Lessons Learned Implementing an Infrared Program

by Jennifer Daugherty and Roger Miller

Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, has focused efforts toward an improved infrared (IR) program. As equipment ages, the need for improving inspections and making work more effective becomes imperative. Infrared inspection of equipment allows equipment health to be determined and tear-down intervals to be driven more by condition at optimum frequencies. This paper discusses lessons learned while implementing an infrared program and passes those lessons on to others that may find it useful. The goal of the IR program is to increase availability and improve equipment health by detecting impending failures.

Arnold Engineering Development Center is the largest ground flight simulation test complex in the world. AEDC is the world’s premier flight simulation test facility, conducting performance tests in aerodynamics, aeropropulsion, hypersonics, rockets, space systems, and technology. AEDC’s mission is to test and evaluate aircraft, missile, and space systems and components at simulated flight conditions. Twenty-seven of AEDC’s test units have capabilities unmatched elsewhere in the United States; fourteen are unique in the world. Facilities can simulate flight conditions from sea level up to 300 miles and from subsonic velocities to Mach 20. AEDC has motors up to 83,000 horsepower and pumps up to 50,000 gallons per minute and compressors with flow rates in excess of 1,000,000 cubic feet per minute. Protecting the equipment to increase availability is imperative. The Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA) is the operations, maintenance, information management, and support contractor to the Air Force at AEDC.

AEDC has performed Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) for over 20 years. The IR program had been a fragmented program and had experienced trouble overcoming the scheduling and safety issues involved with high-voltage electrical equipment, but to improve equipment health assessment and reduce the cost to maintain equipment, AEDC continues to improve the infrared program that assesses electrical and mechanical equipment. The purpose of this paper is to share some elements of our IR program that may have been originally neglected but have since been determined to be crucial for continued IR program growth and effectiveness. The specific elements this paper covers are the plan, program quality control, safety, and justification.

IR Implementation Plan

One of the most effective ways to improve an IR program is by developing a good implementation plan with the right elements and actually using it. The plan must be solid enough to be used for the growth of the program, and time should be put into developing the plan because it should ultimately include the scope of your program and the map to get there. Many programs have been successfully started without good plans; however, few programs are sustained and grown to their true potential without a solid detailed plan. Certain elements should be included in the plan to ensure that it will give the direction and foundation needed as the program continues to grow.

Every plan must include the program’s mission, vision, and goals. Ensure the goals are tied to the company’s mission. Each goal should support the company’s goals in some way. This is important in showing management that the IR program is in agreement with the company’s goals. It is also helpful to gain an understanding of what the real goals of the IR program should be. Many times goals may not be what originally seemed to be intuitive. Establishing and directing the program toward these goals are paramount.

Once the goals have been established, metrics must be developed to gauge the performance of the IR program. The metrics chosen should be related to your internal and external goals thereby relating them to your type of business. In some enterprises, ROI may be most critical while availability may be more important for others. That is because equipment availability is directly associated with the test length of an aerospace R&D program. One of our goals is to shorten the time required to test at AEDC thus shortening the R&D phase of critical aircraft development. If ROI is chosen ensure to be consistent with assumptions and lean toward the conservative side to improve program credibility. However, don’t be so conservative that the program is undersold.

Another part of the plan should state how quickly you plan to mature the program, including the funding scenarios expected in the future. This will help provide structure for the program and give the company the necessary time to allocate funding. Documenting the maturation plan will build additional credibility and support. The plan will demonstrate that forethought was used in developing the program and that the goals.

Quality Issues

Another very critical part of a good IR program is to ensure that your program appears professional by addressing any quality issues. One of the most obvious ways to ensure high quality for the program is to become procedural based. Procedures document and provide a roadmap for the way data will be collected and analyzed. They help to ensure that IR data is collected consistently and accurately. Procedures should address any equipment calibration issues as well. Procedures give much more control for managing an IR program.

