Report of Audit course in Maintenance Engineering for TE Mechanical Engineering Students

The audit course in maintenance engineering conducted by the Mechanical Engineering Department for TE Mechanical (6^th sem) Engineering students at Don Bosco College of Engineering provides students with a comprehensive understanding of principles and practices in the context of maintenance activities. This course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively evaluate and improve maintenance processes within an industrial setting. Seven audit course sessions were conducted throughout the semester by inviting speakers from industry and academia. Here is a very brief report of all the sessions conducted.

Session 1 and 2: Practical sessions on dismantling and assembling different components.

The 1^st and the 2^nd sessions were conducted on 1^st March and 8^th March 2023 where the students were given components like air compressor, motor winding mechanism, 2-S kinetic engine, bench press and drilling machine. The students were given the task to dismantle the given equipment and assemble it. The purpose of this activity was to gain practical experience and understanding of the internal workings of various parts, gathering the necessary tools and equipment for dismantling the component systematically, examining each part during the dismantling process and reassembling the components by verifying the correct alignment and positioning of each component ensuring each part is fitted correctly and according to specifications.

By following proper procedures and guidelines, it was possible to dismantle and reassemble components effectively and efficiently.

Session 3: Technical Talk on Maintenance of HVAC Equipment

This session was held on 15^th March 2023 and the resource speaker was Mr. Prakash Naik, Past President, ISHRAE Goa Chapter and Retired officer from Goa Shipyard Ltd.

Mr. Prakash Naik provided insights on the need for Maintenance and various techniques; namely, Predictive, Preventive & Corrective techniques in maintenance engineering. He also emphasized the requirement of maintaining a logbook and said, “It is a health chart of a machine or component”. He also explained the major problems that occur in refrigeration / cooling systems and briefed about the troubleshooting of the same. He then briefed about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) audit guidelines as given by various bodies like AHSRAE, OSHA etc.

Session 4: Technical Talk on Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM)

This session was held on 29^th March 2023 and the speaker was our in-house faculty member          Dr. Suraj Marathe, Associate Professor in Mechanical Department.  

Dr. Marathe started the talk by emphasizing the significance of maintenance in ensuring the smooth functioning of machinery and equipment. The speaker then moved on to discuss Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM), which is a systematic approach to maintenance that aims to identify the optimal maintenance strategy for a given piece of equipment. Dr. Marathe provided valuable insights into the importance of maintenance and the various methodologies that can be used to optimize it.

Session 5: Field Visit to Sanofi Goa Development Center

This field visit session was held on 12^th April 2023. The visit was organized by Mr. Prasad Adpaikar, Manager Engineering & Operations. The visit started with a presentation by Mr. Prasad Adpaikar, which covered the overview of Sanofi, various machines, utilities in the plant, most importantly the role of engineers in pharmaceutical industries. After the session the students were taken to the utilities section wherein the working of Chillers, Boilers, Diesel Generators, and their maintenance was explained.

Session 6: Technical Talk on Maintenance in Process Industry

This session was held on 10^th May 2023 and the resource person was Mr. Gerard D’Mello, Retired Chief Manager – Projects, Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd and Past Chairman, Institution of Engineers (India) Goa State Centre.

The speaker spoke about the different types of maintenance with their advantages and disadvantages. He explained about the importance of maintenance in the process Industry, best practices in process Industry maintenance, variety of maintenance strategies employed in process industries and the challenges faced by the process industries in maintenance. He gave an in-depth analysis of maintenance practices in the process industry.

Session 7: Technical Talk on Vibration Monitoring of Machines

The last session on audit course was held on 24^th May 2023 and the resource person was Prof. Ramnath Prabhu Bam, lecturer in Mechanical Engg Dept at Agnel Polytechnic, Verna.

He said that vibration is an inherent characteristic of machines and can indicate potential faults or abnormalities. By monitoring vibrations, one can identify early signs of mechanical issues, such as misalignment, imbalance, bearing wear, and structural defects.

He also briefly explained about several techniques that are employed to monitor vibrations in machines such as Accelerometer-based Monitoring, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) technique and online monitoring Systems. The speaker emphasized the importance of vibration monitoring for industries to recognize the value of vibration monitoring and incorporate it into their maintenance strategies to improve overall operational efficiency.

The Audit Course session was organized by the coordinators, Prof.Swapnil Ramani (Asst. Prof – Mechanical) and Prof. Sharad Shanbhag (Asst. Prof – Mechanical).The session was attended by the students and staff of Mechanical Department.