Today’s global playing field is forcing companies across all industries to find new ways to contain costs and optimize resources, all in an effort to boost the bottom line. But over time, as progress is made in many areas, it can be difficult to identify new areas where further improvements can be made. One of the most promising areas for potential gains is maintenance.

     Industry research shows that improved maintenance programs can yield significant bottom line results throughout industry. On average, industrial companies have seen returns on investment of tenfold or more on their integrated maintenance and inspection programs. Some have experienced a reduction in equipment breakdown of nearly 75% – paving the way for significant savings in materials, labor, and unscheduled downtime costs.

     “The ability to improve maintenance and operation practices can have a very direct and substantial impact on plant productivity and company profitability,” explains Greg Moutsos, an SKF® USA Product Manager. “SKF’s Trouble-Free Operation® (TFO) program has always included a number of initiatives designed to help organizations improve their maintenance efforts. Our newest product, the MARLIN system, was a natural extension of the TFO program.”
Equipment Analysis Made Easier

SKF’s new MARLIN (Machine Reliability Inspection) System is designed to make improved maintenance a reality in a world of increasing competition, tighter cost controls, reduced staffing and higher expectations for productivity. Introduced to the marketplace in November, MARLIN is the only system of its kind, according to Moutsos.

     MARLIN is a condition monitoring system that helps plant personnel gauge machinery operating condition and identify potential problems before they cause unscheduled downtime. The objective of the MARLIN system is to make analysis of plant performance easier and more convenient – thereby prompting companies to perform the function more regularly. Not only does MARLIN collect data about machine and process performance; it also makes it easy to disseminate that information to team members throughout a facility and across functional lines.

     “With the information widely and readily available, staff members can work together as a team to head-off impending problems and reduce the associated downtime,” Moutsos says.

     Without an automated system such as MARLIN, most companies have had to take periodic machinery readings manually – a time-consuming and tedious task that wasn’t always followed religiously. Instead, using MARLIN’s hand-held data collection and management device, plant personnel can quickly record readings of a machine’s key operating variables – including temperature, pressure, flow, level, vibration, and other parameters that are good indicators of performance. MARLIN takes those readings while machinery is operating, avoiding the costly step of shutting down equipment unnecessarily.

     MARLIN uses a small but sophisticated probe to record vibration and temperature readings directly into a hand-held data collection device, eliminating manual processes and the associated paperwork. The readings are automatically displayed on the probe’s LCD display – giving plant personnel a quick reading of machine condition. The system uses alert and danger alarm lights to warn when acceptable operating limits have been exceeded.

     MARLIN also can be used in conjunction with mechanical studs that connect directly to the machine being monitored. The most sophisticated of these studs is the computerized or “smart” stud, which includes an internal memory chip that can be programmed to specific alarm or danger levels. A machine’s current readings are compared to the pre-set alarm levels, signaling MARLIN to an alarm status when those levels are exceeded.
Decision-Making Support

“One of the most useful tools in machinery monitoring is the ability to track trends in machinery readings,” Moutsos notes. “Once a baseline is established for a given machine, any deviation from the norm may signal a possible problem.” MARLIN provides a trending capability through its data manager device – a tool that stores machinery and process readings over time and compares new readings to previous levels and baseline levels. These trends can often point to subtle changes that might otherwise be overlooked.

     While spotting early warning signs of trouble is an essential step in the condition monitoring process, knowing what to do next is equally critical. The MARLIN system can help in that regard, by directing less experienced plant personnel to learn from the knowledge of more senior staff. The MARLIN Data Manager can be programmed to specify the corrective actions to take in response to specific inspection measurements, drawing on the knowledge base of plant experts.

     The ability to share information about equipment readings is also crucial to the success of a condition monitoring program, Moutsos says. MARLIN facilitates such sharing of data through the PRISM4 Surveyor, a Windows-based software program that lets plant personnel turn machinery data into useful reports that facilitate decision-making. When translated into a meaningful format, machinery data can be circulated to everyone in the plant responsible for plant productivity – assuring that the appropriate actions are taken.

     As Moutsos points out, today’s plant staffing levels are, on average, 20 percent to 50 percent lower than a decade ago. “With fewer maintenance personnel available and most staff members stretched thin, companies can find it difficult to assure all equipment in a plant is receiving the attention it needs,” he says. “In this environment, it’s important to make the most of all the available resources and use them appropriately to improve maintenance. The MARLIN system is designed to help organizations do just that.”

     MARLIN is a complete system that provides the tools necessary to completely automate the process of inspecting machinery and collecting critical data.