Now for the first time ever, Reliabilityweb.com has assembled the world's leading experts and practitioners to provide you with a one day educational session designed to enlighten you on PAS 55, explain the opportunities and challenges, explore different PAS 55 roadmaps and explore certification options and business advantages.

Designed as a conference within a conference - this educational event will provide you with a fast track toward a business oriented global standard for asset management.

Click here for agenda and presentation details

Weibull statistics for the user isn’t as complex as the mathematicians would lead us to believe. The user requires only a small degree of exposure to the underlying mathematics to develop a degree of faith sufficient to take advantage of the power of Weibull statistics. Just a few failures can provide significant insight into the nature of specific fault when using simple Weibull analysis to analyze the failure characteristics. These sessions will remove some of the mystique associated with Weibull mathematics by teaching participants to perform Weibull analyses using Weibull paper and also using a simple Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that they help create in the class.

Monte Carlo simulations can provide eye opening views of systemic interactions, most especially when used in conjunction with simple Weibull data. Monte Carlo simulators use simple, random number generators (easily found inside of Excel) to find the central tendency of reliability prediction systems. In this session, participants will use Microsoft Excel to build simple Monte Carlo simulators. Real life scenarios will be modeled and conclusions drawn from the model outputs. The purpose of this portion of the workshop is to develop a level of comprehension of Monte Carlo simulators and how they can be used to improve existing maintenance and reliability strategies.

Some computers will be provided in the class. Those who desire to bring their own laptops, please do so.

Learning Points

1) How Weibull mathematics can be used to improve a reliability strategy.

2) The type of data required for Weibull mathematics and what you can do if you don’t have that data.

3) How Monte Carlo simulators work and how they can be used to improve your current maintenance and reliability strategies.

In April 2010 a new awakening will emerge at the Reliability 2.0 Conference. Bill Keeter and Ricky Smith have teamed up to present a half a day preconference FRACAS workshop. In this session you will be involved in a hands-on experience like none other. Bill and Ricky will work with you (from beginners to experts) to develop a simple FRACAS system for your organization so you may want to bring a team from your company to help you develop this system. You do not need your IT Team, just good maintenance and reliability professionals. Bill and Ricky’s goal is to help you develop a system which provides you with failure reporting, analysis, and an awesome corrective action system. Ricky and Bill will be available throughout the conference to help you take your design to the highest level. After returning home you can have contact with them via email, telephone, or Skype. This has never been seen or occurred before at any conference. There is limited seating available so reserve your seat or seats now.

If you are not sure whether you are ready for FRACAS or not read this statement written by Reliability Engineering Expert Bill Keeter.

“A strong Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System (FRACAS) is the backbone of a good asset performance improvement effort. The FRACAS provides the business elements required to close the loop on Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) and Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) efforts. The FRACAS changes RCFA from what are often one shot exercises to a managed program for systematically improving equipment and process performance. “

During this workshop Ricky and Bill will help you:

• See how a strong condition monitoring program helps ensure good results from a FRACAS

• Understand the basic elements that have to be in place for a FRACAS to work

• Determine the relationship between what you want out of your FRACAS and what has to be put into the FRACAS database to achieve your goals.

In this workshop Apollo Root Cause Analysis methods are used to solve problems. Participants will learn why to conduct incident investigations and how to conduct investigations that get to the root cause and help prevent further incidents.

Course Objectives: At the completion of this Level 1 Investigation course participants will be able to :

• Respond to an incident investigation
• Respond to an initial call
• Complete the response preparation
• Perform incident investigation management both on and off site
• Complete Incident Investigation Closure
• Explain the common pitfalls of investigating incidents and know the common strategies to avoid pitfalls

Workshop Content

Receive The Initial Call

Prepare To Respond

The On Site Meeting

Investigation Closure

While playing the Game each person performs a function different from their usual work, giving one a better understanding of how the entire facility works and how each person’s actions affects other areas of the organization.

Participants learn how to eliminate the defects causing breakdowns in equipment, safety incidents and environmental issues by following the path of the “bugs” (defects) through their facility thereby establishing a highly reliable organization.

The best part is this is not another initiative to add to your already heavy load, but a way to enhance the reliability programs you are already using. The Manufacturing Game® is not only a tool to change the paradigm of the organization; it is a catalyst to lead you on the Journey to Continuous Improvement.

The application of RCM2 completely transforms the view that any organization has of its physical assets. Understanding RCM2 will revolutionize your view of maintenance and how maintenance and operations work together to care for assets.

