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The RELIABILITY Conference® 2026

MaximoWorld 2026

International Maintenance Conference 2026

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reliability engineering for maintenance

Reliability Operators

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Reliability Operators

IMC-2017 Learning Session 49:16
by Ernest Newmes, Stepan Company.

Stepan is a chemical company producing specialty and intermediate chemicals such as surfactants, polymers, and other specialty products. Stepan Company has been maturing its Reliability program by developing all roles within the company to understand their part in Reliability.

Production Operator participation in Reliability is frequently referred to as Operator Driven Reliability or Autonomous Maintenance. Operators are integrally involved in operating equipment and have a unique opportunity, when equipped with tools and knowledge, to improve Reliability. Their frequent presence and familiarity of equipment can be leveraged to recognize equipment issues earlier in the P-F interval and operate them effectively. Audio, visual, and olfactory (AVO) indications are fundamental to heading off major equipment issues. Local and remote sensors are also used to recognize issues earlier on the P-F interval. In addition to having a presence, basic knowledge of equipment operation and function is essential to operating equipment within its operating envelop. Operating by procedure reduces the human impact on operations.

The topics covered will include:

Overview of Operator Rounds at Stepan:

Development of Rounds
AVO
Sensors/Visual Aides
Electronic Rounds
Activity Feedback

Developing Operator Knowledge
- New Operator Training
- Knowledge “roadshow” for experienced operators
Operating by Procedure
- Procedures that need diligence for a successful outcome
- Development of critical procedures
- Electronic Procedure
- Activity Feedback

Preventive Maintenance Optimization (PMO): Building on the Success of Worker Engagement

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Preventive Maintenance Optimization (PMO): Building on the Success of Worker Engagement

IMC-2017 Learning Session 40:28
by Paul Durko, Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) Y-12.

Over the past several years a leveraged approach to re-establishing the maintenance history, feedback, and improvement process has reaffirmed the management and technician relationship required to build a sustainable effort. While not a perfect process, the technicians realize that there is a commitment to ensuring their efforts are acted upon which in turn has reignited the sense of asset ownership at the floor level.

This effort, a topic of a previous IMC presentation, became the springboard to the next initiative; Preventive Maintenance Optimization (PMO). The PMO effort has been implemented in key Production areas of the plant since 2015. Due to complexity of work execution in the Operating Environment the effort was implemented in two phases.

Phase I – Team Synergy, Work Instruction Standardization, Task Validation – Expansion of Task Instruction and Parts Identification
Phase II – System Performance Trending, Task Optimization, Continuous Improvement, Expansion of Condition Based Maintenance Activities

3 Techniques for Optimizing Preventive Maintenance

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

3 Techniques for Optimizing Preventive Maintenance

When Benjamin Franklin wrote, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he was referring to fire safety. But, as you may know from experience, this saying holds true with regard to preventive maintenance (PM). Simply stated, preventive maintenance is an activity performed at a set interval to maintain an asset, regardless of its current condition. It’s a properly planned activity, where materials and parts are on hand and labor is scheduled ahead of time.The goal of any PM program is not only to extend the life of an asset or maintain it to its existing capabilities, but to also identify potential failures that could cause an unexpected event in the future. Properly planned corrective maintenance is typically several times less expensive than performing unplanned work. But, are the typical frequencies that PMs occur actually correct?

Launching a PMO Strategy to Free Up Critical Resources for High Value Activities

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Launching a PMO Strategy to Free Up Critical Resources for High Value Activities

IMC-2017 Learning Session - 37:10

by Jim Oldach, CH2M and John Tierney, Metropolitan Council Environmental Services.

Using the Uptime Elements as a guide, the Environment Services Division of the Metropolitan Council (MCES) is optimizing preventive maintenance activities in its largest treatment facility using an enterprise criticality framework. In 2016 MCES completed a Criticality Analysis (CA) pilot project focused on its Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant’s Solids Management Process (SMP), one of the largest solids disposal and energy recover facilities in the nation. MCES identified critical assets consuming a disproportionate amount of resources and implemented strategies to improve operational availability, free up critical maintenance resources for higher value activities, and reduce costs. MCES partnered with engineering firm CH2M to develop the pilot, document the process and train internal resources to sustain the strategy and implement it across $7 billion in infrastructure assets.

The presentation will detail the approach, the process, and tools including:

Getting sponsor and executive support.
Establishing internal resources for continued PMO implementation.
Buy-in from the Operations and Maintenance staff.
Using data to drive decisions.
Achieving measurable results showing the return on investment, including cost savings, cultural improvement, system performance increase and deferred capital investment.

