and erosion are extremely 

dangerous because they invisibly attack 

plants from the inside. If not well 

understood or controlled, they can lead 

to poor plant availability, high reactive 

maintenance costs and potentially 

major incidents due to loss of containment 

of the process fluid. Corrosion 

monitored and the hazardous and 

inaccessible locations involved. There 

are also many variables that affect the 

rate of corrosion – such as feedstock 

changes, temperature and process 

adjustments, and flow rates – and these 

can alter daily. 

Automation vendors can help 

organisations to meet these challenges 

by providing automated corrosion and 

erosion monitoring systems, along with 

experts to monitor and analyse the generated 

data as a remote service, helping 

the effective planning of maintenance 

tasks. At the heart of the latest monitoring 

systems are compact, non-intrusive, 

Organisations need to prioritise 

which equipment to monitor and when, 

and choose the right monitoring technology 

for each plant asset. 

operation. When steam traps fail, there 

is a significant impact. Extreme damage 

can be caused to plant equipment, personnel 

can be put at risk, and product 

quality and throughput can be affected. 

Sporadic manual surveys and limited 

effective maintenance can lead to steam 

trap failures going undetected and unrepaired 

for months on end. Steam trap 

leaks can account for 10% of a plant’s 

energy costs because of the time delay 

between trap failure and proper diagnosis 

and maintenance. 

Real-time automated monitoring of 

steam trap health and performance is 

therefore vital for both safety and financial 

reasons, and this can be provided 

by automation vendors as a remote 

service. The service includes installation 

of the necessary hardware and 

software, plus continuous monitoring 

and erosion also affect operational 

performance because they limit how 

hard a plant can be driven. If organisations 

are unaware of the true extent of 

corrosion damage, large safety factors 

must be applied to operational decisions, 

to avoid excessive damage, and 

this results in the process being run 

below its maximum capability and potential 

profit being lost. If the corrosion 

is more aggressive than anticipated, 

leaks and unplanned outages can occur, 

incurring extreme financial and safety 

ramifications. 

It is therefore critically important to 

implement an effective corrosion and 

erosion monitoring system. However, 

in industries such as oil and gas, refining 

and chemical, obtaining measurements 

is challenging due to the extreme 

temperatures of the equipment being 



ultrasonic wall thickness measuring 

sensors that monitor areas at elevated 

risk of internal corrosion or erosion. 

The sensors deliver wall thickness 

measurements with unparalleled accuracy 

and frequency, providing much 

greater visibility into the condition of 

the plant. 

As part of a remote service, expert 

analysts will combine data from all 

the corrosion monitoring equipment 

installed on-site, analyse it and then 

interpret it into actionable information 

to ensure process integrity. If excessive 

corrosion is identified, then maintenance 

can be scheduled appropriately, 

for example during periods of planned 

downtime, helping to avoid costly 

leaks and shutdowns. Crucially, the 

frequently updated data provides much 

greater understanding of the effects of 

feedstock variations and process conditions. 

This provides organisations with 

the information and confidence needed 

to run their plant more aggressively and 

closer to its maximum capacity but still 

within safe limits, therefore increasing 

profitability. 

LIFECYCLE SERVICES 

In many cases automation vendors are 

now being asked to take full responsibility 

for the lifecycle management 

of their systems, software, valves and 

intelligent field devices. This includes 

managing and performing software 

updates, testing, recalibration, servicing, 

repair and replacement. Outcome 

based contracts focused on maximising 

equipment and process availability 

utilises remote connections to diagnose 

potential issues, but instead of providing 

insight and direction on actions 

to resident maintenance personnel, 

the automation vendor will handle all 

maintenance tasks on site. In some cases, 

vendors will even provide resident 

engineers. 


EFNMS 

Asset Management 

at its Best 

To be able to respond to 

current developments and 

trends in society, it is of vital 

importance for organizations 

to focus on the sustainable 

employability of assets. This goes for 

both the physical and the digital capitalintensive 

assets. When an organization 

neglects this, it faces the risk of losing its 

relevance in the long run. 

Sustainable employability of assets 

consists of four components that complement 

and strengthen each other. The 

elements are taking care of the earth, 

safety of operations, economical operations, 

and the creation of societal value. 

STEP BY STEP 

Asset Management of both physical and 

digital capital-intensive assets is es- 

sential. Innovations and developments, 

both within and outside of Asset Management, 

create a dynamic playing field. 

The Asset Management organization is 

tasked with keeping the organization 

nimble to thrive in this dynamic playing 

field. A focus on sustainable employability 

is key to staying nimble. 

Cooperating and creating partnerships 

with other parties are first steps 

in the right direction, this enables organizations 

to benchmark their efforts 

regarding the sustainable employability 

of assets. A clear action plan, containing 

a long-term strategy for the sustainable 

employability of assets, should be created 

and the entire organization should 

be involved in this effort. The next step 

is the continuous monitoring of, and 

acting on the results of, the measured 

progress. Next to that it is critical to actively 

innovate and embrace innovations 

to maintain the current market position. 

ASSET MANAGEMENT AT ITS 

BEST 

In April, the maintenance capital of 

Europe, Rotterdam, went in search of 

best practices on Sustainability during 

EuroMaintenance. With 13 keynotes, 

37 workshops (fully booked), 3 dayclosing 

inspiring tables and more than 

1000 participants, the attendees could 

learn, inspire, meet and enjoy. The 

Dutch Maintenance Society (NVDO) is 

proud on the results. General Manager 

Ellen den Broeder; “One thing is for 

sure: Asset Management is ensuring 

that an organization's assets continue 

to function as well as possible for as 


EFNMS 

long as possible. Everyone agreed on 

that during EuroMaintenance. Sustainability 

is ensuring that our planet 

continues to function as well as possible 

for as long as possible. So, this 

comes down to managing our common, 

most precious asset: the earth. 

Even stronger: all other assets depend 

on this earth. Because if it no longer 

works, your assets can no longer fulfil 

their function. For this reason alone, it 

makes perfect sense to make sustainability 

an integral part of your Asset 

Management”. It is also very important 

when it comes to Asset Performance 

Management, which was one of 

the EuroMaintenance themes. 

SAFETY 

EuroMaintenance was not just about 

Sustainability. Safety was one of the 

other very important themes. With no 

less than 8 workshops attendees were 

treated to interactive sessions, best 

practices and everyone also received 

a goodie bag from EU-OSHA to take 

home to become more familiar with 

the valuable international safety campaigns. 

