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Articles

Integrated Oil Analysis: The Key to Early Detection

By: Mark Barnes

When it comes to oil analysis, there are a number of options, from simple inspections to onsite instruments, and from basic test packages to full blown “forensic” lab analysis. But which one’s the best? Which one will provide the earliest detection and the most information to successfully diagnose a failure? The answer is all of them!

Integrated Reliability Tools Give Asset Managers Decision Making Power

Asset managers are able to use reliability simulation packages to make informed decisions on managing their assets to achieve their business goals. Integration has been a key feature of recent developments between Reliability methods and also between the integrated package and Enterprise Reliability Systems. Integration between methods in the Availability Workbench package means that RCM analysis is integrated with Weibull data analysis, the RCM is integrated with Reliability Block Diagrams and both are linked to Lifecycle costs calculations. Integration with Enterprise asset Management such as SAP, Mincom Ellipse and IBM's Maximo provides the means to use the source data held in the Enterprise System to make proactive decisions and store the outputs of the reliability decision making system in the
Enterprise system.

Internal Consulting in Your Organization

by Stephen Thomas

We live in difficult times. Plant closures, mass layoffs, downsizing and reorganizations appear in the news on a daily basis. These efforts are focused on cost cutting which, in many cases, is designed simply to keep the company in business.

 

Interview with an Arc Flash Survivor

0. On August 16th, 2007 Bill Giffen was involved in an Arc Flash incident with a 13,800 Volt Switch. He received 3rd degree burns to his left leg and 2nd degree burns to his arm, back and groin area.

Introduction to Reliability Engineering

What is Reliability Engineering?

No one disputes the need for articles to be reliable. The average consumer is acutely aware of the problem of less than perfect reliability in domestic products such as TV sets and automobiles. Organizations such as airlines, the military and public utilities are aware of the costs of unreliability. Manufacturers often suffer high costs of failure under warranty. Argument and misunderstanding begin when we try to quantify reliability values, or try to assign financial or other benefit values to levels of reliability.

Introduction to the Process Of Change

Excerpted from Successfully Managing Change in Organizations: A User's Guide by Stephen J. Thomas (Courtesy of Industrial Press) 

Several years ago, I was part of a program to introduce the concept of "quality" into our plant. For a very large fee, we hired a consultant to work with us and make our "quality process" a success. Site management imposed ground rules on the project team, most of which (in retrospect) set us up for failure. The program had a kick-off date less than three months from the time it was introduced to management. With such a tight timeframe, there was inadequate time to prepare for the meetings that were an integral part of the process. To make matters worse, the meetings were to be mandatory for everyone. The official message was, "meetings are mandatory, participation is voluntary."

Inventory Management Strategies

By Randy Walker

1) Introduction to Inventory Management

For Facilities Maintenance Organizations, the quickest and most substantial "hard dollar" returns are achieved through the Inventory and Purchasing modules. Even in Equipment-centric Organizations, where the emphasis is on uptime and asset efficiency, the savings from improved materials management can be sufficiently large to cover the cost of purchasing and implementing a CMMS project.

 

Investigating power outages at a plant that makes “mud”

Variable speed drives (VFDs) turn processing machines and pumps at a plant that makes "mud" (joint compound) for finishing interior drywall. The plant is almost fully automated, and depends on the smooth operation of the electrical system.

Is Stock Turns the OEE of Spares Management?

Imagine for a moment that you oversee three production facilities. Imagine that these facilities require significant capital investment and sit on sizable and valuable blocks of land. Imagine also that each of these facilities produces nearly identical product that is all channelled through a single central distribution center. Now imagine that each facility operates for one shift per day, five days per week and has done so for years because the market is mature and steady. If it were your money invested in these facilities, what would you?

Is There Too Much Capacity

It is currently October 2009 and evidence is mounting that the world's economies are slowly emerging from the bottom of the Great Recession. Despite that good news; Gross Domestic Product is far below its level of 2007. The important strategic questions for business people are:

• "What is likely to happen in the coming years?"
• "Should I change my thinking about reliability and process improvement?
• "How can I best position myself and my organization for the likely scenarios?"

What is Likely to Happen?

Is Your Company Running Scared?

Fight or Flight Might Not Be Your Best Strategy

by Chris Colson and Timothy R. Weilbaker


Any time a market (or an entire economy) declines, there are certain behaviors that we can expect to observe in companies.  The specific actions we witness should come as no surprise to even the casual observer, especially since the actions taken by companies during tough financial periods are also observable in individual human behavior during times of great fear.  And what other emotion would be more fitting than fear when corporate revenue experiences a sustained decline?

ISO 14224: Collection and exchange of reliability and maintenance data for equipment

This International Standard provides a comprehensive basis for the collection of reliability and maintenance (RM) data in a standard format for equipment in all facilities and operations within the petroleum, natural gas and petrochemical industries during the operational life cycle of equipment.

Key Performance Indicators for Stores and MRO

By: Daniel DeWald

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are used to measure and monitor daily, weekly, and monthly activities in MRO and Stores. Management uses them as tools to analyze past performance and make decisions as they move forward. KPIs are objective measurements, and taking these measurements is a key activity for the maintenance manager to oversee.

Leadership and Little White Lies

How Those Seemingly Harmless Fibs and Half-Truths Can Hurt Your Business

Every leader tells a white lie every now and then, right? Perhaps-but that doesn't make it okay. Author Dave Anderson says that white lies can do serious damage to your reputation and can lead to much bigger issues down the road. Read on to see why cleaning up your act can help save your business.

 

Leadership Q&A - Tim Rohrer of Exiscan

Terrence O'Hanlon, Publisher at Uptime magazine recently caught up with entrepreneur and innovator Tim Rohrer of Exiscan for a discussion on a new line of Infrared Viewing Windows.

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