BASIC FUNCTION:
The Maintenance Inspector supports the implementation and sustaining of the Asset Reliability Processes (ARP) to improve asset health and equipment reliability for Gerdau Steel Mills which increases technical availability and reduces maintenance costs by: a) Supporting Steel Manufacturing plants executing Sensory Inspections on Assets and following Predictive requirements; b) Responsible for the detection and final analysis of Inspection data findings and ensuring follow up requirements for the assets are in process; c) Supporting execution of improvements and correctives WOs; d) Creation and validation of maintenance plans and tasks that ensure a proactive process using the Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS); e) Managing Sensory Inspections and predictive work using a formal, systematic and analytical approach for the steel mills; f) Participating in the development of Annual Action Plans; g) Supporting the training of maintenance and operations personnel in basic predictive practices and sensory inspections; h) Managing routine Inspection Rounds and predictive maintenance audits including: maintenance plan and task evaluations, cycle times, results versus delays and visibility tours as assigned; i) Ensuring safety rules and requirements are followed in all work areas;
DIMENSIONS:
SCOPE: 1-2 Steel Mills
This position has overall responsibility for analysis of condition based maintenance surveys of electrical, mechanical and process equipment utilizing Sensory Inspections and Predictive Methods, as equipment for vibration analysis, thermographic scans, airbourne ultrasound, specialized motor testing equipment (MCE) and NDT (nondestructive testing) methods according to mill requirements and documented inspection tasks. The responsibility coverage will be 1(one) Steel Mill, with occasional support to sister plants. Required travel time for this position will be none to max 5-10%.
NATURE AND SCOPE:
This position has the responsibility for identifying, coordinating, analyzing and documenting Sensory Inspections of the assets and predictive condition monitoring of steel plant assets, and providing technical assistance and maintenance expertise to Gerdau mill. The Maintenance Inspector reports directly to the Reliability Engineer, department where this position is located.
The Maintenance Inspector governs the Sensory Inspections, that combines visual, auditory, and tactile methods (360-degree inspection) with predictive maintenance techniques aiming to guarantee the reliability of the equipment using a formal, systematic/analytical approach to trouble-shooting, failure analysis, predictive/preventive maintenance, and design improvements. The incumbent will participate and lead special projects in maintenance activities that will improve the reliability of the equipment, optimize maintenance costs, and reduce equipment downtime. Support on the execution of corrective maintenances and improvements will be also in the scope of this role.
Qualifications for this position require an High school diploma or GED plus a minimum of 1 year of Predictive Maintenance (PdM) experience. Additional qualifications for this position include a working knowledge of heavy manufacturing with at least 3 years hands-on-experience in maintenance as an instrumentation technician, master mechanic or electrician, or fulfill one of the three requirements listed below.
The successful applicant will possess a strong motivation to implement new technologies, champion predictive maintenance efforts, solve complex problems, possess project management skills and computer skills in order to improve reliability of mill operations. The Predictive Maintenance Inspector will assist most inspections and perform repairs on deficiencies found via PdM tools whenever feasible.
Due to close contact with operating management and personnel, outside contractors and vendors, this position requires the ability to effectively communicate with a variety of personalities and interests. The incumbent must manage the interests of all parties while creating and modifying work procedures and equipment without compromise to safety, quality, cost or environment.
The incumbent will work within the Gerdau systems and CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) to monitor and manage performance. Key indicators will be developed in support of ARP assessment. This position will also participate, organize and conduct training programs for the maintenance personnel regarding new testing equipment, new operating equipment, software, methodologies and procedures.
Due to the nature of manufacturing operations, the incumbent may be required to be on-call and must have high availability depending on the requirement of the operation or project being managed.
The incumbent will be responsible for staying abreast of current technology and recommending changes to effect continual improvement of production processes. The incumbent should also possess a broad knowledge of maintenance concepts and techniques.
The incumbent will be required to manage other special projects as assigned.
Lead major failure incident investigations in area of responsibility. Conduct routine safety and preventive maintenance activities including inspections, audits, employee contacts and visibility tours. Ensure safety rules and requirements are followed in all work areas and PdM routes. Ensure compliance with visual management standards.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Execute sensory inspections on the Assets, following the routes established in the preventive maintenance plan.
- Identify anomalies early using a proactive, preventative approach that combines visual, auditory, and tactile methods (360-degree inspection) with predictive maintenance techniques.
- Utilize predictive tools on the Routes of Inspection (e.g., thermal cameras, vibration data collectors, Ultrasound, etc) to detect anomalies on the assets.
- Initiate corrective actions by opening work orders in the CMMS immediately upon detecting an anomaly, routing them to the equipment owner, and conducting weekly follow-ups until resolution.
- Support on the execution of corrective and improvement WOs.
- Prioritize weekly predictive work orders in collaboration with the maintenance team, providing technical support during scheduling and tracking execution progress.
- Recommend technical solutions and corrective actions to the operational team to eliminate root causes of equipment anomalies.
- Coordinate equipment availability with operations to ensure scheduled assets are accessible for planned inspections, minimizing operational downtime.
- Conduct internal gearbox inspections during major shutdowns and compile detailed post-inspection condition reports.
- Maintain 5S standards by keeping tools, measurement instruments, workbenches, and work areas clean, organized, and safe.
- Perform precision laser shaft alignments on rotating equipment to minimize vibration and extend component lifespans.
- Issue critical exception reports for high-risk anomalies and escalate them immediately to key stakeholders and engineering leads.
- Monitor performance dashboards to track asset health, classify critical failures or deviations, and propose reliability improvements and repairs.
- Participate in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for chronic or catastrophic equipment failures.
- Update inspection routes and frequencies based on asset history and reliability data.
- Audit completed maintenance work on a sampling basis to ensure repairs return the asset to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) specifications.
- Collect oil and lubricant samples from critical machinery for laboratory analysis to detect internal wear and contamination.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
