The vital difference between using consequence or chance reduction strategies if you want operational excellence results, is consequence reduction requires repairs and maintenance, whereas chance reduction removes repairs and maintenance.

In reading “Enterprise Asset Management Success the Plant Wellness Way for CEOs and Senior Executives” I was interested in your table on page 15 that showed risk based inspection and condition based monitoring techniques as consequence reduction strategies.

My understanding is that both RBI and CBM are specifically designed to prevent failure through reducing the likelihood of failure i.e. by detecting failure before it happens within timescales that allow mitigation action to be taken. In the API 581 RBI standard, consequence is treated as a constant over time so the methodology specifically targets risk reduction through more effective inspection or design changes. [Read more…]

by Nancy Regan Leave a Comment

How Defining Functions Shapes Your Reliability Strategy

Understanding RCM

Hi everyone, I’m Nancy Regan, and in today’s video, I’m breaking down what makes Reliability Centered Maintenance truly “Centered.” Using a real-life example from my own vehicle—where my fan only works on level four, causing all sorts of noise issues—I explain how defining the function of an asset is the key to understanding its reliability needs.

I walk through how writing Functions is the foundation of the RCM process, ensuring assets are maintained to meet the specific needs of their operating context. From there, I explain how this noisy fan failure creates non-operational consequences in my case, and why, in this situation, it’s okay to run this particular Failure Mode to failure. What does the “Centered” in Reliability Centered Maintenance mean? Watch to find out!

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by Mike Sondalini Leave a Comment

Fundamentals of Vibration Measurement and Analysis Explained

Thanks to Peter Brown for this article.

1. Introduction:

The advent of the microprocessor has enormously advanced the process of vibration data acquisition and analysis in recent years. Measurement tasks that took hours only two decades ago can now be completed in minutes and better decisions made because of better data presentation.

However, the basic processes of measurement and analysis have remained essentially unchanged, just like the machines from which the vibration is measured. The results of the measurement and data analysis need to be compared with known standards or guidelines and decisions made as to whether the machine is acceptable for service or maintenance should be planned. Increasingly these processes are being handled electronically but we are still a long way from replacing the fundamental knowledge and experience of the vibration analyst.

In this article we will review the basic principles of vibration measurement and analysis in order to lay the foundation for capable fault diagnosis to be considered later.

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by James Reyes-Picknell Leave a Comment

Will you Accept a “No Brainer” Opportunity?

The “no brainer” opportunity

Imagine, 6 operational locations with a combined maintenance spend of $438 million and acceptable but mediocre performance. Production outputs ranged from 70% to 94% of nameplate values.

The cost savings potential is $97 million.
Improvement to nameplate levels adds upwards of $768 million in revenues.
The spend to achieve that over 3 to 5 years was only $30 million.

That’s faster than the current mine permitting processes. Revenue was equivalent to adding a new mine at about 3% of the typical capital investment. Yes, this was a real customer in the mining industry with operations throughout North America.

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by Joe Anderson Leave a Comment

The Importance of Proper Job Plans in CMMS and EAM Systems

By Paul Crocker CMRP CAMA, VIB1

In today’s industrial environment, the efficiency and reliability of maintenance operations are crucial. This is where Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems come into play. These systems are designed to manage the maintenance function by tracking maintenance work, parts used, failure codes, and more.

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by Nancy Regan Leave a Comment

Condition Based Maintenance vs. Preventive Maintenance Tasks

Finding the Best with RCM

Hi everyone, I’m Nancy Regan, coming to you from the Watermelon Festival in Russellville, Alabama! In today’s video, I talk about how Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) can help you find the “sweet spot” when choosing proactive maintenance tasks for your equipment.

Just like every watermelon has a sweet spot, RCM helps you pinpoint the best maintenance task for each Failure Mode. Using a simple example like “oil degrades due to normal use,” I explain how RCM guides you to decide between different options, such as Scheduled Replacements or Condition Based Maintenance. By answering the RCM questions, you can figure out which task is the most cost-effective or reduces the risk of failure to an acceptable level.

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by André-Michel Ferrari Leave a Comment

5 Decisions Reliability Analysis Can Help With

Introduction to Reliability or Life Analysis

Reliability Analysis or Life Analysis is a process where asset records are used to build a statistical model for the asset. The model will in turn provide information of its future performance. It becomes an indispensable tool for asset managers in terms of making life cycle decisions with regards to the asset preservation and eventually replacement. Let alone the safety of employees. Typically, though not necessarily always, those records are obtained from the Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS).

The basis of the model is a statistical distribution. An example of the process is illustrated in Diagram 1 where a number of “n” centrifugal pumps are run on a test bench until they fail. Each time interval to failure is recorded and once all the failure records are collected, a normalized frequency graph can be constructed. This frequency graph helps define the statistical distribution that best represents the life cycle of a typical component in the population. Using specific mathematical transformations applied to the distribution, the probability of failure after a defined mission time can be derived. And much more information as we will discover in this article.

