Reliability Of Critical Turbo/Compressor Equipment

Even when a company has both the will and the money to spend, it is difficult to know where to start when considering the implementation of maintenance management systems. Probably the majority of smaller companies are still at this stage, which effectively means the majority of maintenance people. The prospect of developing suitable maintenance control strategies and policies from a standing start is daunting. There are many questions such as how much will it cost, where will the resources come from and how will we cope?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing manufacturing. From predictive maintenance to process optimization, AI promises to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and drive innovation. Yet, as manufacturing leaders, it is critical to recognize that AI is not a silver bullet. There are AI limitations — and understanding these limitations is as essential as embracing its capabilities.

Reliability is not rocket science. It should be easy to achieve. Do things right the first time, from design, procurement, construction, installation, maintenance and operation, all the way through to decommissioning. Isn't this the goal of engineers? Still, in many cases we —industry in general—seem to struggle in achieving high reliability. One reason may be widespread inattention to Mechanical Quality Assurance (MQA).

It is often said that "what gets measured gets done". And getting things done, through people, is what management is all about. Measuring things that get done and the results of this effort is an essential part of successful management, but too much emphasis on measurements, or the wrong measurements may not be in your company's best interests.

In August 2002 I spent a week in Japan at the chemical plant of an internationally renowned chemical manufacturer. While there I asked them about how they do their maintenance. They told me about their maintenance philosophy. And I want to pass on to you what I learnt about the Japanese way of doing maintenance on that trip.

What are the demands of Industry 5.0 and what do leaders and teams need to consider in order to nurture people on the 5.0 journey, particularly in line with the expectation of our post millennial teams and the exponential rise in technology? How do we adapt to harness what is now available in people and process for the consistent performance of quality?