Lesson 7 - Maintenance SAQ

** A large brewery (annual output of 250,000 hL) with an established maintenance department is in the process of adding a centrifuge to its filtration department. Describe how we would use the three different types of maintenance resources to successfully implement this project. Key project stages to consider are: project kick-off, installation, commissioning, and operation.

Response:

Recall that there are three types of maintenance resources available – distributed, centralised, and contract – all three would well serve this scenario. Your response should address each of these resources and how they relate to the project, how they work together, and how they meet the business needs of the brewery.

An example response would contain content such as:

• Project kick-off – equipment selection, specification, location, and purchase.

• • The Centralised Maintenance department must be involved early on in the project with engineering and operations in the selection of the centrifuge, its features, specifications, physical location within the facility, physical requirements (utility requirements – electrical load, CIP needs, etc.), process piping tie-ins, and automation integration, as examples. Additionally, as part of the centrifuge purchase, this department would assist in the selection and order of required spare parts.

• Installation

• • The installation of the centrifuge would likely be assigned to specialised skilled labour comprised of Contract Maintenance technicians, including equipment rigging, process piping installation, and electrical and automation integration. These crews would successfully complete their respective jobs and then leave the brewery once their portion of the project is over.

• Commissioning

• • With the centrifuge installed and functional, both Distributed and Centralised Maintenance would be active participants in the commissioning process, each with their own focus and deliverables.

• • • Distributed Maintenance – while primarily functioning as equipment operators, the distributed maintenance team, during the commissioning phase, receive training on the equipment, how to perform the daily and weekly services, and basic troubleshooting.

    • Centralised Maintenance – as part of commissioning, this team would be responsible for cataloguing, ordering, and having ready all critical spare parts. They would also organise all the system manuals and enter all required maintenance tasks into the CMMS. Lastly, they would have received in-depth training on how to service the centrifuge during required overhauls.

• Operation

• • As with commissioning, both the Distributed and Centralised Maintenance groups continue to support the centrifuge once it is part of regular operation.

• • • Distributed Maintenance – this team, also responsible for the day-to-day operation of the centrifuge, is trained on and executes the daily, weekly, and ongoing routine maintenance such as cleaning, lubrication, vibration, and filter checks. It also performs a routine visual and functional inspection and report any anomalies to the Centralised Maintenance staff for further examination.

    • Centralised Maintenance – this team follows up on all reported issues observed by the distributed maintenance operators. It also performs all centrifuge overhauls at the manufacturer’s recommended intervals.