A Weibull analysis is one of the most versatile tools in a Reliability Engineer’s toolbox. I have received many requests to start summarizing some of my articles and case studies into quick and easy PDF references for distribution.
Articles
Find all articles across all article series listed in reverse chronological order.
Three Reasons Reliability Professionals Should Not Care about the Decision
Reliability professionals are trusted advisors. Being a trusted advisor to a person making the biggest career decision is an enormous job—as is making a good, big decision. Where most advisors lose the “trust” in “trusted advisor” is when they mix the roles of “advisor” with “decision maker.” Advisors and analysts must first be true to their data and information. How that information is used is not something you control. These are three reasons a reliability professional should not care about the decision.
Test to Catch Supplier Defects
Using highly accelerated stress screening to identify supplier defects before the product is shipped saves time and money.
Why Simple Experimentation Typically Fails
(and Why Design of Experiments is so Superior)
In my 30-year career as an Industrial Statistics consultant, I have frequently been told by clients that they have performed Design of Experiments (DOEs), to try and resolve design or manufacturing issues. What has become clear is that many engineers and scientists apply a rather liberal definition to DOE and include any type of experimentation in what they deem to be “DOE”.
The reality is, simplistic or haphazard “experiments” rarely are effective in solving problems, especially complex ones. Statistically based DOE provides several advantages over more simplistic approaches such “trial and error” or “one-factor-at-a-time” experimentation. These advantages include:
- The use of statistical methodology (hypothesis testing) to determine which factors have a statistically significant effect on the response(s)
- Balanced experimental designs to allow stronger conclusions with respect to cause-and-effect relationships (as opposed to just finding correlations)
- The ability to understand and estimate interactions between factors
- The development of predictive models that are used to find optimal solutions for one or more responses
Each of these advantages are discussed in a bit more detail below.
Tale of Project Reporting: Feast or Famine
Guest Post by Malcolm Peart (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
This is a story about project reporting, and its importance to project management. No matter how many or how few reports there are, it’s the report that provides the information that managers need to make decisions. It’s also not about the glut or the dearth though, it’s about the quality of the content and timing of delivery that can make all the difference between right or wrong decisions, and a project’s overall outcome.
So, if you are sitting comfortably then I’ll begin.
The Maintenance 10 Commandments behind All Maintenance Success
Remember, in Maintenance…
- THE BUSINESS PAYS FOR EVERY WRONG
- PREVENTION IS FAR CHEAPER THAN CURE
- DON’T DO WHAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND
- PREPARE THOROUGHLY BEFORE YOU START
- FIX THE CAUSE NOT THE SYMPTOM
- MACHINE HEALTH REFLECTS USER MENTALITY
- FIRST CHECK IT’S RIGHT
- RELIABILITY GROWS FROM QUALITY
- PERFORMANCE FOLLOWS CAPABILITY
- PROVE IT’S AN IMPROVEMENT FIRST
- EVERYTHING HAS LIMITS—KEEP WELL WITHIN
Acceptance Sampling Plans for Quality Control (Part-1)
Dear friends, I am happy to share our first video on Quality Control Acceptance Sampling Plans! In this video, I have explained some basic concepts and terminology of sampling plans. I have also illustrated use of Microsoft Excel to construct Operating Characteristic Curve and AOQ Curve of a sampling plan It is not possible to inspect 100% parts received from suppliers. Obviously, processes need to be capable to produce consistently good quality parts that conform to the specifications. However, there are quite a few processes where the capabilities are either marginal or low. Also, controls at suppliers may not be adequate due to many reasons. Therefore there is still a need for statistical Acceptance Sampling Plans.
SPC Q&A Part 3
Favorite Questions and Answers from my Course “Statistical Process Control (SPC) Using Microsoft Excel”, Pt 3
In this third and final installment in this series, I continue my review of questions I’ve received from students of my online course titled, “Statistical Process Control (SPC) Using Microsoft Excel.
The length of the course is just under 11 hours, and covers a wide range of topics under four major chapters: Pareto Analysis, Control Charting, Process Capability Analysis, and Linear Regression. In it, I draw numerous case studies and examples from my career in quality management and manufacturing engineering. These real-life examples, I believe, are what spark the most questions. As the statistical approaches are placed in the context of plausible scenarios – scenarios the students routinely see themselves – the content takes a better grip and leads the student toward a greater desire to learn.
So please enjoy this last set of questions. Maybe they will inspire you as well.
[Read more…]3 Tips for Taking Control of a Reactive Situation
In this session, we will delve into essential strategies for gaining clarity in the midst of reactive maintenance challenges.
RCM Today: More Important Than Ever
Hi everyone, I’m Nancy Regan, and today we’re tackling the big question: “Is Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) obsolete?” With principles that are over 50 years old, some may wonder if RCM is still relevant. The answer is a resounding YES. In fact, RCM is more crucial now than ever.
Join me as I take you from my hotel room in Cartagena to a beautiful outdoor setting to explore how RCM principles still apply today, even with all our advanced technology. Whether you’re dealing with high-tech monitoring systems or simply relying on human senses, the core principles of RCM remain essential to achieving the reliability you need.
Discover why RCM’s focus on understanding equipment Functions, identifying Failure Modes, and assessing Failure Effects is more important than ever in today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world. Let’s dive in and see why Reliability Centered Maintenance is far from obsolete!
Key Teaching Principle # 11: Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!
As covered in the first article in this series, Principles of Effective Teaching, reliability engineers, FMEA team leaders, and other quality and reliability professionals are often called upon to teach the principles of reliability or FMEA. Whether you are a student who wants to enhance your learning experience, an instructor who wants to improve teaching results, or an engineer who wishes to convey knowledge to another person, this series will offer practical knowledge and advice.
“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” Confucius
Like any task in life, it is essential that instructors prepare well for each course being taught.
Ten Things You Might Hear an Ineffective Reliability Professional Say
A mid-level reliability engineer was disgusted, “Can you believe they didn’t ask me a single question? I knew they wouldn’t understand.” I have heard it so often that it inspired me to create the FINESSE fishbone diagram®. Improving our communication skills makes us better reliability professionals and respected trusted advisors. However, you will know an ineffective communicator by what they say. These are ten things you might hear an ineffective reliability professional say about senior management.
DOE – what are you?
The history of Design of Experiments (DOE) can be traced back to the work of various individuals, including Genichi Taguchi, a Japanese engineer and statistician. Taguchi made significant contributions to the field, particularly in the area of robust design, which aimed to improve the quality of products and processes. His work was influenced by the need for quality improvement in post-World War II Japan. Taguchi’s methodology, known as the Taguchi methods, was based on the concept of “robust parameter design,” which aimed to make processes and products insensitive to environmental factors or other variables that were difficult to control.
Hybrid Project Management Methodology
Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
A Hybrid Methodology combining the speed and flexibility of Agile and the structure of Waterfall is feasible and practical. I base my opinion on the research I have done. I recently presented a Webinar to Project Management Institute (PMI) members on how to merge Agile and Waterfall to achieve a Hybrid methodology. The focus of this paper is to address the greatest risk to a company in implementing the new methodology i.e., acceptance of it. I addressed how to accomplish the merger to achieve a Hybrid method in a paper I wrote and posted on LinkedIn in May.
KPIs are a Big Lie About Performance Improvement
It is a mockery to use business performance indicators to manage a company or department. Using the information that shows up on the management dashboards on your screen can wreck your company. Measuring a process does not put you in control of it. A process is totally self-controlled. You always get what the process gives you. Organizational processes work well or do not because of their design.1 A business process that cannot achieve its aims is the wrong design for its purpose.
