Doing Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) helps us take care of our equipment. And, taking care of our equipment is very much like taking care of ourselves.
[Read more…]RCM is Like a Diet
Operator Error?
An “Inside FMEA” reader recently asked a question on the subject of Process FMEAs, specifically whether assigning the cause as “operator error” is useful. This article will share insights into the nature of a cause in Process FMEA, and whether describing cause as “operator error” adds value.
Fred and I podcasted on this topic. Link to the podcast is here.
I’ve seen literally hundreds of Process FMEAs that list “operator error” as the cause of a process related failure mode. Let me be as clear as I can. Assigning “operator error” as the cause in a Process FMEA does not add value. I’ll explain. [Read more…]
Why Inherent Safety Should Be A Part Of Security Regulation
A few weeks ago [note: written in August 2010], Senator Frank Lautenberg proposed Secure Chemical Facilities Act (S. 3559) to the Senate committee on Homeland Security. The bill mandates Inherent Safer Technology (IST) or Inherently safer design (ISD) at high-risk chemical facilities.
Knowing the uncertainties surrounding the mere definition of inherent safety, one could say that it is preposterous to mandate IST. IST cannot be regulated and worse it would burden the industry. To a large extent this is true.
[Read more…]RCA: Going From Good to Great
I’ve been in the Reliability and RCA space now for 38 years now (yes, I’m old 😊), but recently I’ve had a major change in perspective. For 37 of those years my family owned and ran a business (Reliability Center, Inc) that offered training, consulting, and software in the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) space. We developed and created the PROACT® RCA Methodology & Software which has been adopted by many Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies. However, in 2019, we enacted succession plans as we (my brothers, sisters, and I) approached retirement ages. We sold RCI in 2019.
NOW comes the perspective change, I am not an RCA provider anymore who is beholden to a proprietary brand, but I’m now an RCA consumer with deep domain knowledge of what the core principles of effective RCA are. In this paper, I would like to remove the RCA provider brand labels, and delve into ‘What makes any RCA effort, good versus great?” When we remove the labels and look at any investigative occupation, all the steps are basically the same. So, let’s explore together!
[Read more…]Saving Time and Money through Efficient Planning and Optimization
The first article in The Power of Design of Experiments Article Series
In the world of research and development, time and money are precious commodities. DOE is the one statistical tool to save both time and money through its efficiency and efficacy. By carefully planning and executing experiments, DOE not only saves time and money but also leads to optimized designs and improved outcomes.
[Read more…]The Future of Reliability Engineering
Guest Post by Carl Carlson (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” – William Jennings Bryan
The Oxford English dictionary defines “reliability” as “the quality of being able to be trusted to do what somebody wants or needs.”
The textbook definition for “reliability” is “the probability that an item will perform its intended function for a designated period of time without failure under specified operating and environmental conditions.”
In this article, I will share a brief outline of the current and future state of reliability engineering, what works and doesn’t work, and why it matters to all of us.
Maintenance Planning From Condition Monitoring Reports
How to use Condition Monitoring Reports to do Maintenance Planning of the Maintenance Work Activities that will prevent Equipment Failure
This article by Peter Brown, a vibration analysis condition monitoring expert, explains how to address and action condition monitoring reports from your condition monitoring service provider.
Abstract
Maintenance Planning From Condition Monitoring Reports. Having developed the finest condition monitoring programme that provides all the data required to predict plant behaviour it is now necessary to convert that data into information and to plan it in for action by the maintenance team at a time that is compatible with operations.
[Read more…]The Crucial Connection Between APQP and Product Reliability
In today’s competitive business landscape, ensuring the reliability of products is paramount for any company aiming to maintain a strong market presence and satisfy customer expectations. One essential tool that plays a pivotal role in achieving this goal is Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP). Understanding the major components of APQP and how it is intertwined with reliability provides design and engineering professionals with a framework for assuring early success in a product launch.
[Read more…]Certificate in Reliability Statistics
Azmat Siddiqi suggested a certification in reliability statistics in 2022. Azmat believes in knowing and using the reliability statistical information in test, installed base, failures, and service data. Thanks Azmat.
I propose Certification in Reliability Statistics to recognize statistics knowledge, work experience, and applications. Certification in Reliability Statistics should provide assurance to employers, contractors, and collaborators that reliability statistics are estimated and used to the best extent with available data, including uncertainty quantification, with or without life data.
[Read more…]OSHA Wants You To Nominate Chemicals Of Concern
OSHA is asking stakeholders to identify hazardous chemicals they believe are most in need of action.
Why?
“OSHA realizes the inadequacy of many of its Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) and is seeking creative solutions, both long term and short term, to address this inadequacy.”
For the benefit of the readers of the blog, I would appreciate if you leave a comment below to indicate what chemicals are of immediate concern. You can submit your nominations to OSHA here by 27th August:
How to Think Like a Reliability Engineer
Reliability Marketing
Reliability Engineers are forward and “out of the box” thinkers. They tend to bring creative solutions to customers and help them optimize asset performance. Creativity implies offering ideas and possibilities that a customer did not know of or even request. Ones that will be of great benefit to them. The role has a lot to do with marketing. It is actually marketing a better “operating” future for an organization. In this article, I share some of the approaches I have had as a Reliability Engineer on bringing the biggest reliability “bang” for the customer’s “buck”.
[Read more…]What does Apple’s lightning cable, John Deere and the Mafia have in common?
Apple new iPhones will be somewhat different to those of the past. They will now have a USB-C charging and data port, and not Apple’s lightning cables. Why? Because the European Union said so. And they said so because they are not happy with the number of different charging cables we all now need for our various devices. Having a single cable that can charge an iPhone, Samsung smartphone, and virtually every other small electronic consumer product makes sense. It means fewer cables, smaller carbon footprints, less electronic waste, and prices will come down as less and less products assume that they need to provide a charging cable in their packaging. I have at least 20 power cables in my office that have been provided with various electronic gadgetry over the years.
Under the Double Umbrella: Reliability AI Projects
Organizations are hastily adopting AI into their operating processes to increase efficiency, raise profits, and stay competitive. Among the hustle & bustle, the effective management of the AI projects is neglected, and teams are left to figure out retroactively how a completed AI project fits into the Business’s long-term goals.
[Read more…]Small Companies Offer Faster Promotion but Higher Risks
Guest Post by John Ayers (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Based on my career experience as a project manager, I have observed that promotions can come quicker in a small company compared to a large one. This is especially true after you have gained several years’ experience. For some reason, many large companies are slow in giving promotions unless you are a rising star. If you are not a rising start and want to get a promotion, I suggest you look for opportunities in small companies to get the title you want (e.g., project manager).
Once you have the title, no one can take it away which means after several years’ experience in a small company you have a much better chance of getting the same position but with more responsibility and pay in a large company. The challenge is-do you have the right stuff to succeed in a small company?
[Read more…]Determine which Critical Spare Parts to Keep in Stock
Which critical spare parts you carry in the maintenance store always revolve around how much risk your company is willing to bear. It is purely a risk based business decision. Look at the economics of the risk decisions available and go with the biggest chance of success.
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I have a question about critical spare parts determination that I always have a problem with. I do not know if this topic is included in the online preventive maintenance training I and my team of engineers are doing with you, that’s why I am asking the question.
How can I determine which are the critical spare parts that we have to keep on stock?
