by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Sep 19, 2021 | Planning & Scheduling, RAM Tools & Methods
A key element of successful planning and scheduling in plants and facilities is to understand and ensure that critical assets are identified and maintained with higher priority than non-critical ones. Recognizing a critical asset, though, will depend on how a...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Sep 13, 2021 | Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
Up until a few years ago, I used to make an annual “back to my roots” pilgramage to visit my parents who lived just outside the old mill/market town of Wigan, in Northern England. Halfway between Liverpool and Manchester on the Leeds-Liverpool canal waterway system,...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Aug 30, 2021 | Asset Management, Lubrication Corner
Grease guns seem simple enough. But how well do you know yours? Do you know how to correctly cartridge and/or bulk load your gun? Do you know how to expel trapped air from it? Do you know its shot size in cc or cu in (e.g., in cubic centimeters or cubic inches)? Do...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Aug 21, 2021 | Asset Management, Plant Operations
In my social circle, the topic of conversation will, at some point, invariably turn to any and all things with engines, motors, and wheels. In a recent small gathering of conversation-starved friends (due to COVID lockdowns), this interesting question was posed: “How...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Aug 15, 2021 | RAM Tools & Methods
It’s often the case: Long before official maintenance-work requests get to Planners and show up in maintenance-management systems, the issues they cite have already been recognized. And, in turn, the equipment assets in question have been allowed to deteriorate....
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Aug 8, 2021 | Plant Operations, Safety Matters
Whether you believe in climate change or not, there’s no denying that Mother Nature has been acting in strange ways, not only across North America, but around the globe. In the past year alone, regions of the U.S. and other countries have experienced...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Aug 2, 2021 | Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
As an old proverb warns, “There are none so blind as those who do not see.” When it comes to maintenance inspections, that adage has both literal and metaphoric meanings. It’s no secret that visual acuity deteriorates as we get older. According to the illuminating...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Jul 26, 2021 | Maintenance Management, Workforce Issues
It’s been said before, “The times they are a’ changin’.” When it comes to today’s RAM arena, that statement is so very true. Industry’s need for quality maintenance-skilled trades has never been more acute. This difficult situation is due, largely,...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Jul 18, 2021 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
For most, a simple mention of the term “little black book” can conjure up thoughts of secret names, thoughts, event records, occurrences and the like. Yet, most of us, in one form or another, be it electronic or hand written, will keep a diary, logbook, memorandum...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Jul 11, 2021 | Asset Management, Lubrication Corner
The online resource Dictionary.com defines the word “clean” as “free from dirt,” “free from foreign and extraneous matter.” To most, “clean” is a subjective term, the interpretation of which depends on the subject matter and the interpreter’s standards for...
