As mechanical integrity programs continue to evolve, industrial facilities, particularly in refining and chemical processing, face increasing complexity in maintaining equipment reliability while controlling maintenance costs.
These programs require a strategic balance of risk management, data-driven decision-making and optimized inspection and maintenance practices. However, many facilities struggle to implement comprehensive mechanical integrity strategies due to resource constraints, the need for specialized expertise and the challenges of integrating diverse technologies and methodologies.
Effective mechanical integrity program management requires a multi-disciplined team of engineering SMEs, with advanced knowledge of mechanical, corrosion, reliability and materials engineering disciplines; a multitude of inspection and maintenance services; and plant data-management software to store and analyze data over the program’s lifetime. With such a wide range of SMEs and competencies required, operating companies can benefit by working with a comprehensive mechanical integrity solutions provider — such as MISTRAS Group — who offer a unique advantage in navigating these challenges.
With extensive expertise across riskbased inspection (RBI), reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), NDT and digital asset integrity management, these providers enable facilities to not only comply with safety regulations but also unlock efficiencies and cost savings. By leveraging a more strategic, unified approach, facilities can move beyond traditional maintenance strategies and implement predictive and proactive solutions that reduce downtime and extend equipment life cycles.
Enhancing inspection efficiency with RBI
Improving maintenance cost efficiency with integrated service providers
Mobile inspection reporting software streamlines field work flows by entering data into data management platforms in near real-time.
RBI is widely recognized as an effective strategy for prioritizing inspections based on risk rather than fixed schedules. Despite its benefits, RBI adoption is often hindered by concerns over complexity and the need for specialized personnel.
An integrated service provider can simplify RBI implementation by offering end-to-end support, from initial data gathering to software setup, data management and expert engineering consultation to keep site leaders informed about potential risks and opportunities.
When implemented and managed by an experienced team, RBI provides significant advantages in turnaround planning by reducing unnecessary inspections while focusing efforts on the most critical equipment, which helps optimize maintenance budgets and reduces downtime. Additionally, ensuring that RBI programs incorporate proven engineering tools, such as circuitization and damage mechanism reviews, enhances the accuracy and reliability of risk assessments. A provider with expertise in both engineering and software implementation can bridge gaps between data analysis and actionable maintenance decisions, improving overall program effectiveness.
As a leading asset integrity management services (AIMS) software, 76% of Plant Condition Management Software (PCMS®) users now utilize RBI to plan their inspections, demonstrating its effectiveness and operators’ ever-increasing reliance on RBI.
Coordinating multiple strategies for maximum reliability
Unplanned downtime is a persistent challenge for industrial facilities, particularly as there are often multiple root causes and equipment classes involved. Equipment integrity issues are often interrelated, so addressing these issues with a unified approach can be more effective than individualized solutions.
For example, an approach that combines criticality-based preventive maintenance plans, RBI for fixed equipment and RCM for rotating equipment, can provide a holistic strategy to mitigate risks. Using a single software platform to manage these reliability strategies helps ensure that site teams can identify and address the highest-priority risks across all asset classes. Partnering with an experienced solutions provider ensures seamless integration of these methodologies and improves decision-making by centralizing data reporting, visualization and analysis.
Leveraging technology and software integration for early issue detection
Advancements in sensor technology and data reporting platforms are now available that enable early detection and notification of mechanical integrity issues.
A comprehensive mechanical integrity solutions provider may offer various types of sensor technologies that enable regular measurements of assets that are typically infrequently inspected due to the costs and hazards of accessing them. For example, real-time ultrasonic thickness monitoring transducers can take daily pipe wall thickness measurements in high-temperature at-height locations, and acoustic emission sensors may detect early-stage cracking in pressure vessels and piping.
In addition, a recent trend has seen an increase in the utilization of mobile inspection reporting software, which enables nearreal-time entry of field inspection data, significantly reducing the time between issue identification and corrective action.
These real-time condition-monitoring and data-reporting solutions can feed directly into existing AIMS and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), providing automated alerts when potential failures are detected. An experienced provider familiar with an operator’s routine inspection workflows can help incorporate these solutions into a facility’s daily operations, enabling faster response times to mechanical integrity issues before they worsen.
Cost-effective solutions for CUI management
CUI remains a significant cost driver for industrial maintenance. Addressing CUI-related leaks often involves the laborintensive process of removing insulation across extensive piping networks, leading to high material and labor costs and drawn-out downtime. However, a more strategic approach can significantly reduce expenditure.
A knowledgeable service provider with a broad engineering, inspection and mechanical solutions portfolio can optimize CUI management by helping operators prioritize inspections based on failure risk, select and execute the most effective NDT method(s) and perform inspectionadjacent light mechanical and rope access techniques. This integrated approach helps ensure that resources are directed toward the most critical areas while minimizing labor costs, onsite contractor footprint and coordination delays.
Improving maintenance data quality to prevent safety incidents
Improving maintenance cost efficiency with integrated service providers
A broad solutions portfolio and advanced automated radiographic testing (ART) robotic inspection technologies can help operators effectively manage CUI.
Recent Chemical Safety Board investigations highlight the dangers of poor maintenance data visibility and quality still present in many plants. Many industrial facilities house such a tremendous amount of inspection and maintenance data that without proper management and accessibility, critical safety issues can be overlooked.
For instance, a 2023 boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion incident resulted in a toxic hydrogen fluoride and chlorine gas release, despite prior inspection data indicating that the vessel shell was approaching end-of-life. Similarly, a 2021 release of flammable naphtha solvent vapors and resin liquid occurred in part because the maximum allowable working pressure of the vessel was not consistent with the design specification. Additionally, the vessel was not managed to pressure equipment best practice standards.
Implementing standardized AIMS software that’s integrated with the CMMS, along with real-time dashboards of key mechanical integrity KPIs, is the current best practice to prevent these types of incidents. Software solutions like PCMS offer automated data quality checks that highlight inconsistencies and guide users toward potential issues. Rather than adding to the maintenance cost of a facility, systematic use of this data can reduce both overall maintenance costs and production outages.
The strategic value of integrated service providers
By strategically partnering with an experienced service provider, industrial facilities can transform their approach to mechanical integrity management without needing to dedicate resources to building the capabilities of site employees. Rather than viewing maintenance as a necessary cost center, facilities can leverage advanced methodologies, technology-driven insights and data integration strategies to drive cost efficiency and reliability improvements.
From optimizing RBI programs to improving maintenance data visibility and decision-making, a comprehensive service provider like MISTRAS Group offers the expertise and tools needed to enhance mechanical integrity programs. By taking a proactive, data-driven approach, facilities can minimize unplanned downtime, reduce maintenance costs and ensure the safety and reliability of their operations.
For more information, visit mistrasgroup.com.