HUMAN FACTOR 

As a result of influential events such 

as the Pandemic, but also the Russia- 

Ukraine war, the pressure on Management 

and Maintenance has increased. 

The energy transition must be faster, 

the work must be more sustainable, and 

it must be cheaper. All these challenges 

can also be seen in the technical labour 

market. These challenges are piling up 

on top of the consequences of an aging 

population, the increasing integration 

of technology and the difficult connection 

to education. Den Broeder; “Nevertheless, 

there is also good news when 

it comes to the technical labour market. 

Many companies are optimistic when 

it comes to recruiting qualified personnel. 

In addition, many good initiatives 

have been launched to make technology, 

Management and Maintenance in 

particular, more attractive to everyone. 

During EuroMaintenance such good 

news was shown”. 

SMART INDUSTRY 

Smart Industry was, as one of the 

themes during EuroMaintenance, significant. 

For example, it is a popular 

trend within manufacturing companies. 

Data integration makes it possible 

for production systems to work together 

and to respond to live changes 

in the company, at the customer or in 

the supply chain. EuroMaintenance 

met five benefits of deploying Smart 

Industry and how data centers enable 

the transition: better quality and increased 

productivity. Less operational 

costs. More insight. Higher customer 

satisfaction. Higher employee satisfaction. 

Den Broeder; “Young talent is 

used to the latest technology. Do you 

still work 'old school' as a production 

company? Then you have less chance 

of attracting young talent. Modern 

technology also ensures fewer errors, 

problems, and less dissatisfied customers”. 

FROM ROTTERDAM TO RIMINI 

During the closing ceremony of Euro- 

Maintenance 2023, not only did the 

excellent edition in Rotterdam close 

musically, it was also the starting signal 

for the next edition in Rimini. That will 

take place on 16,17,18 September with 

8 thematic pavilions in the exhibition 

area and same topics within the congress. 

Den Broeder; “Looking back at 

the NVDO edition of EuroMaintenance, 

I can only wish our Italian organizers 

that they enjoy the preparations as 

much as we did. May they count on a lot 

of cooperation, enthusiasm, professionalism 

and many visitors”. 

Source: EuroMaintenance organizer, the Dutch Maintenance Society, NVDO. 


EFNMS 

TEXT: SANDER AZNAR, TESSA VAN KOL AND YAMILLA LA HEIJ-STÖCKER 

EuroMaintenance highlights the growing need for sustainable 

practices in asset management 

WE RECENTLY HAD the privilege of 

attending EuroMaintenance 2023 in 

Ahoy Rotterdam, thanks to an invitation 

extended by the European Federation of 

National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS). 

Invited as young talents in the field of asset 

management, we were thrilled to participate 

in this event, which focused on the theme of 

"Digitalization and Sustainability." 

The conference covered a range of topics 

related to asset management, including the 

latest digitalization trends and technologies, 

sustainability strategies, and best practices 

for improving equipment reliability and efficiency. 

The presentations were delivered 

by industry experts from a variety of sectors, 

providing valuable insights and practical solutions 

for attendees. 

One of the key takeaways from the conference 

was the importance of digitalization in 

asset management. The speakers emphasized 

the potential benefits of implementing advanced 

technologies such as artificial intelligence, 

machine learning, and the Internet 

of Things (IoT) in maintenance practices. By 

utilizing these tools, organizations can improve 

their predictive maintenance capabilities, 

reduce downtime, and enhance equipment 

performance. 

The event also highlighted the growing 

need for sustainable practices in asset 

management. As the world faces pressing 

environmental challenges, organizations are 

increasingly expected to operate in an environmentally 

responsible manner. The speakers 

emphasized the role of asset management 

in reducing carbon emissions and achieving 

sustainability goals, such as energy efficiency 

and waste reduction. 

All these evolutions force us to consider 

the human factor as well. We are standing 

on the edge of the fifth industrial evolution. 

Unlike industry 4.0, industry 5.0 is striving to 

be human-centric, sustainable, and resilient. 

This has been extensively outlined by Jan 

Stoker. The EFNMS actively addresses this 

gap by developing a uniform maintenance 

curriculum for European maintenance 

professionals, ranging from technicians to 

maintenance managers. This must result in a 

sustainable education framework to prepare 

employees for Industry 5.0. 

Young talents 

Y. Stocker 

(left), Ministry 

of Defence 

and T. van 

Kol (right), 

Ministry of 

Infrastructure. 

In addition to the informative presentations, 

the event provided opportunities for 

networking and collaboration. We had the 

chance to meet and exchange ideas with 

fellow attendees, including maintenance professionals, 

academics, and industry leaders. 

The event provided a platform for sharing 

experiences and building connections, which 

is critical for driving innovation and advancing 

the field of asset management. 

Overall, we are grateful for the opportunity 

to attend EuroMaintenance 2023 and 

would like to extend our gratitude to the 

EFNMS for the invitation. We look forward 

to applying the knowledge gained at the conference 

to drive innovation and progress in 

this important field. 

EuroMaintenance: A great venue 

for all involved with asset and 

maintenance management 

EUROMAINTENANCE is a great venue for all involved with asset and 

maintenance management in one way or another. It goes without saying that 

the presentations and the presenters in Rotterdam were different in many 

ways; what was addressed, how it was addressed and the overall context. After 

all, it is an art in itself to be able to “draw” whatever the presenter wants to 

draw in 30 minutes in such a way that the audience will be wide awake and 

can grasp the big picture with a “suitable” amount of detail. 

When you add many presentations together, an even bigger picture 

emerges illustrating the current situation and the near challenges that we face 

as human beings, employees, citizens and nations in the field of assets and 

maintenance. The challenges today obviously include getting more young people 

on board and contributing to the overall goal of a more sustainable world 

and less waste. The five of us that came from the land of ice and fire were not 

let down by Ellen, Ian, others at the Dutch Maintenance Society (NVDO) and 

Ahoy employees. They all did a great job organising the event in a professional 

and courteous style, making us feel very welcome. Thank you! 

Text: GUDMUNDUR JÓN BJARNASON 

The “Icelandic team” participating at Euro Maintenance 2023 

in Rotterdam, Netherlands. From left to right, Sæmundur 

Guðlaugsson, Garðar Garðarsson, Ingvar Hafsteinsson, 

Guðmundur Jón Bjarnason and Rögnvaldur Andri Halldórsson 


Text: NINA GARLO-MELKAS 

EFNMS 

EFNMS appoints Dr. Diego Galar 

as Secretary and Director of Industry 

Relations on the Board of Directors 

DIEGO GALAR, Professor in Operation and 

Maintenance Engineering at Luleå University 

of Technology, was elected by the General 

Assembly of the European Federation of 

National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS) in 

April as Secretary and Director of Industry 

Relations on the Board of Directors. 