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by Mike Sondalini Leave a Comment

Maintenance Management Strategy by Physics of Failure Factors Analysis

The Physics of Failure Factors Analysis for selecting maintenance strategy is a one-person exercise that identifies all ways a component can physically fail. Equally important to its simplicity is its ability to select the most effective life cycle strategies for maximising reliability. Another powerful business advantage is the failure-addressing solutions arrived at are universal solutions that apply to every other identical component, whatever equipment it is in. Do a Physics of Failure Factors Analysis for one part and you do it for all identical parts for the life of your operation. It is a highly accurate and cost-effective maintenance strategy selection methodology.

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by Nancy Regan Leave a Comment

A Big Mistake Organizations Make with Reliability Centered Maintenance

Hi everyone, I’m Nancy Regan, coming to you from The Watermelon Festival in Russellville, Alabama! In today’s video, I share one of the most common mistakes organizations make when it comes to Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)—and why this often leads to failed analyses.

Using a simple analogy of growing watermelons, I explain how RCM can go wrong when the right people aren’t involved. Just like watermelons need the right conditions to grow, RCM needs experienced facilitators and equipment experts to ensure the process succeeds.

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by Mike Sondalini Leave a Comment

What is the Connection between Equipment Risk and Equipment Reliability?

When it comes to Risk we have simplified it so much that we have failed Einstein’s advice, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” It has been made too simple and missed the connection between risk and reliability.

Equipment risk has a direct impact on equipment reliability. What risks you allow your production plant and equipment to suffer will negatively impact its reliability. About 6 months ago I was playing about with the risk equation and a mathematical connection between risk and reliability revealed itself.

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by James Reyes-Picknell Leave a Comment

“Our World,” a Book for your Children

Here’s one you probably don’t expect from me. A children’s book! “Our World” is intended to spark curiosity In children about the world around them. It asks questions like, where does the water in my shower come from, how does the electricity in my light bulb get there, and many more. It uses everyday childhood experiences to spark questions.

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by Joe Anderson Leave a Comment

Overcoming Challenges in Implementing a CMMS or EAM System

by Paul Crocker, CMRP, CAMA2, VIB1

Implementing a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) or EAM (Enterprise Asset Management) system can be a complex process fraught with challenges. However, organizations can effectively navigate these hurdles with the right strategies and tools.

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by Nancy Regan Leave a Comment

How to Assign Preventive Maintenance Intervals with RCM

Hi everyone, I’m Nancy Regan, coming to you from Key Largo, Florida! In today’s video, I’m breaking down how to determine if a preventive maintenance task is the right action to take and how often it should be done, using the principles of Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM).

I’ll walk you through a simple example—changing the engine oil in my 2014 Subaru Forester—and explain how preventive maintenance task intervals are assigned based on the Useful Life. You’ll learn how to assess the useful life of your assets and decide when to perform a scheduled replacement or a scheduled restoration task. I also demonstrate this using failure pattern B, showing you the conditional probability of failure.

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by Mike Sondalini Leave a Comment

Equipment Failure Probability Density Functions

Charting historic equipment failure events visually shows the Failure Probability Density Function curve for that equipment. It is also known as a Failure Density Distribution Curve.

VALUE OF A DISTRIBUTION CURVE

Failure Probability Density Function curves, Failure Density Distribution Curves contain useful information about what has happened to equipment. These curves illustrate the chance of failure of an equipment over a period. Here, our fixed variables are the equipment’s components’ material-of-construction and design. As such, the only changing variable is the operating and maintenance strategies, including work processes, used by the company.

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by Nancy Regan Leave a Comment

How RCM Transforms Your Reliability Culture

In today’s video, I’m at Lover’s Leap in Chattanooga, Tennessee, exploring how to build an effective Reliability Culture using Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM). A common challenge in many organizations is the disconnect between teams — Maintenance, Operations, and upper management aren’t always on the same page, which can lead to costly downtime, safety issues, and inefficiencies.

But there’s hope. By adopting a Facilitated working group approach to RCM, you can bring your teams together with a shared goal — good Reliability. In this video, I share how RCM can foster understanding amongst team members, break down silos, and create an effective Reliability Culture that leads to better performance and a solid Return on Investment (ROI).

Key Points Covered:

The impact of team misalignment on Reliability
How RCM brings Maintenance, Operations, and Management together
Why cultural change is a powerful outcome of RCM
The long-term benefits of implementing RCM for your organization
Don’t let your teams operate like feuding families!

Watch the full video to see how RCM can help transform your organization over time.

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