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Improving Wind Turbine Reliability by Removing Component Failure Modes

Improving Wind Turbine Reliability by Removing Component Failure Modes

Successful Wind Turbine Reliability Strategy Requires Proactive Removal of the Causes of Failure

The reliability assessment of wind turbine models is critical when making investment in wind technology. Issues to address include: corrosion, metallurgy, structural integrity, reliability, pressure vessel construction, electrical circuits, communication networks, and more.

Develop a life cycle wind turbine reliability strategy that minimizes operationg costs by maximizing component reliability.

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Waterfall’s Contribution to Agility

Waterfall’s Contribution to Agility

Guest Post by Howard Wiener (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

In the previous article we discussed Waterfall, WaterScrumFall, big-A Agile and business agility.  Dissonance abounds among organizations struggling to transition their approaches to building solutions and maintaining their existing legacy infrastructures while remaking how they evolve themselves.  In attempting to navigate this they often adopt approaches that are destined not to really get them where they need to be.

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Why Predictive Maintenance?

Why Predictive Maintenance?

In this insightful video, we delve deep into the world of Predictive Maintenance and unravel why it’s an absolute game-changer for modern businesses.

Discover:

  • How Predictive Maintenance predicts equipment failures BEFORE they happen.
  • The substantial cost savings it offers through optimized maintenance.
  • The path to maximizing uptime and minimizing downtime and more!
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How Our Choices Shape Equipment Reliability

How Our Choices Shape Equipment Reliability

𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭 of my 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 is here! We’re starting with how the 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 we make as asset custodians directly impact our equipment 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Let’s build a strong foundation together!

Republishing here one week at a time.

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SPC Q&A Part 1

SPC Q&A Part 1

Favorite Questions and Answers from my Course “Statistical Process Control (SPC) Using Microsoft Excel”, Pt 1

Teaching manufacturing-related skills online offers a host of intangible benefits such as:

  • Interacting with professionals around the world,
  • Helping learners take the next step in their careers,
  • Witnessing the “a ha” moments of the learners taking my classes, and
  • Sharing the knowledge I’ve accumulated (and continue to accumulate) in my career.

And in one specific piece of the teaching process, I can experience all four benefits simultaneously, that is, answering student questions.

In this first article of a three-part series, I will share with you some of my favorite questions and answers from “Statistical Process Control (SPC) Using Microsoft Excel”, a course 7,800+ students from 126 countries have taken over the past since I launched it nearly 7 years ago.

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Key Teaching Principle # 10: Application

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.

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.  Leonardo da Vinci

Key Teaching Principle # 10 compels the instructor to ensure that each and every student learns how to apply the material being taught, in a variety of realistic scenarios. [Read more…]

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Why Effectively Communicating System Redundancy to Decision Makers Is So Important

Why Effectively Communicating System Redundancy to Decision Makers Is So Important

Effectively communicating system redundancy is important because redundancy touches system performance, risk management, disaster recovery, regulatory compliance, and customer & owner confidence. Getting the redundancy communication wrong produces blind spots and surprises. Getting it right produces a well-oiled, predictable machine. This article provides proven tips for effectively communicating system redundancy.

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Eight Disciplines (8D) in Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Eight Disciplines (8D) in Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Some history:

The executives of the Powertrain Organization (transmissions, chassis, engines) wanted a methodology where teams (design engineering, manufacturing engineering, and production) could work on recurring chronic problems. In 1986, the assignment was given to develop a manual and a subsequent course that would achieve a new approach to solving identified engineering design and manufacturing problems.

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Lifetime Evaluation vs. Measurement. Part 4 – Quantitative HALT

Lifetime Evaluation vs. Measurement. Part 4 – Quantitative HALT

Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the Earth.

Archimedes

Its known HALT is an effective way to find the weaknesses in your product during the reliability improvement program. In doing so, we view HALT as a qualitative test only. We cannot define the reliability and lifetime of the product from its results. So, unfortunately, we cannot use HALT for purposes of Type Certification, confirm the lifetime of Critical Parts, predict the warranty and maintenance costs, which are required, for example, for aviation.

If we could combine the effectiveness of HALT (high acceleration of testing) with the benefits of quantitative testing, we would get a very powerful tool for the Reliability Demonstration and the Reliability Development of the new products.

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Enterprise and Asset Management Pocketbook

Enterprise and Asset Management Pocketbook

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE IS A RESULT 

Operational Excellence requires a business system-of-reliability. Reliability is the chance of success, so a company built as a ‘system-of-reliability’ maximizes its operating profits and production success. The three requirements needed to create a system-of-reliability for Operational Excellence are: 

1. A defect eliminating work quality assurance system where your processes are robust and anti-fragile to disruption, and insure right-first-time results. Only if processes are built to go right every time; are anti-fragile to error; and proactively prevent causes of problems, can you reach Operational Excellence. 

2. Business-wide process innovation focused on optimizing for the highest productivity, least cost, and right quality output. Then you install the next generation of solutions for ever better productivity. 

3. Holistic, lifecycle physical asset management for stable, reliable operation with outstanding availability, highest utilization and most sustainable throughput. 

You do three phases to reach Operational Excellence the Plant Wellness Way: Design your system-of-reliability – Teach your system-of-reliability – Build your system-of-reliability. First, design a business that can be the best. Second, teach your leaders how to do the right things, rightly. Third, apply and do the right behaviours for success. 

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Canada’s ERM Audit

Canada’s ERM Audit

Guest Post by James Kline (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

In June 2022 the Office of the Auditor General of Ottawa Canada issued an audit report on the city’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) process. This piece looks at the audit results and what they say about the state of ERM in local government. It also looks at how the recommendations compare with an ERM study in New Zealand. Finally, it discusses the implications for ERM going forward.

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Fractional Factorial Design in Minitab

Fractional Factorial Design in Minitab

Dear friends, this video illustrates how to create and analyze a fractional factorial design using Minitab software with an application example. You can watch our other video on basic concepts in Fractional Factorial Designs: DOE-5: Fractional Factorial Designs, Confounding and Resolution Codes. You can watch all our videos on DOE by clicking here to see the playlist:  DOE-2: Application of Design of Experiments. We hope you are finding our videos useful!

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How Systems & Reliability Engineers Apply Redundancy to Facilities and Critical Infrastructure

How Systems & Reliability Engineers Apply Redundancy to Facilities and Critical Infrastructure

Redundancy in facilities and critical infrastructure is often misunderstood as simply having two of something. However, redundancy is a sophisticated strategy used by systems and reliability engineers to minimize failures and ensure continuous operation. It is one of several approaches to preventing system failures and comes with several key tradeoffs. This article examines four key aspects, or the four horsemen, of redundancy and why it is so important for facilities and critical infrastructure.

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