by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Mar 28, 2022 | Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
Manufacturing processes typically incorporate a flow, including equipment, conveyance, and manual-work processes, which are organized in ways that convert incoming materials/items into sub-assemblies and/or finished goods. Efficient processes achieve a smooth and...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Mar 26, 2022 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
One message floating around the physical-asset management community is that “reliability and maintenance are an income.” It resonates deeply given the fact everyone wants to feel that whatever we do is important to our organizations. Maintenance is clearly...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Mar 21, 2022 | Newsletter Column, RAM Tools & Methods
Back in the day (the late 1970s and early 1980s, to be exact), we learned from Philip B. Crosby’s book that “Quality is Free.” Crosby’s basic concept was based on his “zero defects” quality-improvement approach. This landmark approach was initially...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Mar 20, 2022 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
Continuing with our focus on metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), let’s carry on with our discussion of the balance sheet, i.e., the denominator in the Return on Net Assets (RONA) equation that has been addressed in previous installments of The RAM Review)....
by Heinz Bloch, P.E., Editor | Mar 6, 2022 | RAM Tools & Methods, The Bloch Files
For years, it has been the contention of Reliability Professionals that root cause failure analysis (RCFA) is a skill that must be taught, absorbed, and consistently practiced. We agree with the CEO of a prominent RCFA training company, which, for several decades, has...
by Jim Seffrin, CMRP | Mar 6, 2022 | IR Thermography, RAM Tools & Methods
Emissivity refers to an object’s ability to radiate infrared (IR) energy. Because infrared instruments measure radiant energy, it’s imperative for a thermographer to understand Emissivity and how it can vary. All objects above 0 Kelvin radiate IR energy. The...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Feb 27, 2022 | RAM Tools & Methods
All too often, downtime tracking isn’t done with root-cause analysis and problem-solving in mind. The high end of the Pareto chart catches our attention as the most penalizing downtime. But we will be further from solving the problem when tracking downtime...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Feb 19, 2022 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
This week, we continue our exploration of metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that support effective management of equipment assets in manufacturing, process, and other heavy industries. Here, our focus is on the balance sheet. But first, some recapping is...
by Bob Williamson, CMRP, CPMM, MIAM, Editor | Feb 19, 2022 | RAM Tools & Methods, Workforce Issues
Reliability-improvement goals and activities are often focused within a “reliability movement,” rather than on overall business goals. These types of efforts tend to emphasize maintenance improvements, such as, among other things, PM optimization, robust predictive...
by Drew Troyer, CRE, CMRP, T.A. Cook/Accenture, Editor | Feb 14, 2022 | Asset Management, RAM Tools & Methods
In my Feb. 6, 2022, article for The RAM Review (see link below) I addressed the important key performance indicator (KPI) Return on Net Assets (RONA). A measure of management effectiveness, RONA is calculated by dividing an organization’s income statement by...
