An air conditioning and heating systems manufacturer in Texas is challenged to continue providing the industry with leading products,  while meeting high-reliability standards, maintaining affordable prices, and meeting increasing worldwide demand for the products they manufacture.  All of this must be done in a way that provides the expected financial return for stakeholders.  An internal evaluation was completed to determine how to achieve and continually meet these goals.  It was determined that the negative consequences of unplanned downtime, high production costs, inability to increase production capacity and product quality issues were putting these goals at risk.  The goal of the facility is to maintain equipment uptime and availability at greater than 90%.

The final analysis revealed that additional reliability efforts would reduce the risk factors preventing the achievement of their business goals. As a result, the company understood that an investment in Condition Monitoring was required. Consequently, an investment in our VIBXPERT® II portable and VIBNODE® online vibration analysis systems was made.  The company decided to install permanently mounted sensors due to equipment accessibility issues.  A LUDECA CM Engineer completed a start-up and commissioning process to help maximize the return on this effort for the customer.  The OMNITREND® software and vibration analysis equipment provided by LUDECA has already enabled the facility to identify a number of bearing problems and other reliability issues preventing their goals from being achieved.

Does your company have the same challenges and results expectations as those described above?  What is your facility doing to improve reliability, product quality, production capacity, and the financial return for stakeholders?  How does your company mitigate risk factors that prevent your goals from being achieved?  A proper investment in Condition Monitoring and reliability-centered efforts will continually provide a positive return on the investment.  This will help your company achieve positive financial and competitive goals like the company above.