MechChem Africa February 2017

⎪ Plant maintenance, lubrication and filtration ⎪

the Road Map approach can be productively applied.

“To help companies implement the system, Pragma hasdevelopeditsAssetCareCentreconcept,whichisa contractedoutsourcing service, with its computerised asset management software system called On Key as its base. Maintainability and reliability can improve significantly and risks contained, the value of which will almost always exceed the costs of adopting a struc- tured approach to asset management,” he suggests. “It almost always makes sense for large asset- intensiveoperationssuchaspowerplantsorrefineries, processplants andmanufacturingcompanies,” headds. As part ofmaturity assessment of anorganisation’s asset management practices, the difference between the actual maturity and the target maturity preferred by the client are measured. Called gap analysis, this is used as the starting point for developing an Asset Management Improvement Plan. A typical improvement plan is implemented over a period of between one and three years. “Following the identification and implementation of some ‘quick wins’, most of the initial work involves a phase that we call ‘stabilisation’, starting with the compilation of an Asset (equipment) Register as thebackbone. UsingOn Key, we can usually clone asset types across different locations to reduce the burden,” Nepgen says.

for SouthAfricanplants is betweenLevel 3andLevel 4, with sound preventative approaches being used along with some key optimisation initiatives. Compared to maintenance management, the con- cept of asset management takes amuch broader view of operational assets. “Whilemaintenance is confined to keeping equipment operating, asset management looksatthewholelifecycleofaplantoroperation,from the identification of need for newequipment; through the conception, design, constructionandprocurement processes; through the operate and maintain phase; and all the way to winding down, decommissioning and disposal. “RenewableenergyplantsinSouthAfrica,forexam- ple, are designed to last for 20 years, in linewith envis- agedpower purchase agreements (PPAs). Accordingly, the investment business cases are calculatedbasedon that premise, and plant asset portfolio designs follow suit. After a two-year upfront EPC phase, the plant must be operated andmaintained for 20 years, so this stage makes up 90 to 95% of its total life. “Practically speaking, formal asset management doesn’t reallymake sense for a small workshopwhere one or two experienced people knowall themachines. But as soon as an organisation starts to need a dedi- cated maintenance facility and risks become appre- ciable, then aspects of the formal asset management

“It almost always makes sense for large asset-intensive operations such as power plants or refineries, process plants and manufacturing companies,” Nepgen adds.

Called AMIP – Pragma’s Asset Management Improvement Planning Road Map is a comprehensive framework consisting of a structured set of processes, policies and best practices.

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