Software planning program for coatings

• US 5,737,227 A
• Filed: 03/19/1996
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Greenfield Diversified LLC
• Original Assignee: Consulex Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Ismael, Nelson, Gregory D., Vallance, Charles A., Dively, Rogest W. II, Greenfield, T. Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): COSIMANO, EDWARD R
• Application Number:
  US08/619,830
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 364/400, 364/464.01, 364/464.1, 364/551.01, 395/201, 395/208, 395/207
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

An interactive computer program for forecasting, prioritizing, planning and tracking paint, coating and lining maintenance work for the Facility assets of industrial and commercial complexes using an IBM compatible type computer. The assets include but are not limited to buildings, tanks, towers, structures, pools, docks and their sub components such as process piping, structure steel members, concrete floors, overhead cranes, blowers, pumps, motors, vehicle hoists, hardware, paneling, conduit, facades, exterior doors, interior doors, windows, and gutters that require painting over time. The novel invention uses a four step process. The first step is to break down the facility into asset groups, master components, and sub components. Second a condition survey of the master components and subcomponents is conducted followed by making work recommendations for each sub component. The third step is to develop coating system standards where coating systems, and cost data for the maintenance work is calculated. The fourth step covers work management which includes an assessment by sub component, recommendations are accepted and altered, costs are recalculated and various types of data operations are performed such as preparing management reports, historical data is reported and cost and schedule data is reported.

Claims

1. An automated planning and maintenance program for linings and coatings in facilities comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying facility assets having coatings and linings;

(b) creating a maintenance history of each of the identified facility assets;

(c) determining current conditions of the identified facility assets based on current defects in linings and coatings;

(d) calculating maintenance recommendations based on the maintenance history and the conditions of the linings and coatings of the identified facility assets;

(e) prioritizing the calculated maintenance recommendations; and

(f) calculating cost of applying replacement linings and coatings by;

i determining size of surface to be covered;

ii determining cost of materials not being used to recover the surface;

iii determining time needed to apply the replacement coatings, wherein steps i, ii, and iii are surface preparation cost;

iv determining the replacement coating material cost; and

v determining equipment cost to apply the replacement coatings.

2. The planning and maintenance computer program of claim 1, wherein step(b) further comprises the steps of:

reporting the locations of each of the identified facility assets;

establishing time coatings and linings were last applied;

listing type of existing coatings and linings used on the identified facility assets;

determining status of listed type;

calculating square footage areas of each of the identified facility assets;

listing last maintenance activity performed for each of the identified facility assets;

calculating elapsed time since the last maintenance activity was performed; and

forecasting date of next planned maintenance activity for each of the identified facility assets.

3. The planning and maintenance computer program of claim 1, wherein step(c) the step of determining the current conditions of the identified facility assets based on current defects in linings and coatings further includes the steps of:

c(i) identifying primary defects on each of the linings and the coatings;

c(ii) selecting a defect rating for each of the primary defects, wherein the defect rating is chosen from one of;

severe, moderate and minor;

c(iii) rating the condition of each of the linings and coatings, wherein the condition rating is chosen from one of;

poor, fair and good;

c(iv) determining square foot area affected by the primary defects of each of the identified facility assets;

c(v) calculating percentage of the primary defect compared to square footage of the identified facility asset;

c(vi) determining recommended maintenance for each of the identified primary defects; and

c(vii) calculating estimated cost for the recommended maintenance.

4. The planning and maintenance computer program of claim 1, wherein the facility master components are selected from at least one of:

storage buildings, production areas, tank farms, cracking towers, platforms, pressure vessels, pools, paper machines, power boilers, grain silos, cooling towers and docks.

5. The planning and maintenance computer program of claim 4, wherein the facility assets include sub components selected from at least one of:

piping, structural steel members, concrete floors, overhead cranes, blowers, pumps, motors, valves, conduit, exterior doors, interior doors, windows, siding and gutters.

6. A four step process for coating and lining maintenance for industrial and commercial facilities using a computer program, the process comprising the steps of:

(a) breaking down an industrial and commercial facility into dividable components, that includes the steps of;

(a)(i) identifying asset groups;

(a)(ii) defining master components of the asset groups;

(a)(iii) defining sub components of each of the master components;

(b) conducting a condition survey on coatings and linings for each of the dividable components;

(c) setting coating system standards for each of the dividable components based on the condition survey; and

(d) outputting work management recommendation reports for each of the dividable components based on the coating system standards.

7. The four step process of claim 6, wherein step (d) of outputting work management recommendation reports includes:

d(i) evaluating work assessment recommendations;

d(ii) scheduling work by divisible component;

d(iii) calculating cost of applying replacement coatings by;

d(iii)(a) determining size of surface to be covered;

d(iii)(b) determining cost of materials not being used to recover the surface;

d(iii)(c) determining time needed to apply the replacement coatings, wherein steps d(iii)(a), d(iii)(b), and d(iii)(c) are surface preparation cost;

d(iii)(d) determining the replacement coating material cost; and

d(iii)(e) determining equipment cost to apply the replacement coatings.

