Episode Details

Overview

Jake and Nolan from Green River Distilleries discussed their implementation of Fluke's Xcelerate system. Green River, the 10th oldest distillery in Kentucky, employs around 50 people across 28 acres plus two warehousing sites. They introduced Xcelerate in 2021, initially underutilized, but significantly improved its use in 2023. They highlighted a 50% increase in preventative maintenance, extending asset life, and reducing reactive maintenance. They plan to integrate Ignition software for real-time data and AI for predictive analytics. Contact details for Jake and Nolan are available for those interested in their insights and strategies.

Outline

Introduction and Welcome to Industrial Talk Podcast

• Scott welcomes listeners to the Industrial Talk Podcast, emphasizing the importance of innovation, collaboration, and solving today's problems.
• The podcast is broadcasted from Xcelerate, sponsored by Fluke, and aims to provide insights on reliability, asset management, and maintenance.
• Scott introduces Jacob and Nolan from Green River Distilleries, who will discuss their implementation of Xcelerate.

Background of Green River Distilleries

• Jacob shares his background, mentioning his three years as a maintenance manager and his experience in various roles before that.
• Nolan has been with Green River for five years, starting as a senior and now serving as the maintenance supervisor.
• Green River Distilleries employs around 50 people and operates on a 28-acre main site, with additional warehousing facilities of 60 and 50 acres.
• The distillery uses natural water from four wells for cooling and maintaining the quality of their products.

Challenges and Achievements at Green River Distilleries

• Jacob explains the history of Green River, which was revived by a group in 2015 and is now the 10th oldest distillery in Kentucky.
• Nolan discusses the initial challenges with the Xcelerate system, which was not fully utilized until Jacob's arrival in 2023.
• The implementation of Xcelerate has significantly improved preventative maintenance, making it the heartbeat of the maintenance department.
• Jacob emphasizes the importance of change management and getting buy-in from the team to effectively utilize the system.

Impact of Xcelerate on Maintenance and Production

• Nolan highlights the significant increase in preventative maintenance (PMS) and the daily use of the Xcelerate system.
• Jacob shares a success story about extending the life of a bearing from three to five weeks to two years through condition monitoring.
• The use of Xcelerate has led to better asset utilization and reduced reactive maintenance, leading to cost savings and improved productivity.
• Nolan discusses the implementation of good lubrication strategies, ensuring proper greasing at different speeds and RPMs.

Future Plans and AI Integration

• Jacob outlines the next steps, including integrating Ignition software with Xcelerate to provide real-time data and trigger work orders based on failure modes.
• The goal is to use AI to analyze data and identify top failure modes, allowing technicians to focus on solving problems efficiently.
• The integration of AI will help Green River Distilleries become more proactive and reduce downtime, ultimately improving overall efficiency.
• Nolan and Jacob provide their contact information for listeners interested in reaching out for advice or insights on their implementation journey.