19 / 44
Mechanical Technology — May 2016
17
⎪
Proactive maintenance, lubrication and contamination management
⎪
Skills training
key to optimising reliability solutions investment
I
f profitability and efficiency are among
the goals of any machine-based op-
eration, then a good reliability solutions
programme is imperative.
Through reliability solutions services,
such as oil analysis, thermal imaging, vibra-
tion monitoring, balancing, laser alignment
and others, machines are monitored and
maintained in such a way as to enable them
to yield their optimum output.
Over time industrial/mechanised sys-
tems become exponentially more advanced
and complicated, and so does their opera-
tion and maintenance. Therefore, it is es-
sential that staff at the respective levels of
operation is kept educated on how to run
and look after the machinery.
WearCheck has been running skills train-
ing courses for their customers for more
than 20 years. “It has been shown time and
again that skilled and well-trained machine
operators are able to add to the bottom line
of an industrial operation by maintaining the
components efficiently, and they are able to
do this because they have undergone the
correct training,” says WearCheck’s training
manager, Ashley Mayer.
Mayer conducts condition monitoring
training courses around South Africa as
well as in other regions where there are
WearCheck customers. He holds a BSc in
mechanical engineering and has tailored
the courses to suit a range of levels within
an operation, from factory floor to senior
management.
WearCheck’s training courses cover
accurate oil analysis report interpreta-
tion, correct sample taking, pre-planned
maintenance schedules and good lubricant
management.
“WearCheck understands that custom-
ers gain the highest return on investment
in a condition monitoring programme if
their staff understand each step of the
process,” Mayer says. “We offer several
training courses aimed at different levels
within the process, from basic understand-
ing of oil analysis through to management
of the condition monitoring programme,”
he adds.
The course material draws heavily on
WearCheck’s database of sample diagno-
ses accumulated over the past 40 years;
the 600 000 new samples processed
each year; experience with a wide variety
of makes and models of machinery; and
regional and global data on wear trends.
Oil Analysis 1 takes two full days, while
Oil Analysis 2 takes only one full day and
is, therefore, less expensive. All courses
include course material, refreshments,
giveaways and certificates and both of
these courses can also be customised and
presented at a customer’s preferred venue.
WearCheck also offers two more on-site
courses:
• WearCheck Practical (in English or
Zulu), a half-day course.
• WearCheck Customised – oil analysis for
workshop technicians, a full day course.
All courses can be presented at the cus-
tomer’s premises for a minimum of seven
delegates. There may be an additional
charge for the lecturer’s travel and accom-
modation, if needed.
Oil analysis training courses can also
be arranged in any of the following areas:
Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Kimberley,
Makopane, Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth,
Rustenburg, Steelpoort, Botswana,
Namibia, Tanzania (Mwanza), Zambia
(Kitwe) – in fact, anywhere in the world.
Mobius Institute courses
Furthermore, WearCheck is now certified as
the Mobius training centre for most of the
African continent – with the exception of
SA, DRC and Kenya – and Mobius courses
can be run on request from customers,
on-site at the their premises, anywhere
in Africa.
The Mobius Institute is a worldwide
provider of education in reliability improve-
ment, condition monitoring and precision
maintenance, to industrial plant managers,
reliability engineers and condition monitor-
ing technicians.
The full Mobius course includes compul-
sory six-month practical training sessions.
Participants are guided by WearCheck
expertise that has been gained through
the successful implementation of condition
monitoring programmes tailored to meet
the specific needs of operating, engineer-
ing and maintenance departments across
a range of industries. Through these practi-
cal sessions, the skills of the technicians
are developed in order to progress to the
next level.
The training facilitates the successful
implementation by plants of reliability
improvement programmes through delivery
of more easily understandable and compre-
hensive training. This includes reliability,
alignment, balancing and vibration analysis
via various education programmes.
The Mobius Institute Board of
Certification (MIBoC) is ISO/IEC 17024
and ISO 18436 accredited, providing glob-
ally recognised certification to category I-IV
vibration analysts in accordance with ISO
18436-1 and 18436-2. Costs include the
examination fee for CAT I and II.
q
Venue
Oil Analysis 1:
Understanding oil
and its analysis
Oil Analysis 2:
Report
interpretation
Rustenburg
21-22 June
23 June
Bloemfontein
19-20 July
21 July
Pinetown
16-17 August
18 August
Namibia
13-14 September
15 September
Gauteng
18-19 October
20 October
Northern Cape
15-16 November
17 November
WearCheck’s 2016 training schedule for its Oil Analysis 1 and Oil Analysis 2 training courses.
WearCheck training manager Ashley Mayer conducts a training course in Ghana during April this
year. Mayer travels to various locations to conduct training on oil analysis at different levels to meet
the the condition monitoring needs of clients.