How the computer can aid maintenance
Authors: Douglas J. 
Published: December 2007

Introduction

In general terms, the objective of engineering maintenance within a production organisation can be stated as:

The basis of keeping all the physical structures, plant and equipment in as reasonable condition as can be expected at all times, whilst keeping within tolerable limits of standard costs and flexible cash budgets.

To execute a programme designed to meet that objective it is necessary that corporate management on the one hand and executive maintenance management on the other, should reach a mutual understanding of the physical, human and financial conditions in which the programme must be executed. This understanding must then be clearly interpreted in terms of programme assumptions, mutually agreed and accepted by both levels of management and subject to change only after mural agreement.

Every production organisation exhibits its own peculiar juxtaposition of physical, human and financial peculiar juxtaposition of physical, human and financial factors, the proper consideration of which imposes certain programme assumptions which, in turn, decide the type of programme assumptions which, in turn, decide the type of the organisations' work programmes.

Oil and gas production from a platform in the North Sea, for instance, forces certain assumptions upon programmes which would be unacceptable to those similarly programmes which would be unacceptable to those similarly occupied with most shore-based production operations. Some of the differences which obviously affect our maintenance programme can be listed as follows:

North Sea operations

Advantages

– Unified, non-departmentalized production unit currently operating in a seller's marker – An increased ratio of standby to duty plant – Separation by distance and environment from centralized organisational bureaucracy

Disadvantages

– Stringent rationing of workshop and enclosed over haul accommodation – Limited staff numbers – Uncertainty of supply frequencies – Lack of flexibility (or making major structural changes to improve efficiency) – Hostile environment

Precisely how these considerations are translated into programme assumptions will be discussed later. At this programme assumptions will be discussed later. At this stage, a look at Fig. 1 will make more evident the type of maintenance required.

With a skeleton operations crew, and no maintenance facilities, then it will not be long until a curve similar to 'A' occurs. Sales being fine at the beginning, but falling off rapidly as the platform deteriorates and breaks down.

In addition to the operations crew, a skeleton maintenance crew or contract crews which are brought into repair and patch up equipment when it breaks down, which is commonly known as 'firefighting'. It will then have a curve similar to 'B': sales remaining profitable for a longer period, but then tailing off as the equipment eventually period, but then tailing off as the equipment eventually breaks down.

This is where regular inspection of the equipment with planned services and overhauls will keep the platform producing at close to design parameters at all times. producing at close to design parameters at all times. A curve similar to 'C' will follow with the minimum decrease in sales over the extended life of the platform.

From Fig. 2 and the conditions mentioned earlier, it is suffice to state that a preventive maintenance programme is largely self-evident, but before pursuing its programme is largely self-evident, but before pursuing its objective operationally, for control purposes the factors of concern are identified in Fig. 2.

After taking the above point into consideration, it is from this point chat the maintenance programme is developed, along with the identification of the role to be played by the computer. played by the computer. In reducing the minimum amount of manpower available to maintenance on the platform, a major area of study under consideration is the cost relationship arising from these three different considerations:What equipment should be maintained on the platform platformWhat equipment should be removed and repaired or overhauled onshoreWhat equipment should be replaced with new, with no maintenance work

At this point and after consideration of the deeper implications of the maintenance function, it should be obvious that with the limited maintenance team available offshore, they will not have the resources to analyse and evaluate their own performance in these terms. These will be onshore activities.

The most effective and efficient mechanism for establishing the information to offshore and onshore management is to employ a centralized computer system with remote job entry terminals with receiving capabilities on the platform, warehouse, and other strategic locations.