Ecmweb 8720 Thinkstockphotos 518119836 Data Tablet
Ecmweb 8720 Thinkstockphotos 518119836 Data Tablet
Ecmweb 8720 Thinkstockphotos 518119836 Data Tablet
Ecmweb 8720 Thinkstockphotos 518119836 Data Tablet
Ecmweb 8720 Thinkstockphotos 518119836 Data Tablet

Tip of the Week: Can You Trust Your Maintenance Data?

Jan. 3, 2017
Proper training and the right equipment is needed to get accurate data.

Unless your company likes replacing perfectly good parts or experiencing preventable failures, your maintenance program is data-centric. And of course, a predictive maintenance program is data-centric. But can you trust your data?

Photo credit: goir/iStock/Thinkstock

One way that companies save money is to keep training costs within budget. But those budgets are typically not in line with actual training needs, so in reality there are cost overruns elsewhere.

Consider the case of a medium-sized manufacturing plant. They decided to bring their thermography in house, to “save money.” So they bought a thermographic camera that was a little above entry level (hey, if you’re going to save money, be sure to skimp on test equipment).

Then, to save even more money, they opted not to send anyone to training. It seemed obvious enough how to use the camera, and the previously engaged testing firm’s thermographer didn’t seem to have any problems using his camera. So why waste money on training?

The problem is the untrained user got bad data. Thermography on switchgear is hugely complicated by all that reflective metal. A thermographer with the right training can, however, get good data. Someone without the training is nearly guaranteed to fail. And that’s what happened. The “thermographer” failed to see the bad connection, and that connection subsequently failed—as in melted.

The plant was down for four days. How much money do you think they “saved” by not spending enough to ensure they have good maintenance data?

Training people to be able to correctly obtain good data is one part of the challenge. Another part is asking them for the correct data in the first place. Toward that end, it’s always better to ask for specific measurements (e.g., “What is the voltage?”) rather than to ask for a condition judgment (e.g., “Is the voltage OK?).

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.

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