8. The four step process of claim 7, further comprising:

d(iii) creating management reports;

d(iv) reporting historical data; and

d(v) reporting the cost and schedule data.

9. The four step process of claim 6, wherein the setting coating system standards step(c) includes:

c(i) assigning a descriptive legend for a coating system;

c(ii) selecting a surface preparation method chosen from at least one of;

hand tool cleaning, power tool cleaning, white metal blast cleaning, commercial blast cleaning, brush off blast cleaning, near white metal blast cleaning, power tool cleaning to bare metal;

c(iii) selecting coating material including descriptors selected from at least one of;

cost per gallon, percent sold by volume, dry film thickness range;

c(iv) select application method chosen from at least one of;

spray, brush and roll; and

c(v) select coating system purpose selected from at least one of;

architectural, lining, protective coating, sacrificial and decorative.

10. The four step process of claim 9, wherein the setting coating system standards step(c) further includes:

c(vi) select coating system type chosen from at least one of;

touch up, recoat, replace and new construction;

c(vii) select material design basis chosen; and

c(viii) calculate number of coats to be used.

11. The four step process of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

calculating cost of applying replacement coatings by;

i determining size of surface to be covered;

ii determining cost of materials not being used to recover the surface;

iii determining time needed to apply the replacement coatings, wherein steps i, ii, and iii are surface preparation cost;

iv determining the replacement coating material cost; and

v determining equipment cost to apply the replacement coatings.

12. The four step process of claim 6, wherein conducting survey step(b) includes:

b(i) selecting exposure types of the dividable components from at least one of;

atmospheric, ultraviolet, acidic, alkaline, immersion, splash zone, salt spray and high temperature;

b(ii) rating substrate condition of the dividable components from at least one of;

intact, superficial damage, structural damage, and structurally failed;

b(iii) rating existing coating integrity from at least one of;

excellent, good, fair, and poor;

b(iv) selecting visual view of the dividable components from at least one of;

hidden, visible and high profile;

b(v) rating appearance of the dividable components from at least one of;

excellent, good, fair, and poor; and

measuring adhesion of the existing coating from at least one of;

excellent, good, fair and poor;

b(vi) selecting observed defects from at least one of;

chalking, fading, mildew, dirt, blushing, discoloration, checking, alligatoring, delamination-intercoat, blistering-intercoat, pinholing, pinpoint rusting, general rusting, cracking, blistering to substrate, flaking and peeling.

b(vii) measuring dry film thickness of the existing substrate;

b(viii) inputting hazardous conditions, if any; and

b(ix) determining inspection frequency.

13. The four step process of claim 12, wherein conducting survey step(b) further includes:

b(x) inserting surveyor and inspector observed comments; and

b(xi) scanning a digital photograph of the dividable components.

14. The four step process of claim 12, wherein conducting survey step(b) includes:

recommending a work task chosen from at least one of;

touchup, re-coat, replace and new construction.

15. The four step process of claim 14, wherein conducting survey step(b) includes:

recording application cost multipliers chosen from at least one of;

barricades, scaffolding, rigging, and confined spaces.

16. A method for the planning and maintenance of coatings and linings used in industrial and commercial facilities to be performed by a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) breaking down an industrial and commercial facility by;

(a)(i) identifying asset groups;

(a)(ii) defining master components of the asset groups;

(a)(iii) defining sub components of each of the master components;

(b) conducting a condition survey on coatings and linings for the sub components by;

b(i) selecting exposure type of an existing coating;

b(ii) selecting operating environment where the existing coating is situated;

b(iii) rating substrate condition of the existing coating;

b(iv) determining a sub component visual view of the existing coating;

b(v) rating appearance of the existing coating;

b(vi) measuring adhesion of the existing coating;

b(vii) selecting observed defects of the existing coating;

b(viii) measuring dry film thickness of the existing coating;

b(ix) determining hazardous conditions;

b(x) determining inspection frequency;

b(xi) recommending work task to recoat; and

b(xii) recording application cost multipliers;

(c) setting coating system standards for each of the sub components based on the condition survey by;

c(i) selecting surface preparation method;

c(ii) selecting type of replacement coating to be applied;

c(iii) determining application method and purpose of the replacement coating;

c(iv) selecting number of the replacement coatings to be applied; and

c(v) calculating cost of applying the replacement coatings by;

c(v)i determining size of surface to be covered;

c(v)ii determining cost of materials not being used to recover the surface;

c(v)iii determining time needed to apply the replacement coatings, wherein steps c(v)i, c(v)ii, and c(v)iii are surface preparation cost;

c(v)iv determining the replacement coating material cost c(v)v determining equipment cost to apply the replacement coatings; and

(d) outputting work management recommendation reports for each of the sub components based on the coating system standards.