PTS Labels can be securely applied to a variety of hoses and related components, providing a direct link between the physical asset and the digital record.
OEMs and operators can easily locate assets to be maintained, establish a standard cadence for inspection or replacement activities and attach critical linked files such as pressure tests, prints or application photos. Including as much relevant data as possible for each component saves critical time at the moment a replacement is needed. The PTS application holds all the data ready for the user to recall it to obtain an exact replacement.
Key tool in preventive maintenance
Today, PTS covers millions of hose assemblies, thousands of registered users and hundreds of tagging locations worldwide in dozens of participating countries.
Avoiding the ineffective “fix-when-fail” strategy for running operations is one of PTS’ main benefits. Sophisticated operators are seeking a more efficient and intelligent solution to predictive and planned maintenance and inspections. Most know that this will drive machine uptime and preserve profitability. PTS seamlessly integrates asset documentation, tracking inspection and maintenance records to drive greater operational efficiency.
Current tools such as spreadsheets and basic ID tags offer no notifications and are not a pro-active approach for scheduling maintenance, especially across a large or multi-location enterprise. Using PTS, customers can create custom inspection templates and document asset inspection activities on a global basis. With the user-friendly software, it is possible to:
- Personalize inspection criteria,
- Establish mandatory compliance activities,
- Provide maintenance teams with asset location data and history,
- Document audit activities, and
- Schedule work by site, equipment type or criticality level of asset.
Inspection templates are created and applied to one or thousands of components. By entering data for retrieval later, users can then easily establish maintenance procedures or schedule work based upon their preferences. Additional assets can be assigned, relocated or transferred at any point.
Unscheduled replacement of assemblies due to issues such as abrasion, corrosion or kinking can be recorded to predict the necessity or timing of future replacements. When replacement parts are needed, the customer simply calls ahead with the PTS ID number, giving the distributor or service partner advance notice to retrieve the assembly details from the system. This includes hose and fitting part numbers, assembly length, optional sleeving, accessories and even proper cleaning specifications. With such detail in hand, the distributor can make the assembly and have it ready for pick-up when the customer arrives. If special parts have to be ordered, no wasted trips are incurred. Parts can be shipped or delivered for added convenience.
Value in use
With more than 24 countries actively participating, PTS is the only true global system in use by a manufacturer such as Parker. The same hose that is tagged by an OEM in Germany, for example, can be replaced in the United States, and vice versa. With more and more equipment being shipped all over the world, the global database enables Parker’s OEM customers to facilitate hydraulic hose replacement on their equipment, regardless of the country of origin. PTS provides value in many ways to a variety of markets, including Oil and Gas, Mining and In-Plant Automotive.
A project is currently underway for a global oil and gas drilling rig operator to document and inspect every hydraulic hose and tubing system onboard the company’s off-shore rigs. This enables the company to comply with a variety of governmental and industry requirements and may assist in avoiding unnecessary fines or shutdowns. PTS can also provide useful analytics on the historical performance of hoses in a variety of applications.
This oil and gas company has outsourced the documentation and inspection of its hoses to a local Parker distributor. In this case, PTS will save approximately 80-120 labor hours per year for this single site, resulting in $8000 to $12,000 per year in savings, but more importantly, it will provide a much-needed service to the customer who was without this type of maintenance resource in-house.
Parker’s service provider is now supporting the customer with contract maintenance services, providing critical documentation, compliance, preventative maintenance and even removal and off-site disposal of worn assemblies. The value of the knowledge greatly exceeds the labor costs saved.
Consider that the average operating cost of an off-shore rig can range from approximately $500,000 to $1 million per day. If PTS can save 30 minutes of time to identify and reorder one failed hose assembly in a full year of operation, the result is a direct cost avoidance of more than $12,000 per site. The risk of such an occurrence makes it easy for customers to justify the adoption of PTS to protect themselves and their assets.
Conclusion
PTS is used in a wide variety of applications in which customers want to track assets and manage necessary inspections and replacements. While initially developed for hydraulic hose assemblies, PTS is currently rolling out to numerous Parker engineered components. PTS can provide customers with increased operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and safety documentation for all critical assets.
Bill Sayavich is Business Development Manager at Parker Hannifin's Hose Products Div., Wickliffe, Ohio. For more information, visit www.parker.com/pts.
