by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, Editor | Jun 13, 2021 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
This week, I continue my multi-installment focus on leading metrics that help drive proactive behaviors with a discussion of Overall Lubrication Effectiveness (OLE). It builds upon my May 29, 2021, article for The RAM Review (see link below) on Overall Inspection...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Jun 11, 2021 | RAM Tools & Methods
When confronted with performing maintenance on a newly purchased and installed machine versus an older machine covered in production swarf, oil, grease, dirt, water, and accumulated grime, on which would you prefer to work? Good housekeeping is an essential and...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Jun 11, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, RAM Tools & Methods
As discussed in my June 5, 2021, article (Part 8, see link below), taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture can change your perspective greatly. Consider, for example, unsatisfactory equipment operation, including not meeting expected performance;...
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 Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, 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 22, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, RAM Tools & Methods
In their ground-breaking 1978 report for the U.S. Military titled, “Reliability-Centered Maintenance,” Fred Nowlan and Howard Heap discussed what was to become known as the “P-F Curve,” as well as how to use it to select optimal testing...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | May 22, 2021 | Plant Operations, RAM Tools & Methods
Have you ever wanted to implement a maintenance improvement program or project, only to have it voted down or shelved by management? Sadly, many great ideas, even if they make great economic sense, never receive sponsorship unless presented to management in the...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | May 16, 2021 | Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
For many years, the all-purpose tool was well represented by the Swiss army knife. In time, favor turned to the Leatherman multi-tool and its many facsimiles. Although these previous-generation items are still useful, they pale in comparison to today’s...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, Editor | May 15, 2021 | Asset Management, Plant Operations, RAM Tools & Methods
In my last article for The RAM Review (May 8, 2021), I focused on the important role metrics play in driving behaviors in a plant (see link below) I want to carry on with that theme this week to discuss mean time between failure (MTBF), mean time to failure (MTTF),...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | May 14, 2021 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods, The Bloch Files
In my April 22, 2021, article for The RAM Review, I wrote about KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), noting that not all of them make sense (see link below). One such example dates back several few years, when I sat down with a competent machinery-reliability...