Dr. Galar gave Maintworld magazine readers 

some insights on how he sees his new role 

at EFNMS, the European Federation of National 

Maintenance Societies. 

What do you expect from your new 

position as EFNMS Secretary and 

Director of Industry Relations on the 

Board of Directors? 

The roles of Secretary and Director of Industry 

Relations typically start at the time of election 

and last for a term of three years. During this 

time, the Secretary assists in the management 

and administration of the organization, 

promoting its goals and objectives and working 

with the Board of Directors to develop 

and implement strategies for the organization's 

growth and success. As the Director of 

Industry Relations, my goal will be to foster 

collaboration between National Maintenance 

Societies (NMSs) and enterprises at a European 

level. This will involve identifying opportunities 

for partnerships and cooperation, 

promoting the exchange of best practices and 

knowledge sharing, and facilitating communication 

and networking between industry 

players and maintenance professionals. By 

working together, we can create a stronger 

maintenance community in Europe and drive 

innovation and growth in industry. 

What is your current view on the 

European maintenance sector? 

The importance of maintenance engineering 

and management in Europe cannot be overstated. 

With fierce competition from regions 

like Asia and America, where labor costs are 

lower, European companies must prioritize 

efficient and effective maintenance practices 

to reduce downtime, optimize asset utilization, 

and boost productivity. The adoption 

of advanced technologies is one of the key 

drivers of growth in the maintenance industry 

in Europe. Predictive maintenance tools, 

which rely on machine learning algorithms 

and AI, have become increasingly popular. 

By predicting when equipment is likely to 

fail, these technologies enable maintenance 

teams to take proactive measures to avoid 

costly breakdowns. 

European countries have also made significant 

investments in education and training 

to build a skilled workforce capable of 

driving innovation and growth in the maintenance 

industry. This has led to the development 

of specialized programs that focus on 

specific aspects of maintenance engineering 

and management. Importantly as well, there 

has been a concerted effort to standardize 

and harmonize maintenance practices across 

European countries through the development 

of common standards and frameworks. 

Finally, European countries are strongly 

promoting sustainability and environmental 

stewardship in the maintenance function. 

This has led to the adoption of green technologies, 

energy efficiency, circular economy 

principles, and more. Through these efforts, 

Europe is poised to retain its leadership in 

the maintenance engineering and management 

sector while also promoting a more 

sustainable future. 

What are your goals and 

objectives for the term? 

As the Secretary and Director of Industry 

Relations, along with the other Board of 

Directors members and NMSs, I hope to 

contribute to the global understanding of 

EFNMS across Europe by introducing new 

communication tools and technologies to 

achieve greater visibility. This is essential: 

members of the national associations must 

understand the importance of sharing best 

practices and harmonizing methods and 

procedures. By being aware of the principle 

of "when one person learns, everyone learns," 

we can significantly enhance our maintenance 

learning curve. 

I also intend to initiate sectorial committees 

to harmonize common practices 

in various sectors, such as transportation, 

chemical, infrastructure, and others, on a European 

level. Finally, I am eager to promote 

partnerships overseas, for example, with 

South American maintenance societies, as 

these are very active and successful in certain 

sectors. I believe EFNMS can benefit from 

close engagement with similar organizations 

worldwide. 

Last, but not least. A few words from 

the new secretary of EFNMS. 

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude 

to the National Maintenance Societies of 

Sweden and Spain for nominating me and to 

the General Assembly of EFNMS for electing 

me. I understand the great responsibility that 

comes with this role, and I am determined to 

fulfill it to the best of my abilities. I have dedicated 

my entire career to maintenance, and I 

am honored to serve this community. 

As my father used to say, maintenance 

professionals work behind the scenes to keep 

the world running. I believe in the importance 

of continuing to expand our maintenance 

knowledge and fostering collaboration 

among NMSs in Europe, rather than working 

in isolated silos. By sharing good practices 

and harmonizing methods and procedures, 

we can be both effective and resilient. 

THE EFNMS OBJECTIVE IS TO IMPROVE 

MAINTENANCE FOR THE BENEFIT OF 

THE PEOPLES OF EUROPE. 

The term ‘maintenance’ refers to the 

combination of all 

• technical, 

• administrative, and 

• managerial 

actions during the lifecycle of an item 

with the intention of retaining it in or 

restoring it to a state in which it can 

perform its required function. 


EFNMS 

Swedish maintenance industry 

looks boldly to the future 

Text: TARJA RANNISTO 

THE SWEDISH MAINTENANCE SOCIETY 

(SVUH) celebrated its 50th birthday in 

2019. For the Society it is important to 

remain at the forefront of the maintenance 

industry, and to overcome the challenges of 

the time stronger than ever. 

The maintenance sector in Sweden is 

of a high level by international standards. 

The aim of the Society is to grow the Swedish 

maintenance industry evermore and 

to maintain a high and up-to-date level of 

activity. 

According to Mia Ilkko, Chair of the 

Swedish Maintenance Society, the number 

of members of the Society is approaching 

150. The members are from the fields of 

industry, education, suppliers of goods and 

services, and authorities. 

– Regarding attracting people to the 

maintenance sector as employees, we know 

it can be challenging. We first need to be 

much clearer on how we explain this maintenance 

sector, its possibilities and the different 

roles in a career within maintenance. 

We as a society, have a lot we can do in communication 

on different levels, Mia says. 

Raising awareness of the sector is also 

necessary in terms of access to labour. Both 

Mia and Maria Stockefors, CEO of SVUH, 

consider it one of the biggest challenges today 

to attract more employees to the maintenance 

sector and secure its competence. 

– When not knowing the profession, we 

do not get many students in maintenance 

education. Maria claims. 

– However, with intensified cooperation 

with educational institutions, we are turning 

the tide. Moreover, with the development of 

technology, there is a higher degree of analytics 

within Sweden’s maintenance sector. 

This is creating different types of positions 

within companies, Mia adds. 

Competence development is an 

important task of the Society 

Members of SVUH come from a wide range 

of fields, such as industry, education, service 

and product suppliers. Maria sees the different 

backgrounds and competences of its 

members as a strength of the Society and as 

factors offering new perspectives. 

• The Swedish maintenance 

association Utek was founded 

on September 30th, 1969. 

In 2012, Utek merged with 

another Swedish maintenance 

organization and the name 

was changed to the Swedish 

Maintenance Society (SVUH). 

