by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Feb 2, 2020 | Asset Management, The Sustainable Plant
In the first two parts of this series on sustainable-asset-management practices (see links below), we examined how maintenance departments can implement energy-control strategies while using environmentally acceptable/friendly lubrication products. Here in Part III,...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Feb 1, 2020 | Cut the FLAB, Maintenance Management
Several of the optimum reference states (ORS) that I defined for precision maintenance in a Dec. 22, 2019, article relate to getting threaded fasteners, i.e., nuts and bolts, tight without stripping them. Proper tensioning of threaded fasteners is critical to our...
by Jane Alexander, Managing Editor | Jan 27, 2020 | Solution of the Week, Solution Showcase
According to Kaeser, Fredricksburg, VA, its redesigned High Temperature Refrigerated Dryer (HTRD) with quick-release front panel offers easy installation and low maintenance. By reducing water and harmful contaminants in compressed air systems, these multitaskers are...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Jan 27, 2020 | Newsletter Column, Plant Reliability in Dollars and $ense
You’ve no doubt heard the old saying, “What gets measured gets done.” The statement is partially true. In reality, what gets rewarded gets done. As it happens, in the real world, what gets measured is usually what gets rewarded. So, we must be very careful about what...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Jan 25, 2020 | Electrical Reliability, Motors & Drives, Safety Matters
One of the least understood, yet critical, components of power quality is the grounding system. While we cannot cover all variations of these systems, it’s important to note that the primary methods are grounded/bonded; resistance ground; and,...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Jan 24, 2020 | Plant Operations, Workforce Issues
We are well into an economic boom and a talent bust. The economy is stronger than it has been for decades. But the skilled talent needed to continue fueling that type of booming economy is in extremely short supply—shorter than it has ever been since World War II....
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Jan 24, 2020 | Learning from Mistakes, The Bloch Files, Workforce Issues
A few years ago. I was asked to summarize the root causes of massive bearing failures on a pump and its steam turbine driver. The resulting fire was quickly extinguished and could be called a “near miss.” The most likely cause had been confusion, or lack of...
by Jane Alexander, Managing Editor | Jan 20, 2020 | Solution of the Week, Solution Showcase
Emerson, St. Louis, has introduced the Plantweb Insight Inline Corrosion application to supply real-time interpretation and analysis of critical data that helps oil and gas operations prioritize maintenance and make informed integrity decisions, and improve worker...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Jan 20, 2020 | Newsletter Column, The Bloch Files, Workforce Issues
Mark Twain has been credited with a quote to the effect that the owner of a book who won’t read it has no advantage over a person who cannot read. We would call such a person an “analphabet,” and he or she surely would not feel flattered by the moniker. Today’s...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Jan 18, 2020 | Asset Management, The Sustainable Plant
In Part I of this “Fingerprint to Footprint” series (published Jan. 3, 2020), we examined how a maintenance department can easily adopt an energy-control strategy as part of its proactive-maintenance program. Here, in Part II, we discuss a common example of that type...
