This is troubleshooting. Whether it’s a conveyer belt or an industrial drill, we’ve all run across a piece of equipment that is unresponsive, faulty, or acting abnormally for seemingly no reason at all. What's the big deal? The problem is, while art can be beautiful, it isn’t known for its efficiency. But we know that’s just not the case. Please enable JavaScript on your browser and try again. You will be redirected once the validation is complete. Steps one to three are often repeated multiple times before a resolution is reached. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; great troubleshooting is often the result of great information. Outlines troubleshooting techniques and aids, using schematics and symbols. Knowing how the equipment functions, what each component installed on the equipment is, what the component does, how the component does what it should, and how the components interact are essential in applying any troubleshooting … Industrial Maintenance and Troubleshooting has long been a trusted textbook for maintenance technicians. Troubleshooting is a systematic approach to solving a problem. As this article will demonstrate, the use of a digital oscilloscope can help speed up the troubleshooting process for industrial control systems and be more effective in pinpointing the exact nature of the problem.\ Failure codes can also be used to uncover a common problem among a group of assets and determine a long-term solution. Eight questions shaping the future of maintenance. Certain common techniques can help with the task of troubleshooting. Why was maintenance not scheduled? Join over 14,000 maintenance professionals who get monthly CMMS tips, industry news, and updates. In the example above, it’s clear a better preventive maintenance program is required to improve asset management and reduce unplanned downtime. Without those two key ingredients, failure codes become more of a hindrance than a help. : Because a bearing wore out, Why did the bearing wear out? Failure codes are built on three actions: Listing all possible problems, all possible causes, and all possible solutions. Creating detailed task lists is one way to bolster your planning and avoid headaches down the road. Test points are often built into electronic equipment. But exceptional troubleshooting isn’t just about knowing the normal sounds, speeds, or odours of a particular machine. Using maintenance software for troubleshooting, Why did the equipment fail? It offers a simple method for cross-referencing symptoms of the current issue with elements of past problems. Root cause analysis and failure codes are a couple of tools that will help you achieve this goal. This article presents an overview of a simple, but effective, method of investigating an electrical problem. Comprehensive task lists can also offer valuable data when failure occurs. Without the proper tools, this process can be a heavy lift for overwhelmed maintenance teams. Troubleshooting analysis involves first hypothesizing a possible cause of an observed problem, and then determining the state of the cause. Lastly, highlight the successful solution and what was needed to accomplish it, such as necessary parts, labour and safety equipment. A detailed asset history can give you an edge in troubleshooting in a variety of ways. Troubleshooting will always exist in maintenance. The following are just a few ways your operation can improve its troubleshooting abilities to conquer chaos and take control of its maintenance. When creating detailed asset histories to help with troubleshooting (as well as preventive maintenance), it’s important to include as much information as possible. Because troubleshooting will always be part of the maintenance equation, humans will also always have a role. The process is based on collecting as much information as possible from as many sources as possible to identify the most likely cause of the breakdown. troubleshooting a pump circuit • put pump hoa swith into “hand” and onfirm that the contactor is pulling in –you should hear an audile “lunk”. Steps one to three are often repeated multiple times before a resolution is reached. Connect motor leads for 460-volt operation and wrap connections with black electrical tape. Also, try to get an idea of how equipment works before you embark on troubleshooting. Next, document the steps taken during maintenance, including PMs or repairs. Under the direction of Mike Pistone, IBT’s senior training expert, attendees learn key components of mechanical troubleshooting. If assets never broke down without any clear signs of imminent failure, there would be no need to troubleshoot the problem. Instead, it’s about knowing how to analyze asset performance at a deeper level, which is where advanced reporting factors in. Instead of sifting through paper files to find an asset history or diagram, they can access that same information anywhere, anytime. An investment in maintenance software will help you navigate these roadblocks. Years of working with a certain asset can help you recognize when it’s not working quite right. This snippet is from Ogura's full length troubleshooting online video. Greetings once again, Troubleshooters, and welcome to Troubleshooting Thursdays! Share this article. They ensure crucial steps aren’t missed when performing inspections, audits or PMs. For example, after detecting a vibration from a machine, they must decide whether it is the result of … If resources are trapped in a file cabinet, on a spreadsheet, or in a single person’s mind, they