Maintenance and inspection

A good inspection and maintenance program will help most chains run better and longer. It is usually much better to correct problems found in an inspection than to have to repair the chain drive or conveyor after a breakdown. Regular inspection and maintenance often costs less than repairing breakdowns. 

Most chains will show signs of trouble long before a breakdown. If problems are found in a regular inspection, they can be corrected before a breakdown, reducing lost production time. Hidden damage from a breakdown is often not found during repairs. Thus, another breakdown may occur soon after repairs are made. 

An inspection program for each chain installation should be established and followed. A checklist of items to inspect should be made and a record of maintenance action kept. Trends can be tracked that way and the chain can be adjusted or replaced before a costly failure occurs. 

The hequency with which hoses are added to and removed horn the process configuration provides many opportunities for visual inspection. A hose that 

If these signs develop quickly or repeatedly in a given service, there may be a problem of compatibility of the hose widi the process fluid at normal conditions. In such a case, the user should identify alternative hose materials for trial. 

Transfer hoses are subject to all the hazards that apply to piping (see Section 3.4). Other hazards arise because of their special nature. The following checklist gives some guidance to Ihe user of flexible hoses. 

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BE-5935 Inspection and maintenance of power plant components Mr. K. Lieven MrTGmbH... 

A quality service can be provided only by reliable equipment. This section seeks to ensure that effective routine inspection and maintenance programs are in place in order to detect defects before they cause accidents or breakdowns. 

Mechanical seals vapor recovery sealing glands by oil pressure maintenance Vapor incineration Inspection and maintenance... 

Electrical equipment Regular inspection and maintenance by qualified electricians Prohibition of makeshift installations... 

The integrity of pipelines depends upon conect design, including materials selection, support and protection from mechanical damage. Depending upon tlie gas, routine inspection and maintenance may be supplemented by the provision of gas detection and alarm systems. Other considerations are exemplified by the safety-related controls on the transportation of domestic gas via pipeline systems summarized in Table 15.17. 

Factory-constructed ventilation systems are constructed in a compact manner. Frequently, due to the smaller-space installation, inspection and maintenance of the sensors can be difficult. In ducts, deviations from the real... 

One of the major reasons that this book was written is that nonspecialist chemical engineers know little abont DBAs. Althongh DBAs have been specified and installed for many years, qnite often they have failed becanse the wrong type of flame arrester was specified, or it was improperly installed, or inadeqnate inspection and maintenance were provided. 

Snhseqnent chapters cover installation considerations (Chapter 6), inspection and maintenance practices (Chapter 7), regnlations, standards, and codes, inclnding certification test protocols (Chapter 8), and some illnstrative examples (Chapter 9). Chapter 10 provides a snmmary of the present state-of-the-art and what other information and research is needed, followed hy appendixes, a glossary, and snggested additional reading. 

Deflagration and detonation flame arresters should be inspected annually until operating experience indicates otherwise. Also, the need for frequent inspection and maintenance may affect the selection of one type of flame arrester over another type for a specific application. For example, a hydraulic (liquid seal) flame arrester may be more suitable than a dry, fixed-element, flame arrester if the latter requires frequent inspecdon and maintenance because of persistent plugging problems. 

This section discusses inspection and maintenance practices and procedures that affect the mechanical integrity of flame arrester installations. 

All flame arrester mannfactnrers have written instmctions for installation, inspection, and maintenance, and these shonld be followed. Some flame arrester mannfactnrers reqnire that maintenance be done at their facility to avoid invalidating the flame arrester warranty. 

It is important that the inspection and maintenance activities be docn-mented as reqnired per company practice and any process safety management regnlatory reqnirements. Maintenance records shonld indicate the inspection resnlts and the scope of maintenance work performed, if any. Before the flame arrester is reinstalled in the process, it shonld be visnally inspected to make snre that reassembly conforms to the mannfactnrer s recommendations. Some companies affix a tag to the flame arrester indicating the inspection and maintenance date. 

Proper training on the operation and maintenance of flame arresters shonld be given to the appropriate personnel so that they will become competent with respect to the operating characteristics of the varions types of flame arresters nsed in a plant, as well as their specific inspection and maintenance reqnirements. 

Many flame arrester mannfactnrers provide training conrses on inspection and maintenance of flame arresters, either at their facilities or a client s plant. It is recommended that snch conrses be schednled for operating and maintenance personnel. Also, the OSPLA PSM standard, 29 CFR 1910.119 (j)(3), shonld be consnlted for reqnirements for training for process maintenance activities. 

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