Achieve business outcomes that matter
Measure, manage, and operationalize your sustainability goals – including decarbonization, energy resources management, and reduced WAGES.
Achieve operations visibility and AI-based optimization, linking plant-floor actions to your enterprise sustainability initiatives.
A system of record to automate accurate GHG data collection, provide valuable insights, and identify ways to reduce carbon emissions
One modular solution to connect, see, control, and optimize DERs from a technical and an economic standpoint
Reduced operational costs and risks using Digital Twins, machine learning and predictive models
Increased network reliability
Advanced analytics to predict future asset and process performance for reduced variability and improved operations
Optimized asset performance to reduce risk and improve safety, reliability, compliance, and efficiency
Optimize assets and processes – from plant-level operations to the enterprise – with self-service process analytics software.
Minimized potential impact of anomalies
Comprehensive visibility of asset health for rapid situational adjustments with quality information
Streamlined mechanical integrity solution to reduce risk, maintain compliance and optimize resources
Develop, implement, maintain, and optimize asset strategies to effectively balance cost and risk
Operational visibility and analysis to reduce asset failures, control costs and increase availability
Performance Intelligence with APM Reliability is your partner in meeting your plant and fleet performance goals.
Predictive analytics software, helps prevent equipment downtime by detecting, diagnosing, forecasting & preventing emerging failures.
The AI-powered product automatically explores the space of operation of gas turbines, builds a machine learning model, and continuously finds the optimal flame temperatures and fuel splits to minimize emissions
BoilerOpt works within existing plant technology to improve boiler productivity and air-fuel ratios in a closed-loop system
Pre-built templates for equipment health monitoring, asset strategies, and process workflows
Operator rounds efficiency and operational impact
Secure and scalable data connectivity, analytics, and application services
End-to-end digital solutions reducing costs, empowering crews, and improving the passenger experience
Addressing fuel usage, carbon emissions, airspace efficiency, predictive maintenance, and more
Increased fuel efficiency and reduced waste
Early detection of aircraft and component degradation
Reduced costs related to disruptions
Visualizations and analytics to help airline decision makers identify waste in an airspace
Fuel efficiency reports, helping airlines operate at peak safety and efficiency while reducing their carbon footprint
Operational excellence and improved safety
Outcomes that move your business forward in fuel, safety, and predictive maintenance
Analysis of multiple flights, routes, and assets across years
Reduced environmental footprint
Services and solutions to reduce vulnerability and identify, detect, prevent and protect
Turnkey solutions to reduce vulnerability and identify, detect, prevent and protect assets and systems
A globally recognized benchmark for procurement of OT secure products.
Strengthened device security across the development lifecycle
Informed decision making with data and insights from across the enterprise
Native cloud service for a data historian.
Safe and secure management and orchestration of the distribution grid
Network-level optimization with high-performing distribution power applications
Overcome foreseeable load variations
Minimized disruption of service even in extreme weather conditions
Effective management and orchestration to unlock the power of renewables and DERs
AI/ML energy market recommendations to improve profit for renewables and thermal generation assets
Increased output and energy production at times of highest demand
A common network view to ensure electrical integrity, network validity and infrastructure management
Accurately model your asset network, support traceability, help assure data completeness, & support integrity management
End-to-end network connectivity modeling and data workflow management
Software designed to help grid operators orchestrate the grid
Increased efficiency and reduced costs
Secure-by-design connectivity and certification management, and faster operator response
Faster operator response and increased efficiency
Centralized visualization and configuration, digitized processes and intelligence
Full visualization and control seamlessly across devices, including phones, tablets and desktops
Best practices and proven deployment learnings
In-depth understanding of how GE Digital software can help your operations
Holistic performance management for today’s connected enterprise
Management of fast-moving processes as well as slower moving, labor-intensive jobs
Cost savings with improved manufacturing overall equipment effectiveness
Batch automation, regardless of the underlying equipment
Data analysis for quick identification of defects and better optimization of processes
Unified manufacturing data from disparate systems to better meet changing consumer demands
Procedures managed in an electronic format for consistency and predictability
Optimized production with better planning
Improved throughput with greater efficiency and lower costs
Materials to help you better understand GE Digital software and its robust functionality
Integrated solutions for improved efficiency and sustainability while supporting business growth
Mobile operator access to essential on-site HMI monitoring and control functions
Enable remote staffing, flexible resourcing and centralized monitoring across facilities
Boost worker productivity, automate tasks, keep safety first
Energy management for the zero carbon grid
Reliable mobilization of network assets to ensure maximum transmission of energy from multiple sources
Integrated solutions suite for energy market management
Decentralized data collection, data volume handling, and remote management
Getting the most benefit out of digitization and industrial IoT
Services that deliver best-in-class results
Rapid digital transformation wins based on industry-proven value cases and ROI
Best practices for your industrial processes to help build and maintain operational resilience
GE Digital’s expert service and support teams create value and deliver on business objectives
Expert service and support teams to maximize the benefits from your IIoT software
Improved efficiencies, optimized production and quality and reduced unplanned downtime
Increased reliability and availability, minimized costs, and reduced operational risks
Increased value from your equipment, process data, and business models
Facilitate documentation between airlines and lessors
Reduced costs related to disruptions with real-time visibility
The cornerstone of your journey to operational excellence
Operational excellence including improved reliability, reduced costs and managed risk
GridOS, the first grid software portfolio designed for grid orchestration
Reduced operational costs and risks using predictive models
Enhanced overall situational awareness
Field-connected operations and management
One modular solution that enables grid operators to connect, see, control, and optimize DERs from a technical and an economic standpoint
Operational efficiency and reduction in build costs while meeting regulatory regulations
Reduced operational and new build costs and improved field inspection productivity
A holistic picture of the grid, reducing cost and complexity from traditional inspection approaches
Optimized operations to best meet changing consumer needs
Reduced variability and improved operations.