Best Reliability Engineering for Maintenance Program (Uptime Award Winner) - Bristol-Myers Squibb

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Best Reliability Engineering for Maintenance Program (Uptime Award Winner) - Bristol-Myers Squibb

IMC Learning Session - 40:28
by Michael Andrews and Luis Tirado-Maldonado, Bristol-Myers Squibb

The function of the reliability engineering program is to help deliver the company’s mission by ensuring its assets, systems and infrastructure run as designed and the highest possible uptime without compromising safety or quality to our patients. The reliability engineering program at BMS focuses on a system lifecycle approach to equipment from design, build, acceptance, use and disposal. Strategies for this approach are continually aligned to the business mission. Real-time key performance indicators (KPIs) to a strong failure reporting analysis and corrective action system (FRACAS) helps monitor the effectiveness of the program while also striving for continuous improvement. Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) approaches are also employed - a main component being criticality ranking of equipment, which aids in the level of RCM assessment given to a piece of equipment. The RCM for high critical equipment may include: work order history analysis, FMEA, BOM, maintenance strategy optimization and life cycle costing. Condition monitoring strategies are also determined using the level of criticality. The criticality ranking is configured in the enterprise asset management system and allows for priority of work scheduling, as well as aiding in focus of failure analytics and reporting. Without question, this program is most effective due to the leadership and culture developed at BMS and at all levels in the organization. Cross-functional teams from engineering, operations, quality, management, maintenance, metrology and supply chain all take part in reliability forums and training on the Certified Reliability Leadership program using the Uptime Elements™ framework.

How Far Has Reliability Evolved?

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

How Far Has Reliability Evolved?

IMC-2017 Focused Forum - 21:05
by Henry Ellmann, Ellmann, Sueiro y Asociados

The concepts and content of Physical Asset Management have evolved dramatically over the last few decades. From Nowlan and Heap’s RCM-Reliability Centered Maintenance in Aviation in the late 70’s, through John Moubray’s RCM2 in the last decade of the XX Century, NOW, “Maintenance” has evolved into Asset Management aligned with the Corporate Goals, contemplating Whole Life Cycle and Risk Based Strategies addressed to ambitious and welcome progress necessary to describe, understand and follow within the Corporate environment.

How to Optimize Big Data in Factory Maintenance

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

How to Optimize Big Data in Factory Maintenance

If you work in any aspect of manufacturing today, there is no doubt you are aware of a significant revolution underway. It is a new era for the industry, dramatically evident when you take a look around any reasonably maintained and updated manufacturing facility. It no longer reflects the “gritty side” of the industry: dark, dirty and dangerous oversized rust belt garages that are dreary to visit, let alone work in. Instead, most forward-thinking facilities today are clean, bright and efficient workplaces that use, or are starting to use, some of the most cutting-edge technological advances available today in order to get ahead of the competition.

A Strong Approach to Reliability in the Refinery & Petrochemical Industry

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

A Strong Approach to Reliability in the Refinery & Petrochemical Industry

PKN ORLEN operates six refineries (daily crude oil processing 728,000 barrels) and the region’s largest network of service stations located in Poland, Czech Republic, Germany and Lithuania. Crude oil is processed into gasolines, diesel oil, fuel oil and aviation fuel. PKN ORLEN is also a leading producer of petrochemicals, with its products used as basic feedstocks by a large number of chemical companies.

Lessons from a Master - The Most Valuable RCM, Business and Life Lessons John Moubray Taught Me

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Lessons from a Master - The Most Valuable RCM, Business and Life Lessons John Moubray Taught Me

IMC-2017 Learning Session - 50:05
by Nancy Regan, The Force, Inc.

The most influential mentor of my career died on January 15, 2004. Thirteen years later, John Moubray’s wisdom continues to serve me. If you have anything to do with Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), then you know who John Moubray was. No matter what your perspective is on RCM2, there’s no denying that John was a giant in the RCM world; he was a fierce proponent of the RCM philosophy designed by the original architects, Nowlan and Heap. He trained his network members to be responsible custodians. John said it best when he affirmed: we are here to promulgate the principles we believe to be best practice and in so doing make the world a safer place for all who live in it. In 1997, by luck (or Providence), I stumbled upon Aladon LLC and the RCM2 process, and thus began my journey into RCM. John Moubray became my mentor. This presentation summarizes the most important RCM lessons John delivered about the process he described as “majestic.” However, a keen entrepreneur, John’s wit and wisdom extended beyond RCM. This presentation also features his insights on business and life that are just as relevant (if not more relevant) today as they were nearly twenty years ago. Ever-grateful for the treasure of John Moubray’s philosophy, the presentation ends with the most valuable advice he ever gave me – advice that applies to everyone (and has nothing to do with RCM!). Nearly two decades later, I finally get it!

Three Steps to Drive Reliability While Preparing for IIoT

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Three Steps to Drive Reliability While Preparing for IIoT

IMC-2017 Learning Session - 33:38
by Will Goetz, Emerson

The industrial internet of things (IIoT) will bring many benefits as it evolves and advances in the coming years. But today many companies worry about their readiness and feel overwhelmed thinking about the expense of preparations, particularly those organizations that are still moving from reactive and preventive to predictive maintenance (PdM). Now they are hearing about prescriptive maintenance — where analytics indicate that a piece of equipment is headed for trouble, and can prescribe prioritized, pre-determined, expert-driven mitigations or repairs.