• For SVUH it is important 

to be caught up in current 

time and therefore the vision 

of the association follows 

time closely. Currently SVUH 

considers its vision to provide 

an internationally competitive, 

reliable industry through highquality 

maintenance. 

In the development 

of competence, it is 

important to be aware 

of what kind of skills 

will be needed in the 

maintenance industry 

in the future. 

– In the development of competence, 

it is important to be aware of what kind 

of skills will be needed in the maintenance 

industry in the future. For example, 

achieving climate goals requires 

new technological solutions, which 

in turn require new technical ways of 

working," Mia says. 

Internal committees have been set 

up within the association, in which the 

members are responsible for taking 

forward the message in various areas: 

competence development, safety, health 

and the environment, standardization, 

the future of maintenance. 

For example, professionals in the field 

of technology bring know-how related to 

sustainable development and recycling, 

and service providers bring their expertise 

in, among other things, methods, 

and aids for preventive maintenance. 

– In addition, the education sector, 

such as universities, universities of applied 

sciences and technical colleges, is 

interested in cooperating with the maintenance 

field in the form of various research 

and development projects, Maria adds. 

The association is like a window into 

Swedish maintenance activities, which 

are opened in both national and international 

contexts. Mia says that the Society 

participates both in domestic and 

foreign conferences and events, where 

it is possible to meet representatives of 

the maintenance sector extensively. The 

Society also has a long history of working 

in development projects with other 

fellow European societies. 

– In this way, we can increase our 

own awareness of work elsewhere and 

gain a new perspective on the development 

of the field. 


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HSE 

Text: MARK NAPLES, Managing Director of Umicore Coatings Services 

Images SHUTTERSTOCK 

Solving the impossible 

problem of surging 

methane emissions 


HSE 

The year is 2020. Billions of people across 

the globe sit in lockdown as scientists 

desperately try to find a cure to the 

pandemic that has brought the world to 

a standstill. And sustainability – until the 

pandemic hit, the defining megatrend 

of our time – is largely pushed out of 

the headlines. Flights are grounded. 

Manufacturers shutter their factories. 

Daily commutes and school runs stop 

dead, almost overnight. And methane 

emissions continue to rise. 

It is a finding that seems to defy 

common sense. Even as industries 

like oil and gas exploration 

and air travel slow to 

a crawl, the amount of 

methane - one of the most 

potent greenhouse gases 

(GHGs) in existence – in 

Earth's atmosphere surges. 

Measurements over South 

Sudan show methane levels 

jump from around 1,840 

ppb in late 2019 to a peak 

of over 1,910 ppb at the end 

of 2020[1]. It is a puzzle that 

will take over two years to 

solve – which brings us to 2023, 

and the troubling findings that 

reveal methane emissions as an even 

more insidious threat than previously 

thought. 

THE MYSTERY OF METHANE 

It is understandable why it has taken 

researchers over two years to explain 

why this sharp rise of methane into 

the Earth's atmosphere, even as most 

of the world seemingly ground to a 

halt. Indeed, emissions of carbon dioxide – a similarly notorious 

GHG which, while significantly less potent than methane, is 

also much more abundant – did fall as the world's heavy industries 

wound down, as expected. 

The answer is that, while anthropogenic (human-caused) 

methane emissions did fall in line with the world's reduced 

natural gas consumption, natural emissions did not. Emissions 

from wetlands, caused by biomass breaking down and 

methane-producing algae, among other naturally-occurring 

phenomena, rose by the highest amount since records began. 

These findings, published in the Nature journal, paint a 

troubling picture. A kilogram of methane emitted into the atmosphere 

can trap more than a hundred times more heat than 

a kilogram of emitted CO2. This is because methane's molecular 

structure can absorb more energy than CO2 and because 

Industrial gas detection 

is a mature market that 

continues to expand. 

methane forms other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, most 

notably in the tropospheric ozone. 

Much of this methane comes from microbes in wetlands. 

As these microbes break down biomass and reproduce, they 

produce methane. A warm, wet climate across large parts of the 

northern hemisphere meant there were more of these wetlands 

than ever before in 2020 – and there will continue to be more 

in future. 

Further complicating this picture is the finding that burning 

fossil fuels can actually help control the amount of methane 

in the atmosphere. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the Nature 

Journal paper details how the burning of fossil fuels creates nitrogen 

oxide, which produces hydroxyl radical molecules when 

it enters the atmosphere. These molecules break down methane, 

meaning the reduction in fossil fuels consumed during 

2020 – perversely – actually allowed methane 

concentrations to increase. 

The point of all this is not to take a 

defeatist stance, nor is it to absolve 

heavy polluters of responsibility. 

Indeed, global warming is creating 

more wetland regions as 

permafrost around the polar 

regions thaws. The rapid 

thaw is causing giant craters 

to form in the earth, creating 

pockets of waterlogged 

marshland known as 

thermokarst, which provide 

even more habitats for 

methane-emitting microbes 

to thrive. 

The point is that simply 

cutting methane emissions 

is much more complex than 

it sounds. The solutions to this 

problem are multi-layered, confusing, 

and often contradictory. Simply 

plugging leaky pipelines and limiting 

agricultural emissions, while important, 

is not enough to stop the vicious cycle 

of increasing methane emissions. Trying 

to navigate this already perplexing 

landscape without a solid foundation of 

accurate, up-to-date data to inform the 

right route forward is like trying to find 

a shadow in the dark – frankly, it is impossible. 

LASTING THE DISTANCE WITH DATA 

It is incumbent on all industries – particularly those that produce 

a lot of emissions, like oil, gas, and agriculture – to come 

to an agreement on several things. This is a global issue, and so 

it requires a global consensus to solve. 

But how can anyone reach a consensus without the capacity 

to describe what needs to be done? Methane emitters already 

face significant challenges in abating emissions - originating 

from a range of regulatory, financial, and structural factors. 

Awareness is low compared with CO₂, and methane emissions 

are tough to measure and track. 

Yet data on methane exists already – all businesses need to 

do is utilise the tools to collect it. This is the power data gives us 


HSE 

– it empowers 

decision-making 

by allowing us 

to quantify the effectiveness 

of our actions. 

As the lines between 

human-caused emissions 

and natural emissions become increasingly 

blurred, understanding the 

delicate interplay between humanity and the 

planet we live on becomes crucial. 

The sensing technology required to achieve this is not some 

far-off concept – it is available today and is more affordable and 

accessible than ever. Any company can monitor its industrial 

gas usage and emissions, providing researchers with a valuable 

understanding of the true impact humanity's actions have on 

our planet. 

