December 27, 2007
3 Fantastic Learning Events - 1 Price!
RCM-2008 Reliability Centered Maintenance Managers’ Forum
EAM-2008 Enterprise Asset Management Summit
New! MTrain-2008 - Maintenance Training Conference
March 18-20, 2008
Las Vegas Nevada
FREE Bonus Workshops March 17
Reliabilityweb.com is pleased to invite you to a special learning event with a focus on:
Developing an effective maintenance program with Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) or PM Optimization
Managing the maintenance program information with an Enterprise Asset Management System (EAM)
Ensuring that your team has access to an effective Maintenance Training program
Register for a 3 day Pass and get an optional Bonus Workshop FREE!
Save $200 with Early Bird registration and get 4 Star $70/night Hotel rooms while supply lasts.
We are so sure you will find ways to make your maintenance and reliability program work at this event that Reliabilityweb.com offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee or your money back.
Please call toll free (888) 575-1245 or click here to request a brochure and learn more.
December 20, 2007
MTrain-2008 Maintenance Training Conference
Please join us for MTrain-2008 the Maintenance Training Conference, March 18-20, 2008 in exciting Las Vegas.
The Maintenance Training Conference is focused on providing information on building the most effective maintenance and reliability training program possible - using proven techniques that create value added maintenance professionals.
Participants will discover exciting new ideas and learn helpful techniques for implementing or improving maintenance training programs.
Find out more about MTrain-2008 Maintenance Training Conference
December 20, 2007
Compressed Air Tip
The Myth of Free Air
The air we breathe may be free but the notion that this applies to the compressed air that drives processes and production tools is a myth that no plant can really afford. Although the costs of air compressors may appear minor when compared to pricey production equipment, air systems should be properly scrutinized; otherwise plants may face higher electrical costs, maintenance, premature failures and, worst of all, unplanned downtime.
True, there was a time when compressed air systems could be more or less taken for granted. Compressor technology was somewhat rudimentary, energy costs were low, processes less sophisticated and just-in-time deliveries was a thing of the future--not to mention lights-out manufacturing.
But for many companies today, all of that has changed. Air compressor design has a great bearing on efficiency and reliability, electric power is expensive and even penalizing, on-time deliveries are often critical and 24/7 demand on systems is commonplace.
“When the air goes down, the plant is dead in the water,” says Stuart Silverman, President of LANS Company (Glendora, CA). “Without the right compressor technology, some of our customers would be down for a week, waiting for service technicians to get them back up and running.”
LANS Company is a leading Southern California distributor of air compressors, dryers, filters and vacuum pump systems. To Silverman, with over 40 years in the industry, a plant having air compressor problems is unacceptable.
Silverman recommends hiring a manufacturer-approved vendor to handle the compressed air equipment. A qualified compressed air company can save production huge dollars over the life of the compressor.
Many plants don’t realize that the initial cost of the compressor and maintenance is minor when compared to electrical costs. Over the life of the compressed air system, more than 80% of the total compressed air system costs are attributed to electrical costs, while only 11% is the actual compressor cost and about 5% maintenance costs. Southern California Edison, states that a 1/2-inch-sized compressed air leak can cost about $4,800 per month!
At LANS Company, minimizing these expenses are a top priority. Tips to reduce compressed air costs:
1. Don’t overlook those “minor” air leaks by repairing and replacing piping.
2. Preserve the compressor through routine maintenance – just like you would your car. A dirty oil removal filter can waste 2% of your electrical bill while a soiled inlet filter can waste 3% and a clogged air/oil separator up to 5%.
3. Purchase a premium efficient motor, not only do you save beaucoup bucks on your electrical bill, but Edison offers significant rebates that offset the initial cost.
4. Consider a no-loss auto drain which can significantly reduce lost air.
5. Size the compressor based on the CFM you typically need. Don’t oversize your compressor.
6. Prepare for OSHA inspections early. Don’t allow surprise visits to leave you with a violation. Instead, have your compressor technician examine the system and make recommendations/changes before an audit.
