By transporting mill scale together with water, steel mills establish a continuous recycling loop that cuts labor costs, reduces footprint, and supports nonstop operation. Northern European mills—including Outokumpu’s Avesta, Sweden facility—have adopted Nordic Water’s solutions, featuring screw dew

In this article, I challenge the conventional view of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) — availability × yield × quality — and invite you to consider it as a comprehensive measure of overall business effectiveness. As a seasoned educator and consultant in reliability management, I’ve seen many o

"Get your motor runnin'. Head out on the highway. Lookin' for adventure and whatever comes our way . . ." - lyrics from Steppenwolf's 1968 classic song "Born to Be Wild" The Harley-Davidson image is the antithesis of predictable. No schedules. No plans. No boundaries

Yesterday you were satisfied with your plants performance. Today you learn that your maintenance cost (MC) is 4.9 % of the estimated replacement value (ERV). Consulting firms and corporate management claim 4.9 % is too high—best‑in‑class facilities typically report under 3 %, and some even under 2 %

Implementing a formal scheduling system can significantly reduce downtime. It directly addresses the question, “How much work should we tackle next week?” Scheduling embodies control—one of the core functions of management (Plan, Organize, Staff, Direct, Control). Yet, in many maintenance operations

Every manufacturing operation encounters challenges, yet effective leadership cultivates a culture where frontline teams tackle day‑to‑day problems while managers focus on systemic solutions. In practice, too often leaders step in to address issues that belong to lower tiers, creating a “fix‑your‑ow

In earlier columns we mapped the five evolutionary stages of condition‑based maintenance (CBM) programs, from Level 1 plants that perform minimal CBM to Level 5 best‑practice operations. In this installment we examine how CBM dovetails with reliability engineering.The criticality analysis: A robust

During a recent industry conference, a senior executive highlighted Cargill employees’ meticulous focus on maintenance and reliability. I was intrigued, because this level of detail has become a hallmark of my own experience at Cargill. From the outset of my career, I was taught to ask “why” and to

From an operational perspective, the primary goal of the materials management organization in a maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) environment is to deliver unwavering material support to plant maintenance and production. In other words, having the right parts at the right place at the right t

To ensure the long‑term reliability of critical assets, every component must be shielded from corrosion. While operating machines circulate oil to keep additives dispersed, equipment that is shut down and stored is vulnerable to rust on surfaces that never receive the protective fluid. Several prove

Following the publication of the column “Let’s Kill Wrench Time” in the May/June 2007 issue of Reliable Plant, a diverse group of maintenance professionals shared their insights on the value (or lack thereof) of wrench‑time studies. The comments reveal contrasting perspectives on predictive maintena

FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) announced on July 2 that work has commenced at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in North Perry, Ohio, to replace a 20‑ton motor in the Reactor Recirculation System. The motor, one of two that regulate water flow to the reactor vessel, was removed last week,

Reliability‑Centred Maintenance (RCM) is a strategic investment that demands careful planning. A well‑executed RCM Blitz analysis not only optimises asset performance but also ensures that the time, resources, and capital you devote yield tangible returns. Before diving into an RCM session, you must

At last year’s Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP) conference in Birmingham, Alabama, the topic of diversity surfaced—once again highlighting the gender imbalance at our events. While the comedy bit about the lack of women was intended as humor, it underscored a serious issue:

Congressional momentum builds for a National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, as H. Res. 444 has cleared the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and will move to the House floor this fall. Following a House vote, the Senate will consider the measure before it reaches the President. The r

GreenWood Inc. has been awarded a comprehensive maintenance contract at The NutraSweet Company’s manufacturing facility in Augusta, Georgia. The agreement covers ongoing maintenance, production operations support, and construction projects.Starting in early July, a dedicated team of 138 skilled work

On August 14, Fluor Corporation announced that it has secured a five‑year renewal to provide power‑plant maintenance and capital‑project support services to multiple Luminant sites. The contract, one of the largest in the U.S. electric‑utility sector, was booked in the second quarter of 2007, though

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Every day, firms acquire or divest manufacturing facilities for strategic, financial, or operational reasons. Buyers look to expand into new markets, capture scale economies in existing ones, or capitalize on a belief that their core competencies will give them a competitive edge. Sellers, in contra

Introduction In 2004, Jody Willeman, a galvanizing line operator at Worthington Industries’ Delta, Ohio plant, suffered a severe foot injury while attempting a routine maintenance task. The incident highlighted the critical need for a safety culture that goes beyond compliance. Fast forward to 2007: