Luminant Power is the largest generator of electricity in Texas. Luminant’s mining division is the state’s No. 1 producer of lignite coal producing around 33 million tons per year to meet the fuel needs of our generation

plants. The Predictive Maintenance (NDT/PdM) Group is responsible for providing NDT/PdM services for 15 draglines, ten loading stations, railroads and 600 pieces of mining rolling stock spread across nine separate mines in Texas.

The (NDT/PdM) group consists of five fulltime technicians. Each technician holds many certifications including: ultrasonic flaw detection & flaw sizing level II, vibration-ISO level II, thermography level I & II and ultrasound level II. Each technician is assigned dedicated routes and equipment inspections. The group

currently inspects almost 100,000 points yearly across the

nine sites. With a work area of 325 miles stretching from

Northeast to Central Texas, scheduling is critical to the group’s success.

Efficient scheduling ensures technicians are as productive

as possible and that the appropriate equipment is available when the technician is on-site.

The goal of the NDT/PdM group is to identify issues before they fail giving technicians the opportunity

to take corrective action (to avoid failure) or change

out a component before it catastrophically fails. The group

does this by inspecting, evaluating,

researching and developing repeatable techniques of NDT/Pdm. This approach reduces the need for component inventory. The group also uses its expertise to perform quality assurance by inspecting components before installation. They evaluate

both new and repaired components.

The current maintenance philosophy includes components of Reliability Centered Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance, Condition Based Maintenance and Root Cause Analysis. Predictive Maintenance includes standardized inspections and inspection routes performed by trained maintenance employees and certified technician analysts.

Through Predictive Maintenance, the group promotes a proactive culture

that identifies and reduces catastrophic failures. Failure is never acceptable, but when it happens, the group looks at it as a learning opportunity; what could be done differently to identify the flaw and how can it be incorporated into the program going forward. Luminant’s program is focused on continuous improvement.

Luminant’s UT program is a result of this philosophy. Over the past 30 years, the group has developed and improved its component testing procedures building a library with thousands of inspection procedures and scan charts. There are also hundreds of test components used for calibration and training.

The primary reason for the NDT/PdM group’s success is that this is a great team: Keith Lawson, Robbie Cross, Jackie Merket, Tony Jumper and Michael Brinkman. Each are highly skilled, motivated and take extreme pride in their work.

Luminant Mining

Left to Right: Michael Brinkman, Keith Lawson, Robbie Cross, Tony Jumper and Jackie Merket.

luminant mining

2011

Best

Nondestructive

Testing Program

Software• MAC is our on

Windows-based CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) and built on a dot.net platform. Fossil Division Root Cause Failure Analysis is also our on RCA Program.

NDT/PdM Instruments• 2 ea. USN 50 Krautkramer

Flaw Detection• 1 ea. 52 Krautkramer

Flaw Detection

• 2 ea. 58LT Krautkramer Flaw Detection

• 3 ea. USK 7 S Krautkramer• 1 ea. USL 48 Krautkramer

Branson• 1 ea. USD 10 Krautkramer

Branson• 1 ea. Epoc 1 & 2 Panametics

Flaw Detection• 1 ea. 5228 Ultrasonic Gage

Panametrics • 1 ea. Olympus IV8635L2

IPLEX LT Industrial Video scope/Bores cope

• 1 ea. Flir 695 Infrared Camera & one more older unit

• 1 ea. Flir Hand Infrared Gun • 5 ea. Equotip Piccolo

hardness tester• 5 ea. Parker 300 Mag Guns• 3 ea. Black light• 4 ea. Hand Held Temp Guns• 1 ea. UE UP 10,000 LRM

Ultrasound Gun• 4 ea. UE 9000 Ultrasound

Gun• 1 ea. Strobe light • 1 ea. SKF Micro Log GX70

Best Maintenance Reliability Programs