LASER ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY 

Laser absorption spectroscopy is arguably the most powerful 

tool for promoting this understanding as it has a particularly 

big role to play in tackling methane emissions. Methane is such 

a potent GHG because its molecular structure means it absorbs 

infrared light emitted from the Earth's surface, trapping heat 

in our atmosphere. This property makes it a prime target for 

highly sensitive infrared spectroscopy sensors. 

This form of detection is based on how light is absorbed as it 

passes through a medium. Emitters within the sensor generate 

beams of IR light which pass through a sampling chamber containing 

a filter. The filter only allows the required wavelengths 

– the ones reflected or emitted by the particles of gas being 

monitored - to make it past, meaning only those wavelengths 

can reach the detector. Different filters allow different wavelengths 

of light to reach the detector, which can, in turn, be used 

to detect different gases and distinct particles. 

Newer gas analyser instruments use a laser diode mounted 

on a thermo-electric cooler to tune a laser's wavelength to 

the specific absorption wavelength of a particular molecule. 

They exploit their high-frequency resolution, which results in 

enhanced sensitivity 

- more 

significant levels of 

interaction between 

gas molecules and light 

in the order of parts per 

billion - and discrimination, 

as they are tuned to specific gas 

compounds. This lowers the risk of 

false alarms, which can become a serious issue 

with other common gas detection technologies. 

The benefits of these sensors include fast response times and 

accurate results without using any additional gases to operate. 

Modern detectors can now continuously monitor for combustible 

gases and vapours within the lower explosive limit and provide 

alarm indications. These can be deployed within oxygendeficient 

or enriched areas, require little calibration, and are 

immune to sensor poison, contamination, or corrosion. 

BREAKING THE VICIOUS CYCLE 

Industrial gas detection is a mature market that continues to 

expand as devices become cheaper at the compliance end of the 

market and smarter at the top end. On the one hand, at Umicore, 

we work with OEMs stripping their devices back to basics, 

focusing on functionality and cost for low-cost markets. On the 

other, we assist in driving advances to open up new opportunities 

and allow end users to use their devices in ways they haven't 

considered before. 

By embracing data and taking precise, informed action, 

industries, legislators, and consumers can all work together to 

help break the feedback loop of emissions driving further emissions. 

There are some methane emissions humanity simply cannot 

control. Accepting this makes it all the more vital that we 

do what we can to drive down the emissions we can control. 

But to do that, we must first have the capacity to identify and 

understand where these emissions are. Only then can we reckon 

with the vicious cycle of methane emissions – and finally crack 

it once and for all. 


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RISK EVALUATION 

An integrated approach 

to infrastructure integrity 

In a pilot project, the transmission system operator (TSO) ONTRAS investigated the 

requirements for critical infrastructure. The Leipzig-based TSO worked with the experts 

from TÜV SÜD to design a security concept that permanently and effectively supports the 

criteria of the Catalogue of IT Security Requirements published by Bundesnetzagentur, 

Germany’s federal network agency. 

ANDREAS MICHAEL, Industrial IT Security Expert, TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH 

MICHAEL PFEIFER, Expert for machine safety and Industry 4.0, TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH 

JENS GERLACH, Team Lead Automation and Electrical Engineering, ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH 

SVEN KALMEIER, Specialist Planning/Technology, ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH 

Image and graphic TÜV SÜD 

The disclosure of the Log4Shell 

vulnerability roughly one 

year ago proved that cyberattacks 

to critical supply infrastructure 

systems are a very 

realistic threat indeed. The vulnerability 

in a popular logging library also presented 

a threat to data centres, servers and connected 

systems in natural gas- and coalfired 

power stations. Against the backdrop 

of security of supply, the importance of 

cybersecurity is also growing in the energy 

industry. Given this, the German Energy 

Management Act (EnWG) also covers 

requirements that address adequate protection 

of the telecommunications and 

data processing systems required for safe 

network operation. In this context, operators 

of critical infrastructures (KRITIS) 

are a particular focus of interest. 

DIGITALISATION CALLS 

FOR INNOVATIVE SECURITY 

CONCEPTS 

The EnWG obliges enterprises in the energy 

industry to implement and update an 

information security management system 

(ISMS). The objective is to keep the impacts 

of potential vulnerabilities to a minimum 

at all times. Information security 

management systems (ISMS) assess all 


RISK EVALUATION 

Security 

IT 

OT 

ISMS or other IT 

security solution 

Integrated RA 

applications that are necessary to ensure 

secure, safe and reliable infrastructure operations. 

The EnWG is complemented by 

further regulatory requirements, including 

the ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27019 

standards. 

ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH (ON- 

TRAS) meets this legally and technologically 

challenging situation by relying on 

the experts from TÜV SÜD and their 

know-how to assess and improve the security 

concept for its transmission system. 

ONTRAS operates the pipeline network in 

eastern Germany, spanning roughly 7,700 

kilometres. Control and monitoring of 

this network are highly challenging from 

a technical point of view. The transmission 

system comprises about 450 coupling 

points controlled by electronic data processing, 

as well as huge amounts of hardware 

and software for infrastructure operation. 

Another important aspect is that the 

integrity of such infrastructure systems 

always covers both information technology 

(IT) and operational technology (OT). 

In other words, unauthorised access to 

data and systems must be prevented while 

people, assets and the environment need 

to be protected at the same time. As digitalisation, 

including digitalisation of supply 

infrastructures, grows in significance, 

an integrated approach to infrastructure 

integrity is becoming increasingly vital. 

ANALYSING THE SITUATION, 

DEFINING TARGETS, CHOOSING 

ACTIONS 

ONTRAS and TÜV SÜD developed and implemented 

an approach based on extended 

risk assessment, which examines both the 

cybersecurity and safety of infrastructures. 

At the focus of the project was a gas pressure 

gauge and a regulator. In step one, the 

project team, comprising experts from both 

Safety RA 

The Integrated Risk Assessment is 

not a new management system. It 

combines the existing management 

systems of IT and OT, as well as 

safety and security. It also takes into 

account interactions. 

Safety 

companies, assessed the baseline situation. 

To evaluate the security and safety status 

of the transmission system at the start of 

the project, the project team reviewed the 

existing safety-risk assessment and the risk 

assessment from ONTRAS’ ISMS and analysed 

their interactions. 

One challenge was 

that cyber-risks are 

harder to quantify than 

safety risks. 

