The maintenance mindset:optimising asset efficiency by minimising unplanned,mechanical downtime

摘要

In recent years,the paper industry has come to recognise that the financial performance of a mill is governed by reliability and efficient running rather than the rate at which the end product is produced.The focus has therefore shifted from increases in speed and capacity to a more pragmatic emphasis on mill efficiency.The target is to minimise costly unplanned stoppages by optimising mechanical performance -ie the reliability of the rotating components on which paper machines depend.This can be achieved via a new maintenance strategy -a radical alternative to existing maintenance practices.The new approach has its roots in the "New Life Theory" i.e,the theory that under the optimum operating conditions fatigue will never occur.These operating conditions can be achieved through: The latest lubrication and sealing technology. modern condition monitoring technologies. Proactive maintenance. Mill/supplier partnershipsbased on joint responsibility and on a sharedrisk/shared rewards basis.They work to Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)which mark the mill's progress towards BestPractice in plant efficiency and reliability.For example,the KPI's at two VCP mills in Brazil call for a 13% reduction in unplanned mechanical downtime in the 1st year of a five year maintenance contract -increasing to 33% in Year 5.