With the application of RCM2, assets not only become more reliable because they are better maintained, but also operators and maintainers are less likely to do things which cause their assets to fail. With RCM2, you will gain a better understanding of how systems work. The result is that operators and maintainers are far more likely to react quickly, confidently and correctly when things do go wrong - a capability which is quite literally priceless, especially in complex, hazardous, tightly coupled facilities. Ivara and The Aladon Network have developed a profound understanding of what must be done to ensure that RCM2 is correctly applied by multi-disciplinary review groups. The process of RCM2 will help you to capture this invaluable source of information in the people who live with your assets on a day-to-day basis. Learn how to transform this knowledge into a solid and valid business tool.

In this half-day workshop, you will learn how RCM2 works (at a high level); learn the language and, more importantly, come to terms with the paradigm shift embodied in the RCM2 philosophy. You will:

• Learn how to establish an overall reliability strategy with a clear understanding of the consequences and risks associated with your equipment.

• Learn how to develop technically valid equipment maintenance programs using the RCM2 methodology.

• Gain an understanding of the key differences in the RCM2 methodology as compared to other methods.

RCM has been used to help formulate physical asset management strategies in almost every area of industry, in almost every industrialized country in the world. John Moubray, the founder of RCM2, and other leaders in the field worked with SAE standards body to develop a recognized standard for RCM called JA1011 and now updated to JA1012. RCM2 complies with this standard. Don’t miss this session as it could be your company’s next business strategy to greater profitability, to comply with industry regulations, to ensure safety and environmental integrity and to reshape your organization.

While the benefits of equipment reliability are most noted for reducing the cost of maintenance, the benefits of reliable assets reach far beyond the cost of eliminating emergency and demand maintenance. In wrapping up dozens of Reliability Centered Maintenance Analyses each year we have highlighted the benefits and savings derived to drive home the point that equipment reliability would deliver more than a reduction in maintenance costs.

While Reliability Centered Maintenance is well known for developing a complete maintenance strategy through identifying and mitigating the failure modes that result in the functional failures of your critical assets, the process can also be used to identify the failure modes that result in the inefficient use or waste of energy.

Join Allied Reliability’s Doug Plucknette and Chris Colson in a workshop that details how RCM Blitz can help your company to identify the failure modes that result in the inefficient use of equipment and wasted energy along with PM and PdM strategies that not only improve equipment reliability but increase energy efficiency.

In this workshop you will learn:

• How to build energy efficiency into your RCM Analysis
• How to identify the failure modes that result in inefficient use of your equipment
• PM and PdM Strategies used to improve energy efficiency
• Example Case Study of how RCM can improve energy efficiency

Most organizations think of Root Cause Analysis as simply another tool in the tool box to be used on an as needed basis. In actuality, it is a style of thinking that can and should be applied to every unexpected event or unacceptable condition in the facility. A step change in performance can only be expected when our thinking has experienced a step change. The way we think governs the way we act. And the way we act dictates the results we get. If you want different results, you must first begin by changing the way you think. RCA gives us the framework for changing the way we think about problems.

This session is designed to equip participants with a set of RCA methodologies that will get them heading down the path of changing the way they are thinking about their equipment, process and procedural failures. This is not another class on how to conduct a failure investigation. This is about managing the process of using RCA to change the way we do business. In short, this class is about managing RCA to the point of becoming students of our own processes.

This session will cover some basic terminology, process flows and RASI, the effect of human error, training and qualification, triggers, assessment process, validation process and risk assessment. All of these things will be organized into a playbook that will help you transform your culture to a “root cause culture”. Root cause cultures continuously learn from failures and mistakes by asking these 4 simple questions:

1) How long have we known about this problem?

2) How many opportunities have we had to resolve this situation?

3) How much would it have cost us to deal with it immediately upon learning about it?

4) What changes can we make to our machinery/processes/procedures so that we never find ourselves in this situation again?

Once an organization is tuned to asking these questions and acting on the answers, it will begin to see that step change in performance that everyone so dearly wants.

Participants will leave this session with the core of an RCA playbook that they can complete as they continue their RCA journey.

The dilemma facing many asset managers working at a corporate level is finding the right balance between company standards for PM and deploying asset specific PM for the right conditions and operating context.

It is widely recognized that the maintenance requirements of any physical asset are determined by its design and its operating context. Almost all companies have many similar equipment producing products. Intuitively it would seem logical to have the same maintenance program for these assets, but in reality, most of the assets have variations in design and operate under different conditions in different locations with maintainers of different skill levels.