In-depth understanding of our software and its functionality
A clear a path to operational transformation
Maintain consistent quality and reduce cost per ton
Optimized costs and improved reliability while reducing risk to keep your teams and communities safe
Streamlined end-to-end operations driving high-volume, high-quality production
GE Digital software is the backbone of modern plant operations
Improved reliability, increased availability, and reduced O&M costs
AI/ML to make your gas turbine's fuel and air controls smarter
Increase energy production at times of highest demand without costly maintenance adders or adversely impacting the maintenance interval
Operate from anywhere with secure remote/mobile operator controls
Inclusive outsourcing services that deliver best-in-class results
Achieve digital transformation
Expert service teams to maximize the benefits from your IIoT software
Reduced costs, lower risk, and faster response times
Analytics to predict future asset and process performance for reduced variability & improved operations
A common network view to ensure integrity, network validity and infrastructure management
Mission critical software to better operate, optimize and analyze your work to deliver results
Locate the best partners to meet your needs
Digital transformation acceleration
Technical and domain expertise that complements GE Digital’s industry leading applications
Assistance to accelerate your digital transformation and put your industrial data to work
Deep domain knowledge and technical expertise
Product training, industry education, and rigorous certification programs
More efficient and secure electric grid, greater sustainability and waste reduction
Solutions for today, scale for tomorrow
Increased reliability and reduced reactive maintenance leading to higher efficiency and reduced costs
Using Digital Twin blueprints, GE's Industrial Managed Services team monitors 7,000+ global assets
Understanding of the latest thought leadership that can be applied to your operations
Understand how our software and services help our customers solve today's toughest challenges
Experienced team dedicated to customer success
Success stories and product updates from the world of Electrification Software
Analyst and third-party expert opinions of Electrification Software and our software and services
White papers, product overviews, and other content to help you put your industrial data to work
Experience in leading edge software development and business working with best-in-class leaders
Understand how Electrification software and services helps our customers solve today's toughest challenges
Blog
The Baby Boomer (born 1946-1964) plant operators who adopted and improved what are now modern manufacturing practices, designed reliability programs and installed most of the equipment in use today are retiring. And they are retiring soon. By 2030 all Baby Boomers will be 65 or older.
While that doesn’t come as a surprise, the global Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated retirement creating a more urgent need to prepare rising leaders for the job ahead. More than three million baby boomers retired in Q3 2020 than had done so in the same period of 2019 in the United States alone.
Incoming Gen X (born 1965 – 1980) and millennial (born 1981 – 1996) leaders are well equipped to leverage the latest technology advances to welcome in an era of advanced analytics and digital transformation, but the knowledge base being lost with retiring leaders is not to be underestimated.
We can think of it like building a house. Everything rests on the foundation. How it was designed, how it was poured, what was found underneath as it was dug, what materials were used, when it was built and how it was adapted all influence a foundation’s strengths, usefulness and longevity for different applications. New, and rising leaders are standing on the floor Baby boomers built.
Closing the knowledge gap lost with retiring experts is essential for moving forward effectively. To get us started, we’ve built a primer covering the basics related to maintenance strategies.
Let’s begin by looking at the four maintenance strategies a plant might deploy.
Proactive Maintenance – This is a program of continuous maintenance optimization based on feedback from Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA), quantitative PM’s, results of PdM routines, CM systems, technician feedback and operations input. Feedback is used to update and optimize asset strategies and the resulting controls being deployed. Optimizing RCM, FMEA, RBI, Safety Instrumented Systems and Hazardous Operations asset management strategies drives and enables continuous improvement verse one off actions or tasks based upon PM and PdM findings. Example: Based upon RCFA and technician feedback, rewrite oil heater operating procedures to eliminate element burnout, perform PM Optimization to reduce intrusive inspections that have been determined to lead to early heating element failures and increase data sampling of element condition to provide early warning so maintenance can be planned a minimum of two weeks in advance.
