aaron lamb

I designed and installed a complete system to monitor critcal equipment around our plant. Using opensource software (mqtt, node red, influxdb, grafana) and recycled computer equipment I was able to extract data such as temperatures and pressures from assets such as our air compressors, water chiller, cooling tower, air makeup units, and nitrogen compressor. Some of this equipment had built in ways to communicate with it using modbus while other equipment needed to have a plc installed to piggy-back the existing control system and extract information so that it could be sent to the database. Once collected I was able to graph the information and also set conditional alerts for when a measurement breached a certain threshold. It would then send an email to myself and my supervisor alerting us at all hours of the day to any faults in our system. Using the graphs allowed us to see trends in our data such as high volumes of compressed air usage when the plant was shutdown due to air leaks or intermittent gas pressure drops that would cause our air makeups to fault out. We are now able to recognize issues ahead of time and address them proactively.

Things I Learned:

- How to use the MING software stack to communicate with each other and equipment.

- Gained a strong understanding of tcp modbus communications and data types.

- Interpreting data can lead to incorrect conclusions due to human bias. Data can be presented to tell any story that you want it to. Be aware of any bias you may have and let the data speak for itself.

My plant manager came to me and said that he had purchased an electronic workorder management system and would like for me to spearhead the implementation of it. We were converting from a paper based system that had to be manually scanned into the computer and a master spreadsheet that listed all of our assets. Part of my responsibilities were migrating our current asset list into the new system and configuring all the templates to achieve what we needed. Once the system "went live" I was tasked with training individuals on using the new system and ironing out any bugs that arose. After that I was tasked with discovering the full capabilities and limitations of the software and how those capabilities could enhance our operations.

Things I Learned:

- Always look for problems that can be a small solution now or a lot of work to fix later. We were told incorrect information during the inital data load phase that caused headaches later on.

- People don't like change or new things. Employees were still submitting paper workorders after the electronic system went live. Try to show people how the new thing will benefit them and make their jobs easier.

I installed and deployed forklift IOT devices that allowed for access control, impact monitoring, usage data, and fault alerting. I would go to the customer site and meet with operations managers, warehouse managers, and I.T. personnel. During those visits, I would install the software backend and assist the customer in configuring the software. I would also train managers to use the software, and train operators on how to login to their lift-trucks. When ready, we would "go live" and I would be on site to assist with any difficulties that arose. After the system was running I would provide technical support going forward.

Things I Learned:

- How to quickly build professional relationships with people you have just met. Frequently, I would have to ask I.T. personnel for help immediately after meeting them for the first time. I had to quickly build rapport with people to receive the assistance I needed for the project to move forward.

- Specialized tools can help you be more efficient. Whether it be a piece of software that simplifies time consuming tasks, a usb drive to keep in your pocket, or network diagnostics software to quickly troubleshoot problems.

- It can be very hard to get someone to buy into something that they never asked for. It would not be uncommon for a plant manager or operations manager to have no say in the purchase of our product. They would view it as a burden and a waste of time. It was crucial to show the customer how the product would help them, and make their day to day operations easier and more efficient.