TWI has been developing asset integrity software that is compliant with the British standard BS7910 since the early 1990s.
We also play a leading role in the development of this standard so you can be confident that our software is not only fully compliant but also provides the next generation in asset integrity management systems, including automated fatigue and fracture assessment procedures, targeted scheduling for inspection and maintenance, and life assessment solutions.
While helping improve cost effectiveness, our integrity management programs ensure that you stay legally compliant and get the optimal performance from your assets. Our current offerings include mechanical integrity programs, risk based inspection and maintenance software, and fitness-for service solutions:
- RiskWISE® for Process Plant: This code-compliant risk-based inspection and maintenance software system allows you to easily manage and optimise your plant inspection and maintenance
- RiskWISE® for Pipelines: This risk and life management software optimises your pipeline integrity management through improved targeting and scheduling of your inspection and maintenance
- RiskWISE® for Boilers: Designed for boilers, this software solution allows you to optimise your plant maintenance procedures through improved targeting and scheduling of your inspection and maintenance efforts
- CrackWISE® Fitness-for-Service: This program assists with the evaluation of the integrity of pipelines, pressure equipment and structures containing flaws in line with BS 7910
- IntegriWISE™ API 579 Fitness-for-Service: Evaluate the integrity of ageing pipework, pipelines, storage tanks, boilers, pressure vessels and high temperature equipment
You can find out more about these asset integrity solutions on the TWI Software website, here.
The Importance of Asset Integrity Management
Asset Integrity Management (AIM) provides a cost-effective way for organisations to maintain the operational integrity of their assets to preserve production capacity while also meeting the demands of legislation.
Maintaining the integrity of assets has a financial impact in preventing costly unplanned downtimes as well as ensuring safety standards are upheld and preventing environmental incidents. While asset integrity is important in all organisations, it is even more vital in industries such as oil and gas or nuclear energy, where failures could have catastrophic effects.
AIM does not just cover the equipment held by an organisation, but also impacts the personnel and their training, stock values, and the public image and brand of a company. These factors make AIM a vital part of corporate management, covering people, systems, processes and resources across the entire lifecycle of an asset.
As such, AIM contains elements including:
- Asset integrity policy
- Asset management strategies
- Asset mapping
- Asset optimisation
- Business and financial modelling
- Health, Safety and Environment strategies
- IT support/software tools, AIM tools
- Lifecycle analysis
- Personnel competency training
- Predictive and preventative maintenance strategies
- Operational and process support
- Risk assessment, risk based inspection (RBI)
Why Use Asset Integrity Software
Managing asset integrity can be a time-consuming and complex task, but asset integrity management software (AIMS) can help simplify the process for you, bringing together the asset with the workforce, operations and compliance.
Asset integrity software is used in industries ranging from oil and gas to mining, manufacturing, and aerospace to protect critical assets and ensure regulatory compliance. Maintaining adherence to regulatory standards prevents potential fines, insurance losses and failed audits while also increasing potential profits by improving the reliability and availability of crucial assts.
Managing assets becomes more complex at larger businesses, where multiple locations, specialists, and outside contractors can make compliance more difficult to oversee. Software helps streamline compliance and prevent equipment failures, health and safety issues, environmental harm, and more.
Asset integrity management software tackles these challenges by:
- Creating centralised maintenance and inspection data logs
- Organising inspection data in line with global regulatory standards
- Creating risk assessments from risk based inspections
- Creating integrity manuals and inspection plans
- Noting and monitoring potential failure modes, such as asset corrosion rates
- Producing reports related to equipment status, inspections and maintenance
Asset Integrity Management Software Applications
Asset integrity management software can manage every aspect of an asset’s lifecycle, from design, commissioning and construction through to operation and decommissioning. A program can include:
- Condition-based maintenance strategies
- Risk-based inspection strategies
- Vibration-based fatigue failure solutions
- Corrosion management
- In-service inspection scheduling, including regular and specialist non-destructive testing
- Reliability centred maintenance
The integrity management process incorporates hazard evaluation, risk assessment and integrity management planning to allow for integrity management implementation, assessment, mitigation, intervention and repair. From these, learning and development can be undertaken to feed back into the original process.
All of these factors need to tie into company policies, personnel, reporting and communication, operational controls and procedures, change management, contingency planning, auditing and reviews, and information management. In addition, a successful asset integrity management solution needs to be rolled out to all stakeholders and operators so it can be implemented in day-to-day operations across the board.
Asset Integrity Management Software Features
Common features of asset integrity management software include:
- Automated Reporting: Automated reports from risk-based inspection reviews can be generated in programs such as Excel or Word.
- Data Capture and Review: AIMS software captures and collates data from different employees so specialists can review them all together. This data can be presented in a range of written, numerical or graphical forms, including online 3D models
- Data Assessement: Data can often be assessed online through a secure portal or locally from a user’s device
- Risk Assessment and Monitoring: Health and safety criteria and standards underpin a risk assessment and monitoring system, ensuring business consequences are assessed for different assets to manage their criticality. Business consequences can be set to user criteria and monitoring schedules created and used to mitigate against failure. Monitoring programs can oversee groups of equipment with similar operating conditions and decay mechanisms in what is sometimes referred to as a ‘corrosion loop.’
- Sector-Based Assessment Mechanisms: Programs may offer use or sector-specific templates for managing assets, such as with TWI’s suite of RiskWISE® programs.
- Security: Robust security measures allow collaborative users to access and edit information which is protected through encryption, user permissions and other security measures
Conclusion
Asset integrity management software allows for relevant asset data to be managed automatically. This makes audits easy to complete and offers peace of mind to asset owners and organisations, who can be secure in the knowledge that they are meeting compliance regulations while ensuring the reliability and integrity of their assets.
Modern tools such as the Internet of Things (IoT), digital twins and the use of artificial intelligence look set to continue revolutionising asset integrity management systems, should the relevant data be available to program developers who can then use the information to create solutions for the benefit of all.