There is a way to keep your ID fans running and eliminate unscheduled shutdowns. Increase productivity and reduce maintenance costs…

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What if you could get a daily maintenance schedule out in minutes rather than hours?

You are invited to a special recorded presentation that will discuss approaches that can be taken to improve SAP Plant Maintenance usability and streamline business process. The discussion will cover notification creation, maintenance order creation, parts ordering, resource management, resource scheduling, shift level operation scheduling, shift turnover activity, and maintenance order management.

Start your Planning and Scheduling in SAP Presentation

A convenient type of “log” scale is the decibel, or dB scale. This is actually a ratio scale that relates the measured amplitude level to a reference level.

Bell Telephone Labs introduced the concept of the decibel before 1930. It was first used to measure relative power loss and signal to noise ratio in telephone lines. It was soon pressed into service as a measure of acoustic sound pressure level.

Tip excerpted from Introduction to Machine Vibration by Glenn White

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When mounting or dismounting a roller bearing, the most important thing to remember is to apply the mounting or dismounting force to the side face of the ring with the interference fit. The force should not pass from one ring to the other through the ball or roller set, as internal damage can easily occur.

Tip provided by Ricky Smith and R. Keith Mobley, Co-Authors, Rules of Thumb for Maintenance and Reliability Engineers

Find out more about Rules of Thumb for Maintenance and Reliability Engineers

RCA Trigger Points

Training alone does not guarantee that an effective Root Cause Analysis will be performed when it is required. There is still a perception in many plants that if a problem occurs then leadership expect action not analysis. And yet to fix the symptoms of a problem, without addressing the root cause, is a recipe for a repeat occurrence. Effective RCA programs have trigger points in place to determine when an RCA needs to be performed. Widely published trigger points serve to provide the necessary “authority” to spend the time and determine an effective solution (through understanding the causes).

Tip provided by ARMS Reliability Engineers

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Arc Flash is a serious issue. In today’s environment, you need to identify electrical issues quickly in order to avoid downtime, and safely to protect your workforce. Mikron offers the perfect solution that is the most cost effective on the market.

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When storing spares with rotating elements such as gearboxes, motors etc in the warehouse it is necessary to carryout PMs on such spares. Warehouse personnel should be trained to carry out routine PMs on these spares. Rotating the shaft on a motor every now and then in the warehouse reduces the likelihood of false brinelling.

We had similar incidents were motors were stored for couple of months in the warehouse without any PMs. Because of our geographical location we placed the order for new motors for a new project three months in advance to ensure enough time for the motors to be on-site for installation. Three months on sea freight and almost two months in the warehouse was the total duration that these motors weren’t subject to any sort of maintenance.

Upon installation and commissioning of the motors the drive end and non-drive end bearings started heating up and vibration signatures rose exponentially overnight registering bearing faults. It cost us a considerable amount of downtime to our main flotation line due to two pumps down on motor bearing failure.

An outcome from the Root Cause Analysis we conducted was for our warehouse personnel to carryout PMs on spares with rotating elements whilst in the warehouse. This we hope will prevent any similar failures in the future.

Reader tip provided by Philip Onaga
Mechanical Engineer
Ok Tedi Mining Limited
Papua New Guinea

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

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Hiring the best people is not only something you owe to everyone on your team, but also something you owe to yourself!

After all, YOU will have to deal with (and live with) whomever you select. Here are three strategies from Nuts’nBolts Leadership that certainly have helped me in the past:

* Hire for Tomorrow’s Job. Don’t just hire for a position, hire for the future. Jobs, technologies, and markets are changing faster than ever. Look for people who are intelligent, quick learners, and adaptable to change.

* Remember: To Get the Best, You Have to Test! The most reliable predictor of success on the job is not experience, education, or age. The best predictor is testing. Test for every important criterion in the job requirements.

* Keep Your Ears Open for “We’s.” [In interviews] Listen for the “we” word …unless you’re looking for an “I” person. One trait of good team players – no matter their level or function – is the use of the word “we” when describing previous work situations and achievements.

Unquestionably, team member selection is one of the most important responsibilities of leadership. Take it seriously … do it right!

This tip comes from Nuts’nBolts Leadership: “How To” Strategies and Practical Tips for Leaders at ALL Levels by Eric Harvey and Paul Sims

Find out more about Nuts’nBolts Leadership