A brief discussion on the maintenance management of equipment in a steel plant

After long-term operation, mechanical equipment will inevitably experience wear and tear, which will then affect its actual production. The main purpose of carrying out equipment maintenance management work is to ensure the quality of maintenance work. Especially in steel enterprises, the advancement and large scale of equipment inevitably pose challenges to maintenance work. Only by doing a good job in maintenance management can the quality of maintenance work be ensured and a solid foundation be laid for the stable operation of the steel plant.

I. Equipment Maintenance Management in Steel Plants

(1) Compile a maintenance model

• Compile a maintenance model: The compilation of the maintenance model is mainly based on factors such as the actual situation of the equipment to be maintained, its current operating status, and design indicators. An "Annual Maintenance Plan Model" is compiled to clarify aspects such as maintenance time, maintenance cycle, and maintenance schedule. The compilation of this model can effectively manage the maintenance process and is an important model for potential hazard management during the production process in steel plants.
• Maintenance project arrangement: In the arrangement of maintenance projects, considering that there are many "under-maintained" and "time-consuming regular maintenance" equipment in steel plants, it is necessary to reasonably arrange maintenance projects. During the arrangement process, online inspections are generally carried out first to determine equipment maintenance points. Then, information technology is used to analyze abnormal data, including aspects such as accuracy and equipment functions. Finally, a maintenance strategy system is formulated based on the level of maintenance cost and the degree of impact.

(2) Preparation before maintenance

• Project preparation: During project preparation, it is necessary to clarify the attributes of equipment in terms of accuracy maintenance, function restoration, and transformation in the project to determine maintenance projects.
• Time preparation: It is necessary to compile a "System Maintenance Schedule" suitable for the actual situation according to the start and end points of the maintenance time of each production line obtained through communication with the energy system and production plants, and carry out maintenance for each link based on this schedule.
• Plan preparation: After determining the maintenance project, the plan preparation work needs to be carried out according to the actual situation. In particular, for some important links, pre-maintenance discussions are required to determine the optimal maintenance method.
• Material preparation: The preparation of spare parts for the maintenance project needs to be implemented according to the schedule nodes, and corresponding follow-up personnel should be assigned. Spare parts need to be inspected in advance before use to ensure that all aspects of the spare parts' functions meet the actual operating requirements of the equipment.
• Personnel preparation: The preparation of maintenance personnel is particularly important. Especially in the case where professional maintenance companies are required to carry out maintenance work in the steel plant, it is necessary to coordinate the entry time of outsourced personnel and the personnel shortage, prepare safety measures, conduct relevant safety briefings for the incoming personnel, and implement safety responsibilities.
• Sign preparation: Hanging signs mainly serves as a warning to prevent unauthorized personnel from accidentally entering the construction site. These are key issues of concern in equipment maintenance management. The main signs include content on preventing harmful media, confirmation of media shutdown and supply, and determination of maintenance shutdown positions.

II. Measures to Improve the Effectiveness of Equipment Maintenance Management in Steel Plants

(1) Formulate an overall plan during maintenance management work

The formulation of an overall plan mainly provides guarantee for equipment maintenance work and also facilitates the implementation of management work. During the formulation process, it is necessary to understand the actual situation of the parts to be maintained and formulate a maintenance plan in advance. The plan should consider various aspects such as construction personnel, construction environment, and equipment used to comprehensively ensure safety and quality during the construction process. It should be noted that maintenance employees should receive corresponding training according to the special characteristics of the equipment to be maintained before construction to better carry out maintenance work.

(2) Clarify maintenance tasks and goals during maintenance management work

During the implementation of equipment maintenance management work, it is necessary to first clarify maintenance tasks and goals to determine whether the maintenance work meets the actual operating requirements of the equipment. During the management process, it is necessary to determine various factors affecting the equipment's usage based on the current actual operating situation and various performance parameters of the equipment, and thereby determine maintenance tasks. At the same time, it is also necessary to clarify the main maintenance aspects and maintenance time.

(3) Formulate a scientific maintenance plan during maintenance management work

The maintenance plan is the main basis for guiding maintenance work. For mechanical equipment in steel plants, which is large in size and relatively precise, without a detailed and reasonable maintenance plan, the operation may be chaotic. Therefore, to carry out equipment maintenance management work in an orderly manner, a relatively detailed maintenance plan needs to be formulated. The plan should include aspects such as the actual operating situation of mechanical equipment, the operating environment of mechanical equipment, equipment structure, and safety. At the same time, more detailed division of labor should be carried out according to the operating conditions of the steel plant itself, the maintenance level of the maintenance company, and the nature of the maintenance to improve the efficiency of maintenance management work. The plan should also specifically formulate detailed plans for some new technologies.

(4) Maintenance measures taken during maintenance work

The implementation of maintenance measures is directly related to maintenance quality. In actual work, it should be carried out strictly in accordance with the maintenance plan. First, determine the mechanical equipment to be maintained, stop it, and set up warning signs to prevent it from being accidentally started by employees who are unaware of the situation during maintenance. At the same time, it is necessary to coordinate among the maintenance party, equipment management party, and production party, and start maintenance work after confirmation. Secondly, do a good job in advance control measures for maintenance to be able to predict each key step in the maintenance process in advance, clarify construction requirements, ensure the quality of maintenance work, and also formulate corresponding safety prevention and control measures for each key step. Thirdly, after the maintenance operation is completed, it is necessary to do a good job in the on-site "5S" work, mainly including replaced spare parts, scattered materials, and oil stains. Finally, after the maintenance is completed, commissioning work on the equipment needs to be carried out. This link is mainly to detect whether the equipment after maintenance can meet its actual operating requirements. Before the commissioning work, check whether the switches of electricity, water, oil, gas, etc. are in place, whether each control system operates completely, and whether the lubrication system is fully lubricated. After the commissioning conditions meet the requirements, carry out the commissioning work to ensure safety and success in one attempt.

(5) Do a good job in evaluation and summary after maintenance work

After the maintenance work is completely completed, evaluation and summary work needs to be carried out. First, analyze and evaluate the problems encountered during the maintenance process. Secondly, summarize the reasons for the problems and the solutions, especially for the use of some new technologies, and do a good job in summarizing to provide reference for future maintenance work.