As organizations move away from reactive maintenance, condition monitoring (CM) becomes an essential skill. Condition monitoring is the process of recording measurements that define asset condition without disrupting its normal operation. Measured parameters include vibration, lubricant properties, electrical characteristics, thermal gradients, thermodynamic performance, etc. Measured values are compared with established limits in order to initiate notification that further evaluation may be required. CM is used to enable both predictive (PdM) and Proactive Maintenance strategies.
One of the main differences between PdM and Proactive Maintenance is that Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) is used to make continuous improvements in a Proactive program. In PdM, condition monitoring or Predictive information gives us warning of an impending failure, allowing us to plan ahead to procure repair parts; schedule a required outage, etc. But if we never address the root cause of the failure, we may end up repeating the same failure cycle over and over.
RCFA allows us to identify the fundamental cause(s) that, if corrected, will prevent recurrence of an event or adverse condition. By actually implementing the findings of RCFA, we can break the cycle and improve the reliability and availability of the affected assets. In this model rather than implement one-off actions, recommendations are considered in the context of the main asset strategy itself informing both an immediate instruction, and informing longer term changes to address the root cause. Other differences can include feedback from the maintenance craftsmen executing the corrective actions, planning, and operations, alongside input from advanced analytics that can advise of what were in the past hidden failure modes and often times drove unplanned events. All of these should drive optimization of RCM, FMEA, RBI, Safety Instrumented Systems and Hazardous Operations asset management strategies.
The methodologies listed here are commonly used to evaluate possible failure modes and effects for assets and systems of interest. Based on the results of these evaluations, appropriate mitigation strategies can be implemented. These include the four Maintenance Strategies listed above, as well as additional measures such as engineered design changes and administrative procedures.
Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM): A systematic, disciplined process to ensure safety and mission compliance that defines system boundaries and identifies system functions, functional failures, and likely failure modes for equipment and structures in a specific operating context. RCM develops a logical identification of the causes and effects (consequences) of system and functional failures to arrive at an efficient and effective asset management strategy to reduce the probability of failure. RCM is a rigorous and time-consuming process and is typically only applied at a system level to the assets that are highly critical and critical to the business.
Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA): A methodology for identifying the functions of an asset, ways it can fail to perform those functions, the causes of those failures, and the methods for detecting or mitigating those failures. FMEA is applied at the asset level and as such is a simpler and less time-consuming process than RCM. It is typically used to evaluate assets that have critical to mid-level criticality.
PM Templates: A collection of OEM, Equipment SME and or industry-accepted best practices for addressing the most common failure modes for a specific asset class – or if possible, sub-class.
When establishing effective monitoring strategies for an asset or system, it is important to consider the time that it takes for an identified failure mode to progress from its first possible detection to functional failure of the asset or system. EXAMPLE: For typical wear out of a rolling element bearing, the deteriorating bearing condition can often be detected for a few months until the bearing finally fails. With such a long failure cycle, it may be appropriate to monitor the bearing by taking monthly vibration measurements.
The figure below shows that the P-F interval, which is the interval between the occurrence of a potential failure (P) and the decay into a functional failure (F). Time (on the x-axis) can be measured in seconds, minutes, days, months or years. There may be many different failure modes for an asset and hence many failure cycles which demand different strategies to address each asset effectively. One key here is to understand what the desired P to F interval for your specific class, subclass of asset and most importantly asset criticality. We will talk about Criticality in an upcoming blog. Understanding this is key to applying the right mitigation controls based upon the failure modes and the failure cycles. This introduces the concept of enabling proper planning and strategy optimization.
Note: Functional failure simply means that the system is no longer capable of performing its intended function. For example, a pump that is required to produce 100 gpm flow at 200 psi discharge pressure is considered to have functionally failed if it can only produce 90 gpm at 200 psi.
Today, the top performers in industry are deploying more effective maintenance strategies, supported by technologies, resources, sound procedures with continuous optimization to keep their assets performing high on the P-F curve and delivering business value.
Senior Staff Solution Architect, GE Digital
Larry is a sales professional currently supporting global GE Digital Commercial Teams with Predix, APM, Reliability Centered Maintenance and Meridium APM Integrated Solutions. He is directly involved with strategy development, client focused discovery and solution development for multiple global opportunities and indirectly supporting numerous others in the Oil and Gas Upstream, Midstream (LNG), Downstream market, Petro Chemical market segments.
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Optimizing the performance of assets to increase reliability and availability, minimize costs, and reduce operational risks.
Standardize the collection, integration, modeling, and analysis of disparate data into a single, unified view.
Ensure asset integrity and compliance by monitoring changing risk conditions.