Tip provided by Shannon Richards
LANS Company Inc.
Glendora, CA 91740
Phone: 626-963-9457
http://www.lanscompany.com
December 20, 2007
PdMA Drawing - Items to Create a World Class Lube Room
Our friends at PdMA offer in-stock inventory for the Reliability Brands products including Oil Safe as well as the NEW Grease Safe and Labels Safe products at great prices.
Now they are offering one lucky Reliabilityweb.com member or web site visitor a complete set of 5 Oil Safe drums and accessories for storing, dispensing and transporting lubricants. Also with this giveaway they are including your chance to get some of the new Label Safe and Grease Safe products. Label Safe products provide labeling solutions for bulk storage to point of use. The Grease Safe products allow for organized storing and handling of grease cartridges. Be one of the first to try out the new products and to build your world class lube room at no cost if your name is randomly drawn at the end of the month.
You must enter by December 31 to have a chance to win!
December 20, 2007
PC Maintenance Tip
When we use a computer for our vibration and or infrared, or oil analysis software, and have many months, or even years of data saved in our computer, do not forget how important it is to back this data up at a minimum of at least once a week.
Sometimes we get caught up in our daily data collections and we don’t think about backing our systems up because they have never failed us before, but just like the equipment that we monitor and do PM’s on we have to include our computers.
One way to make sure that the back-ups are done is to contact your IT department and get them to set them automatically, but it is always wise to check that these automatic back-ups are being done.
Take it form someone who has spent the last month rewriting routes because of a failed hard drive.
Reader tip provided by Chad Tuttle
Maintenance Reliability Technician
Republic Paperboard
Lawton Oklahoma
We feel your pain Chad! Thanks for sharing this great tip. Your stainless steel diamond plate Reliabilityweb.com coffee mug is on the way!
December 20, 2007
Maintenance Tip
As a Maintenance Manager in a large automotive manufacturing plant, I faced this same problem as pointed out by Mac Smiths earlier PM/CM Tip. I answered it by creating a new work type called PMO for PM Originated work.
This did two things for our organization:
- It allowed us to measure the effectiveness of our PM system by determining what percentage of our repairs were driven by the most qualified individuals (Maintenance Crafts Personnel) and;
- Created a category of work management costs that could be directly compared to the cost of running to failure by considering downtime, cost of quality, and the added cost of repair that would be incurred by affecting other components or systems.
This requires the PM focus to be one of; clean, lubricate, and inspect, and allows for better scheduling of PM tasks by forecasting accurate equipment downtime associated to the PM routine. This helps maintain the relationship with the equipment stakeholders by only having it down the time that you requested and agreed to as much as possible, and allows the mechanics to complete their scheduled work by not bogging them down into lengthy repairs.
This will help the entire organization see that the PM efforts are manageable and supportive of changing the culture from reactive to proactive. This is also a mandatory mind set shift if you ever expect to reach the best in class goal for scheduling accuracy of 95%.
By closing the PM work order and creating a new PMO workorder the parts needed to repair could be ordered against this work type which separates the cost of repair and PM and properly identifies it as PM originated expenses.
Not only does this accurately identifies cost it improves equipment downtime when it is possible to return the equipment to service and wait on the arrival of spares with the equipment running.
Any good EAMS/CMMS software support consultant can help you configure your system to support this process. If your software or consultant is not capable, find a new one, otherwise you will never reach the full potential of your groups human capital, or clearly identify for management the true value of being proactive through preventive measures. Mr. Smiths points are accurate and valid, but there are solutions for these problems.
Roger Harris CMRP CPMM
Senior Business Consultant
Total Resource Management
MAXIMO & LAWSON Consultants
Cell: (502)664-7089
Thanks Roger - your Stainless Steel Diamond Plate Reliabilityweb.com coffee mug is on the way!
