About Attindas Hygienic Partners
Attindas Hygienic Partners is a global leader focused on absorbent adult incontinence, baby care, and clinical hygiene solutions. Whether for their brands or their partners’ brands, in healthcare or retail channels, they are experts in understanding and serving people’s real needs. AHP is the largest supplier of “Partner Brand” baby diaper products in North America. Their diapers assortment spans sizes newborn to size 7 and is available in a variety of packaging formats from small convenience packs all the way to large value-sized bulk boxes.
The Problem
AHP was having issues with their GDM diaper line core drum slewing bearing, which had a diameter of 1 meter. More specifically, they were experiencing premature bearing wear causing blown seals due to improper lubrication, resulting in expensive downtime. The lack of a consistent and reliable method to gather accurate data was both time-consuming and costly, making it difficult to anticipate potential failures. Additionally, AHP didn’t possess the necessary instruments to monitor this bearing in real-time using live data during the lubrication process, meaning they didn’t know exactly how much lubrication was needed. Instead, they went by the standard manufacturer recommendation for their lubrication cycles.
Consequently, despite all these efforts and revenue losses, the root of the issue was only temporarily resolved. Without the proper tools and reliability routines in place, AHP was destined to continue the recurring cycle of bearing failure leading to costly downtime.
The Solution
Recognizing the detrimental impact of bearing failure on their valuable time and financial resources, AHP made the decision to implement a condition-based lubrication and bearing monitoring program. This approach eliminated the uncertainties associated with manual lubrication by providing accurate, real-time data. They established baseline measurements for their bearings and utilized UE System’s OnTrak system to monitor and lubricate them with confidence whenever friction levels exceeded acceptable dB levels.
The OnTrak System is a remote bearing monitoring and precision lubrication system that allows users to monitor and lubricate their bearings from anywhere, anytime. Complemented by UE Insights, a free, compatible software that can be used on any desktop or mobile device with internet or cellular access, the OnTrak enables users to monitor their bearings in real-time, even allowing them to set custom alerts when their bearings require attention. Once it’s time to lubricate a bearing, they can automatically schedule the OnTrak to lubricate it, or they can manually do it with the simple press of a button. UE Insights provides live data feedback, giving them peace of mind in knowing their bearings are properly lubricated, effectively preventing bearing failure and unexpected downtime.
“I love having the ability to see real-time data come in on the UE Insights dashboard. I always keep the dashboard up in my office because it is very reassuring to walk in and see the bearing health listed in the green area, signifying that it is in healthy shape. This gives me the reassurance that everything is operating as best as it possibly can.” – David Skarupa, Attindas Hygienic Partners
The Results
After transitioning to the OnTrak system, AHP experienced remarkable results within a span of 6 months. They successfully detected potential failures in their GDM diaper line core drum slewing bearing ahead of time, thanks to the predictive maintenance capabilities of the system. By remotely lubricating and continuously monitoring this bearing, they avoided the need for total machine shutdowns and witnessed a longer bearing lifespan. The ability to proactively identify impending failures provided AHP with the opportunity to plan and prepare for necessary maintenance rather than react to sudden breakdowns. This proactive approach saved valuable time, increased revenue, and enhanced overall plant efficiency.
Among the numerous OnTrak system’s features, AHP found the email notifications and UE insights dashboard to be particularly valuable. Continuous, 24/7 access to real-time data coupled with email notifications made monitoring their bearings and trending the data easier than ever, leading to improved operational efficiency. Previously, by-hand lubrication was time-consuming and resource-intensive. However, with the OnTrak system, a single button press initiated the entire lubrication cycle, affording the technicians time to focus on other critical tasks and eliminating the need for total machine shutdown.
Currently, AHP is working on an expansion plan to utilize the OnTrak system on several other bearings and in other parts of their facility such as critical motors. The amount of time, money, and resources the OnTrak system has saved them from that one bearing alone has prompted AHP to reevaluate other areas in their facility facing similar challenges.
Summary
