March 20, 2008
Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Tip
A firefighting maintenance culture leads to skilled craftspeople that become incapable of identifying the Failure Modes of your components. The end result is a crew of component changers who now look to increase the speed at which they replace the failed component. Reliability Centered Maintenance builds the skills of craftspeople and operators by instructing them how to identify the specific causes of failure. In understanding the specific causes of failure we can now look to detect, reduce, eliminate, or reduce the consequences of each failure.
Tip provided by Doug Plucknette
RCM Discipline Leader
Allied Reliability, Inc.
Toll Free: 888-414-5760
Find out more about RCM Blitz - Fast Reliability Centered Maintenance
March 20, 2008
Walgreens currently seeks qualified MAINTENANCE MANAGERS and MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS for 14 location
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. For more information,
March 20, 2008
Sensor Tip
Interchanging sensors between manufacturers
Automated, production, and material handling systems typically contain multiple photoelectric and/or proximity sensors. When these fail, you can be left scrambling for a suitable replacement that is readily available to help eliminate the associated downtime. This can be of special concern on equipment brought in from off-shores. Whether you interchange between manufactures yourself or look to your MRO product supplier, it is important to have available the operating conditions as well as the model number (m/n) or part number (p/n).
It is a common practice to pull the existing sensor specifications from off the manufacturers website (when available) and to look for a replacement containing the same listed features. This can be a very time consuming and frustrating experience.
To ease the interchange, identify the actual process and wiring requirements. You may not need to match all of the features contained in the model, only those that are application specific.
Naturally you will need to maintain the critical features such as ac or dc power and voltage as well as a similar method of control output, but not all existing features may be required. For example, consider reviewing the required mounting arrangement. Can the sensor shape or barrel size change? Can you use either a quick connect or a connected cable sensor? What is the required sensing distance? There is no need to search for a sensor with an excessively long sensing distance when not required by the application.
What is the method of detection? With photoelectrics, there is no need to search for a sensor that provides multiple detection means, such as retro reflective, diffuse reflective, or background suppression when only through-beam detection is required.
Taking a little time to understand the process requirements can save you a considerable amount of time in research and assist you in finding a cost competitive solution.
Reader tip provided by Robert Horton
Electrical Product Specialist
Kaman Industrial Technologies
Rochester NY
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March 20, 2008
Maintenance Tip
As simple as a Ziploc bag
Condition monitoring tasks are becoming a significant part of the daily efforts of operations and maintenance staff in successful organizations. The utilization of these specialized handheld data collectors has raised the question of how to protect the units from the wet, dirty, and harsh environments of industry. The solution may be as close as your local grocery store. A gallon size resealable (Ziploc) bag is a cost effective way to protect your investment in technology. Just slip you handheld device in the clear bag and zip it closed. The bag allows viewing of the screen and the thin wall of the bag does not hinder the use of the touch screen. When you are ready to cradle the unit to download the data just open the bag and the unit is clean and dry.
Tip provided by Trico Corp.
Pewaukee, WI
Tel: 262.691.9336
March 20, 2008
Best-In-Class Performers
A benchmark study by the Aberdeen Group supports the findings of prior benchmarking indicating: “Best-In-Class Performers will have 45-55% of their total labor hours driven by Condition Based Monitoring (CBM) inspections and the elimination of defects identified through CBM activities”.
Without a thorough understanding of the defects present in a facility, it is virtually impossible to effectively plan and a schedule work.
The professionals at Allied Reliability can show you how Return on Asset Reliability (ROAR™) can measure the success of investments in plant reliability. For more information on Condition Based Monitoring and other Allied Reliability offerings, please call toll free: 888-414-5760.
Find our more about Condition Based Monitoring and other Allied Reliability offerings
March 20, 2008
Maintenance Data Tip
You can’t manage effectively without data.
“Should I authorize overtime next week?” “Should I extend the overhaul frequency on the XYZ machine?” “Is my PM program working the way it should?” “Where am I using the most labor and material resources?” These are all typical questions that face Maintenance Managers every day. Poor managers answer them with “gut feel”; good managers answer them with data. Where does this data come from? Obviously, much of it is provided by a properly functioning work order system (see number 2 above). Other sources are the production and quality control systems.
Data also provides an opportunity to create a set of performance indicators that tell you how you’re doing against your goals and where your improvement opportunities lie. Performance indicators will drive behavior; the right set of indicators will drive the right behaviors. As such, they should be linked to business objectives to avoid the danger of “sub-optimizing” the maintenance function at the expense of the overall facility.
It is always easier to sell an improvement idea to senior management if the justification uses objective data. Very few managers in senior positions have a deep understanding of the maintenance function; the merits of an idea may not be as obvious to them as it is to the folks on the shop floor. Ideas presented along with factual data, such as “upgrading this machine will result in the reduction of X lost tons at a value of Y dollars”, will stand a much better chance of success.
Tip provided by Management Resources Group, Inc.
203.264.0500 x136
http://www.mrginc.net
iPresentation Invitation: Master Records Are Not Optional! Get the Detail Work Behind You
March 13, 2008
Maintenance Reliability Training by MRG
Don’t be left behind the training curve.
The Maintenance Reliability team needs to keep on top of their game with effective maintenance and reliability training.
March 13, 2008
Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Tip
RCM analyses are best conducted at off site locations that allow the RCM team to focus on completing the task at hand. Interruptions for day to day plant issues slow the progress of the RCM analysis and often disrupt the entire team.
If the expense of off site rooms is an issue with your plant you need to learn to be creative. I have conducted RCM analyses in Fire Halls, Legion Halls, Town Halls and Elk Lodges. We have even arranged to have other local companies share conference rooms at no expense.
One of the great values of having a Reliability Centered Maintenance culture is the learning that there is a solution to every problem.
Tip provided by Doug Plucknette
RCM Discipline Leader
Allied Reliability, Inc.
Tel: 888-414-5760
Find out more about RCM Blitz - Fast Reliability Centered Maintenance
March 13, 2008
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March 13, 2008
Is It Preventive Maintenance (PM) or Corrective Maintenance (CM)?
Follow up maintenance from a PM observation or procedure is the return on our PM investment.
Any extra corrective activity that is not part of the preventive maintenance strategy or procedure, but a result of it must be captured on a separate work order and coded as such. Additionally, it is a proactive activity and the work order should be deemed as such. In a lean maintenance environment, follow up corrective work from PM’s should amount to 12% to 20% of the PM total. This is your payback for performing the PM’s.
This is essential for an efficient Work Management system. The work management system is the backbone of any Reliability and Lean Maintenance Program. All work activity must get recorded and properly coded into different categories for performance, financial and root cause analysis. There should be only five to ten major work codes falling into the categories of Proactive, Reactive and Other. This should not be confused with problem codes. Work data that gets recorded, measured and analyzed gets continuously improved.
In conclusion from the data analysis, If data shows large amounts of corrective work resulting from PM’s or emergency work activity on PM’d equipment then the PM frequency may need to be shortened. Hone your program until you reach the 12% to 20% Sweet Spot.
Reader tip provided by Leon Reed
Sr. Reliability Engineer, CMRP
Eli Lilly
Indianapolis IN
Thanks for continuing this discussion Leon - your stainless steel diamond plate coffee mug is on the way!