Corporate standards for maintenance strategies are appealing because they are easy to manage and control. However, they are rarely effective and almost always sub optimal. Experience shows that in almost all cases, maintainers ignore corporate strategies because they don't fit the needs.

With SAP® it is possible to have the control of PM but allowing variations to suit specific applications of the same asset in different operating context using SPAWN system.

This workshop quickly explores the dilemma of wanting control and standards but also wanting the right maintenance being done. The SPAWN solution is illustrated via uses a case study illustrating the SPAWN process for managing corporate PM’s while at the same time catering for variations in design, operating conditions and skill levels.
 

In 1984, LUDECA pioneered laser shaft alignment technology in the US with the introduction of the legendary OPTALIGN® system, manufactured by Prüftechnik. OPTALIGN’s then newly-patented reflected laser technology was years ahead of its time, revolutionizing the field of shaft alignment, saving plants millions of dollars in reduced downtime and repairs.

Today LUDECA remains America’s leaders in laser shaft alignment systems and technology, headed by the award-winning ROTALIGN® ULTRA and complemented by state-of-the-art portable vibration analysis and balancing instruments such as the versatile VIBXPERT® and online condition monitoring systems.

LUDECA is pleased to invite Reliability 2.0 attendees to a tour of their facilities including their NUPIC approved calibration laboratory with NIST certified calibration equipment and their state-of-the-art training center in Doral, Florida.

The tour will include maintenance technology stations featuring dedicated equipment for machinery alignment and specialized systems and simulators for more demanding measurement applications such as bore and turbine alignment, flatness, straightness and leveling. All stations will be equipped with dedicated systems for hands-on experience with the guidance and assistance of our application engineers. Interact with any of our measurement instruments, or let our experienced staff demonstrate them for you!

Join us at our condition monitoring classroom and lab for ‘live’ vibration data collection and analysis as well as practical machine balancing. Learn how vibration analysis can help you detect machine failures and avoid costly downtime.

The tour will end with a very special Keynote presentation:

Getting Maximum Value from a PDM Process by Bill Hillman

This presentation will focus on how to implement a successful PDM program and will include an overview of key maintenance technologies and their role in a cost-effective asset management process.

Key Learning points:

• Maintenance goals
• Benefits of PDM
• Why PDM is required?
• Reason to pursue precision
• How much PDM is required?
• Which PDM technologies are needed?
• The importance of precision shaft and belt alignment
• Using vibration analysis to detect faults and assess machine health
• PDM study results
• Sustaining a PDM process
• Keys to success

Tour Details

April 20th, 2010 - 8:00 AM to 12 noon (Lunch included)

Round trip transportation is included.

Who should attend?

Individuals responsible for implementing and managing preventive and predictive maintenance in the plant.

The activity of defining and reviewing a maintenance program is one that is generally very poorly done. Not surprisingly, done properly, this process alone can be the most effective means of generating company profits through greater output from the same assets. It is a fact that no amount of clever planning and scheduling can account for a low value-adding maintenance program. In reality completing 100% of a poor program can drive a company backwards particularly if it contains the wrong type of maintenance.

The problems usually start in the design or acquisition phase where the definition or consideration of maintenance programs is poorly funded. Equipment is often delivered and commissioned without a formal maintenance program at all. In some cases one is provided, but it has been done in an inappropriate fashion and is worthless. During the following years of operation, the maintenance program develops. This often happens in an "ad hoc" manner and results in a program that lacks focus and is inefficient. Without some means of reviewing this situation, organizations can find themselves uncompetitive either because maintenance costs are too high, or the plant is unreliable.

The review of maintenance programs and failure history is an activity that most organizations undertake and no doubt have undertaken since formal maintenance was first performed. Some organizations do this continuously whilst others do so in large chunks as needs arise. Unfortunately, some organizations do not perform any reviews whatsoever. The problems of most attempts at review are that the review is done in an informal manner with little or no set procedure and an absence of useful decision logic.

Until now, the only accepted means of defining a maintenance program was to use RCM. However, there is now a realization that RCM is a tool designed for use in the design phase of the equipment life cycle (Ref RCM II Moubray 1997 2nd edition page 19) and not for use where equipment is already in use. PM Optimization is specifically designed for reviewing maintenance programs and failure history for equipment that is in use and has a formal or informal system of maintenance albeit misdirected. For this reason Optimization is also very effective at defining the initial maintenance program for new equipment where similar equipment is in use somewhere.

