Reliability Still Not a Solo Activity
Abstract
Adam and Fred discussing how reliability still suffers as a solo activity in programs
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SOR 456 Reliability Still Not a Solo Activity
SOR 455 Decision Making and Reliability
Decision Making and Reliability
Abstract
Adam and Fred discussing how program decisions are made regarding reliability
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SOR 453 How to Balance Reliability vs New Tech
How to Balance Reliability vs New Tech
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss how we balance … or incorporate new technology with reliability. Is reliability something that only comes with legacy or age? … as in old technology? Can you make a product that is based on new technology and have it reliable? … are these concepts mutually exclusive? If we look at this from an ‘asset management’ perspective, there is a movement out there that we need things like increasingly sophisticated sensing technology to ensure reliability, availability, throughput or whatever it is we are trying to improve. From a ‘developmental product’ perspective, does new technology mean ‘all bets are off’ when it comes to reliability? Well … we talk about these things in this podcast. ᐅ Play Episode
SOR 450 Customer Experience and Failures – Its not you its them!
Customer Experience and Failures – Its not you its them!
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss what it means to ‘fail.’ Not from a personal sense! But what does it mean for your product to fail. Engineering or design specifications describe what the product or system must do. So does failure simply occur when the product can no longer meet all these specifications? What if your product or system meets all these criteria – but your customer ‘thinks’ is has failed? We have seen many instances where a group of people who design and make products will vehemently argue that even if the customer thinks something has failed when it meets the specifications, then nothing is wrong. Is it? What do you think the customer will do? Do you think they will be ‘happy’? If this is a problem you come across, then listen to this podcast.
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SOR 446 Battery Reliability Considerations
Battery Reliability Considerations
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss battery reliability issues and how batteries fail. This based on feedback from one of our listeners (thanks!) There is a lot of energy in batteries that if failure allows this energy to be able to ‘do something’ … then catastrophic failure is an understatement. But as with everything, it is all about the customer. Is failure (for example) when battery capacity reaches 80 per cent of its original value? Is this 80 per cent figure going to be the advertised capacity? If you would like to learn more, listen to this podcast.
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165-Reliability Catch Up with Fred
Reliability Catch Up with Fred
Reliability and Maintenance industry changes very fast. The organization always enlist the help of consultants when their assets are failing. The reason why it doesn’t work sometimes is because the companies don’t know what they are looking for. Before you go about hiring some consulting firm, you need to have some certain information for them to begin with. Once you know what the problem is and what is it that you are trying to accomplish, it becomes easier for consultants to help you with overcoming failures and stopping them in the first place. You have to understand where you are at? What kind of problems are you facing?
In this episode, we covered:
- Reliability and Maintenance industry
- How do you select the right tools?
- Do you need a consultant?
- And much more!
SOR 436 Is Testing Always Necessary?
Is Testing Always Necessary?
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss what happens when you have failure … but don’t know why. This is a challenging problem that most reliability engineers will face throughout their career. You will always need to use an objective, structured and strategic approach. And you will often find that a lot of information is at your fingertips – you may be able to create a very short list of candidate root causes without having to test. Effort without direction won’t solve problems. If you want to learn more about solving this really challenging problems, then listen to this podcast.
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164 Unsung Heros with Ryan
Unsung Heros with Ryan
With the kind of data that technicians collect in the field on a daily basis, it is very hard to note down everything. What they usually do is they go into the shop, perform some routine repairs and then come back to their desks to note everything they have encountered. Even if they manage to note down every single thing into their notebook or whatever paperwork they have available to them, they have to move around a lot and hassle through data every time they leave their position to go into the shop and then, come back.
In this episode, we covered:
- Reliability and Maintenance industry
- How do you select the right tools?
- Do you need a consultant?
- And much more!
SOR 423 Thoughts on Galaxy Fold Reliability
Thoughts on Galaxy Fold Reliability
Abstract
Kirk and Fred discussing the recent failures of the new folding Samsung Galaxy phone and what might have been missed in their testing video.
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158 LORA with Lucas Marino
Level Of Repair Analysis with Lucas Marino
Most of the organizations in the maintenance and reliability industry have limited resources and they want to make the best use of what they have got. If the maintenance requirements of an organizations don’t match its resources, it is always going to result into an increased cost and decreased employee performance. The type of maintenance that an asset required throughout its life cycle needs to be performed in a balanced way. That’s why it is so important to have a maintenance philosophy when you are planning the life cycle cost of an asset. Level of Repair Analysis or LORA is a framework that helps you manage between maintenance cost and resources.
In this episode, we covered:
- What is LORA?
- How to start using LORA!
- The value of having a maintenance philosophy!
- And much more!
SOR 422 What Do I Do When the MTBF is Imposed on Me?
What Do I Do When MTBF is Imposed?
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss what happens when you can’t avoid having the MTBF imposed upon you – even if it is your own organization and not the customer. Perhaps you are told that ‘our competitors quote the MTBF … so we have to as well!’ But you can (sneakily) tailor test data to get whatever MTBF you want. You can make life easy on yourself by not challenging this paradigm (noting that you will most likely get an unhappy customer). But it is almost impossible to apportion MTBF goals to individual designers that even allow the motivated ones to create a reliable system. So what do you do? Listen to this podcast to help you on your reliability journey.
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SOR 421 Specification Requires Testing… Really?
Specification Requires Testing… Really?
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss scenarios where it is (for whatever reason) impossible to demonstrate reliability through testing. Some organizations think that if you can’t demonstrate through testing … then it can’t be a requirement that appears in a specification. So … does this mean that the customer can’t get something that is reliable if we can’t test for it? … can customers even ask for it? Of course they can. The customer knows what they want. Everyone needs to understand that you can verify performance through activities that don’t involve testing (… like analysis). This is how it works for nuclear power plants … so what makes your organization special? Listen to this podcast if this intrigues you.
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SOR 414 How Not to do FDSC
How Not to do FDSC
Abstract
Chris and Adam discuss FDSC. This may only mean something to you if you have experience in ‘military’ equipment. It stands for Failure Definition and Scoring Criteria. And it is used to remove subjectivity in classifying what sort of failure it is. Unless the military customer decides to change these during development. And this causes issues for all. If you want to hear more about what happens when you ‘shift the goal posts’ during development, then listen to this podcast!
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SOR 413 Characteristics of an Organization That Limits Reliability
Characteristics of an Organization That Limits Reliability
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss what ‘tell’s an organization that sucks at reliability has. That is, can you just tell an organization makes terrible products before you even get to their reliability department/guidebook/strategy/laboratory? And if you can, what are they? Our experience shows that when we are brought in to solve a ‘reliability’ problem, we need to address a vision/leadership/resourcing/(insert poor business practice here) issue. If this interests you … please listen to this podcast!
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153-What tool when with Ron Moore
What Tool? When? with Ron Moore
Today’s episode is based on What Tool When by Ron Moore. The book covers all the common tools that are handy in a workplace for a maintenance engineer. Then, it covers concepts like Manufacturing, six sigma, TPM, reliability and maintenance along with information about lots of tools. In the early chapters, it provides insights into leadership and culture change. It tells you about the very basics of having a tool around and how to use it but it also provides you the basic things that should be in place before you get to the tool part.
In this episode, we covered:
- The tools a Maintenance Engineer needs!
- How to make change!
- The steps you need to build a performance tool!
- And much more!