One challenge was that cyber-risks are 

harder to quantify than safety risks. In many 

machine safety concepts (e.g. HAZOP), the 

security level (SL) is thus more difficult to 

assess correctly than the safety integrity 

level (SIL). It also complicates the task of 

defining the required security targets, which 

later serve as key performance indicators 

of project success and may also be used to 

demonstrate ISMS effectiveness to official 

authorities. The project team nevertheless 

succeeded in defining the security targets for 

ONTRAS’ security and safety concept and 

determining the scope of analysis. The process 

included identification and analysis of 

possible threats and vulnerabilities. 

Following this analysis, the experts 

developed a set of measures that they 

classified as suitable for risk reduction. In 

the next step, they looked at each of the 

specific risks and selected the measure 

most effective for improving security. An 

important factor in all these decisions 

was to keep the entire system in mind at 

all times, because a new measure must 

never compromise the function of already 

existing measures. This “freedom from 

interference” is one of the key principles 

for ensuring the safe and secure operation 

of infrastructure. 

ENGAGING ALL RESPONSIBLE 

AND KNOWLEDGEABLE 

PARTIES 

For long-term ISMS effectiveness, it is 

critical that all parties involved share the 

same understanding of holistic safety 

and security and how to achieve it. In 

the design phase of their security and 

safety concept and in a workshop with 

TÜV SÜD, ONTRAS’ safety and security 

experts developed a common approach 

and understanding of their transmission 

system that they can use and pass on to 

others. The knowledge base of the specific 

cybersecurity and safety requirements 

of infrastructures needs to be as broad 

as possible in order to minimise human 

factor (HF) risks and provide impetus for 

further development. 

To maintain high levels of safety and 

security, the parties responsible for these 

aspects should further engage in regular 

exchanges of expertise and experience. This 

is of particular importance in the event 

of changes to infrastructure, which may 

give rise to new vulnerabilities or interferences 

that are easier to identify in a team 

approach. If additional components are installed 

or components replaced or removed, 

the impacts of these actions on safety and 

security need to be assessed in detail. The 

joint project team from ONTRAS and 

TÜV SÜD developed documentation that 

also covered this specific case. By identifying 

the interfaces that are particularly sensitive 

in terms of safety and security, the documentation 

also describes the potential risks 

involved and thus contributes to ensuring 

rapid and impartial reassessment of safety 

and security can be performed following 

structural changes to infrastructure. Ideally, 

this approach even contributes to further 

improvements in safety and security. 

Detailed risk assessment carried out 

on ONTRAS’ transmission system also 

showed that effective safety and security 

measures are not limited to the IT/OT 

domain. The use of existing mechanical 

components or systems for monitoring and 

control, for example, plays a significant role 

in consolidating the security level, as these 

mechanical components are not vulnerable 

to cyberattacks. With this in mind, parties 

aiming to ensure a permanently effective 

ISMS should thus always make use of all 

dimensions of security and safety and give 

preference to an integrated approach that 

looks at the entire system. 


TECHNOLOGY 

Text: NINA GARLO-MELKAS Images: PIBOND 

Finnish 

engineers 

create novel sensor technology 

to prevent hot car deaths 

Finnish engineers have developed a 

sensor-based system that can help 

save tens of thousands of children 

– and even pets – locked up in 

cars, intentionally or accidentally, 

from heat-related deaths each 

year. The new PictM technology 

is a solution to calls from US 

and European safety regulators' 

that new rules be implemented 

mandating child presence detection 

(CPD) systems in new cars. This will 

help avoid senseless heat-stroke 

deaths of unattended children. 


TECHNOLOGY 

A 

CPD system is a device that 

detects the presence of a 

child or pet left behind in 

the car and sends an alert 

to the mobile phone of an 

adult responsible when the driver leaves the 

vehicle. 

With the number of new cars entering 

the market continuously rising, studies predict 

that such an automotive sensor market 

will be worth tens of billions of dollars by 

2030, growing at around 10% per year. 

Tragically, on average, there are 38 hot 

car child deaths per year in the United 

States alone. That is 942 preventable tragedies 

since 1998. Thus, such technology is 

highly needed. 

– Our PictM sensor technology is anticipated 

to revolutionize the automotive optical 

sensing market by bringing a 3D gauge available 

to car makers for in-cabin and for car 

surroundings that can measure objects up to 

tens of meters in the distance. This in turn 

offers a dimensionally accurate model of 

the environment with millimeter accuracy 

and without distortion, describes Uula 

Kantojärvi, Director at Finland's Espoobased 

PiBond Oy. 

According to Kantojärvi, the PictM technology 

adds micrometer-scale movement to 

each 3D point detected by a camera. 

– This happens in real-time, with a 

latency of a few milliseconds, producing up 

to 200,000 3D-measurement points per 

second, Kantojärvi explains. 

According to Kantojärvi, the system 

can detect a child's breathing in a vehicle. 

The technology illuminates the target with 

a laser dot pattern and detects any signal 

variation seen with the camera. Thus, it can 

distinguish living objects from luggage and 

other inanimate objects inside the car. 

GROWING DEMAND FOR NEW CAR 

SAFETY FEATURES 

The number of sensors attached to cars is 

growing as manufacturers introduce new 

safety features. Many car manufacturers 

are developing autonomous vehicles 

that need accurate situational awareness 

of the car's environment and the people 

inside. 

Starting from 2023, if a car manufacturer 

wishes to get a five-star rating for its 

new car model from Euro NCAP, it must 

include the CPD system as standard. This 

is stated in the new protocol developed by 

Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment 

Program) that assesses the safety of 

new cars. 

PictM sensor 

provides an accurate 

3D model and 

a vibration map. 

– In many countries, there is, or 

will be legislation to require new cars 

to have a method to warn the driver if 

they forget a child in the back seat. We 

believe that the PictM sensor will add 

value with more accurate detection, 

Kantojärvi notes. 

– This technology could potentially end 

up on the automotive market when we can 

do this in collaboration with major automotive 

sensor suppliers, he continues. 

At what stage is the development of such 

CPD technology – when could we start seeing 

PictM sensors installed in new cars? 

– The development work has progressed 

to the first compact instrument that will 

be used for various application trials and 

the gathering of customer needs. At the 

same time, we are designing other nextgeneration 

devices and solutions to meet 

the identified industry needs. 

Development work continues in Finland, 

Kantojärvi stresses. 

– We have received support from both 

Business Finland and the European Union. 

We also have received assistance from 

Finnish small- and medium-sized enterprises, 

research institutes, and universities. 

Finland has a lot of expertise in the development 

of complex optical devices. 

