Slow-Rolling Machines Can Cause Failures
Taking it easy doesn’t always work out. According to the author, intuitive logic can lead well-meaning but misinformed plant personnel astray. He offers real-world examples to back up his argument.
Balance Sheet Basics For Asset Managers (Part 2): Inventory Management
Reducing inventory is a great way to lean your balance sheet. A good rule of thumb is that inventory carrying costs equal 22% of the inventory value per year. Carrying costs directly impact the bottom line.
Life, Digital Transformation, And Everything
The times they are a’changing. And fast. So are terms and meanings around digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, among other things. The author gets into details.
Machine-Downtime Tracking: Whose Job Is It?
The answer to the above question may surprise you. As this week’s newsletter columnist explains, the responsibility doesn’t lie where many organizations think it does. And for a very important reason.
Inadequate RCFA Is Not A Best Practice
To this author, the idea of letting someone solve tough plant-equipment problems solely on his/her own isn’t a best practice. He advises shunning some of those “quick-and-effortless” analyses.
An Infrared Matter: Understanding Emissivity
Thermographers often obtain emittance values in published tables, but that can introduce temperature-measurement errors. Calculating emittance with thermal imagers is a better approach.
Considering The Direct Energy And Environmental Impact Of Misalignment
Misalignment reduces the life of bearings and other components. But what’s the impact associated with it, meeting basic alignment tolerances, and precision alignment? The author investigated.
Seeking Reliable Incoming Power: Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA) At The Meter
It’s a problem in plants: More thought may go into understanding greasing of a bearing that affects one machine for a few hours than understanding conditions that can shut down facilities for weeks.
Consider Recessed-Impeller Pumps For Sludge
Conventional pumps may not cut it when handling free-flowing slurries, sludge, and fibrous materials. Standard centrifugals can clog, become vapor-bound, or wear excessively in such services.
Are You Too Busy For Details?
According to the author, answers to the above question might indicate whether plant personnel are part of “the problem” or part of “the solution.” Here, he explains why and poses followup questions.
