5.5 Reliability Sustainment

A Risk-Based Approach to Spares Management 

R&M professionals are typically the main drivers and beneficiaries of an RCM or similar reliability study at a facility. However, when you invite operations and other key business personnel to participate, we’ve found it often opens their eyes to M&R improvement opportunities and helps paint the picture for future joint improvement efforts. Organizations are then able to operate with the most efficiency, driving toward a world-class reliability program with plant-wide buy-in for the reliability improvement journey. This presentation will discuss a case study of a joint client and partner consultant approach of choosing a machine or line performing below desired performance levels. Using an RCM approach to improve maintenance strategies, the organization experienced reduced downtime and less labour reallocation and idle time, and gained many instant wins like increased visibility in the maintenance budget and increased collaboration between facilities.Presented at MainTrain 2018

There are many new lubricants, bearings, seals, and lube accessories, but we need to do better. Ninety percent of rolling element bearings don’t reach their design life, and the main contributing factors relate to lubrication. This can mean the wrong type, too much, too little, not often enough, or not applied right. Generally, such things can be easily corrected, but a learning, productive working environment is key. Similar to hydraulics, the leading cause of equipment issues is contamination. This can be water, dirt, and/or wear. In this presentation, we’ll give you a number of examples and study results, as well as present some solutions.

Reliability is a powerful concept that applied properly makes the difference between success and failure of installations, processes and systems; nevertheless, reliability does not need to be difficult, complex and overwhelming. Quite the opposite: reliability applications  are more likely to succeed if they are easily understood by the different levels of the organization from trades to CEO. This is achieved by explaining reliability concepts easily understood by everyone within the organization.The general objective of the workshop is to provide theory and practical guidelines to the audience for identifying and addressing reliability issues that are impacting the productivity and profitability the assets they are responsible for.The workshop will provide basic knowledge and understanding regarding the tools and methodologies available within the reliability discipline, for the design, analysis and implementation of equipment strategies to systematically improve the performance of assets.At the end of the training the assistants will be able to:- Understand the current Reliability Engineering terminology- Understand and apply reliability concepts at all levels of the organization- Understand and overcome the typical reliability paradigms- Collect the adequate data and calculate basic maintenance and reliability Metrics- Understand the different reliability methodologies and the right application framework for each one- Combine different reliability methodologies to create an effective reliability program- Understand the role that Reliability Engineering plays within the Asset Management FrameworkThe workshop is specifically designed for current or future reliability engineers, maintenance supervisors and planners with maintenance, engineering and/or operations background that desire to be involved in improving reliability, availability and maintainability of assets through the application of modern reliability methodologies and tools.

In the face of global competition organizations must innovate to achieve their strategic goals as cost effectively as possible. In this session hear how the BHP Billiton Maintenance and Improvement team worked to validate the capability of the world’s biggest greenfield potash project. Using key pillars such as: asset management plan aligned with business goals, reliability design, maintainability by design, work management implementation plan, and asset care strategy development, this team unlocked new horizons of effective development for reliability and maintainability professionals. Thinking outside the box, using common and accessible tools, while determining the best stage each method should be implemented has been key to the team’s success.

Based on past experiences where over 50% of mechanical failures on Toronto Transit subway rail vehicles were related to misapplication of fasteners, this presentation is an overview of training currently provided to rail mechanics. Beginning with an explanation on application of fasteners emphasizing terminology, preload, elastic elongation and friction/lubricant, it follows with a review of experiences over the past 20 years and the resultant current best practices with respect to control of quality, hardened washers, mechanical top locknuts, lubricated installations, fatigue failures, etc. The presentation includes demonstrations using a Skidmore Wilhelm bolt tensioning machine that dramatically shows effect of lubricant on preload.

While leadership often requests a business case for implementing a comprehensive Maintenance & Reliability Readiness (M&RR) Plan for a specific capital project, it can be difficult for M&R practitioners to build one. And many plans do not consider the value destruction that occurs in the majority of new capital projects accounting for approximately 9% per $1B invested. This session discusses the causes for this loss:  buying excessive new capital spares; reduced and/or intermittent production during the ‘ramp-up’ phase, and much higher annual maintenance expenses. By understanding the loss in value that can be avoided through the adoption of a comprehensive M&RR Plan, maintenance and reliability practitioners will be able to effectively communication a business case for an M&RR investment.

The decision making grid (DMG) is a model that classifies maintenance approaches and then help in the selection of the maintenance strategy based on evidence produced from the data collected in Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Systems. In this paper we demonstrate three phases for a successful implementation of the DMG model.