Another way to help ensure that the data collected is accurate is to develop a good qualification program, which should also be included in the plan. It should include expected certifications, training, critical procedures testing required for the job and at least one field evaluation of the technician collecting data. A qualification test may include questions associated with equipment failure identification, knowledge of the IR equipment being used, IR pattern problems, and IR calibration issues. Qualification time periods should dictate a specific time period and qualification records should be maintained. Any qualification and currency issues should be documented and followed. If a technician is removed from IR duties for a period of time they may need to be re-qualified; this could mean simply taking a test or starting the qualification process over.

Consistent data analysis and reporting is another important consideration. Consistent alarming rules should always be used. When the program is in its infancy, use rules that are available from other sources. When issuing reports refer to these sources and ensure the recommendations are based on those rules. Be consistent when reporting findings. Use the rules to identify when a problem exists. Ultimately however, the IR program’s structure should be based on tools e.g. reliability centered maintenance, root cause analysis, and failure modes and effects analysis. Once problems have been identified document the findings and report them using a consistent reporting method. AEDC uses standard database to both document and report findings in a predetermined reporting format.

Understanding both IR and plant equipment builds credibility and accuracy to the program. Both the technician and the analyst should understand the IR equipment being used. The technician should have a good understanding of the effects of emissivity, reflectivity, FOV, effects of surrounding conditions, etc. Without a good understanding, misleading images could lead to a misdiagnosis of equipment. Not only are good IR images essential but the analyst should also understand the plant equipment that is being surveyed. For example, electricians and electrical engineers usually make good electrical equipment surveyors because they understand how breakers, connections, motors, and transformers work.

Safety

Critical to any PdM program is the safety practices. Safety should be considered in all aspects of the IR program. Minimizing technician exposure to hazardous equipment is not just a responsibility but an obligation for the people who work in your program. Putting a technician in unnecessary risks should not be an acceptable part of your program. At AEDC, NFPA 70E compliance is mandatory. Imaging equipment with a high energy rating could no longer be accomplished until IR windows were installed to allow safe access to technicians. The use of windows and mirrors not only improved technician safety but also improved the consistency of data and productivity by greatly shorting the amount of time the technicians are exposed to a hazardous environment. Understanding the potential hazards of electrical equipment is vitally important. Many times the highest voltage equipment may not be the most dangerous. Experienced personnel should calculate arc flash energy levels to determine where potential hazards may be hiding.

Justification

Justification will always be required for the entire life of an IR program. Always be prepared to provide proof that the IR program is working and that company goals are easier to attain using IR technology. It is better to voluntarily provide periodic proof that your program is working than to wait until asked to do so. In some cases, it could be too late to put together your program’s justification after being asked to do so. Decisions may have already been made that could adversely affect the IR program after it is too late to react. Program justification can also be aided by having one or two very simple demonstrations to demonstrate how IR technology works and help the company achieve its goals. Also periodically take a couple of your successful findings and put them on a slide for your management. These will also be useful for management to show to stakeholders. This will help to make management more supportive of the program and will boost support. This can also prove to be very beneficial in those times that extra funds become available. Remember that you are all on the same team and making your management look good usually translates into further funding and support.

Conclusion

In closing, a good IR program includes not just one element but many: a thorough plan, good metrics, control of the quality of your program, smart thinking, working safely, and continuous program justification and self monitoring. Just as important however, is that ability to work well with technicians and management. Strive to build program credibility, management support, and build on the IR program’s strengths. Through continuous improvement and never being satisfied with where the program is currently, a strong IR program can be very beneficial to a company. Many more elements are required than simply understanding IR technology to sustain and improve the program to the next level.

Note: ATA/Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee were awarded Uptime Magazine Best Infrared Program in 2007 and Best Overall Predictive Maintenance Program in 2008

Comments

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Good concept dan I was agree with statement "should be procedural base,Qualification Program and Be consistent when reporting findings".
The sharing was valueble for me.

tks

Sahat PH
Engineer
PT Indonesia Power

Posted by: Sahat P Hutagalung | October 29, 2008 at 09:32 PM

As a reliability engineer planning on starting a PdM program at our plant, I consider this white paper an integral part of RCM knowledge base. Good job

Posted by: Dele James Obazenu | October 29, 2008 at 02:37 PM