by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Apr 5, 2020 | Maintenance Management, Newsletter Column
I was talking with a maintenance-manager friend a few days ago about various topics, including the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Because his manufacturing plant supplies the automotive industry, it’s been ramping down toward a total shutdown. Despite the almost...
by Jane Alexander, Managing Editor | Apr 5, 2020 | Solution of the Week, Solution Showcase
The LR2 line-reactor series from AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA, has expanded with seven new frame sizes to match all GS, DURApulse, and WEG drives. The LR2 Series can also be used with a variety of other VFD brands. For wiring distances over 100 ft., the VTF (voltage,...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Apr 4, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, The Bloch Files, Workforce Issues
Managers have cause to ask for cost justifications or projections before they sign off on proposed equipment upgrades (see my Mar. 27, 2020, article). These projections are preferably on the safe side. They should not promise unrealistic returns on the investment....
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Apr 4, 2020 | Plant Operations, Workforce Issues
In football, a team’s quarterback and backfield typically receive the most attention. They handle the ball and get it where it’s going or intercept it. Little attention is given to the linemen who have one square yard of responsibility. And, in most cases, how...
by T.A. Cook, Part of Accenture | Apr 3, 2020 | SPONSORED INFORMATION
COVID-19 is disrupting all sectors, including asset management. Plants around the world are operating in emergency mode or have been shut down completely. There’s no hint as to how long the situation will last, nor can anyone realistically predict the scope of the...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Mar 29, 2020 | Newsletter Column, Workforce Issues
The year was 1859. That’s when Charles Dickens released his 13th novel to the public. Widely regarded as a masterpiece of fiction, A Tale of Two Cities opens with what is, arguably, the most famous opening line in English literature: “It was the best of times, it was...
by Jane Alexander, Managing Editor | Mar 29, 2020 | Solution of the Week, Solution Showcase
The Enlight IMx-1, from SKF (Lansdale, PA, and Gothenburg, Sweden) is a compact, vibration and temperature sensor for monitoring the condition of rotating parts on heavy industrial machinery. Intended for use as part of an SKF Rotating Equipment Performance (REP)...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Mar 28, 2020 | Electrical Reliability, Motors & Drives
The graph in Fig. 1 below is often quoted as showing the average failure rates in a population of electric motors throughout industry, and cited as the results of a 1983 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) study. This General Electric study of large power-plant...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Mar 27, 2020 | Training & Qualification
One of the toughest challenges in teaching and coaching is when the would-be learner responds by saying “I know how to do it.” I’m sure such individuals are absolutely, positively convinced they know how to do “it” (whatever “it” may be). The question we as teachers...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Mar 27, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, The Bloch Files
In the mid-1980a, one of my informal mentors held a mid-level management position at a refinery just North of Galveston, TX. He was a highly respected, educated man of few words. His advice was always factual, pure common sense. One of his core beliefs was simply...
