Maintec 2010 show01 January 2010

Getting maintenance right, and squeezing that bit extra out of existing and new plant, is the name of the game for 2010. Brian Wall suggests taking a day at Maintec 2010

Maintec, the UK asset and maintenance management exhibition and conference, opens its doors for the 35th year between 2 and 4 March at the NEC - and with the pressure on to improve plant performance, cut costs and deliver energy savings, it probably couldn't have come at a better time.
As organiser EasyFairs UK managing director Matt Benyon says: "With capital spend being kept to a minimum, managers are trying to squeeze that last bit of value out of their current plant. To do this, they need new products, new services and new thinking."
So what will visitors find? This year's show features the annual Maintec summit and LearnShops, but also now an 'Innovations Pavilion' and, for the first time, the BCAS (British Compressed Air Society) Spring Conference.

Predictive maintenance
Looking at the summit (on 3 March), this year's focus is on proactive measures to ensure that plant does not fail - and that maintenance does not disrupt operations. Chaired by Steve Morris, deputy president of the Institute of Asset Management, the keynote speaker is Sean Hennessy, member of the European Federation of National Maintenance Societies.
Hennessy will provide an overview of current maintenance technologies and will be followed by speakers from Wessex Water, Andon Signalling, Chivas Brothers and Idhammer. Russell Page of the improvement methodologies practice Picme will be exploring human factors, while Bill Riseborough, reliability champion at Dow Corning, will explain his Barry plant improvement programme.
Other highlights should include: Martin Wager of Cogenco, who will discuss whether CHP (combined heat and power) is the answer to sustainable energy; and Sean Madden and Neil Goddard, manufacturing and site managers at Johnson Diversey, winner of the Best Process Plant category in the Great Britain 2009 Best Factory Awards.
So much for the summit: meanwhile the LearnShops are due to run every day, covering everything from advice on assessing plant with thermal cameras (Flir, Fluke and Testo), to condition monitoring, using stress wave technology (Holroyd Instruments) and how to save energy on steam (Grant Bailey and Walton Dunlop of GEM).
Other seminars include: problems to watch for when overhauling ageing plant (David Bates of SOE IPlantE); how to keep a CMMS (computerised maintenance management system) simple (Shire Systems); choosing maintenance technologies to suit the task (Artesis); and a skills update (from MCP).
However, if your visit is about finding what's new, best advice is first to step over to the Innovations Pavilion. EasyFairs says that only products and services launched this year will be showcased there - and, at that, only the top 10.
Beyond that, there's nothing quite like a stroll round the stands to uncover useful equipment and ideas. Torque tools manufacturer Norbar, for example, says it will show its T-Box and Torque data analysis software. Meanwhile, stepping onto Coventry-based MGTS' stand could help you with training and assessment packages that simulate liquid mixing, temperature control and packaging.
Another one: Whitelegg says it will be launching Baker's on-line motor analysis system, which can handle more than 40 parameters on 32 motors. Then, for thermal imaging, go to Testo, Fluke or Flir. Testo wants visitors to see its extended range (Testo 875 and 881), while Fluke says it will display the latest Ti32 and TiR32 imagers - with 320x240 sensors to provide high-definition at œ7,200.

Brian Wall

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