TPi July 2017

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July 2017 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL 55
Condition monitoring for
competitive advantage
By Larry Rumbol, marine condition monitoring manager, Parker Kittiwake, UK
Parker Kittiwake knows this because for more than two
decades it has designed, developed and manufactured
market-leading condition monitoring and test equipment for
lube oil, hydraulic oil, fluids and fuels. In fact, engineers the
world over use Parker Kittiwake equipment to gain vital insights
into the health of their vessels’ engines and machinery, and to
accurately measure fuel quality and compatibility.
When companies emphasise the upkeep of their machinery,
the lifetime of infrastructure significantly improves, costs are
lowered and environmental impacts from faulty equipment
are minimised. For a growing number, the way that they are
accomplishing this rapidly and cost-effectively is through
proactive condition monitoring.
Condition monitoring practice has evolved significantly, from
the days of engineers physically examining equipment and
relying on their hard-won experience and intuition, to the full
range of tools available today.
Condition monitoring has a key role to play in every
maintenance programme and can be a valuable tool
for optimising safety standards, maximising operational
efficiency and enhancing profitability.
But to do that you need the right people, processes and
resources available to maintain the asset in a fit-for-
service condition.
This can be done most reliably, safely and cost-
effectively by employing a combination of online and
offline condition monitoring tools.
This includes anything from sophisticated online sensor
technology to simple on-board test kits. A well-trained
engineer knows that through a combination of these online
and offline tools, operators can arm themselves with the
knowledge they need to avoid accelerated wear, prevent
catastrophic damage and safeguard against downtime.
By using modern condition monitoring technology to simplify
everyday maintenance observations and provide advance
warning of required work, it is possible to maximise uptime.
Providing one example in the marine market, the Parker
Kittiwake Condition Monitoring Starter Kit combines the Parker
Kittiwake DigiCell (water in oil and residual base number), the
Holroyd MHC-Bearing Checker (rotating equipment/bearing
condition), and a PC tablet with a condition monitoring routine
and log book pre-loaded on it to assist with the recording of
results, to simplify the protection of vulnerable equipment and
prevent failure.
It utilises modern condition monitoring technology to simplify
everyday maintenance observations and provide advance
warning of possible maintenance requirements. Using
deskilled, intuitive technology, the starter kit empowers crew
members with data that enables them to take corrective
action and safeguard against potentially catastrophic damage
in the worst case, and allows them to prioritise everyday
maintenance to maximise operational efficiency.
Too often condition monitoring equipment provides
meaningless data; the Kittiwake kit deconstructs that and
allows anyone to make immediate judgements whether to act
(intervene to lubricate, dismantle or maintain), or to take the
equally cost-effective action of doing nothing.
The implementation of a rigorous quality control system is
essential for ensuring high quality performance. Yet although
the role of maintenance in the long-term profitability of a
business is more frequently recognised these days, the issues
relating to the quality of maintenance output can still retain
outdated features that have become conventional through
decades of use. In today’s low margin era, when cost and
risk are at the top of operators’ minds, investing in equipment
uptime and performance becomes paramount.
The majority of the marine market is still taking a planned
approach to maintenance. However, the benefits of reliability-
centred maintenance are steadily emerging and are being
lauded by shipowners, class societies and insurers alike.
Parker Kittiwake’s Condition Monitoring Starter Kit combines the
DigiCell, the Holroyd MHC-Bearing Checker and a PC tablet