Condition Monitoring: Getting Insights

Asset monitoring is fine, but condition monitoring is BEST!  Join us today for a discussion about how data is turned into insights.

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Transcript

Lou: Intro: Good Day and welcome everyone to Power Bytes!  I am your host Lou Signorelli and Power Bytes is your destination Podcast for power generation conversations.  As always please know how much we appreciate you, our listeners.  We hope you find our topics helpful and interesting.  There are several ways for you to get in touch with the show. You can send us an email at powerbytes@cat.com, visit us at Cat Electric Power on Facebook or LinkedIn.  Please remember to subscribe wherever you listen to our show… it really helps.  

Lou: Those that have been long time fans of Power Bytes probably remember a hugely popular episode last year with Magy Kramer who spoke to us about how important it is to monitor critical assets.  We all agree that monitoring and reacting to alarms as fast as possible is very important.  But that got me wondering, what happens to all that data? 

Lou: So today, joining me from his home in Wisconsin is Kevin Benz, an expert in that field to help us understand what to look for in a condition monitoring solution.  Kevin has been with Caterpillar for 24 years, spending the majority of his career in Electric Power at various capacities, including digital technology and remote monitoring.  Kevin is currently our Condition Monitoring Manager for Electric Power.

Lou: Thanks for joining us today Kevin! 

Kevin: Thank you Lou, I appreciate the warm welcome.  

Lou: Kevin so let's start with some basics.  Beyond simply responding to alarms, how important is it to gather all the data from a monitored asset? 

Kevin: Well, it's not so much the importance of gathering all the data from an asset, and rather, gathering the most relevant data to help make more informed business decisions.  Now I understand that likely sounds like a canned answer, but it's true.  In most cases, you simply have to quantify the data required based on the desired outcome you want delivered. This comes from having a good understanding of the cost drivers in your business including the cost of downtime.  I tend to think in a broader sense and consider the data that has the biggest impact to the total cost of ownership.  What's the one data point that has the biggest impact to operating costs on a diesel engine?  Fuel consumption, right?  What drives fuel consumption, the amount of load or average load applied to the generator, right?  So you collect these data points to further analyze for improvement opportunities.  Same holds true from a condition monitoring perspective, having access to key data parameters that helps classify the health of the asset is also key, as well as tying in PM inspections, fluids analysis, and site conditions into the equation.  Sometimes, it's not just the asset data that tells the story. The truth could be hidden in a simple PM inspection noting an oil leak, or a plugged air filter or crankcase breather, or an intake vent not properly operating.  It's not until you uncover the data insights that you realize just how valuable that data is, and we're only becoming smarter and smarter by the day! 

Lou: Ok, so we agree that collecting the data is important. But as an owner I might only have 2 or 3 gensets, just how much data is important. 

Kevin: Again, this really depends on the application and desired outcome, but whether you have 3 assets or 50 assets, it's equally important to be consistent on the data collection process and have the ability to turn that data into powerful insights.  This is accomplished by applying your findings from past field failures and other events that occur in your business, to your business processes today.  Having the ability to detect failure modes earlier in the lifecycle is a key to your success.  The sooner you're ahead of a failure mode that has the potential to cause unexpected downtime, the more informed you are and the better the outcome will be.  Remember, time is money..!

 Lou: Ah… that's interesting. So, by partnering with an industry leader, I as an owner, can get the benefit of the data from the entire install base to best prevent very expensive failures on my site? 

Kevin: Absolutely, but it's not enough to just gather data.  Lots of software solutions do that.  What's most important is the level of understanding of what's being monitored.  To simply collect thousands of data points is meaningless without a deep understanding of say, the operational characteristics of a genset for example.

 As a leader in this space, I understand the importance of learning from past experiences to improve business outcomes in the future, and having access to historical operational data and events generated from connected assets running all over the world helps do just that.  Applying data insights helps minimize operational disruptions and improves profitability.  

Lou: OK, so I get great insights and my site is operating as it should.  But is my data safe?  What exactly do the best in class monitoring companies collect?

 Kevin:  Best in class monitoring companies are transparent about the data they collect, and only collect data that provides site operators with actionable information that they can use to improve their operations and ultimately, profitability.  Is your data safe?  Best in class monitoring companies put processes and training in place to ensure the data they collect is safe and secure.  In a world where data security is a primary concern for all of us, working with world-class trusted partners that make their data principles a priority and make them readily available is an excellent start.   

 Lou: So Kevin, what you're telling me is that all monitoring is not created equal.  As an owner what I should be looking for? How best can I evaluate the myriad of providers in the marketplace?

 Kevin: When considering a Condition Monitoring solution and looking for “Best in Class”, look for a supplier that includes these elements.

 PM inspection integration: Find a condition monitoring solution that includes electronic PM Inspections stored in the cloud for easy access and further analysis in the future if the need arises. Often times, notations made on an inspection will be utilized when analyzing data exceptions and other elements of condition monitoring.

 Fluids analysis expertise: All things created equal, this is where Engineering & Science meet.  As an operator, you need to understand the general health and lifecycles of the engine or generator, and using a condition monitoring supplier with expertise in fluids analysis is considered best in class and will extend the life of the engine when properly utilized.  CAT S.O.S Services is the largest in-house service program in the world with over 7 million oil samples processed annually – Analyzing oil condition, engine wear and cleanliness.  No one understands wear of a Cat engine like Caterpillar.

 Analytics derived from a global population of connected assets and advisors that provide operational guidance: As an operator, you need to understand what the data means or what the data is telling you. This requires in-depth data analytics and experts trained in the proficiency of condition monitoring with a deep technical expertise.  Ensure your condition monitoring solution includes an analytics engine supported by a global population of connected assets, and includes condition monitoring advisors that will provide support along the way. Using a condition monitoring supplier with access to tens of thousands of connected assets enables enriched data insights from condition monitoring advisors that will flag potential issues, provide advice and guidance including troubleshooting details.  These valuable insights will improve your operational metrics and deliver bottom line profitability.  

 Focus on Sustainability, Safety & Lower Owning & Operating Costs: As an operator, you need to consider that reliable, safe operating assets require less human intervention and reduce the risk of incidents and potential catastrophic failures.  Find a condition monitoring solution that focuses on repair before failure strategies which consume less parts over the lifecycle,  and one that optimizes the utilization of remanufactured parts and focuses on operational improvements that will your lower owning & operating costs. It’s important to source a condition monitoring solution that focuses on being a good business steward to protect our environment.

 Lou: There you have it folks.  I'd like to thank Kevin Benz for sharing his insights with us today… and thank you, our listeners for listening to Power Bytes. If you’d like to suggest other topics for the program or have some feedback to share,  please write us here at powerbytes@cat.com or visit Cat Electric Power on Facebook or LinkedIn.   Please remember to subscribe and comment on our Podcast wherever  you listen to your favorite podcasts it really does help.  Till next time, thanks for listening to Power Bytes and have a great day!