don’t do a lot of good for the technician. It’s important that maintenance personnel have a solid understanding of the … That is why it is crucial for your operation to not only create a large resource centre, but to also make this it highly accessible. A similar approach applies to process engineering. All Rights Reserved, A look at the tools that empower your maintenance team, Manage maintenance from anywhere, at any time, Track, control, and optimize asset performance, Simplify the way you create, complete, and record work, Connect your CMMS and share data across any system, Collect, analyze, and act on maintenance data, Make sure you have the right parts at the right time, AI for maintenance. For example, instead of instructing someone to “Inspect the cooling fan,” include the steps that comprise that inspection, such as “Check for any visible cracks,” and “Inspect for loose parts.” Organize all steps in the order they should be done. : Because a coupling was misaligned. Get the Executive's Guide to Digital Transformation and find out how. Yes, maintenance teams can use preventive maintenance and condition-based maintenance to reduce the likelihood of unplanned downtime. Information is the fuel that powers exceptional troubleshooting for maintenance. Unexpected equipment failure is the entire reason troubleshooting exists. Detailed notes on an asset’s history can open up a dead end and lead you to a solution much more quickly. Knowing how a particular asset has worked and failed for hundreds of others is a good place to start a repair. For example, when building a detailed asset history, it’s important to document every encounter with a piece of equipment. Troubleshooting the input and output sections of a motor drive can be easy when approached logically and addressed section by section. One way to accomplish this is to use maintenance software. Stop us if you’ve heard this story before. An expert troubleshooter uses a system or approach that allows them to logically and systematically analyze a circuit and determine exactly what is wrong. coil). When I took vocational electronics in high school I learned a valuable lesson in troubleshooting: first check the power supply, then connections, and finally components. Problem 2: An application is frozen. What you can do is take steps toward a more efficient troubleshooting process to ensure equipment is repaired quickly and effectively. The key to using them effectively is proper organization and accessibility. The alarm’s cause may be unclear: For example, … www.ecmweb.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. You will never be 100 percent sure 100 percent of the time when diagnosing the cause of failure. When operators and technicians rely solely on their own past experience with a piece of equipment, it leaves with them with huge gaps in knowledge that hurt the troubleshooting process. Move motor to electric shop motor test and repair station. Troubleshooting for maintenance can be both an art and a science. Also, if troubleshooting relies on the proprietary knowledge of a few technicians, it means repairs will have to wait until those particular personnel are available. A digital platform can organize failure codes better than any filing cabinet or Excel spreadsheet and make it easy for technicians to quickly sort them and identify the relevant ones from the site of the breakdown. It can be downright frustrating. www.ecmweb.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. Fiix® is a registered trademark of Fiix Inc. The key to troubleshooting industrial equipment lies beyond the process itself. Step 1, defining the underlying problem to troubleshoot, can sometimes be difficult because processes are big, complicated, and interconnected with various material and energy balances. For example, technicians should understand how to run reports and understand KPIs for critical equipment, such as mean time between failure and overall equipment effectiveness. Check them before trying any other approaches. Before you begin to track down the cause of any electrical issue, it’s a good idea to refer to equipment or operation manuals and drawings. You s… Check motor windings with an ohmmeter, each reading between phases should be within one or two ohms of each other; A to B, B to C, A to C. The browser window freezes for no reason. Finding the root of an issue quickly, solving it effectively and ensuring it stays solved is a winning formula. They act as a guide when testing possible solutions so technicians can either fix the issue or disqualify a diagnosis as quickly as possible. If using condition-based maintenance, the maintenance team should also know the P-F curve for each asset and what different sensor readings mean. These should all be included and organized by asset. Maintenance Troubleshooting: Troubleshooting Procedures Teaches students how to identify symptoms associated with mechanical or electrical equipment problems, determine faulty components, plan a course of action, repair the problem, and observe post-equipment repair. This is often how the process happens when troubleshooting for maintenance, especially when a facility relies on paper records or Excel spreadsheets. However, that’s not always the right move. Maintenance software is one tool that can help ease the load every step of the way. Troubleshooting electrical equipment is a dangerous and complex process. Analyze your data, find trends, and act on them fast, Explore the tools that can supercharge your CMMS, For optimizing maintenance