by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Jan 10, 2022 | Asset Management
It has been said before: All data is not created equal. In my “Dispatches From The Plant” newsletter column of Jan. 4, 2022 (see link below), I touched on the dark and bright sides of the data tsunamis flowing into (and through) plant environments...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Jan 10, 2022 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods, The Bloch Files
Successful failure-analysis and -avoidance strategies will have structure and be repeatable. Within the scope of this article, the reader is (again) reminded of some straightforward routines that have been in use since the 1960s. These techniques are anchored in two...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Jan 10, 2022 | Asset Management, Electrical Reliability
In most of my articles, the terms Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA) and Motor Current Signature Analysis (MCSA) have been interchangeable. There are, however, differences in how the in-depth analysis of both voltage and current views the system versus just the...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Jan 2, 2022 | Asset Management, Electrical Reliability
As noted in Part IV of this series (see link below), determining the potential life of a machine can be relatively complex and, thus, call for some detailed experimental studies. In this series installment, we will review the potential life of the insulation on a...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Dec 13, 2021 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
In Part 3 of this series (see links below ) on Yield/Speed, the second element of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), we discussed production-induced losses. This week, we address market and/or market- and marketing-induced Yield/Speed losses. One doesn’t commonly...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Dec 12, 2021 | Asset Management, Beyond RAM
Many readers of The RAM Review will be familiar with the old poem that begins “‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” Regardless of who really wrote the original version (either Clement Clarke...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Dec 12, 2021 | Asset Management, Newsletter Column
When a new piece of equipment arrives at your plant, many crucial design decisions will already have been made to provide a machine that’s functional, safe, reliable, usable, manufacturable, and maintainable. Good design is no accident. It’s a result of an...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Dec 4, 2021 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
In Parts 1 and 2 of this series on the second element of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), we discussed Yield/Speed in general, as well as various equipment-related issues of poor yield performance (see links to Parts 1 and 2 below.) This week, we are looking at...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Dec 4, 2021 | Asset Management, Plant Operations
Consultants abound. There are plenty of them (us) offering a range of just about any type of assistance and services that a business might ever need. I’ve served as a consultant to hundreds of operations and thousands of individuals for more years than I care to...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Nov 28, 2021 | Asset Management, Lubrication Corner
It’s very much a lubrication issue. When two metal surfaces are expected to interact, if they are not to weld to each other due to excess friction, they must be kept apart. That’s accomplished with a suitable film of lubricating oil. Some 50 years...
