Emerging Trends in Condition-based Maintenance

Condition-based maintenance programs focus on the actual condition of the asset rather than a predetermined maintenance schedule. This approach can help identify potential issues before they occur, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

Asset Performance Management (APM) software is designed to rapidly enable condition-based maintenance programs for energy industries, such as oil and gas, chemical, and power generation. These industries face several challenges, including the need to improve operational efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, and maximize asset utilization. Asset Performance Management software can help these industries meet these challenges by providing real-time data and analytics that can be used to identify potential failures and optimize maintenance schedules.

Asset Performance Management software provides the data and analytics needed to enable condition-based maintenance approach, allowing energy and materials organizations to make informed decisions about when to perform maintenance activities.

To help further contextualize the importance of condition-based maintenance, let’s take a look at a few examples in which moving to a condition-based approach can generate immediate return for an operation:

• Leveraging an easy-to-use Digital Rounds solution: Currently, some operations might still be using Excel or other paper-based processes to complete condition-based activities. By moving to a digital solution, operations can achieve true real-time condition-based maintenance that can make the difference in an asset failing or not. Watch a customer story about how Eastman Chemical uses Digital Rounds in their condition-based program.
   
• Applying analytics for remote monitoring: As the availability of digital solutions continues to rise, operations are beginning to find analytic driven solutions for condition-based maintenance activities. Analytics from asset and operations can provide the ability to derive more insights from maintenance programs. Not only can analytics give operations faster answers, but also point towards asset condition concerns. Read how Navigator applied analytics to supercharge their operation and achieved 7.2% cost savings in just 90 days.
   
• Use of robotics: Looking across the energy landscape, operations that are digitally mature are starting to introduce more robotics into their condition-based maintenance programs. Robotics can be an important element for maintenance as it allows an operation to monitor volatile assets— while maintaining the safety of employees.

For condition-based programs, operations can gain a number of benefits via Asset Performance Management including, but not limited to:

1. Real-time Data Collection: Asset Performance Management software allows for real-time data collection from various assets, such as turbines, compressors, and pipelines. This data can be used to identify potential issues before they occur and optimize maintenance schedules.
    
2. Predictive Maintenance: Asset Performance Management software uses predictive analytics to identify potential failures and determine the best time to perform maintenance activities. This reduces downtime and maintenance costs while improving asset utilization.
    
3. Improved Operational Efficiency: Asset Performance Management software provides insights into asset performance and can help identify areas for improvement. This can help energy industries improve their operational efficiency and reduce costs.

Asset Performance Management software can enable condition-based maintenance programs by providing real-time data and analytics that can be used to identify potential failures and optimize maintenance schedules. By using APM software, energy industries can move away from a traditional time-based maintenance approach to a more proactive and cost-effective approach. As the energy transition continues to evolve, a modern and scalable Asset Performance Management software can provide the foundation for an organization to impact performance today—and be ready for the trends of tomorrow.

With GE Vernova’s Asset Performance Management software, users gain the benefit of creating a single pane of glass for all condition-based data. With the ability to integrate with EAMs and ERPs, TimeSeries, Historians and other data sources, users are able to make faster decisions with less risk. From the centralized data, users can leverage mobile applications, analytics, images and much more to properly perform condition-based work.

Asset Performance Management software provides a range of benefits to energy industries, including real-time data collection, predictive maintenance, and improved operational efficiency. By using APM software, energy industries can enable condition-based maintenance programs that focus on the actual condition of assets rather than a predetermined maintenance schedule.

The sources cited in this paper provide insights into the benefits of APM software for the oil and gas, chemical, and power generation industries and guidance on how to implement condition-based maintenance programs using APM software.

Check out these resources:

"Asset Performance Management: A Path to Improved Equipment Reliability and Lower Maintenance Costs" by the American Petroleum Institute (API): https://www.api.org/products-and-services/standards/commerce-and-trade/asset-performance-management

"Guidelines for the Implementation of Condition-Based Maintenance" by the International Society of Automation (ISA): https://www.isa.org/standards-and-publications/isa-standards/isa-standards-committees/isa95/isa-95-technical-reports/

"Asset Performance Management for Electric Power Systems" by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): https://www.epri.com/research/products/3002019058/asset-performance-management-for-electric-power-systems