with advanced data and security, For high-powered work, inventory, and report management, For planning and tracking maintenance with confidence, Learn how Fiix helps you maximize the value of your CMMS, Get best practices, helpful videos, and training tools, How one maintenance team cut costs, breakdowns, and idle times, Discover guides full of practical insights and tools, Read how other maintenance teams are using Fiix, Get the latest maintenance news, tricks, and techniques. Troubleshooting usually follows a systematic, four-step approach; identify the problem, plan a response, test the solution, and resolve the problem. When taken to the next level, troubleshooting can ditch the trial-and-error moniker and become a purely scientific endeavour. Your maintenance should too. A general analytical model for troubleshooting is illustrated in Figure 1. Second, it leads you to the core of the issue and a long-term solution. The goal of troubleshooting is to determine why something does not work as expected and how to resolve the problem. A digital platform, such as a CMMS, takes care of crunching the numbers, organizing data and making it available wherever and whenever, so you can focus on using that information to make great decisions and troubleshoot more effectively. We’ve talked about the importance of reports, asset histories, failure codes and task lists when troubleshooting for maintenance. The approach described here is a logical, systematic approach called the 5 Step Troubleshooting Approach. Troubleshooting is the process that determines the cause of the problem in the electronic circuit by examining the affected area of it, and then by taking appropriate action. Maintain clear, up-to-date records of all changes made to equipment. This webcast will cover using a DMM/DVOM meter and labscope to test circuits, sensors, and actuators. Tulsa Oklahoma East StakeD & C 19:23 There is peace in Christ; Home; Intent to Attend; Directions; FAQ; Contact The more explicit the task list, the more thorough the job and the less likely a technician is to make a mistake. IBT Industrial Solutions Mechanical Troubleshooting: How To Diagnose A Machine Failure and Increase Machine Up-Time After Repairs is one of our established training programs. That’s why manuals are a useful tool when troubleshooting. Troubleshooting Techniques. When troubleshooting is done correctly, your whole maintenance operation can overcome backlog, lost production, and compliance issues much more efficiently. The service requires full cookie support in order to view this website. This helps technicians find the right problems and solutions more quickly. These skills are mastered through a combination of hours of blood, sweat and tears, intense training and the ability to address troubleshooting in a methodological manner. Make sure to add any relevant metrics and reports to the asset history as well. There is, however, a potential hazard to doing this. Troubleshooting is the process of identifying what is wrong with these faulty systems when the problem is not immediately obvious. The "Troubleshooting Skills" course explores the subject of troubleshooting and the importance of proper maintenance procedures. Exceptional troubleshooting requires solid planning and foresight. This process records key aspects of a failure according to predefined categories, like misalignment or corrosion. For example: This process has two benefits when troubleshooting for maintenance. Detailed task lists are extremely important when troubleshooting for maintenance. First, include all individual actions that make up a task. Let’s take a look at what troubleshooting actually is, why it matters to maintenance professionals, and how your team can fine-tune its approach. If so, review them so you’ll be aware of recurring problems. There are a few best practices for building detailed task lists. A prerequisite to troubleshooting is the knowledge and understanding of the equipment. Covers working with others, aids in communication, and trade responsibilities. Start by looking at the big picture, then work inward. The computer goes blank before the Word document was saved. Failure codes are useful when troubleshooting for maintenance because technicians can immediately see common failure codes, determine the best solution, and implement it quickly. Think about it this way: When a conveyor belt breaks down, you may try a few different methods to fix it. manuals), and PPE. Asset failure doesn’t always follow a predictable pattern. There is no substitute for experience. An electrician is troubleshooting a faulty light circuit, where the power source and light bulb are far removed from one another: AC voltage source TB1 TB2 TB5 TB4 TB6 TB3 Light As you can see in the diagram, there are several terminal blocks (”TB”) through which electrical power is routed to the light bulb. Focuses on specific maintenance tasks, breakdown maintenance, and planned maintenance. : Because we weren’t sure how often it should be scheduled. Maintenance technology does not erase the need for a human touch in troubleshooting; it simply makes the process much more efficient. This is a powerful troubleshooting method, because it gives you both a positive and a negative indication of the swapped component’s fault: when the bad part is exchanged between identical systems, the formerly broken subsystem will start working again and the f… How do most skilled personnel gain experience and perfect their troubleshooting abilities? Clear processes provide a blueprint for