Topics in this workshop include:

• Fundamentals of PM Optimization
• Understanding the vicious cycle of reactive maintenance
• Stabilizing the business by finding the right PM and getting it done on time
• Growing reliability through understanding asset capability
• PMO and Reliability Software systems that integrate with CMMS / EAM.
• Case studies

2) The amount of leverage in Planning and Scheduling

• delays we try to prevent via P&S
• length and frequency of the delays
• reliability in preventing the delays
• average potential savings

3) Job plans

• Necessities - what should be included for a proper plan
• Various ways to effectively get job plan data
  1. Inspections
  2. Maintenance personnel turn in work orders with their info on it for specific equipment types
  3. Focus on the 20% of equipment that has the 80% of work orders
  4. RCM studies
• Level of detail for job plans (30 to 45 min)
  1. importance of technician reading job plan
  2. target the detail to the technician and job complexity
  3. bullets for top technicians with details attached or readily available
  4. details for new technology, reliability problems, or regulatory requirements.

4) An effective scheduling process

• Goals of scheduling
• Keeping it simple (spread sheet vs. project)
• Daily and Weekly scheduling
• The necessity of cutoff times
• Communicating the schedule

The chicken or the egg causality dilemma arises from the expression “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Chickens hatch from eggs, but eggs are laid by chickens, making it difficult to say which originally gave rise to the other. To ancient philosophers, the question about the first chicken or egg also evoked the questions of how life and the universe in general began.

In today’s engineering world, we are faced with an ever increasing amount of solutions surrounding maintenance improvement. All these solutions are offering maximum return on investment for the shareholders, with significant reductions in downtime, increase in production output, less accidents, all of which are very attractive to any business. Two solutions on offer are the use of Reliability Centered Maintenance and Root Cause Analysis – but which comes first? Should we put all our eggs in one basket and focus on one solution or spread the eggs across two baskets and implement the outputs from both?

In this workshop we look at how RCM and RCA are actually complementary of one another and how they both work towards the elimination of undesirable events through a proactive approach to maintenance.

The workshop, Using SAP as a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System), covers how the SAP Plant Maintenance (PM) module can be used to be an enabler of your maintenance work management process. Covered material includes SAP screen shots that demonstrate how SAP PM can be configured and used to get control of work.

The workshop will provide instruction for participants covering:

With the use of detailed screen shots, participants will learn how SAP PM can be mapped to the elements of their work management process.

Participants Learn:

• The Key Elements of a Work Management Process
• How to Create Work Requests Using Notifications
• How to Plan Jobs
• How to Load and Level Manpower Requirements
• How to Schedule Jobs
• How to Close Maintenance Orders and Enter Feedback

Change is difficult under the best of circumstances. Creating sustainable culture change in the current economic environment poses even more challenges than in the past. Budgets are tighter, there is more pressure to hit earnings targets, and companies large and small are feeling the pressure to improve their operations.

Now, more than ever, it is important to measure and quantify performance improvements. To do this, most companies rely on typical metrics, or Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s). These include operational measurements such as OEE, availability, schedule compliance, and many more. While it is very important to measure and trend an operation’s KPI’s, it just isn’t enough.

The successful path to sustainable change lies in the measurement and management of behaviors (causes) and KPI’s (effects). This leads the way to culture change. Many companies have suffered through a failed change initiative, and the reason for failure is hardly ever due to lack of effort. The real reason is too often because the proper behaviors simply weren’t in place to lead to sustainable culture change. These behaviors, which support the work functions, work processes, business goals, and management of the business, likely weren’t properly established, and certainly weren’t measured for improvement. However, when those specific desired behaviors are being monitored on a regular basis, they tend to improve significantly, and lead to sustainable culture change within the operation.

After years of monitoring behaviors across the world, we have compiled an extensive database that quantifies typical rates of change for various functional, process-focused, and management-level behaviors in industrial organizations. By combining the behavioral data with the KPI data we have collected, we get a detailed look into the Performance Culture of an operation, as a function of time, and across assets. The raw data is captured in our online database: APEX ™.

We graphically represent the change in a number of ways:

1. Showing rates of change of individual behavioral elements and sub-groups.

2. Scoring the overall behavior and KPI scores on a specially created quadrant graphic, which depicts the current level of sustainability.

3. Showing particular behaviors and metrics that are improving steadily, as well as those that are in need of more focused improvement efforts.

4. Showing comparisons in performance of multiple assets.