Industrial Maintenance Management: Links and Resources

Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)

"A CMMS software package maintains a computer database of information about an organization’s maintenance operations. This information is intended to help maintenance workers do their jobs more effectively (for example, determining which storerooms contain the spare parts they need) and to help management make informed decisions (for example, calculating the cost of maintenance for each piece of equipment used by the organization, possibly leading to better allocation of resources). The information may also be useful when dealing with third parties; if, for example, an organization is involved in a liability case, the data in a CMMS database can serve as evidence that proper safety maintenance has been performed." Click here to continue. (Wikipedia definition)

CMMS: Integrating Real-Time Information for Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)

Automated Data Acquisition Provides Timely And Accurate Measurements

Condition-Based Maintenance Uses Real-Time Data:
- Getting Started With CBM
- Process Alarms Can Pinpoint Malfunctioning Instruments
- Complex Equipment Benefits From Monitoring Of Multiple Factors

CBM Enables Maintenance To Prioritize Activities

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CMMS Software: Selecting the Right CMMS

"Good Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) that schedules preventive maintenance work orders on your equipment is an integral component of any efficient maintenance department. Preventive and scheduled maintenance, efficiently scheduled, will not only reduce your maintenance costs, but will minimize emergency repairs and downtime, resulting in an increase in overall profitability. A few years ago, choosing the right CMMS Software was a much simpler venture. With only a few programs to choose from, you could do minimal research and > be on your way to implementing a simple and effective system. But, with the explosion of the maintenance software industry in recent years, selecting your software has become a far more complex task. One that involves extensive investigation and evaluation. Some of the most important issues to consider when deciding which CMMS is right for you are cost, stability of the vendor, program features, fast implementation, support availability, and last but not least availability of a demonstration program." Click here to continue.

Is Preventive Maintenance Necessary?

William C. Worsham, Senior Consultant and Trainer, Reliability Center, Inc., "Reliability Centered Maintenance has changed the way we think about Preventive Maintenance (PM). It has caused some to question whether it's even necessary to do preventive maintenance. The truth is most manufacturing facilities would benefit from a good preventive maintenance program. It would be especially beneficial for those plants that rely on breakdown or run-to-failure maintenance. But, a preventive maintenance program is potentially risky, so it must be administered and performed properly to be successful." Click here to continue.

Maintenance and Reliability Best Performers

"...many times that one of American industry’s most serious diseases is the mobility of top management. A new manager is equal to a new program, and employees have seen this happen many times over the years. Consequently, they are reluctant to give anything but politically correct lip service to the new program, even if the new manager says it will last forever! ... Best performers have their maintenance system, including all processes within this system, well documented, and they work continuously on improving and implementing it. New managers and other employees are hired on the premises that they will continue to work within the system." Click here to continue.

Maintenance, Repair and Operations

"Maintenance, Repair and Operations or Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), is fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it get out of order or broken (repair) as well as performing the routine actions which keep the device in working order (maintenance) or prevent trouble from arising (preventive maintenance)." Click here to continue. (Wikipedia definition)

Preventive maintenance

"While preventive maintenance is generally considered to be worthwhile, it's important to note that there are risks such as equipment failure or human error involved when performing PM, just as in any maintenance operation. PM is also sometimes augmented by reliability centered maintenance, which attempts to determine the best PM tasks, and by predictive maintenance, which models past behavior to predict failures." Click here to continue. (Wikipedia definition)

Reliability engineering

"Reliability engineering is the discipline of ensuring that a system will be reliable when operated in a specified manner. Reliability engineering is performed throughout the entire life cycle of a system, including development, test, production and operation. Reliability engineers rely heavily on statistics, probability theory, and reliability theory. Many engineering techniques are used in reliability engineering, such as reliability prediction, Weibull analysis, thermal management, reliability testing and accelerated life testing, to name but a few. Because of the large number of reliability techniques, their expense, and the varying degrees of reliability required for different situations, most projects develop a Reliability Program Plan to specify the reliability tasks that will be performed for that specific system." Click here to continue.(Wikipedia definition)

Lifetime Reliability -- this site provides simple, solid, sound operations and maintenance strategies for low production costs, low operations costs and low maintenance costs. Frequently Asked Questions are addressed on Enterprise Asset Management Strategy, Industrial Maintenance Management Strategy, Defect Elimination, Failure Prevention and Plant and Equipment Reliability Problems. Other helpful sections include: Equipment Maintenance Management Strategy 101; Planned Maintenance Procedure Based on Equipment Criticality; Maintenance Secrets, Design Tips and Hard-Won AdviceThat Save You Time, Money And Effort; Condition Based Maintenance Strategy; Defect Elimination Strategy; 31 Successful Maintenance Management Tips; The Secret Art Of Maintenance Planning and Maintenance Scheduling; Manage Backlog, a Start in Managing Maintenance; Maintenance Precision Principle; Accuracy-Controlled Enterprise; Equipment Criticality by ABC; Profit Contribution Mapping; Instantaneous Cost of Failure. Click here to find out more.

What Constitutes World-Class Reliability and Maintenance?

"On a scale of zero to ten, rate your plant's use of the following systems and practices, with ten meaning that you are so good that it would probably not pay off to do more improvements in this area. A five indicates that you feel you do a good job, while a zero means that your performance is a disaster." Click here to continue.