Plant & Works Engineering July/August 2022

Mobile monitoring with BOGE Connect You‘ll have no interruptions this World Cup 2022 +44 (0)800 318104 | uk@boge.com | www.boge.co.uk Call today or visit our website to learn more. Focus on: Asset Management Maintenance Matters available. This phase also presents an ideal opportunity to reconsider the energy performance of the spare parts, or any legislative changes which may have impacted since the initial capital investment. It may be the case that an upgrade could be considered which will reduce energy consumption or prolong service life by bringing the equipment in line with current standards. The final phase of the plan is to ensure that all spare parts and components are monitored regularly throughout their service life. Routine, proactive maintenance will always help prolong equipment longevity and help prioritise energy performance. In this way, operators can help lower ownership costs over the lifetime of the equipment. Selecting a partner Once a comprehensive obsolescence management plan is in place, operators should consider forming a partnership approach; outsourcing to a third-party supplier that has a network of contacts who can help with sourcing, replacements, upgrades, software, and training requirements. A reputable supplier is one that aims to minimise production downtime during any parts upgrade or replacement, with a particular focus on maintaining the existing equipment parameters. This may mean that the first option is not to source an immediate like-for-like replacement, but to consider reverse engineering a component part or finding an upgraded alternative which may require minimal programming. Some key questions a reputable supplier should be asking include: n Is there a plug and play replacement? n Can programs or parameters be extracted from existing parts and stored for future replacements? n Is there a possible system change or migration path solution? n Can a component part be reverse engineered? n Can stock be consolidated across departments or sites? n Is the stock purchasing regime effective – can I save this customer money? n How many critical spares does the business have or need and can these be stored off-site? A third-party supplier can also assist with inventory management, particularly where holding large volumes of spare parts on-site is impractical or where the cost of upfront purchase is prohibitive. Third-party suppliers can offer numerous solutions for the management of the physical spare parts stock that a business requires. For example, not every component that has reached the end of its life needs to be disposed of. Assets can often be repaired or upgraded, using original components to return a component to useful life. For any plant manager tasked with ensuring production uptime, the importance of a thorough obsolescence management policy cannot be underestimated. By following a structured approach, alongside seeking advice from a third-party expert, equipment longevity and cost of ownership can be prioritised. 1 https://eriks.co.uk/en/services- page/asset-management/mitigating- obsolescence/obsolescence-whitepaper