technicians so they can quickly identify problems and implement more effective solutions. The troubleshooting process commonly starts with a process alarm, which alerts the operator that the process has exceeded a predefined process limit, such as a high process level, pressure, or temperature. You talk to the operator, read some manuals, and check your notes about the asset. Try sending a ping to a well-known, large server, such as Google, to see if it can connect with your router. A task list outlines a series of tasks that need to be completed to finish a larger job. Once you begin your inspection of the equipment, look for signs of damage, including loose components, worn wires, or signs of impact. They provide insight into the type of work recently done on an asset so you can determine whether any actions were missed and if this was the source of the problem. In short, knowing some troubleshooting best practices could be the difference between an overwhelming backlog and a stable maintenance program. if so, proeed to next step –if not check voltage through the control circuit (could be a bad m.c. An asset breaks down and no one knows why. By making all your resources available through a mobile device, technicians can access any tool they need to troubleshoot a problem. This system simulation gives you the chance to learn and practice new methods as you troubleshoot large industrial processes containing electro-mechanical controls. While these programs may vary in teaching methods, effective troubleshooting, regardless of the specific technology, follows five basic steps. This is a lot of work for a technician rushing from one job to another and difficult to keep track of after the fact. www.ecmweb.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. Root cause analysis is a technique that allows you to pinpoint the reason behind a failure. An expert troubleshooter uses a system or approach that allows them to logically and systematically analyze a circuit and determine exactly what is wrong. Now that you’ve gathered all your documents together, it’s time to make them easily accessible to the whole maintenance team. All you need to do is measure volts and ohms with a DMM. Failure codes provide a consistent method to describe why an asset failed. Call (405) 232-2077 for more information. However, if that information is difficult to access, you will lose any advantage it provides. For example, a technician can see if a certain type of material was being handled by a machine or if there were any early warning signs identified for a previous failure. Sometimes a situation occurs like an application got stuck and … The world has changed. One way to capture all this information in one place is to create a well-built equipment maintenance log, like this one: Effective troubleshooting for maintenance starts with eliminating ambiguity and short-term solutions. You can never go wrong when you gather information, but it’s the way that information is gathered that can turn troubleshooting from a necessity to a nightmare. Some other key resources include diagrams, standard operating procedures (SOPs), training videos, and manuals. Notes: This simple troubleshooting technique is applicable to a wide variety of electrical, electronic, and other types of systems: swap the suspect component with an identical component known to be functional, and see observe whether or not the problem changes location.. Having an effective troubleshooting plan and following it can help obtain this feeling of satisfaction. Copyright © 2021. As with motor drives, the most practical method you can use to diagnose PLC input/output malfunctions is to isolate the problem to either the wiring, the module, or the field device. The first reaction for most electricians would be to reach for their digital multimeter (DMM) to start the troubleshooting process. First, you identify which part of the conveyor belt isn’t working. What is a tool that can be very useful during the analysis portion of the troubleshooting process? This job is broken down into a list of smaller tasks, such as “Verify battery installation,” and “Inspect exterior components for cracks.”. Once you’ve identified the problem area, you plan a response and test it, such as realigning or lubricating a part. • check voltage at the motor connections in the Community colleges and industrial training centers are stepping up to meet this challenge with programs geared specifically toward teaching troubleshooting skills. When troubleshooting isn’t refined, it could lead to time wasted tracking down information, a substantial loss of production, an unsafe working environment, and more frequent failures. This can include breakdowns, PMs, inspections, part replacement, production schedules, and abnormal behaviour, such as smoke or unusual sounds. Based in Oklahoma City, OK. A complete guide to troubleshooting for maintenance and tips for improving your troubleshooting skills to elevate your whole operation. Are equipment history records available? Let’s start with the elements of a great information hub. Maintenance staff should have the know-how to conduct an in-depth analysis of an asset’s performance. This is where strong troubleshooting techniques come in handy. The more a present situation aligns with a past scenario, the more likely it is to need the same fix. This will elevate your troubleshooting abilities and get your assets back online faster when unplanned downtime occurs. : Because maintenance was not scheduled. If it does, you’ve just swapped