by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Jun 13, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, The Sustainable Plant
V-belts serve as the coupling method for a large percentage of equipment in the plant. Unfortunately, in my experience, V-belt maintenance is often trivialized. This two-part series focuses on a few precision-maintenance practices that can significantly improve the...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Jun 13, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, Workforce Issues
The world of reliability and maintenance is like most other professions with unique words, phrases, and terminology. Many of us grew up with this “language,” which makes some of the jargon and acronyms second-nature (“reliability-speak” and...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Jun 5, 2020 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
Digital Manufacturing, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Smart Manufacturing, Industry and/or Manufacturing 4.0 are a few of the buzzwords that have become pervasive in the industrial- equipment asset-management space. We are all excited. Even CEOs have been known...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | Jun 5, 2020 | Planning & Scheduling, RAM Tools & Methods
Einstein once said there are three rules of work: “Out of clutter find simplicity. From discord find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Those rules seem quite applicable in today’s RAM arena. Work is an honorable pursuit...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | May 30, 2020 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
When approaching the challenge of cost-justifying investments to enhance reliability of plant equipment, reliability professionals sometimes struggle to quantify the benefits. Although costs are typically rather easy to define, the benefits often hang us up and...
by Jim Seffrin, CMRP | May 29, 2020 | IR Thermography, RAM Tools & Methods
The more things change, the more they remain the same. This timeless observation is especially true when referring to the seemingly revolutionary image fusion feature found on some of today’s modern thermal imagers. The fusion feature found on some modern thermal...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | May 23, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, The Bloch Files
Many decades ago, my grandmother would leverage the old adage in this title to remind me about the importance of taking precautionary measures. Neither she nor I, though, ever could have imagined how that saying would apply to reciprocating compressors some 77 years...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | May 15, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, Workforce Issues
Over the past few months, I’ve been modernizing my home office. In the course of my rigorous spring cleaning, sorting, and pitching, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the amount of “stuff” that had accumulated during my four decades of consulting and...
by Ken Bannister, MEch (UK), CMRP, MLE, Editor | May 2, 2020 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
During a recent COVID-19-compelled social-distancing phone call with a colleague, our discussion turned to the topic of asset-management practices and their overall effect on equipment care and the maintenance workforce. My colleague then challenged me to identify the...
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | May 2, 2020 | RAM Tools & Methods, The Bloch Files
A machine manufacturer rediscovered the old axiom regarding extrapolations after experiencing many bearing failures in its 40-hp air blowers. The design incorporated life-time lubricated (sealed) blower bearings in rotors that spun 20-mm shafts at 22,000 rpm, and the...
