by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Apr 9, 2021 | Newsletter Column, Plant Operations, The Bloch Files
Several years ago, during a round of technical pump-related communications with a reliability engineer in Europe, he sent a particularly thought-provoking note. This engineer worked for a prominent oil refiner and, clearly, wanted to let me know all that glitters is...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Apr 5, 2021 | Newsletter Column, Training & Qualification
Developing maintenance training needn’t be complicated. It can be straightforward when focused on specific outcomes. Training alone, though, doesn’t make a person proficient in performing newly learned tasks on the job. The critical (often overlooked)...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Mar 29, 2021 | Asset Management, Newsletter Column
If asked where a maintenance-improvement program should focus its initial efforts within your organization, how would you respond? If you answer, “understand and improve our stakeholder and partner relationships,” you have truly grasped the holistic, or universal key...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Mar 21, 2021 | Newsletter Column, Plant Operations
Reliability improvement in some plants is far from business as usual, especially when departments and staff are shorthanded. The key is to stay focused on solving the most compelling problems, one step at a time. And that can be a challenge by itself. I’m reminded of...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Mar 14, 2021 | Newsletter Column, Plant Operations
The unfolding events of the past year forced many individuals and businesses to become introspective about change. Although COVID-19 has brought about much disruption in our daily lives, it also has acted as a catalyst for positive and innovative action in the...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, Editor | Mar 6, 2021 | Asset Management, Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
Much attention is paid to the foundational elements that are necessary to ensure equipment and process reliability in plants. Still, in the end, reliability really comes down to people employing tools and materials to effectively execute maintenance plans. That is the...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Feb 28, 2021 | Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
Mean time to repair/restore (MTTR) is the maintenance metric that summarizes the historical time taken to make necessary repairs and adjustments to return equipment to its desired operational state. In other words, “Fix it fast, fix it right.” When I ponder the...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Feb 22, 2021 | Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
I was recently listening to a radio interview of the great Frank Oz. You may recall that Oz is the master puppeteer and voice behind such iconic Muppets and Sesame Street characters as Miss Piggie, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Cookie Monster, Grover, and Bert, as well as Yoda...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Feb 14, 2021 | Newsletter Column, Plant Operations
Have you noticed shortages of food products, lumber, concrete, parts, supplies, and power tools, among other things? Many people are puzzled by shortages of what used to be common items in the marketplace. There are other shortages as well. COVID-19 and a volatile...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Feb 6, 2021 | Newsletter Column, The Bloch Files
Today (in 2021) as in 1975, I count bright Failure Investigators and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) among my trusted briefers and updaters. One of them recently sent me a 58-second YouTube video clip (TikTok Edition) of a hole-test exercise that caught my attention. In...