the faulty component; if it doesn’t, keep searching! For example, it leaves too much room for recency bias to affect decision-making, which means that technicians are most likely to try the last thing that fixed a particular problem without considering other options or delving further into the root cause. In a system with identical or parallel subsystems, swap components between those subsystems and see whether or not the problem moves with the swapped component. If a technician hits a dead-end when troubleshooting an issue, these tools can offer a solution that may have been missed in the initial analysis. Before you can try a third or fourth possible solution, you get called away to another emergency, with the asset still out of commission. Understand the system. When troubleshooting is done correctly, your whole maintenance operation can overcome backlog, lost production, and compliance issues much more efficiently. Using Simutech’s 5-Step Troubleshooting Approach, master effective testing methods and techniques for safely troubleshooting malfunctions in a typical industrial control system. Make sure to record the time and dates of any notable actions taken on an asset or piece of equipment. : Because it was not serviced recently. Maintenance technology does not erase the need for a human touch in troubleshooting; it simply makes the process much more efficient. Basic Troubleshooting Techniques. However, each asset, facility, and operation is different, which means asset failure doesn’t always follow the script. First, it allows you to identify the immediate cause of failure and fix it quickly. Successfully troubleshooting a complex piece of equipment gives a technician a tremendous sense of satisfaction. The approach described here is a logical, systematic approach called the 5 Step Troubleshooting Approach. If this fails to fix the problem, you might replace the part, which makes the conveyor belt work again. Please enable cookies on your browser and try again. Systems break down—that’s just a fact of life. Why was the coupling misaligned? When technicians are equipped with a deeper understanding of an asset, it will be easier for them to pinpoint where a problem occurred and how to fix it, both in the short and long-term. By combining a good understanding of maintenance metrics with detailed asset histories, failure codes, task lists, and other asset resources, and making all this information accessible, you can move your troubleshooting beyond trial and error to a more scientific approach. Solutions can be prioritized this way, leading to fewer misses, less downtime, fewer unnecessary spare parts being used, and more. Lastly, include any additional information that may be helpful in completing the tasks, including necessary supplies, resources (ie. Troubleshooting usually follows a systematic, four-step approach; identify the problem, plan a response, test the solution, and resolve the problem. You can't hear anything from your speakers. Read the H-I-S Coatings & Paint industrial troubleshooting page. For minor problems, troubleshooting requires a little knowledge about the circuit and its components’ working because it involves checking the connections only. If it sounds like a lot of work to gather, organize, analyze and circulate all the information needed to be successful at troubleshooting, you’re not wrong. Okay, so I don't have full voltage. Get your blueprint for building the maintenance team of tomorrow, today. You can ping Google DNS servers by opening the command prompt and typing “ping 8.8.8.8”; you can also add “-t” to the end (ping 8.8.8.8 -t) to get it … Ogura Industrial Corp - Troubleshooting Tips. For example, the larger job may be conducting a routine inspection of your facility’s defibrillators. A decision tree is very helpful tool. Why was the coupling not serviced? This process is automatic. It probably goes without saying, but the more deeply you know an asset, the better equipped you’ll be to diagnose a problem. The service requires full JavaScript support in order to view this website. The same goes for failure codes. The method consists of asking “why” until you get to the heart of the problem. Look for work orders, notes, and reports. It does this by allowing technicians to use a predetermined set of questions to make and retrieve notes in real-time with a few clicks. Real-world maintenance problems and solutions are depicted throughout the textbook, along with equipment operation principles, maintenance management procedures, and troubleshooting scenarios for common systems. However, you can never eliminate it entirely. This is repeated for multiple possible causes until a solution is found. One way to get around this obstacle is to create a digital knowledge hub with maintenance software. What you can do is put processes in place to reduce failure as much as possible and fix it as soon as possible when it does occur. They can be lost, misplaced and hard to find—not to mention the inefficiency involved with needing to walk from an asset to the office just to grab a manual. Industrial machinery mechanics use technical manuals, their understanding of industrial equipment, and observation to determine the cause of a problem. This article shares tips and tricks for doing so appropriately. Replace a suspicious unit with a known good one-this is one of the best, most commonly used troubleshooting techniques. You try a couple of things to get the machine up and working again with no luck.
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