Tag Archives: Reliability & Maintenance

Analyzing and eliminating the root cause of a failure is a powerful tool for improving plant reliability. At IDCON, we call this process Root Cause Problem Elimination (RCPE). We find that this term more accurately defines the desired outcome of the process. 

Imagine you work in a mill as a mechanic and get a work order that states: Replace bearings on a press roll due to high vibration level. You complete the work and the damaged bearings and seals were replaced according to the plan. The machine was started up and is now producing paper again.

TORBJÖRN IDHAMMAR, IDCON INC. Why do we need an Operations Maintenance Coordinator? Maintaining a good Reliability and Maintenance program requires sharpening existing skills and reminding ourselves of what we already know: that improving production reliability largely depends on the commitment and involvement of operations. To achieve this, assigning the role of an Operations Maintenance Coordinator (OMC) is critical. It is ...

"Gemba" is a Japanese word meaning the actual place where value is created, or where actions are executed. It includes Gemba walks to the actual place to observe, learn and improve work.

On April 20th at 10:30-11:00 AM (EST) in his second webinar in the “Keeping it Simple” series, Reliability and Maintenance Management expert Christer Idhammar gives you a glimpse into why “knowing why” is important in managing maintenance and how knocking bolts became the catalyst behind Christer’s philosophy. You’ll also learn some forgotten truths about managing maintenance processes. Join us through ...

Catch up with Tor's latest installment in the series "How to Document Cost-Effective Preventive Maintenance" here.

In terms of Maintenance Methods, there are three choices for existing equipment. They are Operate to Breakdown, Fixed Time Maintenance, and Condition Based Maintenance. Operate to Breakdown: The equipment is run until it breaks down. Fixed Time Maintenance: The replacement of parts or equipment on a fixed/scheduled frequency.  Condition Based Maintenance: The problem is found and fixed at the time when it is discovered. It is a common assumption that Condition Based Maintenance is always the most cost effective. While this is commonly the case, it is not always true.

Part 4 of this series will cover how to decide what PMs we should document first, and typically we do a criticality analysis. As we like to say at IDCON: Keep it simple. It is best to keep the criticality analysis as simple as possible. As with any type of criticality analysis, the formula is Risk x Consequence. The “risk” represents the probability of the failure or breakdown occurring, and the “consequence” could refer to safety, environmental, high cost, lost production, etc.

Part 3 in this series focuses on Preventive Maintenance documentation processes. In order to document a cost-effective preventive maintenance system, there must be a clear and established process in place for how to document PMs. It is not enough to rely on vendor information and personal experience alone.

A good valve — one that’s built to last and closes completely without pressure loss or leakage — improves worker safety in a mill.