MANY APPLICATION AREAS – 

INCLUDING INDUSTRIAL 

MAINTENANCE 

Uula Kantojärvi adds that an intriguing 

future possibility for the new technology 

is to have a measuring device that can also 

detect a living object while the car is moving. 

Currently, this is a major technological 

challenge, he admits. 

The main markets for such technology 

are in developed countries with legislation 

for this type of security application. 

According to Kantojärvi, the potential 

customers for such an application are 

sensor suppliers to the automotive industry. 

However, other industries could 

benefit from such technology – including 

the industrial maintenance sector. These 

include autonomous robots, industrial 

precision surface measurements with 

displacement data, human physiology 

measurements, and 3D modelling of 

faces and bodies. 

– We see many application areas where 

the PictM sensor adds value to its user by 

providing an accurate 3D model of the surroundings 

and a vibration map. This example, 

where we measured a child's breathing 

in the back seat, is an excellent example of 

what PictM is capable of. 

– The future for such technology looks 

bright because there are many applications 

where the real environment around 

us needs to be digitized in a reliable 3D as 

many applications are moving to the virtual 

world. We are currently looking for partners 

in different application areas, Kantojärvi 

concludes. 



Compressor installation and maintenance: 

HOW TO ASSURE RELIABLE OPERATION 

OF YOUR RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR 

Reciprocating compressors are complex 

machines with a lot of moving parts 

that produce big forces. It is crucial for 

the compressor to have perfectly flat 

sole plates and all of them being in level 

and coplanar. Why is that? Here is the 

explanation: 

Text: ROMAN MEGELA, Senior Reliability Engineer, Easy-Laser AB 

Main bearing bore alignment is critical to the main 

bearing crankshaft life. The OEM machines the 

top of the compressor frame to be perfectly flat 

and parallel to the main bearing bores and also 

to the bottom of the frame (compressor feet). 

By measuring the top frame plane of the compressor, you will verify 

bore alignment of the crankshaft and confirm it is straight and not 

distorted. 

WHEN PACKAGING the compressor, the skid must be level 

and flat. The best practice is using reference pads to measure level 

and flatness during the fabrication. This is a requirement until the 

package is completed and delivered to the customer site. Packagers 

keep the references until they finish the fabrication and then use the 

same references to install it on site. When commissioning the package, 

the same measurements must be done again on site. Once the 

package is installed on customer site it is handed over to operations 

and maintenance. 

HOW DO WE extend the operation on the compressor? This 

is a very important part for most of the maintenance teams starting 

up a new or relocated compressor. We must keep in mind the compressor’s 

moving parts and dynamic forces. The pulsations from the 

reciprocating movement must be dissipated through the solid foundation 

to the sand bed or concrete ground depending on the design. 

Many people think that a foundation is a static part of the package. 

It might look like it, but it is not. It is very dynamic. It is holding our 

equipment and dissipating dynamic forces. Foundation condition 

might change over time. Loose bolts, inappropriate construction, 

sinking ground etc. 

THE OEM REQUIRES that you measure the top frame flatness 

during installation and commissioning. After 4000 hours (or 

half a year) you must verify this measurement, and then again at 

8000 hours (or a year) of operation. By measuring the top frame 

flatness, we will keep control of the condition of the compressor. If 

top frame flatness changes during this period, it is an indication that 

something is wrong, and it is time to investigate the cause. If we skip 

that measurement, we will run the risk of bending the frame and 

consequently the crankshaft, which is a crucial part of the machine. 

Then the main bearing will get damaged together with the connecting 

rod bearings. But if you measure your compressor during the 

installation and then every 6 months you will be able to see the stability 

of the skid. Once you see a solid and stable condition, you can 

start extending those half year periods into a year or 8000 hours, 

because the solid frame position will not change the loads in your 

bearings, and they will not wear out before their designed life. 

As you understand, an absolutely flat and level foundation is key to 

ensure reliable operation. And keep in mind that although stable, it is 

a moving structure that needs to be looked after, year after year. 


Secure your pass here: 

www.mandeweek.co.uk/ 

register-now 

7-8 June 2023 | NEC Birmingham 

Home of the UK 

Maintenance Community 

This event is dedicated to the 

maintenance, reliability and 

asset management industry 

PART OF 

INCORPORATING 

Find out more at www.maintec.com 

@mandeweek2023

HSE 

Occupational Safety and 

Health Cooperation in 

Maintenance at Mining Sites 

Maintenance activities are one of the most critical safety 

and health factors in all industries, but especially in mining. 

Well-managed proactive maintenance leads to costefficient, 

accident-free, smooth operations at mining sites. 

Text: TIINA LIUS, Certified European Occupational Safety and Health Manager (EurOSHM) 

Occupational safety and 

health cooperation 

must always be managed, 

irrelative of who is 

providing maintenance 

services. In this article the focus is on 

outsourced maintenance and what the 

occupational safety and health responsibilities 

of the customer are (mining 

company), and on the maintenance service 

provider at a shared workplace. 


HSE 

FIRST PUT FOCUS ON 

YOUR OWN COMPANY'S 

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND 

HEALTH MANAGEMENT 

The employer or employer’s deputy 

is responsible for ensuring that work 

can be carried out without incidents 

or health risks. The employer or employer’s 

deputy also specifies safety and 

health targets and ensures sufficient 

resources to work safely without endangering 

anyone’s health or life. 

The department manager (or foreperson 

having similar responsibilities) 

represents the middle management 

and is responsible for the development 

of the work environment and cooperation, 

in addition to safety and health 

cooperation. The department manager 

ensures that each work project is organized 

in such a way that everyone can 

work safely without endangering health 

or life, and knows the safety culture of 

the workplace. The department manager 

is also responsible for ensuring that 

instructions and orientation documentation 

is up to date. 

The work supervisor is an immediate 

supervisor of employees and is responsible 

for work supervision. They are responsible 

for ensuring that instructions 

and safe working methods are followed 

in daily operations that every employee 

gets ample work orientation. The work 

supervisor also monitors the daily 

condition of the working environment 

and the work community, also from the 

work wellbeing point of view. 

The employee is responsible for following 

instructions and regulations 

and using protective equipment. They 

are also responsible for informing the 

supervisor of any hazards they observe 

or find. The employee must not remove 

any guidance or warning markings or 

remove/switch off any safety devices 

without permission from the supervisor. 

They must refrain from dangerous 

and physically or mentally harmful 

workload duties and should always report 

such practices immediately to their 

supervisor. The supervisor thus has 

the possibility to plan and implement 

any necessary corrective measures to 

remove or minimize the risks caused by 

observed danger or load factors. 

