Sign Up

Please use your business email address if applicable

International Maintenance Conference 2024

The RELIABILITY Conference® 2025

MaximoWorld 2025

Visite nuestro sitio en Español

reliability engineering for maintenance

Putting the Fun Back in Functional Processes

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Putting the Fun Back in Functional Processes

TRC-2018 Learning Zone 30:15
by David Auton, C&W Services

Common approaches to maintenance improvement include Failure Mode Effects Analysis and Root Cause Analysis. Most improvement projects are considered as individual and isolated. Understanding how your maintenance organization operates in a complex system of people and machines with needs and desires will help in your maintenance planning approach. Why does fixing one problem result in finding more problems? Why do the solutions tend to become more and more complex? There are really only three responses to any root cause; understanding these responses and how to manage them will provide more control over the improvement program. This presentation is based on System Thinking approaches to problem-solving.

Designing for Reliability

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Designing for Reliability

TRC-2018 RAP Talk 18:52
by Ramesh Gulati, Jacobs

Most of the asset fail during operation, or defects which cause failures, get detected during the operational phase. What and who cause these failures? Is it operations (operators) and/or maintenance? In the past, maintenance and sometimes operations got blamed for these failures. Are they solely responsible? In recent years, we have learned that a majority of asset failures are caused by defects which are introduced during the design, procurement, build/fabrication, and installation, also known as acquisition phase. It is much more economical to correct these defects at early stages to design/build assets for reliable operations. This is what we call Designing for Reliability. This RAP Talk suggests that little more investing during the acquisition phase can reduce failures as well as the total cost of ownership.

How RCM Helps to Change the Maintenance Culture

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

How RCM Helps to Change the Maintenance Culture

TRC-2018 Learning Zone 41:46
by Nick Jize, JMS Software

We will discuss the classical RCM methodology and its role in teaching the maintenance department how to critically evaluate Maintenance PM tasks, achieve buy-in for recommended changes, and to effectively implement new Job Plans.

From Mentoring to Monetizing: The 4 Conversations You Need to Have for an Effective PdM Program

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

From Mentoring to Monetizing: The 4 Conversations You Need to Have for an Effective PdM Program

TRC-2018 Learning Zone 38:10
by Sean O'Connor, JLL

Let’s face it, having conversations can be difficult. They can be especially difficult when discussions fall outside of our comfort zones. For instance, information technology and finance may not be at the center of our day to day world, but as the Industrial Internet of Things progresses these areas will play a larger role in our success. Great communicators have this seemly innate ability to shape and contour their message depending on who they are talking to, all the while not changing their principal intent. Managing a Predictive Maintenance Program is no different. For example, a single defect highlighted on a vibration report could trigger a series of conversations across our organization. All of those conversations will have a common theme, but the focus will shift in order to resonate with whom we are actively engaged with at that time. We will discuss the importance of building leadership capital and how we can improve our PdM Program by knowing how and when to cash it in. From there we will talk through the importance of understanding how expectations and perspective play a role in gaining widespread participation. There are 4 key conversations that can help you shift from individual contributor to force multiplier.

How Design for Reliability Honors the Stakeholders in the Field

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

How Design for Reliability Honors the Stakeholders in the Field

TRC-2018 Learning Zone 40:40
by Marie Getsug, Jacobs

Asset Management has introduced a few key concepts which require a shift from focusing on initial investment to optimizing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The is rooted in a risk-based and science-based approach to understanding the requirements of the assets throughout the 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. Shifting from a mindset of initial cost, scope and schedule to a focus on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) requires a catalyst for change. Design for Reliability (DfR) answers this call. Recognizing the Stakeholder SMEs by capturing their perspectives, recommendations and experience in a Design for Reliability (DfR) Toolkit is one way to positively affect both the leakage from CapEx to OpEx and the results of Capital Engineering Projects. Building the timely activities and requirements applied at each of the DfR stage gates, by formally incorporating the contributions of each Stakeholder, fuels the results and enthusiasm for DfR and Capital Engineering Projects. Celebrate the perspectives of Stakeholders by discovering their contributions.

Continuous Monitoring of Critical Valves, Leading to Predictive Maintenance

Reliability Engineering for Maintenance

Continuous Monitoring of Critical Valves, Leading to Predictive Maintenance

TRC-2018 Learning Zone 39:16
by David Anderson, Score Diagnostics Limited

100% Valve Reliability (optimisation of valve performance over time, for minimum investment, with no surprises) is our vision for your valves. Since the year 2000, Score have been working with valve diagnostics equipment and systems to improve valves’ operating performance and reliability, dependent upon their criticality to the process. This track record has allowed us as a valve management company, to identify and develop strategies which optimise process operations and reliability. Being exposed to all of the failure modes in all of the valve designs and types commonly found in process plants throughout the world has shown us what to look for in terms of performance indicators that lead to in-service failures. Consequently, the ability to identify any/all emerging failure modes as early as possible delivers an operational reliability advantage. So, what we are interested in is, can we see and quantify any developing failure mode at any time, through a continuous condition and performance monitoring approach? What is that failure mode going to do to your process? And at what point do we want to make an intervention in terms of our valve management strategy? The most commonly deployed maintenance strategies lead to calendar-based interventions, so we are going to demonstrate new ways of working, to achieve better outcomes. We shall challenge the audience’s thinking on commonly applied maintenance management strategies and focus their attention on maximizing efficiency through an evidence-based approach to reliability centered maintenance. To support this, we shall present a real-life case study where the evidence from condition and performance monitoring of valves can be used to safely extend the MTBMI (Mean Time Between Maintenance Interventions) for critical valves in a gas distribution network. The results of course are minimised production downtime, minimised risks to process and personnel and greater efficiencies in operations.

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^™.