When focusing your camera, try using a grayscale or monochrome palette.

It seems a lot easier to get a sharper focus.You can change palettes either after you get your camera focused or in the software when analyzing. Experiment with the palettes, different palettes work best for different applications.

Reader Tip provided by Alan Clarke
Systems Technician
Nyrstar Clarksville Inc.
Clarksville TN

Thanks Alan - your stainless steel, diamond plate Reliabilityweb.com coffee mug is on the way. We sure got a lot of good tips from Tennessee this week!

More Infrared Resources

The ability to effectively troubleshoot failures has a direct impact on each and every failure that occurs at your plant.

The most effective way to build a complete and thorough troubleshooting guide is by completing a RCM analysis on that asset. The effectiveness and accuracy of the troubleshooting guide alone will typically cover the costs of most RCM analyses over a three year period.

Tip provided by Doug Plucknette
RCM Discipline Leader
Allied Reliability, Inc.
Tel: 888-414-5760

Find out more about RCM Blitz - Fast Reliability Centered Maintenance

Weekly Maintenance Schedule

Always include Operations Management in your weekly Maintenance Scheduling meeting along with Maintenance Managers and Coordinators.

Operation’s early acceptance of next week’s schedule will often result in improved equipment availability and schedule compliance.

Tip provided by Kin Cook
AssetPoint LLC
(864) 458-3333 Phone

Find out more about AssetPoint

May 6-8, 2008
Knoxville Marriott
Knoxville, Tennessee

Now in the 12th year of presenting an annual conference in the vital area of maintenance and reliability, the University of Tennessee Maintenance and Reliability Center, together with Reliabilityweb.com, is again providing an opportunity to interact with attendees from both industry and academia; from both the private and the public sectors; from organizations just starting in maintenance and reliability to those well along in their journey.

This conference will allow the attendees to immerse themselves in ideas—some new, some reinforcing already known truths—to help them better prepare for meeting and beating the competition. In addition to the excellent papers, panel discussions and other formal exchanges, there will be plenty of time for networking and sharing with both old and new acquaintances.

Find out more about MARCON 2008

Machine Repairs.

Tired of repeating the same old repairs day in and day out.

Then change your troubleshooting culture to reflect reliability.

[Root Cause]and [Eliminating Unplanned Failures]!!!!!

Call it RAMP-P.
Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, Predictability and be Proactive.

When performing a repair try these steps.

1) Gather as much information as you can from the operators or others that operate the equipment.

2)Understand the failure. Problem and Failure modes.

3)Can this be monitored [ by human or technology ]. Identify the parameters.

4) Find the Root Cause / Source of the problem.

5)Correct the failure.

6)VERIFY the REPAIR. [Very Important] Verification by fact’s.

7)Perform Root Cause Analysis and apply countermeasures to eliminate or reduce the failure.

! In Everything Man Designs carries the seeds of it’s own Destruction !!

Reliability must be built in at design to be most effective. So please offer your suggestions to those responsible for procurement and evaluation of equipment.

Work Smart and make sound decisions based on fact. Not the touchy / feely method. You must provide factual data. This alone will provide the necessary information to others so to aid in the improvement of assets reliability.

Reader Tip provided by Landon B. Humphrey
Maintenance Supervisor
Denso Mfg
Maryville TN

Thanks Landon - your stainless steel, diamond plate Reliabilityweb.com coffee mug is on the way!

Get your own coffee mug - send a Maintenance-Tip today

The backbone of all proactive maintenance is up to date data on the machine status, obtained with two well-tested frontline techniques.

Vibration severity monitoring according to ISO standards diagnoses general machine condition. Shock pulse monitoring with the True SPM Method gives early warning of bearing deterioration, the most common cause of machine failures.

Find our more about Leonova Infinity from SPM Instruments

Don’t be Caught Short-handed During Your Install

You have lined everything up and planned out all of the details for your Infrared Window Installation. Your pre-assessment was complete and thorough, and you have a good estimate of how many IR Viewing Panes you require, where they need to be placed, etc. But did you plan for the unexpected?

During installation, you may find that the interior of a couple of cabinets are a bit different than anticipated and maybe you need another couple windows or a different size than you have on-hand. You might find that you need spares, but those switchgear and the MCC’s need to be up and running again by tomorrow – not enough time even for an overnight delivery. Thank goodness you remember to “be prepared:” You ordered a few extra windows and in various sizes and therefore “planned for the unexpected.” You probably won’t get your picture on the wall of fame in the lobby, and probably no one will even know how smart you were. But if you didn’t plan for the unexpected, how many people would have known then?

We suggest that if you are completing an infrared window installation program that you hold an additional 10% above your estimate in various sizes. If you want some help, just contact us and we’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about planning for, installing or using IR windows.

Tip provided Martin Robinson
IRISS
Tel: +1 (941) 907-9128
Email:

Why Use IR Windows?

What if maintenance and surgery were both performed the same?

I noticed some interesting things the other day while waiting for a family member to have in-patient surgery at the hospital. Being a “die-hard” maintenance guy I figured out the way to have efficient and effective maintenance…

Approach it the same way the Doctor’s and Nurse’s did at the hospital. I know before you dismiss the idea all together think about it for a minute. This entire event was the ultimate planned, scheduled, and coordinated activity I had ever witnessed.

Although the event was not-pre-planned or scheduled, it had a standard “job plan” (task understanding). The Doctor and Nurse each understood the job requirements. An operating room was pre-scheduled for such emergencies (contingency planning). The Doctor’s scheduled was updated to accomplish the surgery while completing all other surgery’s scheduled for that day (contingency scheduling). Required instruments to perform the surgery were staged in the operating room (staging of necessary task items). The surgery was scheduled for 45-minutes and was completed in 45-minutes (schedule adherence). After the patient was moved from the recovery room and was being prepared for release the Doctor followed up to insure the surgery was successful (asset follow up to ensure proper operation).

The most amazing part was never once did I see the Doctor or the Nurse run to the storeroom for additional parts or have to research technical information. Imagine if your organization performed with the same level of efficiency and effectiveness? Or imagine if your maintenance personnel were performing surgery on you…

Remember task understanding, contingency planning, contingency scheduling, staging of necessary items, schedule adherence, and follow-up are all essential to successful maintenance. If not you could be in for a long recovery…

Tip provided by Dave Bertolini
Managing Principal
People and Processes, Inc.

Learn more about People and Processes