What is Asset Integrity Management?
Asset Integrity Management (AIM) is part of a company’s more extensive Asset Management program. It is a process in which an asset’s physical integrity is managed over its lifecycle to ensure it works at optimal efficiency and effectiveness. Regular analysis measures the asset’s performance and identifies when maintenance is required to maintain its top efficiency.
AIM keeps each asset in peak working order and fit for service. It extends its life and ability to operate safely and reliably.
Why is it Important?
Properly done, AIM helps prevent catastrophic equipment failures, which can result in expensive shutdowns or, even worse, injuries to workers or environmental disasters. For any company, shutdowns and equipment downtimes can be costly in terms of lost revenue and equipment replacement or repair. An easy-to-use, digital AIM solution can help protect against these potential issues.
Here’s an example
One of our clients has over 35,000 pieces of mobile pressure pipe of all sizes and ratings. In Production Testing, pressure pipe is subject to severe abrasive and corrosive actions. If this isn’t adequately tested and tracked, it can put people and the environment at risk.
Before they implemented Genesis QMS, our client’s AIM process was inefficient. They struggled to operate safely and properly budget. In particular, too much time was spent manually tracking pipe wall thickness. This information is critical because it helps signal when pipe replacement or other maintenance is needed.
In the past, our client tried to track this by compiling individual Ultrasonic Testing reports from multiple NDT inspection vendors. However, they found this was just too hard and cumbersome to manage correctly. The reporting from these multiple vendors was very inconsistent, and they could not easily see the overall integrity picture. They felt that in some instances, they were replacing pipe too soon, and in other instances waiting too long, potentially leading to an incident. They needed a real-time historical timeline of each pipe’s integrity to understand life expectancy better.
Genesis QMS instantly displays the complete life history of each section of pipe in report form as well as graphically. Each inspection vendor inputs its data into our platform from the field. This reduces the admin time (and errors) of rekeying data and eliminates the inconsistencies of the different reports previously provided by each vendor. As a result, managing mobile pressure pipe is much more efficient. Everyone is safer, and our client can see both high and low-risk areas of the piping, which reduces inspection costs. And tracking pipe integrity digitally means they can make data-driven financial decisions when preparing budgets.
Summary
Keeping your equipment operating efficiently is critical to ensure the safety of workers and the environment. AIM, especially when performed with a Risk Based Inspection (RBI) program, can detect future problems like catastrophic equipment failures so that you can take corrective action before an incident occurs.
A digital AIM solution automates the scheduling of routine maintenance and ensures nothing gets forgotten or overlooked. In addition, a digital solution often pays for itself quickly by reducing unexpected repairs, unplanned equipment downtime or shutdowns, and helping meet environmental and safety regulations.
AIM is a proven, cost-effective program that keeps you “in the know” regarding the status of your assets which, in the long run, will save you time and money.
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