In 1995, the United States Department of Energy (DoE) funded research into Princeton University’s Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). PPPL was developing plasma fusion techniques, and the research in question focused on quality assurance within the laboratory. It was investigating the utility of a new type of quality assurance: on that was performance-based. [Read more…]
Articles
Find all articles across all article series listed in reverse chronological order.
The Three Disciplines and Change Management
In this weeks article, we’ll explore how the three disciplines (product development, process improvement and project management) can enable change management.
First, it’s worth reflecting on how these disciplines fit together. Starting with product development our goal is to understand customer value, and to optimize the product (or service) by maximizing customer value and minimizing cost. It can be seen that, process improvement naturally complements this objective as way to further reduce costs. In addition, project management establishes how product development and process improvement is planned, executed, controlled and monitored.
Now let’s look at some key attributes of change management, along with elements of the three disciplines mentioned above.
Good Networking – Radio Interview
This video gives some tips regarding networking. It applies to finding a job or for obtaining clients in a consulting business.
This was created for the large number of people I know who have been displaced from a job. Many wanted advice based on my experiences and with my daily effort to build my consulting business. Not being able to have lunch with everyone, I created this video to help them get started. It has been helping people, so hope you can find value. It may also turn into a book at some point.
[Read more…]
Understanding how to prioritize risk for corrective actions in an FMEA
Prioritizing risk for corrective actions in an FMEA – Know before you go!
Note from author:
Since this article was originally published, there are subsequent articles in the “Inside FMEA” series that further describe better approaches than RPN to risk prioritization. Here are links:
Is There a Better Way Than RPN?
Risk Prioritization in FMEA – a Summary
Is There a Better Way Than RPN?
Text of the original article:
One of the most important steps in FMEA procedure is prioritizing risk for corrective actions. As soon as Severity, Occurrence, and Detection ratings have been determined for each failure mode and associated cause, the next step in an FMEA is to prioritize the risk and identify which issues need corrective actions. This step has been misapplied more often than any other step in the FMEA process.
“The perfect is the enemy of the good.”
Voltaire
[Read more…]
Who Is Responsible For Reliability? Everyone!
Why Your Operators Need To Be Part Of Your Reliability Program
You drive your car (almost) every day, you will immediately notice a new noise, vibration, or feel to the car. Once you detect this you would report the issue to your mechanic (or if yourself and do the repair), and he would investigate the issue. The repair would be made and the car returned to you.
This same approach is what should be happening in your plant. The operators of the plant equipment, operate the equipment every day and know the equipment. Any changes or variation in the equipment or process would be noticed by them and should be reported to the maintenance department.
Based on this approach that we use every day with our cars, why is it that in many plants the operators do not notify maintenance of changes? Or the notifications go unused or not acted on? [Read more…]
Gluing Plastic Pipes so You Can Trust Them
What you will learn from this article.
- Glued plastic pipes must have the joints prepared before gluing.
- Some plastic is joined with glue while others are solvent joined.
- Glued joints do not bond with the plastic but must be ‘hooked’ to it.
- Install thrust brackets if large glued pipes change direction sharply.
Some plastics can be joined with glues or cements. One of the most common of these is PVC. PVC can be either unplasticised (uPVC) or chlorinated (cPVC). Some plastics can be dissolved and chemically bonded together. ABS plastic is such a plastic. [Read more…]
Walking on Shifting Sands in the Age of Uncertainty
Guest Post by Geary Sikich (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
“To do something very dangerous takes a certain lack of imagination”
– Anonymous
Introduction
Governments and companies worldwide are emerging from the current financial crisis and subsequent recession. While governments are crafting new regulations, businesses around the world are walking in shifting sand as risk exposures are high and new regulations will create compliance challenges. According to a recent survey by Korn/Ferry International, corporate leaders are focusing more attention on risk management after what is considered by many to be excessive risk-taking during the boom times that factored into the global financial crisis. [Read more…]
The Fault with Design Freezes
The effectiveness of “Design for X” (DfX) methodology is often limited by the non-negotiable “freeze” gates in the product development process. Freezes become points of negotiation instead of directing scheduling and resource decisions. Design changes continue past “design freeze” commonly resulting in an inefficient multi-iterative process.
A design freeze is the wrong tool for the job. Design Freeze is a “Put your pencils down” methodology. This leaves no room for input to the decision to halt activity other than what was available when the freeze gate was set. Often a good deal of new information about the design and program has been created between the program creation and the freeze. [Read more…]
Test To Bogy Sample Sizes
Test To Bogy Sample Sizes
Introduction
Reliability verification is a fundamental stage in the product development process. It is common for engineers to run a test to bogy (TTB). What sample size is required for a TTB?
Reliability Testing
Reliability is the probability of a part successfully functions under specified life, duty cycle and environmental conditions. Many functions are specified during the design process. Each reliability test will be focused to validate a specific function. The targeted verification level depends on the criticality of the function and potential failure modes. The life could be specified as a count of cycles, an operating time, or perhaps a mileage or mileage equivalent. The duty cycle is a description of how the device is used. Environmental stresses are generally included in the test.
Coaching and Learning for Engineering and Basketball
An example of how we work with people. While a basketball example, it shows many traits that apply equally to engineering and new product development. [Read more…]
Small Satellites, Emerging Technology and Big Opportunities (part one of seven) – Reliability and Awesome New Things
Two rockets launched from Earth in November 2013. They carried a total of 61 small satellites from 20 different manufacturers. A satellite that is less than 500 kg in mass is considered ‘small.’ But small satellites are unique in many other ways. Old and ‘big’ satellites are massive, multi-billion dollar machines that take years to build and are the ‘only shot’ at achieving a mission. A ‘big satellite’ that stops working is a disaster. If a ‘small satellite’ fails, there can be many others floating around Earth to pick up the slack. [Read more…]
What Can You Do With Data?
A Question & Answer Period with Fred Schenkelberg and James Kovacevic on what can be done with your data and analysis.
Data and the analyses that use the data can be tricky to manage at best, let along extremely difficult.
In this last post of the series on using the maintenance data you have, Fred and James will answer many of the common questions asked about data and the analyses. [Read more…]
Project Governance and Resource Management
All projects or programs have a formal or informal resource management process, with the goal of completing projects on time, within budget and with good project quality.
In order to meet this goal, the resource management objectives are:
- the quantity of estimated resources is accurate
- the resource role requirements are clear and precise
- the resources meet or exceed the expectations (requirements)
- the resources are added in a timely manner
- cost of the resources is minimized to the extent possible
Holiday Detection in Above-ground Tank Bottom Lining Inspection
What you will learn from this article.
- There are two ways to detect holidays in tank linings.
- Explanation of the low voltage ‘wet sponge’ method of testing linings.
- The second method is high voltage spark detection.
- Importance of confirming the presence of sufficient liner thickness.
- The likely trouble spots where linings can thin.
Intellectual Abuse: A new Problem in the Workplace
Guest Post by Malcolm Peart (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
In the workplace we have identified and attempted to eradicate racial and gender discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying. We now battle age discrimination in our aging society in a (supposedly) increasingly politically correct world. However, our intellects are also being abused as individuals find increasing ways to breach of the bounds of reasonable behavior and put our sanity and dignity at risk. [Read more…]
