The Kaplan-Meier estimator is the maximum likelihood, nonparametric reliability estimator for censored, grouped lifetime data. It’s traditional. It’s in statistical software. Greenwood’s variance formula is well known. Could Kaplan-Meier be improved: smaller variance, better actuarial forecasts, seasonality, separate cohort variability from reliability? Could you estimate reliability without life data and preserve privacy?
[Read more…]Maintenance and Reliability Best Practices: CMMS Selection
How do we select the appropriate system? What is the value and why do you need it? George Williams and Ramesh Gulati have it all covered.
[Read more…]Student Questions from My Root Cause Analysis Class, Part 3
In this third and final installment in this series showcasing the most thought-provoking questions I’ve received from students of my online Root Cause Analysis class over the past five years, you will see a question each about the cause-and-effect diagram, capability analysis, and team building. This diverse set of questions, like the questions presented in the first two installments of this series, point plainly to the diversity of skills needed to become an effective quality or reliability professional.
[Read more…]Reliability Growth
Concepts, Strategy, Duane Model and Application Case Study
We are happy to release this video on Reliability Growth which is a very important strategy to assure reliability of new products. In this video, Hemant Urdhwareshe has explained the basic concepts and strategy of reliability growth, the related mathematical relationships, and the Duane Model with an application case study of introduction of new model of Diesel engine. Hemant is a Fellow of ASQ and is ASQ CRE, CMBB, CSSBB, CQE and CMQ/OE. We are sure that viewers will find it useful. If you like the video, do not forget to click the like button.
[Read more…]Evaluating Equipment Redundancy using RAM Models
The Concept of Equipment Redundancy
Adding equipment redundancy to a system can improve uptime and reliability leading to increased output. When adding new equipment, it is cheaper to evaluate the benefits, or lack of thereof, on paper before implementing the change. Typically done as part of the design phase. However it can also happen after commissioning but its is more expensive. In other words, its better to get it right before “shovels go in the ground”.
[Read more…]Why HALT is not HALT
An excellent short white paper by Craig Hillman that is worth reading. It underscores why I claim HALT is the second worst 4 letter acronym in our profession.
[Read more…]Why and How to Merge Agile with Waterfall Methodologies
Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
This article focuses on the task level of a project which is the key to merging the different methodologies. There is a lot of articles on line that explain what the merger will look like and the pros and cons of it but I found nothing to explain HOW TO DO IT? This article goes into quite a bit of detail but I felt I had no choice to convey to the reader how to merge the two methodologies with examples.
Agile was created for software development projects. Some of the key benefits of this methodology are flexibility, speed, high quality, and continuous improvement. These features are implemented at the Scrum level. One major problem with Agile is that it does not scale up to large projects due to lack of structure, changing requirements and scope, and lack of a baseline to measure project performance. In my opinion, it works well for small software and IT projects that are less than a year in duration and less than $1M in value
[Read more…]How ACE 3T Precision for Standard Operating Procedures Was Discovered
How the 3T’s of Human Error Prevention and Mistake Proofing – Target, Tolerance, Test – were Discovered
Human errors and mistakes cause 80 percent of industrial equipment failures. That humans cause most problems has long been known. It has been difficult to find reliable ways to prevent human error, but an Arab craftsman taught me the 3Ts of error prevention and mistake proofing work.
[Read more…]Hazard Plotting Approach and Case Study
to analyze failure data of shock absorbers
In this video, Hemant Urdhwareshe explains how to use Hazard Plotting to estimate parameters of Weibull Distribution using Excel with an application case study. Hemant also explains related mathematical concepts in Hazard plotting. Hemant is a Fellow of ASQ, and is certified by ASQ as CRE, CMBB, CSSBB, CQE and CMQ/OE. Viewers may like to watch our previous video on Weibull Probability Plotting.
[Read more…]Acceleration Factors
Temperature acceleration factor for ALT planning (question posted to Linkedin Society of Reliability engineers group, 5/7/12
Hello, can anyone advise me how to calculate temperature acceleration factor for a complex system including cards, RF elements, cables, motors and moving parts? Is the Arrhenius model valid for such systems, or there are more precise models? Thank you!
Agile, Agile 2, and Agility, Part 1
Guest Post by Howard Wiener (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
If you are running a business today using Agile methods, it’s likely that you are not getting the productivity boost from it that you should, and your time to market for new features is probably not what it could be either.
Is that the end of the world? By and large, yes! The problem is that your impaired delivery capabilities have a substantial impact on your business agility. How is that? Your digital development process is at the center of your product management capability and if you can’t iterate quickly enough it will limit the opportunities for your product managers to redirect the evolution of your products while they’re in development. When you are in a hurry to get new or updated products to market, they will be less evolved, less marketable and less competitive.
[Read more…]Maintenance Planner Performance-Based Job Description
This job description begins detailing the attributes, skills and knowledge required for a person to competently do the duties of a maintenance planner focused on improving equipment reliability. It uses an outcomes approach to set the standards that must be reached in the performance of the work. It leaves the person doing the job the flexibility and initiative to find their own way to reach those standards.
[Read more…]DOE-5: Fractional Factorial Designs, Confounding and Resolution Codes
In this video, Hemant Urdhwareshe explains basic concepts of Fractional Factorial Design, Confounding or Aliasing and Resolution of designs. View earlier videos in this series: Introduction, Application, Coded and Uncoded Values, and a Case study.
Hemant is a Fellow of American Society for Quality (ASQ) and is certified by ASQ as Six Sigma Master Black Belt (CMBB), Black Belt (CSSBB), Reliability Engineer (CRE), Quality Engineer (CQE) and Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).
The video would be useful to all those who wish to learn about use of fractional factorial designs to reduce number of runs in experiments. It will be also be greatly useful for preparing ASQ certification exams!
[Read more…]Maintenance and Reliability Best Practices: Reliability Engineers
George Williams and Ramesh Gulati discuss the importance of Reliability Engineers in the work space. -Why is Reliability important? -What does it take to be a Reliability Engineer? -What type of skillsets are needed? -Why is it important to have Reliability Engineers?
[Read more…]Semi-Nonparametric Reliability Estimation and Seasonal Forecasts
I estimated actuarial failure rates, made actuarial forecasts, and recommended stock levels for automotive aftermarket stores. I wondered how to account for seasonality in their sales? Time series forecasts account for seasonality but not for age, the force of mortality accounted for by actuarial forecasts. I finally figured out how to seasonally adjust actuarial forecasts. It’s the same method, David Cox’ “Proportional Hazards” model, used to make “Semi-Parametric” estimates and “Credible Reliability Predictions”.
[Read more…]