Two engineers from the Electricity Generating Authority (EGAT) of Thailand recently participated in training on maintenance management and engineering at CQUniversity Gladstone.

They met metallurgist Dr Alan McLeod and Dr Subhash Sharma, who coordinates the Maintenance Management Masters program.

The visiting engineers were trained on essential elements of tribology needed for understanding the failure mechanisms of lubricated elements of machines. They discussed CQUniversity's postgraduate maintenance management programs and found workplace-based masters student assignments very interesting and useful. They were also trained on condition monitoring issues (such as why condition monitoring is still not accepted by top management).

A business-centred maintenance management approach was explained and the visitors found it useful as a successful management tool. They appreciated the importance of equipment life plans as a key parameter for successful planning and scheduling of maintenance jobs.

L-R EGAT Engineer Kongsakde Gojagang, Senior Research Fellow Dr Alan McLeod, EGAT Engineer Supree Chalermjantha and CQUni lecturer Dr Subhash Sharma (program coordinator Maintenance Management and Tribology).

The Thai engineers took a keen interest in the test facility developed by Dr Subhash Sharma for friction and wear characterisation of tribological materials. 

"We discussed maintenance strategy at Mae Moh Mine and they described some procedures they employ for particular equipment," Dr McLeod said. "It is a part of efficient maintenance management to evaluate when equipment has passed its useful life and should be written off."

While in Gladstone, the visitors toured the RG Tanna Coal Handling Facility, a world leader in materials handling technology, and compared notes with maintenance engineers there.  They were also interested to view all the industrial development on Curtis Island from the comfort of the Coffee Cruise on Gladstone Harbour.

EGAT's Mae Moh Mine has a range of excavators, trucks, crushers and conveyor systems. All the mine output goes into a stacker-reclaimer and is dedicated to the nearby power station consisting of 10 units. This complex powers central Thailand and contributes power to the bright lights of Bangkok.

There are also bucket wheel excavators to be found working on the overburden and of course pumps for drainage of the pit which is over 150m deep. The only thing an Australian coal miner would miss is a dragline which is not practical at Mae Moh Mine because the coal strata dip fairly steeply.

One of the visitors, Kongsakde Gojagang evaluates mining equipment efficiency in respect of machine performance and maintenance effectiveness. So he contributes to maximum availability of the wide range of plant at Mae Moh Mine.  The other visitor, Supree Chalermjantha plans maintenance on a wide range of equipment on the basis of what is necessary per week, per month and up to two years ahead with a flexible program based on condition monitoring.

EGAT Mae Moh Mine has been operating for more than 40 years and of course has seen enormous advances in technology. In the Maintenance Division there are now sections active in condition monitoring and failure analysis. The technologies of infrared thermography, vibration analysis, oil analysis and wear debris analysis are tools to assist the maintenance planner.