The Cost Effect of Machine Unbalance on Condition- Based Maintenance: (A Case Study of Obajana Cement Plc, Obajana)
1Okon Bassey Akpanenang, 2Ogakwu Paul Andrew, 3Okpanachi George Echiye
1,3Centre for Satellite Technology Development, Abuja
2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Idah, Kogi State
Email: okpanachi1976@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Machine failures are often rapid on equipment’s when unbalance is above severity level. Unbalance above severity level generates other machine defects like bearing deterioration and production lost. Reducing cost is sometimes an overlooked aspect of maintenance. However, a maintenance organization can help a company reduce costs in many ways. For example, a change in maintenance policy may lengthen production run times without damaging the equipment. This change reduces maintenance cost and at the same, increases production capacity. By examining its practices, maintenance can always make adjustments in tools, training, repair procedures, and work planning, all of which can reduce the amount of labor or materials that may be required to perform a specific job. Understanding machine languages help in the determination of equipment health condition through vibration analysis. Vibration analysis is a tool in condition based maintenance use to evaluate the condition of equipment in order to control the sudden failures of equipment in the plant. Vibration analysis is an effective tool in the determination of unbalance using software developed to evaluate the machine defects. This analysis is made using the software to determine the defects before threat starts on the machine and repair can be planned. Unplanned maintenance can be minimized by planning and scheduling of any defect equipment’s requiring for repairs during planned maintenance. Therefore, unbalance becomes an important equipment defects to monitor in condition Base Maintenance in other to obtain maximum “equipment’s and production” Reliability and optimization. This aspect of condition monitoring does not only solve equipment problems, but makes maintenance less stressful as maintenance can be properly planned or scheduled.
Keywords: vibration, maintenance, reliability, scheduling and balancing
