by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Jun 11, 2021 | Plant Operations, Tech Reviews, The Bloch Files
Steam traps are found in virtually every industrial steam system. They allow separation of steam from condensate and are indispensable for equipment reliability and thermally optimized-systems efficiency. It is generally known that traps can fail either “hot”...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Jun 6, 2021 | Asset Management, Lubrication Corner
If a machine is to provide service life past its warranty stage, its designer must envision and consider all operating conditions under which the machine will operate in the field. For example, to mitigate the effects of severe and semi-severe conditions, the design...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Jun 6, 2021 | Newsletter Column, The Sustainable Plant
The past few weeks have been a pressure cooker for large oil and gas companies. The message delivered by shareholders was clear: “Get serious about your environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance [particularly regarding climate impacts].” Consider...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Jun 4, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, RAM Tools & Methods
In surveys and studies, as well as actual root-cause analyses (RCA) and troubleshooting activities in plants and facilities, a trend seems to have emerged: focusing on a point of failure or loss and not looking deeper into the system-related issues. Unfortunately,...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Jun 4, 2021 | Training & Qualification, Workforce Issues
Permit me to do some recapping here: In my May 31, 2021, newsletter column for The RAM Review (see link below), I brought up a report issued by the MIT Sloan School of Management’s Task Force on Work of the Future in the fall of 2020. It discussed the...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Jun 4, 2021 | Asset Management, Tech Reviews, The Bloch Files
As industrial gas turbines began evolving from aircraft jet engines in the 1950s, the need for high-torque and/or higher-speed-capable flexible couplings became more evident. To keep pace, these shaft connectors were enhanced to achieve greater power...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | May 31, 2021 | Newsletter Column, Workforce Issues
The dilemma around workforce training persists today, as it has for decades. Same challenge, different situation. “If we train them, they’ll leave for a better job at another company, maybe even our competitor’s!” The other side of the dilemma: “If we don’t train...
by Jane Alexander, Managing Editor | May 30, 2021 | Solution Showcase
Emerson, St. Louis, MO, has introduced the PACEdge software platform to help manufacturers quickly create and scale up machine-performance-improving applications.The PACEdge release coincides with the launch of Emerson’s new PACSystems RXi2-BP edge computer, a small...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | May 29, 2021 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
Here, and for the next six weeks in The RAM Review, I’ll be focusing on leading metrics that help drive proactive behaviors on the plant floor, increase MTBF/MTTF, decrease MTTR, and reduce the variability of those averages. Keep in mind, as I wrote in my May...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | May 29, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, Tech Reviews
I recently had the opportunity to review/test the Onics neutral-harmonic filter. The goal was to assess the technology’s impact on energy and reliability. Having investigated the old power-factor “energy savers” and related attempts in the 1990s, I...
