Natural and man-made disasters create of an endless series of ups and downs in the world markets. There is a serious need to create a plan to prepare for the recovery after such a disaster as a hurricanes, tornados, floods, fire, and even hostile acts by political groups. It has become a common need to prepare for these disasters.

During times of emergency, resources in transportation, parts, housing, and people become very scarce and expensive. Vendors like Herky Veatch have long standing relationships with hydraulic suppliers and this relationship can be called upon in times of emergency to expedite returning damaged equipment to operation... IF, the hydraulic equipment in a system has been inventoried and recorded by Flow Products International. If so, FPI can anticipate to some degree the potential supply challenges and help your company prepare.

FPI has created a Disaster Recovery Program to help operators recover from these events and re-commission the hydraulic systems to get rigs, refineries, and equipment back to full operating capacity in a very short time.

Anticipating an Emergency: FPI offers their F.I.V.E. Program to catalog and establish an inventory of hydraulic system components and create an improved maintenance program based on RFID positive identification of components for systematic inspections and maintenance. This program is stored on an Internet database and available off site during an emergency. The database information can offer important facts to the client in anticipating an emergency. Based on these facts, a client can make advanced planning decisions concerning replacing old technology with new when repairing disaster damage.

During an Emergency: If a F.I.V.E. Program had been put in place,

• FPI can observe the disaster in progress.

• Communicate with the client as to how FPI can help.

• Anticipate the parts and labor that might be needed to expedite a disaster recovery based on the F.I.V.E. Program system inventory.

• Make early calls to vendors to buy or earmark critical parts inventories.

• Anticipate the logistics of supporting the client and earmark needed resources.

• FPI can be standing by to act as soon as the client clears them onto the property.

After an Emergency: FPI will:

• Mobilize a recovery team and support them in the field.

• Conduct an evaluation of the hydraulic equipment to be re-commissioned and inventory all components in the fluid power system

• Assemble any records or history of the asset that is available such as blueprints, plans, etc.

• Create a work breakdown structure of the challenges to be repaired.

• Replace, repair, or refurbish any lines, hoses, pumps, instruments, gages, filters, control valves, etc. that are needed to create a seamless and consistent return to service.

• Flush the system to assure all components are clean and ready to be re-commissioned.

• Leak check all hydraulic systems.

• Evaluate the interactions between the damaged hydraulic systems and other working components.

• Certify the hydraulic system is ready for operations again.

Reliability cannot be assured without a properly functioning hydraulic system. In times of severe challenges and disasters, FPI is willing to do what is necessary to help you get your hydraulic systems up and running again.

If not already in place, it would prudent for the operator to examine the F.I.V.E. Program offered by FPI. This program is a comprehensive plan to build quality and reliability into the fluid power system for better performance with less downtime. This program offers a way to sustain the fluid power system throughout the life cycle by using RFID equipment to catalog all the system components and implement improved maintenance policies that assure sustained clean fluid, systematic maintenance inspections, and improve predictive maintenance. This would be an excellent time to consider the added value of the F.I.V.E. Program for future maintenance.

Reliability on the job cannot be assured without a properly commissioned hydraulic system.