December 20, 2007
The Reliability Centered Maintenance Managers' Forum
RCM-2008
March 18-20, 2008
Orleans Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas Nevada
• Learn everything you need to build a world class Reliability Centered Maintenance Program
• Discover exciting new ideas and learn helpful techniques to jump start your Reliability Centered Maintenance program
• Learn how Maintenance & Reliability Professionals just like you are creating results with RCM
• Meet leading RCM service providers
• Learn how to track the results of your RCM program
• Attend EAM-2008 and MTrain-2008 sessions at no extra cost
• Internationally Endorsed by Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM) and Korea Standards Association (KSA)
• Free Membership in the new Reliabilityweb.com Roundtable
Super Early Bird Hotel and Conference Discounts apply
Please call (888) 575 1245 or…
December 20, 2007
World Class Maintenance Tip
Measure results.
A major problem in most of the current maintenance programs that we have personally witnessed is their inability to effectively collect and use data that describe certain fundamental items of technical and cost information that are necessary to manage and control the maintenance program.
Some of the important information items would include the following:
• Identify those Preventive Maintenance (PM) tasks that were defined by a Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) study so that their effectiveness in reducing or eliminating Corrective Maintenance (CM) can be continually evaluated
• Collect meaningful equipment history files in order to establish time-failure profiles and as-found equipment conditions. Then adjust the intervals assigned to PM tasks, and initiate root-cause failure studies as may seem appropriate
• Perform automated trend analyses from Condition-Directed PM tasks, including automatic preset alarms to warn of an impending approach of critical equipment failure modes
• Track the actual trends of maintenance costs and system availability factors in order to measure the overall impact of the maintenance optimization programs – and adjust as required
• Use these measurements to continually adjust and improve the maintenance program.
Tip provided by Anthony “Mac” Smith, Author, RCM - Gateway to World Class Maintenance, Butterworth-Heinemann, ISBN-10: 075067461X
December 20, 2007
Maintenance Tip
Maintenance Work Classifications:
Maintenance can be classified in four major categories:
1. Preventive Maintenance (PM)
2. Predictive Maintenance (PdM) aka: Condition Based Maintenance (CBM)
3. Corrective Maintenance (CM)
4. Capital Projects –Maintenance (CPM)
Maintenance Work 1,2, and 4 have been defined and all of us understand it. However, corrective maintenance creates lot of confusion.
3. Corrective Maintenance (CM): Asset repair resulting from PM & PdM actions or breakdown/failures.
Corrective Maintenance is repair of asset to bring it back to it’s designed or an acceptable condition.
The CM work can be further classified in three:
a) CM – Scheduled : The repair work discovered as a result of PM or PdM actions. This work should be or can be planned and scheduled.
b) CM - Run –to-Maintenance (RTM) : If we have performed FMEA/RCM analysis on a specific asset/component and made decision to not to perform any PM/PdM but to let it run –to –maintenance (failure) because it’s a cost effective strategy, then we will call this as CM-RTM. It’s not a negative. This failure is by design. This is not a critical asset and should be repaired in scheduled manner. ( Water cooler, circuit board, electrical component, or a line replaceable unit etc. )
c) CM – Unscheduled (Run-to-Failure) :
aka failure repair = breakdown maintenance = reactive maintenance
This CM is failure or breakdown work. It’s fixing of the asset after they fail. This work is also known as reactive. Most of the time this work will break the regular schedule to get it done.
Usually we have found that there is major confusion when we try to mix maintenance work with how we respond to get it done e.g. Emergency work is really CM-Unscheduled or reactive which needed to be done now. In some organizations, breakdown work is called urgent maintenance but could be done within 48 hours.
Reader tip by Ramesh Gulati
AEDC/ATA
Arnold AFB TN
Join the Discussion of Corrective Maintenance at MaintenanceForums.com
December 13, 2007
Walgreens Seeks Maintenance Managers and Technicians
Walgreens currently seeks qualified MAINTENANCE MANAGERS and MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS for 14 locations in our state-of-the-art Distribution Centers across the country.
Walgreens Distribution Centers have developed a reputation for finding the newest, most efficient and innovative ways to move merchandise.