How MedImmune Kicked Their Cogeneration Project into Overdrive

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

How MedImmune Kicked Their Cogeneration Project into Overdrive

MedImmune is the biologics and biotechnology research and development (R&D) arm of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca. MedImmune is the mind behind many popular pharmaceutical products on the market today, including Synagis^®, a preventative treatment against severe respiratory infections in infants, FluMist^®, an influenza vaccine administered as a nasal spray, Imfinzi^®, an immunotherapy for cancer, and monoclonal antibodies Fasenra^® and Siliq^™.

Utilizing Process Dynamics to Increase Machinery Reliability

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Utilizing Process Dynamics to Increase Machinery Reliability

Plant and refinery problems require accurate measurements to assess plant productivity and reliability. In fact, as management guru Peter Drucker stated, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” forms the basis to many real-world problems, from engineering optimization studies to troubleshooting plant machinery and equipment. Drucker’s statement also alludes to the fact that you cannot know whether or not you are successful unless success is defined and tracked.

How to RCM Analyze a Linear Asset Over 70 Miles Long

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

How to RCM Analyze a Linear Asset Over 70 Miles Long

IMC-2017 Learning Session - 40:50
by Tim Allen and Jennifer Jia, Central Arizona Project

Central Arizona Project (CAP), Arizona’s largest water utility, will present a case study of two linear asset RCM projects that evaluated over 70 miles of their Aqueduct System including both open channel canal and the largest diameter flexible pipe siphon ever constructed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation. These asset management evaluations were used to validate a proposed multi-million dollar underground siphon overhaul, as well as to produce a comprehensive maintenance strategy for all canal objects in the mitigation of water delivery risks. Attendees will learn how CAP utilized the RCM process to facilitate knowledge transfer between multiple engineering departments while at the same time collaborating with Maintenance and Operations.

How to Lead Design for Reliability (DfR) with Stage Gate Triggers

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

How to Lead Design for Reliability (DfR) with Stage Gate Triggers

IMC-2017 Learning Session - 42:19
by Marie Getsug, Jacobs, and George Williams, B. Braun Medical

Asset Management has introduced a few key concepts which require a shift from focusing on initial investment to optimizing the life-cycle cost. The basis for such decisions are rooted in a risk-based and science-based approach to understanding the requirements of the asset throughout its useful life. The risk-based approach drives prioritization and optimization; whereas, the science-based approach honors the Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) experience as well as seeking meaningful data to drive decisions. Both must be applied in the concept and design phases to be effective.

Shifting the Project Management Office (PMO) and the Capital Engineering Process from a mindset of initial cost, scope and schedule to a focus on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) requires a catalyst for change. Design for Reliability (DfR) answers this requirement with a methodology that blends aspects of statistics, probability and reliability theory, and engineering analysis throughout a product lifecycle to evaluate, predict, and verify the application of robust design. Through application of DfR practices, the demand for highly-reliable systems can be met while insuring that the latest methods for the assessment of robust design and risk-management are properly addressed. The design and concept stage gates become the most significant triggers for DfR and the mechanism for the timely application of each DfR element. Experiences introducing and customizing a DfR Program and toolkit to achieve a Corporate Vision and optimize the performance of the assets throughout their useful life will be shared. Stakeholders with any level of responsibility for these assets are being called upon to contribute their experience in the concept and design phases, core to both Front End Planning (FEP) and DfR. A governance structure that supports, funds and allows for the input of these Stakeholders at these timely stage gates is fundamental to the success of a DfR Program.

Dover Precision Components supplies reliability and efficiency for rotating and reciprocating mach

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Dover Precision Components supplies reliability and efficiency for rotating and reciprocating mach

To leverage their collective strength and heritage, Cook Compression, Inpro/Seal, Waukesha Bearings and Bearings Plus have formed the newly named Dover Precision Components operating company. As the umbrella for these keys brands, Dover Precision Components is an integrated provider of performance-critical solutions for rotating and reciprocating machinery and features a diverse portfolio of products and services.

Reliability & Information

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Reliability & Information

Problems with reliability appeared with the beginning of human activity. However, the ways of solving these problems were different and they were changing with growing complexity of technical systems. The retrospective view shows that the way of solving reliability problems depends on the ratio between the complexity of the system and the ability of people to obtain information about the system and its elements.

Some Plain Talk About Nuts and Bolts: Part 2 of 2

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Some Plain Talk About Nuts and Bolts: Part 2 of 2

Part 1 of this two-part Q&A series covered torque specifications, why good tightening practices are important and fastener identification. This next Q&A provides detailed information answering frequently asked questions about the hardware to help you understand what is involved with quality bolting practices.