In the case of using hired workers, 

the difference from the occupational 

safe and health point of view compared 

to a company using its own workers, 

is basically only that the hired labour 

company pays the salary and provides 

the occupational health care. In practical 

terms, the responsibility of occupational 

safety and health is on the 

employer using hired labour. 

Occupational safety and health 

cooperation shall be organized by the 

employer from the moment the first 

employee is hired. The employer and its 

EMPLOYER’S 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Who is the employer? Who are the 

employer's deputies? 

∫ Managing director 

∫ Other members of the 

Company’s government 

∫ Department heads 

∫ Group leaders 

∫ Forepersons 

∫ Experts who give and guide 

others' work 

THINKING 

∫ Zero accidents 

∫ Zero sickness absences due to 

work 

∫ Zero harmful exposures 

∫ Zero employers, supervisors, 

and employees unaware of 

occupational safety 

∫ Zero tolerance of workplace 

bullying 

∫ Zero cases of job burnout 

∫ Zero no-flow working days 

SHARED WORKPLACE 

A shared workplace is a 

workspace shared by employees 

of several different employers 

and independent contractors. 

Provisions on cooperation in 

occupational safety and health 

matters in a shared workplace 

are laid down in the Act on 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Enforcement and Cooperation on 

Occupational Safety and Health 

at Workplaces 44/2006 (Chapter 

5a) and in the Occupational 

Safety and Health Act 738/2002 

(Sections 49–51 and 53). 


HSE 

employees must work together to maintain 

and improve occupational safety 

and health in the workplace despite 

how many employees have been hired. 

One to one dialogue about occupational 

safety and health issues should be natural 

discussion between any employee 

and their employer. 

All workplaces with 10 or more employees 

must, by law, have an occupational 

safety and health representative 

and it is the employer’s duty to ensure 

that one is elected by employees. Primarily 

the employer shall carry out dialogue 

with the occupational health and 

safety representative. In small workplaces 

however, all employees should 

participate in dialogue regarding the 

safety and health of their own work and 

working environment. Each employee 

has absolutely the best knowledge of 

the safety and health hazards regarding 

their own work. If any concerns occur, 

they should immediately be raised with 

their own supervisor. This is not only 

a wish; each employee has the responsibility 

to cooperate in occupational 

safety and health issues. 

Workplaces with at least 20 employees 

must have an occupational safety and 

health committee consisting of representatives 

of the employer, the employees 

and managerial staff. The role of the committee 

is to promote occupational safety 

and health. Occupational safety and 

health representatives have the right to 

attend and contribute to the committee’s 

meetings proactively before any changes 

e.g., to workers, operations, or facilities 

having safety and health take effect. The 

committee can make suggestions to the 

employer concerning improvements to 

working conditions, occupational health 

care, occupational safety and health 

training, as well as management. The 

committee also helps to organise activities 

aimed at maintaining the employees’ 

work ability and work welfare. 

MANAGING OF OCCUPATIONAL 

SAFETY AND HEALTH 

IN COOPERATION WITH 

PERSONNEL 

Occupational safety and health are 

managed as a part of front-line work. 

However, Occupational safety and 

health must be managed in cooperation 

with an occupational safety and health 

organization (at least 20 employees), 

with the occupational safety and health 

representative (at least 10 employees) 

or, with all personnel (1…9 employees) 

as described above. 

The employer must organize adequate 

occupational safety and health 

training for employees' representatives. 

These trainings are offered by e.g., associations, 

expert organizations, labour 

market organizations and occupational 

health and safety companies. 

TIINA LIUS 

∫ Finnsafe ry Chairman of the 

Board 2020- 

∫ Entrepreneur 2018- 

∫ Recognition Award for Safety in 

the Education Sector 2017 

∫ Medal of Merit for Working 

Environment Work 2016 

∫ Certified European Occupational 

Safety and Health Manager 

(EurOSHM) 2014 

∫ Authorized Occupational Safety 

Manager, High-risk Workplaces 

(ASM-A) 2013 

∫ tmi Tiina Lius, www.tiinalius.fi 

Occupational safety and health policy 

and first aid preparedness are examples 

of documents and processes which 

shall be prepared together. Worktime 

tracking is one example of the tools that 

are needed to implement the employers’ 

general duty to exercise care. Added 

to this, communication supports the 

opportunity of the entire work community 

and each employee to participate in 

improving work and workplace safety. 

In addition, cooperation should 

cover following topics: 

• Education and guidance of employees 

• Actions of forepersons and the organization 

• Each individual’s occupational safety 

and health inspections plus initiative 

and notification procedures regarding 

working conditions 

• Investigation and assessment of hazards, 

injuries and load factors 

The investigation and assessment 

of hazards, injuries and load factors 

shall cover all work, workstations, and 

workplaces, also at shared workplaces. 

Examples of hazards, loads and load factors 

in work and the work environment 

are listed in the Chart “Examples of 

Hazards, Injuries, and Load Factors at 

Work and Working Environment”. 

PROMOTION OF OCCUPATIONAL 

SAFETY AND HEALTH IN 

SHARED WORKPLACES 

Well-managed occupational safety 

and occupational health cooperation 

in all companies working at a shared 

workplace forms a strong basis for taking 

care of the occupational safety and 

health of the shared workplace. 

The customer plays a key role 

regarding to the promotion of occupational 

safety and health in a shared 

workplace. By setting common targets 

preferably in line with Thinking Zero 

principals a customer gently guides and 

supports contractors and service providers 

to pursue incident, burnout, and 

injury-free working. 

When all contractors and service 

providers tune their own occupational 

safety and health procedures towards 

Thinking Zero practices, they help to 

support a culture of undisturbed working 

days. Undisturbed working days 

produce the best result when evaluating 

not only the level of occupational safety 

and health and operational responsibility, 

but also productivity. 

With good planning, scheduling and 

well-managed work, including maintenance 

work in a shared workplace, 

all work can be done correctly at once. 

Proactive occupational safety, and occupational 

health measures support smooth 

workflow, and therefore the management 

and cooperation of occupational safety 

and occupational health is profitable for 

all employers in a common workplace. In 

other words, the recommended aim is that 

no disturbances, no interruptions and no 

rush is faced at work which raise the probability 

of accidents and harmful stress. 

Therefore, the high-quality management 

of occupational safety and occupational 

health by the customer is profitable for all 

employers in a common workplace. 


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Maintworld Magazine 2/2023

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