Top 100 Reliability Engineering Resources

As of January 22th, 2023 a simple Google search for the term “reliability” returns about 748 million results (up from 171 million in April 2017, 336 million in January 2022). For the term “reliability engineering” 253 million, up from 10.8 million in 2017.

The term reliability is defined by the Oxford Languages as “the quality of being trustworthy or of performing consistently well”. This is broader than just the work we do in reliability engineering – so this resource page is our attempt to narrow down your search to help you find a shortlist of valuable resources.

Here you will find lists of blogs, books, consultants, degree programs, and more. If one of your favorite resources is missing, let us know. If you are having trouble finding exactly what you need to solve a program or learn, again let us know. [Read more…]

Kevin Stewart, PE, CMRP

Executive Summary

Welcome to Accendo Reliability – join us and learn the art and craft of reliability engineering

I am an experienced educator and maintenance/reliability professional with 38 years of practical work experience in a variety of roles for ALCOA Primary Metals Group and ARMS Reliability.

I spent 34 years with Alcoa, the first 12 years were as a plant engineer and the last 22 years I developed and improved reliability systems. Twelve of those years were at a smelting facility, 2 as their Corporate Reliability Manager and 8 as a Reliability Consultant for their Primary Metals division. After retiring from Alcoa, I became the lead RCA (Root Cause Analysis) trainer for ARMS Reliability for 4 years.

After retiring from ARMS in 2016, I founded KPS Reliability. Currently, I provide the following services:

• Teach the top branded Apollo RCA Methodology™ as an onsite course and in public classes
• Provide consulting to establish a root cause program within an organization to ensure self sufficiency
• Provide problem-solving facilitation to address issues at a location or company
• Consulting and coaching to establish, improve, and maintain Reliability programs.

I have developed a 10-step program that outlines the order of moving from a reactive to a proactive state, which was modeled after successful application within ALCOA

Passion

Help companies improve their reliability by quickly solving problems that provide high ROI’s (return on investment) which, in turn, pay for the programs and get management on board. If you are starting or struggling to maintain a reliability program, Root Cause Analysis programs can provide the quick wins and large dollar savings that upper management wants. The ROI for problem elimination is very often 1000% or more, if properly applied.

Learn more about KPS Reliability LLC and Root Cause Analysis at KPS Reliability LLC. Please check out my blog and join in the discussion at KPS Reliability blog.

Background

I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, and I am a licensed PE (Professional Engineer). I hold a CMRP (Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional) Certificate through SMRPCO. I started my career with Alcoa at their Wenatchee Aluminum Smelter in their plant engineering organization.

In the early 90’s, I was put in charge of improving the plant’s reliability. As I tried to understand the situation, it quickly became obvious that most of the problems stemmed from lack of basic blocking and tackling. There was no PM system, no work order system, no reliability focus, many repetitive problems, no planning, and the maintenance process was in disarray. Since the basics of reliability is preventing failures, it was determined that we first needed to establish the basics.

I believe my hands-on background in establishing all aspects of a reliability program at a production facility gives me a unique perspective to help companies drive their programs and avoid potentially costly mistakes.

Basics

I set out fixing things using Root Cause Analysis. This did two things – gave us some breathing room and got the operations personnel involved and behind the initiative because they saw what was in it for them. After this initial phase, we started establishing the maintenance process utilizing a CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) with PM work orders. Next, I implemented metrics to track progress and drive cultural change within the organization. As things improved, I established a planning system. With those things in place, I started involving the operations in a Root Cause culture and involved the operators. Lastly, my original purpose was to be able to do reliability analysis on problems, so I established a data collection system inside the CMMS to collect data to analyze.

In the middle of this work, the storeroom was converted from procurement to maintenance, and on the switchover date, the person that had been trained quit. I jumped in and took over stores for several years with the guideline that I wanted people to want to put items in stores because we could do a better job than anyone for managing their parts. This was accomplished

Root Cause Analysis

Along the journey, I developed my passion for Root Cause Analysis. It is, in my mind, the single most cost-effective tool with some of the highest ROI available. Problem solving is a skill that is necessary in all aspects of business, as well as our personal lives, HR, production, maintenance, safety, quality, dealing with vendors, stores, personal problems, children, etc. The list is endless. I have been associated with Apollo Root Cause Methodology since 1990 and was trained by Dean Gano who is the originator of the process.   I started out as a user of the methodology and have gone on to become a certified instructor and facilitator of the process teaching over 2500 students and facilitating many high consequence problems for companies.

Specialties

Problem facilitation, Root Cause Analysis instruction, Reliability program design and management

Kevin’s author archive lists contributions of articles and episodes.

Gabor Szabo

Gabor is a quality engineering and data professional and has over 15 years of experience in quality having worked in the medical device, automotive and other manufacturing industries. He holds a BS in Engineering Management.

Gabor’s specialties and interests include problem solving, statistical engineering and analysis through the use of data, and developing others.

He is the author of the eBook Practical MSA: Laying The Foundations.

Gabor has an ever-growing interest in learning about the latest trends and technologies shaping the future of the quality profession. He created the podcast Critical Talks to discuss these trends and technologies thought leaders in the quality field and share these thought exchanges with the community.

If you would like to contact Gabor, you can do so by emailing him at gabor.attila.szabo@gmail.com or leaving him a message on his LinkedIn profile (link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaboraszabo)

Gabor is also the host of the podcast, “Critical Talks“.

Thought exchange on experiences, lessons from the past and trends towards the future of the quality profession.

I am your host, Gabor Szabo. Excited about what the future holds for the quality profession, I created Critical Talks with the goal of sharing my excitement and providing value to the community by bringing up and discussing relevant and engaging topics. Podcast, video content and more.

Gabor writes the R for Engineering article series.

Learn about how engineers who develop, build, test, troubleshoot or improve stuff in the physical world can use R.

Gabor’s author’s archive lists contributions of articles and episodes.