A failure reporting, analysis, and corrective action system (FRACAS) is an important part of a reliability program. It is used to solve reliability and maintenance issues throughout a plant’s lifecycle. It uses a strict closed-end loop and iterative root causes analysis process. Properly executed, it can add considerable value to a business. However, there are some implementation traps to avoid and best practice tips that optimize results; here are six common issues to consider. [Read more…]
on Maintenance Reliability
A listing in reverse chronological order of these article series:
- Usman Mustafa Syed — Aasan Asset Management series
- Arun Gowtham — AI & Predictive Maintenance series
- Miguel Pengel — Asset Management in the Mining Industry series
- Bryan Christiansen — CMMS and Reliability series
- James Reyes-Picknell — Conscious Asset series
- Alex Williams — EAM & CMMS series
- Nancy Regan — Everday RCM series
- Karl Burnett — History of Maintenance Management series
- Mike Sondalini — Life Cycle Asset Management series
- James Kovacevic — Maintenance and Reliability series
- Mike Sondalini — Maintenance Management series
- Mike Sondalini — Plant Maintenance series
- Andrew Kelleher — Process Plant Reliability Engineering series
- George Williams and Joe Anderson — The ReliabilityXperience series
- Doug Plucknette — RCM Blitz series
- Robert Kalwarowsky — Rob's Reliability Project series
- Gina Tabasso — The Intelligent Transformer Blog series
- Tor Idhammar — The People Side of Maintenance series
- André-Michel Ferrari — The Reliability Mindset series
Example Accuracy Controlled Enterprise (ACE) 3T Job Procedure

Example ACE 3T (Target-Tolerance-Test) Procedure with Reliability Standards: Machine performance is totally dependent on human beings. To address the problem of human error causing equipment failure, an Accuracy Controlled Enterprise sets best practice quality standards and uses 3T Target-Tolerance-Test work task quality control that assures high quality workmanship for high reliability results. Their work procedures are standardised so everyone follows the same methods to produce the same results, their training teaches people how to do craftsmanship work that creates outstandingly reliable plant and machinery. They create the reliability they want and as a result achieve operational excellence.
[Read more…]Why are Failure Modes So Important to Reliability?

In this episode, we talk about what a Failure Mode is and why Failure Modes are so important to equipment Reliability. As responsible custodians, it’s up to us to identify the plausible Failure Modes that could occur so that we can figure out if and how we should manage each one. If we don’t, it can end up in disaster.
[Read more…]Origins of Maintenance in the Royal Navy, 1509-1628

1546 – Establishing the Royal Navy
In the 15th century, the English Royal Navy did not exist as a standing force. When needed, the Royal Navy was temporarily assembled using rented merchant ships. Henry VIII expanded England’s fleet from a handful of small converted merchant ships to a force of 30 purpose-built warships. He established government dockyards, the Admiralty, and the Navy Board. Starting in 1546, the Navy Board was a permanent part of the government.
Warships owned by the government had no other purpose and suddenly gave the government a new kind of asset to manage.
[Read more…]Road Tanker Design for Fast Unloading and Onshore Pump Drain Tank

Road Tanker Compartment Design
Road Tanker Design For Fast Unloading And Onshore Pump Drain Tank. To completely empty a road tanker the compartments need to be designed to have a sump that permits total drain-out of the liquid from the lowest point. If a pump is mounted on the trailer, it is best mounted under the trailer. Where a pump is mounted on the tray or fenders it will cavitate at low tanker liquid levels. For an onshore unloading pump installation it is best to install a buffer tank between the tanker and onshore pump to let the road tanker completely drain-out before the pump starts cavitating. Tanker load-out pumps must have a very low net positive suction head requirement.
[Read more…]Calculating the Failure Rate of Parts

This simple example explains how to calculate the failure rate of parts, known as the Hazard Rate, using a drinking glass. Historic records, like maintenance, operating, supply chain, and financial information, are accessed to understand the situation being analyzed and gather modelling data. Once all necessary information is collected and the situation is investigated, then proposals to address and solve the problems causing and permitting the failure to happen are selected and a business case is developed.
[Read more…]What is Reliability and How Do We Get It?

In this episode, we answer two questions: 1) What is Reliability? 2) How do we get the Reliability we need from our machines? Nancy also discusses how we design our Reliability both literally and figuratively. The quality of our proactive maintenance and Default Strategies largely determines the Reliability we get from our equipment. Inherent Reliability is explained.
[Read more…]How Profit Contribution Mapping Turns Wasted Money into Outstanding Operational Productivity and Profits

Value Stream Mapping is a business process improvement tool. It derives from the Toyota Production System where it was used to identify the seven wastes in a production process. It is now used across all business processes because the principle of finding and removing waste applies throughout every business.
[Read more…]Technological Inheritance Effect on Failure Rate, Defect Elimination and Reliability Effects

Technological inheritance, defect inheritance, and quality inheritance transfer to the future. To create a better future for your organization you first must create a better past so it can later inherit the preordained successes you designed and imbedded into your company.
[Read more…]Are your Asset Management efforts worth your TIME?

What does asset management have to do with TIME? Everything.
My mentor, John Moubray, taught me that our most valuable resource is TIME. Time is WAY more valuable than money.
How you spend your TIME determines IF and HOW your asset management efforts will pay off. In other words, will your efforts help you achieve the kind of equipment Reliability you’re looking for?
[Read more…]Cheap Way To High Pumping Circuit Availability

Using Reliability Principles for a Cheap Way To High Pumping Circuit Availability. High plant availability is achieved by having redundant equipment that can be brought on-line as soon as the operating unit has failed. Redundancy is expensive as there are two items to buy, two to install and two to maintain at full operating capacity. There is an alternate option for maintaining high pumping circuit availability by designing quick methods to bring mobile equipment into the circuit when pumps are down. This article explains how to set-up piping for a mobile pump to maintain operation when the normal duty pump is out of use.
[Read more…]Getting High Equipment Reliability

These are the slides from Mike’s conference presentation at the SIRFRt CM & Lube Forum 2008 Conference.
[Read more…]Maintenance Infographic

Maintenance, failures, design for reliability, use of RCM and predictive technologies explained in infographic. Leave some feedback so we can make it better.
[Read more…]How I applied all seven steps of Reliability Centered Maintenance

How I applied all seven steps of Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) on my drive home from the Reliable Plant Conference
I just can’t seem to get away from Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM).
(And that’s okay with me. After all, my (technical) heart and soul belong to RCM!)
I was driving home from Indianapolis, Indiana after speaking at the Reliable PlantConference ~ 399 miles.
[Read more…]Old Preventive Maintenance (PM) Out, New Preventive Maintenance (PvM) In

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE STRATEGY IN A PLANT WELLNESS WAY EAM SYSTEM-OF-RELIABILITY
IN A PWW EAM SYSTEM-OF-RELIABILITY, PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE STRATEGY IS TO REPLACE PARTS WHEN EXCESSIVE STRESS BUILD-UPS IN THEIR MICRO-STRUCTURE
Ask a question or send along a comment.
Please login to view and use the contact form.